Day 155 of 365

2 Sam 3:1–4:12

3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: and David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

3:2 To David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

3:3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

3:4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

3:5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

3:6 It happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.

3:7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

3:8 Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman!

3:9 God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as the Lord has sworn to David, I do not do even so to him;

3:10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba."

3:11 He could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

3:12 Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land?" and saying, "Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel around to you."

3:13 He said, "Good; I will make a treaty with you; but one thing I require of you. That is, you shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."

3:14 David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

3:15 Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.

3:16 Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go! Return!" and he returned.

3:17 Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.

3:18 Now then do it; for the Lord has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"

3:19 Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Benjamin.

3:20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

3:21 Abner said to David, "I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

3:22 Behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

3:23 When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace.

3:24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone?

3:25 You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do."

3:26 When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.

3:27 When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

3:28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

3:29 Let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."

3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

3:31 David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. King David followed the bier.

3:32 They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

3:33 The king lamented for Abner, and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

3:34 Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell." All the people wept again over him.

3:35 All the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, "God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or anything else, until the sun goes down."

3:36 All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people.

3:37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.

3:38 The king said to his servants, "Do you not know that there a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

3:39 I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the Lord reward the evildoer according to his wickedness."

4:1 When Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

4:2 Saul's son had two men who were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin:

4:3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until this day).

4:4 Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

4:5 The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he took his rest at noon.

4:6 They came there into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they struck him in the body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

4:7 Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him, and killed him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.

4:8 They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, "Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed."

4:9 David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

4:10 when someone told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him, and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.

4:11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?"

4:12 David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

John 14:12–31

12 Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

13 Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.

15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

16 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever,-

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive; for it does not see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.

18 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.

20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

21 One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him."

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?"

23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.

24 He who does not love me does not keep my words. The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me.

25 I have said these things to you, while still living with you.

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 You heard how I told you, 'I go away, and I come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

29 Now I have told you before it happens so that, when it happens, you may believe.

30 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

Eccl 4:1–11

1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

2 Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4 Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man's neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

5 The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.

6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment? This also is vanity, yes, it is a miserable business.

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn't have another to lift him up.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?