The Daily Audio Bible
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David Did Not Kill Saul
24 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “See, David is in the desert of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel, and went to find David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to the places where the sheep were kept on the way. There was a cave there, and Saul went in to get rid of his body waste. Now David and his men were sitting farther back in the cave. 4 David’s men said to David, “See, this is the day the Lord told you, ‘See, I am about to give the one who hates you into your hand. You will do to him what you think is best.’” Then David got up and cut off a piece of Saul’s clothing in secret. 5 After this, David felt guilty in his heart because he had cut off a piece of Saul’s clothing. 6 So he said to his men, “May the Lord not let me put out my hand against my leader, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.” 7 David stopped his men with these words. He did not let them go against Saul. So Saul stood up and left the cave, and went on his way.
8 After this David got up and went out of the cave and called to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David put his face to the ground, showing much respect. 9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘David wants to hurt you’? 10 See, your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you to me today in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity on you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my leader, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.’ 11 Now, my father, see the piece of your clothing in my hand. I cut off the piece of your clothing but did not kill you. So know and understand that I have no desire to do wrong to you. I have not sinned against you, yet you come wanting to kill me. 12 May the Lord judge between you and me. May He punish you for your action against me. But my hand will not be against you. 13 As the men of long ago said in their wisdom, ‘Out of the sinful comes sin,’ but my hand will not be against you. 14 After whom has the king come out? After whom are you running? After a dead dog? After a little bug? 15 May the Lord be the One to judge between you and me. May He see and help me, and save me from you.” 16 When David had finished speaking to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul gave a loud cry. 17 He said to David, “You are more right and good than I. For you have brought good to me, while I have done wrong to you. 18 You have said today that you have done good to me. The Lord gave me to you and you did not kill me. 19 If a man finds the one who hates him, will he let him go away safe? May the Lord bring good to you for what you have done for me this day. 20 Now I know that you will be king for sure. The nation of Israel will be made strong under your power. 21 So promise to me by the Lord that you will not destroy my children after me. Promise that you will not destroy my name from my father’s family.” 22 David gave Saul his promise, and Saul went home. But David and his men went up to the safe place.
The Death of Samuel
25 Now Samuel died. All Israel gathered together and was filled with sorrow for him. They buried him at his house in Ramah.
Then David got ready and went down to the desert of Paran. 2 There was a man in Maon who worked in Carmel. The man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. He was cutting the wool from his sheep in Carmel. 3 The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful. But the man was bad and sinful in his ways. He was a Calebite. 4 David heard in the desert that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men, saying to them, “Go up to Carmel. Visit Nabal and greet him for me. 6 Say to him, ‘Have a long life. Peace be to you. Peace be to your family. And peace be to all that you have. 7 I have heard that you have men who cut the wool from your sheep. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we have not done them any wrong. And they have not missed anything all the time they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a special day. I ask you to give whatever you have ready to your servants and to your son David.’”
9 When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in David’s name. Then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are leaving their owners. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my wool cutters, and give it to men when I do not know where they came from?” 12 So David’s young men turned away and returned to David and told him all this. 13 David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” So every man put on his sword, and David put on his sword also. About 400 men went up behind David, while 200 stayed with their things.
14 But one of the young men told Nabal’s wife Abigail, “See, David sent men from the desert to greet our owner, and he spoke against them. 15 But David’s men were very good to us. They did not do anything wrong to us. And we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. 16 They were a wall to us night and day, all the time we were with them taking care of the sheep. 17 So know this and think about what you should do. For bad plans have been made against our owner and all his family. He is such a sinful man that no one can speak to him.”
18 In a hurry Abigail took 200 loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready to eat, five baskets of dry grain, 100 vines of dried grapes and 200 loaves of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 She said to her young men, “Go on before me. See, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 As she went on her donkey and came down hidden by the mountain, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. 21 Now David had said, “It was for nothing that I have watched over all this man has in the desert, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. He has paid me bad for good. 22 May God do the same to David and more, if I leave until morning as much as one male alive of all who belong to him.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey in a hurry. Then she put her face to the ground in front of David. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “Let the sin be on me alone, my lord. I beg you, let your woman servant speak to you. Listen to the words of your woman servant. 25 I beg you, do not let my lord think about this sinful man, Nabal. For he is like his name. Nabal is his name and he is foolish. But I your woman servant did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent. 26 So now, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, let the Lord keep you from being guilty of blood. Let Him keep you from punishing with your own hand. And let those who hate you and those who want to hurt my lord be like Nabal. 27 Now let this gift which your woman servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 I beg you, forgive the sin of your woman servant. For the Lord will be sure to make my lord a family that will last. Because my lord is fighting the Lord’s battles. Sin will not be found in you as long as you live. 29 If men rise up to come after you and try to kill you, then the life of my lord will be taken care of by the Lord your God. But He will throw away the lives of those who hate you, as a rock is thrown from a sling. 30 The Lord will do to my lord all the good that He has promised you. He will make you ruler over Israel. 31 Then my lord will have no reason to feel sorry or guilty because of killing without cause or punishing by my lord’s own hand. When the Lord does good things for my lord, remember your woman servant.”
