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

1 After Saul died, David returned to Ziklag. He had won the battle over the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days.

2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to show him respect.

3 "Where have you come from?" David asked him. He answered, "I've escaped from Israel's camp."

4 "What happened?" David asked. "Tell me." He said, "Israel's men ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

5 David spoke to the young man who brought him the report. He asked him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

6 "I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa," the young man said. "Saul was there too. He was leaning on his spear. The enemy chariots and chariot drivers had almost caught up with him.

7 Then he turned around and saw me. He called out to me. I said, 'What do you want me to do?'

8 "He asked me, 'Who are you?' " 'An Amalekite,' I answered.

9 "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I'm close to death, but I'm still alive.'

10 "So I stood over him and killed him. I did it because I knew that after he had lost the battle he would be killed anyway. So I took the crown that was on his head. I also took his armband. I've brought them here to you. You are my master."

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them. All of his men did the same thing.

12 All of them were filled with sadness. They sobbed over the whole nation of Israel. They didn't eat anything until evening. That's because Saul and Jonathan and the LORD's army had been killed with swords.

13 David spoke to the young man who had brought him the report. He asked, "Where are you from?" "I'm the son of an outsider, an Amalekite," he answered.

14 David asked him, "Why weren't you afraid to lift your hand to kill the LORD's anointed king?"

15 Then David called for one of his men. He said, "Go! Strike him down!" So he struck the man down, and the man died.

16 That's because David had said to him, "Anything that happens to you will be your own fault. What your own mouth has spoken is a witness against you. You said, 'I killed the LORD's anointed king.' "

17 David sang a song of sadness about Saul and his son Jonathan.

18 He ordered that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is called The Song of the Bow. It is written down in the Book of Jashar. David sang,

19 "Israel, your glorious leaders lie dead on your hills. Your mighty men have fallen.

20 "Don't announce it in Gath. Don't tell it in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will be glad. The daughters of men who haven't been circumcised will be joyful.

21 "Mountains of Gilboa, may no dew or rain fall on you. May your fields not produce any offerings of grain. The shield of the mighty king lies polluted there. The shield of Saul lies there. It isn't rubbed with oil anymore.

22 The bow of Jonathan didn't turn back. The sword of Saul didn't return without being satisfied. They spilled the blood of their enemies. They killed mighty men.

23 "In life Saul and Jonathan were loved and gracious. In death they were not parted. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions.

24 "Daughters of Israel, sob over Saul. He dressed you in the finest clothes. He decorated your clothes with ornaments of gold.

25 "Your mighty men have fallen in battle. Jonathan lies dead on your hills.

26 My brother Jonathan, I'm filled with sadness because of you. You were very special to me. Your love for me was wonderful. It was more wonderful than the love of women.

27 "Israel's mighty men have fallen. Their weapons of war are broken."

1 After Saul and Jonathan died, David asked the LORD for advice. "Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered.

2 So David went up there with his two wives. Their names were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal's widow.

3 David also took his men and their families with him. They settled down in Hebron and its towns.

4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron. There they anointed David to be king over the people of Judah. David was told that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul's body.

5 So he sent messengers to them to speak for him. The messengers said, "You were kind to bury the body of your master Saul. May the LORD bless you for that.

6 And may he now be kind and faithful to you. David will treat you well for being kind to Saul's body.

7 Now then, be strong and brave. Your master Saul is dead. And the people of Judah have anointed David to be king over them."

8 Abner, the son of Ner, was commander of Saul's army. He had brought Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim.

9 There he made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel. He also made him king over Ephraim, Benjamin and other areas of Israel.

10 Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel. He ruled for two years. But the people of Judah followed David.

11 David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years.

12 Abner, the son of Ner, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. The men of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, went with him.

13 Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and David's men also went out. All of them met at the pool in Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool. The other group sat on the other side.

14 Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight. Let's tell them to fight hand to hand in front of us." "All right. Let them do it," Joab said.

15 So the young men stood up and were counted off. There were 12 on the side of Benjamin and Saul's son Ish-Bosheth. And there were 12 on David's side.

16 Each man grabbed one of his enemies by the head. Each one stuck his dagger into the other man's side. And all of them fell down together and died. So that place in Gibeon was named Helkath Hazzurim.

17 The fighting that day was very heavy. Abner and the men of Israel lost the battle to David's men.

18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there. Their names were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as quick on his feet as a wild antelope.

19 He chased Abner. He didn't turn to the right or the left as he chased him.

20 Abner looked behind him. He asked, "Asahel, is that you?" "It is," he answered.

21 Then Abner said to him, "Turn to the right or the left. Fight one of the young men. Take his weapons away from him." But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him.

22 Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! If you don't, I'll strike you down. Then how could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

23 But Asahel refused to give up the chase. So Abner drove the dull end of his spear into Asahel's stomach. The spear came out of his back. He fell and died right there on the spot. Every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

24 But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. As the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah. It was near Giah on the way to the dry and empty land close to Gibeon.

25 The men of Benjamin gathered in a group around Abner. They took their stand on top of a hill.

26 Abner called out to Joab, "Do you want our swords to keep on killing us off? Don't you know that all of this fighting will end in bitter feelings? How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing their fellow Israelites?"

27 Joab answered, "It's a good thing you spoke up. If you hadn't, the men would have kept on chasing their fellow Israelites until morning. And that's just as sure as God is alive."

28 So Joab blew a trumpet. All of the men stopped. They didn't chase Israel anymore. They didn't fight anymore either.

29 All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah Valley. They went across the Jordan River. They kept on going through the whole Bithron. Finally, they came to Mahanaim.

30 Then Joab returned from chasing Abner. He gathered all of his men together. Besides Asahel, only 19 of David's men were missing.

31 But David's men had killed 360 men from Benjamin who were with Abner.

32 They got Asahel's body and buried it in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. They arrived at Hebron at sunrise.

1 One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a well-known Pharisee. While he was there, he was being carefully watched.

2 In front of him was a man whose body was badly swollen.

3 Jesus turned to the Pharisees and the authorities on the law. He asked them, "Is it breaking the Law to heal on the Sabbath?"

4 But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man and healed him. Then he sent him away.

5 He asked them another question. He said, "Suppose one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day. Wouldn't you pull him out right away?"

6 And they had nothing to say.

7 Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So he told them a story.

8 He said, "Suppose someone invites you to a wedding feast. Do not take the place of honor. A person more important than you may have been invited.

9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come to you. He will say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be filled with shame. You will have to take the least important place.

10 "But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.

11 Anyone who lifts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who is brought down will be lifted up."

12 Then Jesus spoke to his host. "Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner," he said. "Do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back.

13 "But when you give a big dinner, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can't walk, the disabled and the blind.

14 Then you will be blessed. Your guests can't pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead."

15 One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God's kingdom."

16 Jesus replied, "A certain man was preparing a big dinner. He invited many guests.

17 Then the day of the dinner arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, 'Come. Everything is ready now.'

18 "But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said, 'I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.'

19 "Another said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

20 "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

21 "The servant came back and reported this to his master. "Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can't walk, the blind and the disabled.'

22 " 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done. But there is still room.'

23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full.

24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my dinner.' "