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2 Samuel 21; 2 Samuel 22; Luke 18:24-43

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2 Samuel 21

1 There was a famine for three years in a row during David's rule. David asked the LORD about this, and the LORD said, "It is caused by Saul and his household, who are guilty of bloodshed because he killed the people of Gibeon."
2 So the king called for the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites weren't Israelites but were survivors of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn a solemn pledge to spare them, but Saul tried to eliminate them in his enthusiasm for the people of Israel and Judah.)
3 David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you? How can I fix matters so you can benefit from the LORD's inheritance?"
4 The Gibeonites said to him, "We don't want any silver or gold from Saul or his family, and it isn't our right to have anyone in Israel killed." "What do you want?" David asked. "I'll do it for you."
5 "Okay then," they said to the king. "That man who opposed and oppressed us, who planned to destroy us, keeping us from having a place to live anywhere in Israel—
6 hand over seven of his sons to us, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeon on the LORD's mountain." "I will hand them over," the king said.
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson, because of the LORD's solemn pledge that was between them—between David and Saul's son Jonathan.
8 So the king took the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had birthed for Saul; and the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she birthed for Adriel, Barzillai's son, who was from Meholah,
9 and he handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the mountain before the LORD. The seven of them died at the same time. They were executed in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
10 Aiah's daughter Rizpah took funeral clothing and spread it out by herself on a rock. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until the rains poured down on the bodies from the sky, and she wouldn't let any birds of prey land on the bodies during the day or let wild animals come at nighttime.
11 When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's secondary wife, had done,
12 he went and retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen the bones from the public square in Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa.
13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there and collected the bones of the men who had been hanged by the Gibeonites.
14 The bones of Saul and his son Jonathan were then buried in Zela, in Benjaminite territory, in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. Once everything the king had commanded was done, God responded to prayers for the land.
15 Once again war broke out between the Philistines and Israel. David and the soldiers who were with him went down and fought the Philistines. When David grew tired,
16 Ishbi-benob, a descendant of the Raphah, planned on killing David. The weight of his spear was three hundred shekels of bronze, and he was wearing new armor.
17 But Zeruiah's son Abishai came to David's aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David's men swore a solemn pledge to him: "You will never march out to battle with us again! You must not snuff out Israel's lamp!"
18 Some time later, another battle with the Philistines took place at Gob. Then Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of the Raphah.
19 There was yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan, Jair's son from Bethlehem, killed Goliath from Gath, whose spear shaft was as strong as the bar on a weaver's loom.
20 In another battle at Gath, there was a huge man who had six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet, twenty-four in all. He too was descended from the Raphah.
21 When he insulted Israel, Jonathan, who was the son of David's brother Shimei, killed him.
22 These four Philistines were descended from the Raphah in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible

2 Samuel 22

1 David spoke the words of this song to the LORD after the LORD delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from Saul.
2 He said: The LORD is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer.
3 My God is my rock—I take refuge in him!— he's my shield and my salvation's strength, my place of safety and my shelter. My savior! Save me from violence!
4 Because he is praiseworthy, I cried out to the LORD, and I was saved from my enemies.
5 Death's waves were all around me; rivers of wickedness terrified me.
6 The cords of the grave surrounded me; death's traps held me tight.
7 In my distress I cried out to the LORD; I cried out to my God. God heard my voice from his temple; my cry for help reached his ears.
8 The earth rocked and shook; the sky's foundations trembled and reeled because of God's anger.
9 Smoke went up from God's nostrils; out of his mouth came a devouring fire; flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
10 God parted the skies and came down; thick darkness was beneath his feet.
11 God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew; he was seen on the wind's wings.
12 God made darkness his covering; water gathered in dense clouds!
13 Coals of fire blazed out of the brightness before him.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard.
15 God shot arrows, scattering the enemy; he sent the lightning and whipped them into confusion.
16 The seabeds were exposed; the earth's foundations were laid bare at the LORD's rebuke, at the angry blast of air coming from his nostrils.
17 From on high God reached down and grabbed me; he took me out of deep waters.
18 God saved me from my powerful enemy, saved me from my foes, who were too much for me.
19 They came at me on the very day of my distress, but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out to wide-open spaces; he pulled me out, because he is pleased with me.
21 The LORD rewarded me for my righteousness; he restored me because my hands are clean,
22 because I have kept the LORD's ways. I haven't acted wickedly against my God.
23 All his rules are right in front of me; I haven't turned away from any of his laws.
24 I have lived with integrity before him; I've kept myself from wrongdoing.
25 And so the LORD restored me for my righteousness, because I am clean in his eyes.
26 You deal faithfully with the faithful; you show integrity toward the one who has integrity.
27 You are pure toward the pure, but toward the crooked, you are tricky.
28 You are the one who saves people who suffer, but your eyes are against the proud. You bring them down!
29 You are my lamp, LORD; the LORD illumines my darkness.
30 With you I can charge into battle; with my God I can leap over a wall.
31 God! His way is perfect; the LORD's word is tried and true. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
32 Now really, who is divine except the LORD? And who is a rock except our God?
33 Only God! My mighty fortress, who makes my way perfect,
34 who makes my step as sure as the deer's, who lets me stand securely on the heights,
35 who trains my hands for war so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
36 You've given me the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great.
37 You've let me walk fast and safe, without even twisting an ankle.
38 I chased my enemies and destroyed them! I didn't come home until I finished them off.
39 I ate them up! I struck them down! They couldn't get up; they fell under my feet.
40 You equipped me with strength for war; you brought my adversaries down underneath me.
41 You made my enemies turn tail from me; I destroyed my foes.
42 They looked around, but there was no one to save them. They looked to the LORD, but he wouldn't answer them.
43 I crushed them like dust on the ground; I stomped on them, trampled them like mud dumped in the streets.
44 You delivered me from struggles with many people; you appointed me the leader of many nations. Strangers come to serve me.
45 Foreigners grovel before me; after hearing about me, they obey me.
46 Foreigners lose their nerve; they come trembling out of their fortresses.
47 The LORD lives! Bless God, my rock! Let my God, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high!
48 This is the God who avenges on my behalf, who subdues peoples before me,
49 who rescues me from my enemies. You lifted me high above my adversaries; you delivered me from violent people.
50 That's why I thank you, LORD, in the presence of the nations. That's why I sing praises to your name.
51 You are the one who gives great victories to your king, who shows faithful love to your anointed one— to David and to his descendants forever.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible

Luke 18:24-43

24 When Jesus saw this, he said, "It's very hard for the wealthy to enter God's kingdom!
25 It's easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom."
26 Those who heard this said, "Then who can be saved?"
27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible for humans is possible for God."
28 Peter said, "Look, we left everything we own and followed you."
29 Jesus said to them, "I assure you that anyone who has left house, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, parents, or children because of God's kingdom
30 will receive many times more in this age and eternal life in the coming age."
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and said, "Look, we're going up to Jerusalem, and everything written about the Human One by the prophets will be accomplished.
32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. He will be ridiculed, mistreated, and spit on.
33 After torturing him, they will kill him. On the third day, he will rise up."
34 But the Twelve understood none of these words. The meaning of this message was hidden from them and they didn't grasp what he was saying.
35 As Jesus came to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the road begging.
36 When the man heard the crowd passing by, he asked what was happening.
37 They told him, "Jesus the Nazarene is passing by."
38 The blind man shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy."
39 Those leading the procession scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, show me mercy."
40 Jesus stopped and called for the man to be brought to him. When he was present Jesus asked,
41 "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, I want to see."
42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight! Your faith has healed you."
43 At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they praised God too.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible