Day 156 of 365

2 Sam 5:1–6:23

5:1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

5:2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. The Lord said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'"

5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel.

5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

5:5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

5:6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "Unless you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here"; thinking, "David can't come in here."

5:7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.

5:8 David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and strike the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame can't come into the house."

5:9 David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. David built around from Millo and inward.

5:10 David grew greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of Hosts, was with him.

5:11 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.

5:12 David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

5:13 David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

5:14 These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

5:15 and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

5:16 and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.

5:17 When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.

5:18 Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

5:19 David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?" The Lord said to David, "Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand."

5:20 David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and he said, "The Lord has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

5:21 They left their images there; and David and his men took them away.

5:22 The Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

5:23 When David inquired of the Lord, he said, "You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them over against the mulberry trees.

5:24 It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then you shall stir yourself up; for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

5:25 David did so, as the Lord commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.

6:1 David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

6:2 David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of the Lord of hosts who sits above the cherubim.

6:3 They set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

6:4 They brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

6:5 David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with castanets, and with cymbals.

6:6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled.

6:7 The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

6:8 David was displeased, because the Lord had broken forth on Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day.

6:9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, "How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?"

6:10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord to be with him in the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

6:11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, and all his house.

6:12 It was told king David, saying, "The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God." David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with joy.

6:13 It was so, that, when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

6:14 David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.

6:15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

6:16 It was so, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

6:17 They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

6:18 When David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

6:19 He gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed everyone to his house.

6:20 Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

6:21 David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore will I celebrate before the Lord.

6:22 I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in my own sight. But of the handmaids of whom you have spoken, they shall honor me."

6:23 Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

John 15:1–27

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.

5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If a man does not remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

8 "In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.

9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and remain in his love.

11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

17 "I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his lord.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know him who sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 He who hates me, hates my Father also.

24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father.

25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'

26 "When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Ps 67:1–7

1 May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah.

2 That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations,

3 let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.

4 Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah.

5 Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.