2 Samuel 1; 2 Samuel 2; Luke 14:1-24

2 Samuel 1

1 Now it came to pass, after Saul was dead, that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalecites, and abode two days in Siceleg.

2 And on the third day, there appeared a man who came out of Saul’s camp, with his garments rent, and dust strewed on his head: and when he came to David, he fell upon his face, and adored.

3 And David said to him: From whence comest thou? And he said to him: I am fled out of the camp of Israel.

4 And David said unto him: What is the matter that is come to pass? tell me: He said: The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people are fallen and dead: moreover Saul and Jonathan his son are slain.

5 And David said to the young man that told him: How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son, are dead?

6 And the young man that told him, said: I came by chance upon mount Gelboe, and Saul leaned upon his spear: and the chariots and horsemen drew nigh unto him,

7 And looking behind him, and seeing me, he called me. And I answered, Here am I.

8 And he said to me: Who art thou? And I said to him: I am an Amalecite.

9 And he said to me: Stand over me, and kill me: for anguish is come upon me, and as yet my whole life is in me.

10 So standing over him, I killed him: for I knew that he could not live after the fall: and I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither to thee, my lord.

11 Then David took hold of his garments and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him.

12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword.

13 And David said to the young man that told him: Whence art thou? He answered: I am the son of a stranger of Amalec.

14 David said to him: Why didst thou not fear to put out thy hand to kill the Lord’s anointed?

15 And David calling one of his servants, said: Go near and fall upon him. And he struck him so that he died.

16 And David said to him: Thy blood be upon thy own head: for thy own mouth hath spoken against thee, saying: I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

17 And David made this kind of lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son.

18 (Also he commanded that they should teach the children of Juda the use of the bow, as it is written in the book of the just.) And he said: Consider, O Israel, for them that are dead, wounded on thy high places.

19 The illustrious of Israel are slain upon thy mountains: how are the valiant fallen?

20 Tell it not in Geth, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

21 Ye mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew, nor rain come upon you, neither be they fields of firstfruits: for there was cast away the shield of the valiant, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the valiant, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

23 Saul and Jonathan, lovely, and comely in their life, even in death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet in delights, who gave ornaments of gold for your attire.

25 How are the valiant fallen in battle? Jonathan slain in the high places?

26 I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women. As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.

27 How are the valiant fallen, and the weapons of war perished?

2 Samuel 2

1 And after these things David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him: Go up. And David said: Whither shall I go up? And he answered him: Into Hebron.

2 So David went up, and his two wives Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel:

3 And the men also that were with him, David brought up every man with his household: and they abode in the towns of Hebron.

4 And the men of Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda. And it was told David that the men of Jabes Galaad had buried Saul.

5 David therefore sent messengers to the men of Jabes Galaad, and said to them: Blessed be you to the Lord, who have shewn this mercy to your master Saul, and have buried him.

6 And now the Lord surely will render you mercy and truth, and I also will requite you for this good turn, because you have done this thing.

7 Let your hands be strengthened, and be ye men of valour: for although your master Saul be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.

8 But Abner the son of Ner, general of Saul’s army, took Isboseth the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp,

9 And made him king over Galaad, and over Gessuri, and over Jezrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10 Isboseth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years; and only the house of Juda followed David.

11 And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, was seven years and six months.

12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.

13 And Joab the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went out, and met them by the pool of Gabaon. And when they were come together, they sat down over against one another: the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side.

14 And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.

15 Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 And every one catching his fellow by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.

17 And there was a very fierce battle that day: and Abner was put to flight, with the men of Israel, by the servants of David.

18 And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes that abide in the woods.

19 And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20 And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael? And he answered: I am.

21 And Abner said to him: Go to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take thee his spoils. But Asael would not leave off following him close.

22 And again Abner said to Asael: Go off, and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to stab thee to the ground, and I shall not be able to hold up my face to Joab thy brother.

23 But he refused to hearken to him, and would not turn aside: wherefore Abner struck him with his spear with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died upon the spot: and all that came to the place where Asael fell down and died stood still.

24 Now while Joab and Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and they came as far as the hill of the aqueduct, that lieth over against the valley by the way of the wilderness in Gabaon.

25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner: and being joined in one body, they stood on the top of a hill.

26 And Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?

27 And Joab said: As the Lord liveth, if thou hadst spoke sooner, even in the morning the people should have retired from pursuing after their brethren.

28 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more.

29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plains: and they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all Beth-horon, came to the camp.

30 And Joab returning, after he had left Abner, assembled all the people: and there were wanting of David’s servants nineteen men, beside Asael.

31 But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred and sixty, who all died.

32 And they took Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

Luke 14:1-24

1 And it came to pass, when Jesus went into the house of one of the Pharisees, on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

2 And behold, there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy.

3 And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

4 But they held their peace. But he taking him, healed him and sent him away.

5 And answering them, he said: Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit and will not immediately draw him out, on the sabbath day?

6 And they could not answer him to these things.

7 And he spoke a parable also to them that were invited, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them:

8 When thou art invited to a wedding, sit not down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honourable than thou be invited by him:

9 And he that invited thee and him, come and say to thee: Give this man place. And then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place.

10 But when thou art invited, go, sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee: Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at table with thee.

11 Because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

12 And he said to him also that had invited him: When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends nor thy brethren nor thy kinsmen nor thy neighbours who are rich; lest perhaps they also invite thee again, and a recompense be made to thee.

13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind.

14 And thou shalt be blessed, because they have not wherewith to make thee recompense: for recompense shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just.

15 When one of them that sat at table with him had heard these things, he said to him: Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

16 But he said to him: A certain man made a great supper and invited many.

17 And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to them that were invited, that they should come: for now all things are ready.

18 And they began all at once to make excuse. The first said to him: I have bought a farm and I must needs go out and see it. I pray thee, hold me excused.

19 And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to try them. I pray thee, hold me excused.

20 And another said: I have married a wife; and therefore I cannot come.

21 And the servant returning, told these things to his lord. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant: Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city; and bring in hither the poor and the feeble and the blind and the lame.

22 And the servant said: Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded; and yet there is room.

23 And the Lord said to the servant: Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24 But I say unto you that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my supper.