Bible Reading
June 20
The World English Bible
June
20
2
Samuel 1-3
2Sa
1:1 It happened after the death of Saul, when David was returned
from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in
Ziklag;
2Sa
1:2 it happened on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the
camp from Saul, with his clothes torn, and earth on his head: and so
it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did
obeisance.
2Sa
1:3 David said to him, Where do you come from? He said to him, I
have escaped out of the camp of Israel.
2Sa
1:4 David said to him, How did it go? Please tell me. He answered,
The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also
have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead
also.
2Sa
1:5 David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that
Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
2Sa
1:6 The young man who told him said, As I happened by chance on
Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the
chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him.
2Sa
1:7 When he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I
answered, Here I am.
2Sa
1:8 He said to me, Who are you? I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
2Sa
1:9 He said to me, Stand, I pray you, beside me, and kill me; for
anguish has taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.
2Sa
1:10 So I stood beside him, and killed him, because I was sure that
he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that
was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have
brought them here to my lord.
2Sa
1:11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and tore them; and
likewise all the men who were with him:
2Sa
1:12 and they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul,
and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the
house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
2Sa
1:13 David said to the young man who told him, Where are you from?
He answered, I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.
2Sa
1:14 David said to him, How were you not afraid to put forth your
hand to destroy Yahweh's anointed?
2Sa
1:15 David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall
on him. He struck him, so that he died.
2Sa
1:16 David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your mouth
has testified against you, saying, I have slain Yahweh's anointed.
2Sa
1:17 David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over
Jonathan his son
2Sa
1:18 (and he bade them teach the children of Judah the
song of the bow: behold, it is written
in the book of Jashar):
2Sa
1:19 Your glory, Israel, is slain on your high places! How the
mighty have fallen!
2Sa
1:20 Don't tell it in Gath. Don't publish it in the streets of
Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the
daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
2Sa
1:21 You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain on you,
neither fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was
vilely cast away, The shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.
2Sa
1:22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
Jonathan's bow didn't turn back. Saul's sword didn't return empty.
2Sa
1:23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives. In
their death, they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles.
They were stronger than lions.
2Sa
1:24 You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in
scarlet delicately, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.
2Sa
1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan
is slain on your high places.
2Sa
1:26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been
very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love
of women.
2Sa
1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
2Sa
2:1 It happened after this, that David inquired of Yahweh, saying,
Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? Yahweh said to him, Go
up. David said, Where shall I go up? He said, To Hebron.
2Sa
2:2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
2Sa
2:3 His men who were with him did David bring up, every man with his
household: and they lived in the cities of Hebron.
2Sa
2:4 The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over
the house of Judah. They told David, saying, The men of Jabesh Gilead
were those who buried Saul.
2Sa
2:5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to
them, Blessed be you of Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to
your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.
2Sa
2:6 Now Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you: and I also
will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.
2Sa
2:7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul
your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king
over them.
2Sa
2:8 Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, had taken
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
2Sa
2:9 and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and
over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all
Israel.
2Sa
2:10 Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to
reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah
followed David.
2Sa
2:11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah
was seven years and six months.
2Sa
2:12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of
Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
2Sa
2:13 Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out,
and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the
one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
2Sa
2:14 Abner said to Joab, Please let the young men arise and play
before us. Joab said, Let them arise.
2Sa
2:15 Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin,
and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of
David.
2Sa
2:16 They caught everyone his fellow by the head, and thrust
his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: therefore
that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
2Sa
2:17 The battle was very severe that day: and Abner was beaten, and
the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
2Sa
2:18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and
Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
2Sa
2:19 Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he didn't turn to the
right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
2Sa
2:20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, Asahel? He
answered, It is I.
2Sa
2:21 Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right hand or to your
left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor. But Asahel
would not turn aside from following him.
2Sa
2:22 Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me: why
should I strike you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face
to Joab your brother?
2Sa
2:23 However he refused to turn aside: therefore Abner with the
hinder end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear
came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same
place: and it happened, that as many as came to the place where
Asahel fell down and died stood still.
2Sa
2:24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down
when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by
the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
2Sa
2:25 The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after
Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
2Sa
2:26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword
devour forever? Don't you know that it will be bitterness in the
latter end? How long shall it be then, before you bid the people
return from following their brothers?"
2Sa
2:27 Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in
the morning the people had gone away, nor followed everyone his
brother.
2Sa
2:28 So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and
pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
2Sa
2:29 Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and
they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came
to Mahanaim.
2Sa
2:30 Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered
all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen
men and Asahel.
2Sa
2:31 But the servants of David had struck of Benjamin, and of
Abner's men, so that
three hundred sixty men died.
2Sa
2:32 They took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father,
which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day
broke on them at Hebron.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:2 To David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon,
of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
2Sa
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;
2Sa
3:4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth,
Shephatiah the son of Abital;
2Sa
3:5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born
to David in Hebron.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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?
2Sa
3:8 Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said,
Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? This day do 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.
2Sa
3:9 God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to
David, I don't do even so to him;
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:11 He could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
2Sa
3:12 Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is
the land? saying also,
Make your league with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you, to
bring about all Israel to you.
2Sa
3:13 He said, Well; I will make a league 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.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:15 Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from
Paltiel the son of Laish.
2Sa
3:16 Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her
to Bahurim. Then said Abner to him, Go, return: and he returned.
2Sa
3:17 Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, In
times past you sought for David to be king over you:
2Sa
3:18 now then do it; for Yahweh 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.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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?
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:26 When Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after
Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah: but David
didn't know it.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are
guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
2Sa
3:29 let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house;
and 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.
2Sa
3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had
killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
2Sa
3:31 David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him,
Tear your clothes, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn
before Abner. King David followed the bier.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:33 The king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a
fool dies?
2Sa
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.
2Sa
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 be down.
2Sa
3:36 All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as
whatever the king did pleased all the people.
2Sa
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.
2Sa
3:38 The king said to his servants, "Don't you know that there
a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
2Sa
3:39 I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the
sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer
according to his wickedness."