32 Then David said to Abigail, “Thanks be to the Lord God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me. 33 May thanks be given for your wisdom, and thanks be to you. You have kept me this day from being guilty of blood, and from punishing with my own hand. 34 The Lord God of Israel has kept me from hurting you. And as the Lord lives, if you had not been quick to come to meet me, for sure not one male would have been left to Nabal until the morning.” 35 So David received what she had brought him. He said to her, “Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and have done what you asked.”
36 Abigail came to Nabal and saw that he was having a special supper in his house, like the special supper of a king. Nabal’s heart was full of joy, because he was very drunk. So she did not tell him anything until the morning. 37 But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things. And his heart died within him so that he became like a stone. 38 The Lord made Nabal die about ten days later.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Thanks be to the Lord, Who has punished Nabal for putting me to shame. He has kept His servant from sin. And the Lord has turned the sin of Nabal upon himself.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to be his wife. 40 When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you, to take you as his wife.” 41 She stood up and then put her face to the ground, and said, “See, your woman servant will serve you by washing the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Then she got ready in a hurry and traveled on a donkey, with her five young women who followed her. She followed the men David had sent, and became his wife.
43 David had taken Ahinoam of Jezreel also. They both became his wives.
44 Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
Jesus Tells Who He Is
22 It was time for the religious gathering of remembering how the house of God was opened in Jerusalem. 23 It was winter and Jesus was there. He was walking in Solomon’s porch in the house of God. 24 The Jews gathered around Him. They said, “How long are You going to keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us.”
25 Jesus answered, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name speak of Me. 26 You do not believe because you are not My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice and I know them. They follow Me. 28 I give them life that lasts forever. They will never be punished. No one is able to take them out of My hand. 29 My Father Who gave them to Me is greater than all. No one is able to take them out of My Father’s hand. 30 My Father and I are one!”
Jesus Talks to Angry Men
31 Again the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him. 32 Jesus said to them, “Many good things have I shown you from My Father. For which of these things are you going to throw stones at Me?” 33 They said, “We are not going to throw stones at You for any good work. It is because of the way You talk against God. It is because You make Yourself to be God when You are only a man.” 34 Jesus said to them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? (A) 35 The Holy Writings were given to them and God called them gods. (The Word of God cannot be put aside.) 36 But God has set Me apart for Himself. He sent Me into the world. Then how can you say that I am speaking against God because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works that I do. Then you will know the Father is in Me and I am in Him.” 39 They tried again to take Him but He got out of their hands.
Jesus Goes to the Other Side of the Jordan River
40 Jesus went away to the other side of the Jordan River to the place where John was baptizing people. Jesus stayed there. 41 Many people came to Him and said, “John did no powerful work, but what John said about this Man is true.” 42 Many people put their trust in Jesus there.
Praises to God for Being Saved from Death
116 I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my prayers. 2 I will call on Him as long as I live, because He has turned His ear to me. 3 The strings of death are all around me. And the fear of the grave came upon me. I suffered with trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I beg You, save my life!”
5 The Lord is loving and right. Yes, our God is full of loving-kindness. 6 The Lord takes care of the child-like. I was brought down, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul. For the Lord has been good to you. 8 For You, O Lord, have saved my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk with the Lord in the land of the living. 10 I believed when I said, “I am very troubled.” 11 I said in my fear, “All men are liars.”
12 What should I give to the Lord for all the good things He has done for me? 13 I will show Him my thanks for saving me with a gift of wine and praise His name. 14 I will keep my promises to the Lord before all His people. 15 The death of His holy ones is of great worth in the eyes of the Lord. 16 For sure I am Your servant, O Lord. I am Your servant, the son of the woman who served You. You have set me free from my chains. 17 I will give a gift of thanks to You and call on the name of the Lord. 18 I will keep my promises to the Lord before all His people, 19 in the holy place of the Lord, and in the center of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
20 A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man hates his mother.
21 A foolish way is joy to him who has no wisdom, but a man of understanding walks straight.
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