2 Samuel 18

Absalom's Defeat and Death

Absalom Murdered by Joab

    ³But the people answered, "You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city."

    ⁴Then the king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.

    ⁶So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. ⁷The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. ⁸For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

    ⁹Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. ¹⁰Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, "I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!"

    ¹¹So Joab said to the man who told him, "You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt."

    ¹²But the man said to Joab, "Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!'^{[a] 13}Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me."

    ¹⁴Then Joab said, "I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. ¹⁵And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.

    ¹⁶So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. ¹⁷And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.

    ¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.

David Hears of Absalom's Death

    ²⁰And Joab said to him, "You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king's son is dead." ²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.

    ²²And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite."

    So Joab said, "Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?"

    ²³"But whatever happens," he said, "let me run."

    So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

    ²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near.

    ²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "There is another man, running alone!"

    And the king said, "He also brings news."

    ²⁷So the watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok."

    And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."

    ²⁸So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "All is well!" Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!"

    ²⁹The king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?"

    Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about."

    ³⁰And the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.

    ³¹Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, "There is good news, my lord the king! For the LORD has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you."

    ³²And the king said to the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom safe?"

    So the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!"

David's Mourning for Absalom

2 Samuel 19

David Returns to Jerusalem

    ⁵Then Joab came into the house to the king, and said, "Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, ⁶in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. ⁷Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now." ⁸Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, "There is the king, sitting in the gate." So all the people came before the king.

    For everyone of Israel had fled to his tent.

David Returns to Jerusalem

Footnotes:

1. 2 Samuel 18:12 The ancient versions read "Protect the young man Absalom for me!"

John 20

The Empty Tomb

The Risen Christ

    ³Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. ⁴So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. ⁵And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. ⁸Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. ⁹For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. ¹⁰Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

    She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

    ¹⁴Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"

    She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

    ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary!"

    She turned and said to Him,^[a] "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).

    ¹⁷Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."'

    ¹⁸Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord,^[b] and that He had spoken these things to her.

The Apostles Commissioned

    ²¹So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." ²²And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Seeing and Believing

    So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

    ²⁶And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" ²⁷Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

    ²⁸And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

    ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Thomas,^[d] because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

That You May Believe

Footnotes:

1. John 20:16 NU-Text adds in Hebrew.
2. John 20:18 NU-Text reads disciples, "I have seen the Lord," ...
3. John 20:19 NU-Text omits assembled.
4. John 20:29 NU-Text and M-Text omit Thomas.

1. John 20:1 : Matt 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12
2. John 20:19 : Luke 24:36-43; 1 Cor 15:5

¹⁵³Consider my affliction and deliver me,
       For I do not forget Your law.
       ¹⁵⁴Plead my cause and redeem me;
       Revive me according to Your word.
       ¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked,
       For they do not seek Your statutes.
       ¹⁵⁶Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD;
       Revive me according to Your judgments.
       ¹⁵⁷Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
       Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
       ¹⁵⁸I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
       Because they do not keep Your word.
       ¹⁵⁹Consider how I love Your precepts;
       Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
       ¹⁶⁰The entirety of Your word is truth,
       And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
       ¹⁶¹Princes persecute me without a cause,
       But my heart stands in awe of Your word.
       ¹⁶²I rejoice at Your word
       As one who finds great treasure.
       ¹⁶³I hate and abhor lying,
       But I love Your law.
       ¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise You,
       Because of Your righteous judgments.
       ¹⁶⁵Great peace have those who love Your law,
       And nothing causes them to stumble.
       ¹⁶⁶LORD, I hope for Your salvation,
       And I do Your commandments.
       ¹⁶⁷My soul keeps Your testimonies,
       And I love them exceedingly.
       ¹⁶⁸I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
       For all my ways are before You.
       ¹⁶⁹Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
       Give me understanding according to Your word.
       ¹⁷⁰Let my supplication come before You;
       Deliver me according to Your word.
       ¹⁷¹My lips shall utter praise,
       For You teach me Your statutes.
       ¹⁷²My tongue shall speak of Your word,
       For all Your commandments are righteousness.
       ¹⁷³Let Your hand become my help,
       For I have chosen Your precepts.
       ¹⁷⁴I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
       And Your law is my delight.
       ¹⁷⁵Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
       And let Your judgments help me.
       ¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
       Seek Your servant,
       For I do not forget Your commandments.

¹⁴As messengers of death is the king's wrath,
       But a wise man will appease it.
       ¹⁵In the light of the king's face is life,
       And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.