From: "FamilyNet Direct"
Bible Reading for April 08
2 Samuel 16
[1] And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the
servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them
two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred
of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. [2] And the king said unto Ziba, What
meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to
ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the
wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
[3] And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the
king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of
Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. [4] Then said the king to Ziba,
Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I
humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
[5] And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the
family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came
forth, and cursed still as he came. [6] And he cast stones at David, and at
all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were
on his right hand and on his left.
[7] And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man,
and thou man of Belial:
[8] The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in
whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into
the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief,
because thou art a bloody man.
[9] Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead
dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
[10] And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let
him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then
say, Wherefore hast thou done so? [11] And David said to Abishai, and to all
his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life:
how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse;
for the LORD hath bidden him.
[12] It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD
will requite me good for his cursing this day. [13] And as David and his men
went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and
cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
[14] And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and
refreshed themselves there.
[15] And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and
Ahithophel with him.
[16] And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come
unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the
king.
[17] And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why
wentest thou not with thy friend?
[18] And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people,
and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
[19] And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his
son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
[20] Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
[21] And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines,
which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art
abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be
strong.
[22] So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went
in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. [23] And the
counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had
inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with
David and with Absalom.
2 Samuel 17
[1] Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve
thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: [2] And I
will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him
afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the
king only:
[3] And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest
is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. [4] And the saying
pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. [5] Then said Absalom,
Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
[6] And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying,
Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if
not; speak thou.
[7] And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is
not good at this time.
[8] For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty
men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the
field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
[9] Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will
come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever
heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
[10] And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall
utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they
which be with him are valiant men. [11] Therefore I counsel that all Israel be
generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is
by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. [12]
So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will
light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men
that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. [13] Moreover, if he
be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we
will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
[14] And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the
Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed
to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might
bring evil upon Absalom.
[15] Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus
did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus
have I counselled.
[16] Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night
in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be
swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. [17] Now Jonathan and
Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city:
and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.
[18] Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them
away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his
court; whither they went down.
[19] And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and
spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. [20] And when
Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz
and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of
water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to
Jerusalem.
[21] And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of
the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass
quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. [22]
Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over
Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone
over Jordan.
[23] And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his
ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his
household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the
sepulchre of his father.
[24] Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all
the men of Israel with him.
[25] And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa
was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail
the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother. [26] So Israel and
Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. [27] And it came to pass, when David
was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children
of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the
Gileadite of Rogelim, [28] Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and
wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and
parched pulse, [29] And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for
David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The
people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
2 Samuel 18
[1] And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of
thousands and captains of hundreds over them. [2] And David sent forth a third
part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of
Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of
Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth
with you myself also. [3] But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth:
for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die,
will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore
now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
[4] And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king
stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by
thousands.
[5] And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for
my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when
the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. [6] So the people
went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of
Ephraim;
[7] Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and
there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. [8] For the
battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood
devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. [9] And Absalom met the
servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the
thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was
taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him
went away. [10] And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I
saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
[11] And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him,
and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given
thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. [12] And the man said unto Joab,
Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I
not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king
charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young
man Absalom. [13] Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own
life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have
set thyself against me.
[14] Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts
in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet
alive in the midst of the oak.
[15] And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote
Absalom, and slew him.
[16] And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after
Israel: for Joab held back the people. [17] And they took Absalom, and cast
him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon
him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
[18] Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar,
which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in
remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called
unto this day, Absalom's place. [19] Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let
me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of
his enemies. [20] And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this
day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no
tidings, because the king's son is dead.
[21] Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi
bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. [22] Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet
again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And
Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings
ready? [23] But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run.
Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. [24] And David
sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate
unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running
alone.
[25] And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be
alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. [26]
And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the
porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also
bringeth tidings.
[27] And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like
the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man,
and cometh with good tidings.
[28] And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down
to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy
God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord
the king.
[29] And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered,
When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult,
but I knew not what it was.
[30] And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned
aside, and stood still.
[31] And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for
the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
[32] And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi
answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to
do thee hurt, be as that young man is. [33] And the king was much moved, and
went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said,
O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O
Absalom, my son, my son!
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