The Daily Audio Bible
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18 Then David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands over them, and captains of hundreds.
2 And David sent forth one third of the people under the hand of Joab, and one third of those under the hand of Abishai, Joab’s brother, the son of Zeruiah, and one third of those under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I will also go with you myself.”
3 But the people answered, “You shall not go forth! For if we flee away, they will not care about us! Nor will they care about us if half of us were killed! But you are now worth ten thousand of us! Therefore, now, it is better that you help us out of the city!”
4 Then the king said to them, “What seems best to you, that I will do.” So, 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, “Engage the young man Absalom gently, for my sake.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6 So, the people went out into the field to meet Israel. And the battle was in the Forest of Ephraim,
7 where the people of Israel were killed before the servants of David. So, there was a great slaughter that day, of twenty thousand.
8 For the battle was scattered over all the country. And the forest devoured many more people that day than did the sword.
9 Now Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule. And the mule came under a great thick oak. And his head caught hold of the oak and he was taken up between the sky and the earth. And the mule that was under him went away.
10 And one who saw it told Joab, saying, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.”
11 Then Joab said to the man who told him, “And have you indeed seen? Why then did you not strike him to the ground there, and I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a girdle?”
12 Then the man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would still not lay my hand upon the king’s son! For in our hearing, the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware, lest any touch the young man Absalom.’
13 “If I had done it, it would have been the danger of my life! For nothing can be hidden from the king! Yea, you yourself would have been against me!”
14 Then Joab said, “I will not wait with you like this.” And he took three arrows in his hand and thrust them through Absalom, while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten servants who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16 Then 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 forest and laid a mighty great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled, each one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom, in his lifetime, had taken and raised up a pillar for himself (which is in the king’s dale). For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” And he named the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called “Absalom’s Place”.
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king the news that the LORD has delivered him out of the hand of his enemies.”
20 And Joab said to him, “You shall not be the messenger today. You shall bring news another time. But today you shall bear none. For the king’s son is dead.”
21 Then Joab said to Cushi, “Go! Tell the king what you have seen.” And Cushi bowed himself to Joab and ran.
22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after Cushi?” And Joab said, “Why, now, will you run, my son, seeing that you have no tidings to bring?”
23 “Still, let me run?” Then he said to him, “Run.” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overtook Cushi.
24 Now David sat between the two gates. And the watchman went to the top of the gate, upon the wall, and lifted up his eyes and saw. And behold, a man came running alone.
25 And the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, he brings news.” And he came quickly and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the potter, and said, “Behold, a man runs alone!” And the king said, “He also brings news.”
27 And the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” Then the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “Peace!” And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, Who has shut up the men who lift up their hands 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 your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what.”
30 And the king said to him, “Turn aside. Stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
31 And behold, Cushi came. And Cushi said, “News, my lord the king. For the LORD has delivered you this day out of the hand of all who rose against you!”
32 Then the king said to Cushi, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And Cushi answered, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you harm, are as that young man is.”
33 And the king was moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said this: “O, my son Absalom! My son! My son, Absalom! Would that I had died for you, O Absalom, my son! My son!”
19 And it was told to Joab, “Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom.”
2 Therefore, the victory of that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard say that day, “The king sorrows for his son.”
3 And the people went that day into the city, secretly, as ashamed people when they hide themselves while fleeing in battle.
4 So the king hid his face. And the king cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son! My son!”
5 Then Joab came into the house, to the king, and said, “This day you have shamed the faces of all your servants who have saved your life this day, and the lives of your sons, and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines,
6 “in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For this day you have declared that you regard neither your princes nor servants. Therefore, this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and we all had died this day, that then it would have pleased you well.
7 “Now, therefore, up! Come out and speak comfortably to your servants. For I swear by the LORD, unless you come out, there will not be one man stay with you this night! And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has fallen on you from your youth until now!”
8 Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they declared to all the people, saying, “Behold, the king sits in the gate!” And all the people came before the king (for Israel had fled, each man to his tent).
9 Then all the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land for Absalom!
10 “And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle! Therefore, why are you so slow to bring the king back?”
20 Now, the first of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulcher - early, when it was still dark. And she saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher! And we do not know where they have laid Him!”
3 Therefore, Peter went out, and the other disciple, and they came to the sepulcher.
4 So they both ran together. But the other disciple outran Peter and came to the sepulcher first.
5 And he stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying. Still, he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the sepulcher. And he saw the linen clothes, laying.
7 And the facecloth that was upon His head was not laying with the linen clothes but was wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple (who had first come to the sepulcher) went in also. And he saw it and believed.
9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, “That He must rise again from the dead”.
10 And the disciples went away again to their own home.
11 But Mary stood outside the sepulcher, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the sepulcher
12 and saw two angels in white, sitting - one at the head and the other at the feet - where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 When she had said this, she turned back and saw Jesus, standing. And she didn’t know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?” She, supposing that He was the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned, and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, “Master”)
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me. For I am not yet ascended to My Father. But, go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father, and to your Father, and to My God, and your God’.”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
19 The evening of the same day (which was the first of the week), when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace to you.”
20 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced, having seen the Lord.
21 Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you. As My Father sent Me, so I send you.”
22 And when He had said that, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Ghost.”
23 “Whoever’s sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. And whoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve (called Didymus) was not with them when Jesus came.
25 Therefore, the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it!”
26 And eight days later, His disciples were inside again and Thomas with them. Then Jesus came (when the doors were shut) and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace to you.”
27 Afterward, He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. And see My hands. And put forth your hand and put it into My side. And do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 Then Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord, and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
30 And Jesus also did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this Book.
31 But these things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that in believing, you might have life, through His Name.
RESH
153 Behold my affliction, and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your Law.
154 Plead my cause and deliver me. Quicken me according to Your Word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked, because they do not seek Your Statutes.
156 Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD. Quicken me according to Your Judgments.
157 My persecutors and my oppressors are many. Yet I do not swerve from Your Testimonies.
158 I saw the transgressors and was grieved, because they did not keep Your Word.
159 Consider, O LORD, how I love Your Precepts. Quicken me according to Your lovingkindness.
160 The beginning of Your Word is Truth. And all the Judgments of Your righteousness endure forever.
SCHIN
161 Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart stood in awe of Your Words.
162 I rejoice at Your Word, as one who finds a great spoil.
163 I hate falsehood and abhor it, but Your Law do I love.
164 Seven times a day do I praise You because of Your righteous Judgments.
165 Those who love Your Law shall have great peace. And nothing shall cause them to stumble.
166 LORD, I have trusted in Your salvation; and have done Your Commandments.
167 My soul has kept Your Testimonies, for I love them exceedingly.
168 I have kept Your Precepts and Your Testimonies, for all my ways are before You.
TAU
169 Let my complaint come before You, O LORD. And give me understanding according to Your Word.
170 Let my supplication come before You and deliver me according to Your Promise.
171 My lips shall speak praise, when You have taught me Your Statutes.
172 My tongue shall testify of Your Word. For all Your Commandments are righteous.
173 Let Your hand help me, for I have chosen Your Precepts.
174 I have longed for Your salvation, O LORD; and Your Law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; and Your Judgments shall help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your Commandments. A song of degrees
14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death. But a wise man will pacify it.
15 Life is in the light of the king’s countenance. And his favor is as a cloud of the Spring rain.
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