The Daily Audio Bible

¹² Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ Joab the son of Zeruiah and David’s servants 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. ¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!”

Joab said, “Let them arise!” ¹⁵ Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants. ¹⁶ They each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.^{[a] 17} The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants. ¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle. ¹⁹ Asahel pursued Abner. He didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

He answered, “It is.”

²¹ Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. ²² Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?” ²³ However, he refused to turn away. Therefore Abner with the back 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. As many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. The sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵ The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill. 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 will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”

²⁷ Joab said, “As God^[b] lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.” ²⁸ So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, and they fought no more. 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.

³⁰ Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men of David’s and Asahel were missing. ³¹ But David’s servants had struck Benjamin Abner’s men so that three hundred sixty men died. 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.

3 Now there was long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker. ² Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 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; ⁴ and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house. 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?”

⁸ Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman! ⁹ God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him: ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”

¹¹ He could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.

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 will be with you to bring all Israel around to you.”

¹³ David said, “Good. I will make a treaty with you, but one thing I require of you. That is, you will not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” ¹⁴ David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I was given to marry for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

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

¹⁷ Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you. 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.’”

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. 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. 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.

²² Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”

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 already gone? ²⁵ You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”

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 didn’t know it. ²⁷ When Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle 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. 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. 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 a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

³¹ David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier. ³² They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave; and all the people wept. ³³ The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? ³⁴ Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.”

All the people wept again over him. ³⁵ All the people came to urge 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.”

³⁶ All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people. 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. ³⁸ The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel? ³⁹ I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

13 Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God, ⁴ arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”

⁸ Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For he knew him who would betray him; therefore he said, “You are not all clean.” ¹² So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. ¹⁸ I don’t speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.’^{(A) 19} From now on, I tell you before it happens, that when it happens, you may believe that I am he. ²⁰ Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”

²¹ When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, “Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me.”

²² The disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke. ²³ One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ chest. ²⁴ Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.”

²⁵ He, leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’ chest, asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ After the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him.

Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

²⁸ Now nobody at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus said to him, “Buy what things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ Therefore having received that morsel, he went out immediately. It was night.

ALEPH

BETH