The Daily Audio Bible

David Hears of Saul’s Death

1 Now after the death of Saul, David returned from killing the Amalekites and stayed two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day, a man came from the tents of Saul. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell with his face to the ground. ³ David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I have run away from the tents of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And the man said, “The people have run from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.” ⁵ David said to the young man, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶ The young man said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul holding himself up with his spear. The war-wagons and the horsemen were coming close after him. ⁷ When he looked behind him, he saw me. He called to me and I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ Then he said to me, ‘I beg you, stand beside me and kill me. I am in pain, and yet I am still alive.’ ¹⁰ So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the beautiful gold band which he wore on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² They cried in sorrow and did not eat until evening, because of Saul and his son Jonathan, and of the people of the Lord and of the family of Israel. For they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ David said to the young man, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of one from another land, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ Then David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s chosen one?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he hit him and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “Your blood is on your head. Because your mouth has spoken against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s chosen one.’”

David’s Song of Sorrow for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David sang a song of sorrow for Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸ He told them to teach the song of the bow to the people of Judah. See, it is written in the book of Jashar. ¹⁹ “O Israel, your beauty is destroyed on your high places! How have the powerful fallen! ²⁰ Do not tell about it in Gath. Do not tell about it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines might be filled with joy. The daughters of those who have not gone through our religious act might be filled with joy. ²¹ O mountains of Gilboa, do not let the water that is on the grass in the early morning or rain be on you. Let not grass be grown on your fields. For there the covering of the powerful was made dirty, the covering of Saul, as if he had not been set apart with oil. ²² The bow of Jonathan did not turn away. The sword of Saul did not return empty. They did not turn from the blood of the dead and the fat of the powerful. ²³ Saul and Jonathan were loved and pleasing in their life. And they were not divided in their death. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions. ²⁴ O daughters of Israel, cry for Saul. He dressed you in fine red clothing. He put on your clothing objects of gold. ²⁵ How have the powerful fallen in the center of the battle! Jonathan has been killed on your high places. ²⁶ I am troubled because of you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasing to me. Your love to me was greater than the love of women. ²⁷ How have the powerful fallen, and the bows and swords of war destroyed!”

David Is Made King over Judah

2 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where should I go?” And He said, “To Hebron.” ² So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. ³ David brought up his men who were with him, each one with those of his family. They lived in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there they chose David to be king over the family of Judah.

They told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” ⁵ So David sent men with news to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, “May the Lord bring good to you. Because you have shown kindness to your king Saul, and have buried him. ⁶ Now may the Lord show loving-kindness and truth to you. And I will do good to you, because you have done this. ⁷ So now let your hands be strong. Have strength of heart. For your king Saul is dead. And those of the family of Judah have chosen me to be their king.”

Ish-bosheth Is Made King over Israel

⁸ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king of Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. ¹⁰ Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king of Israel. He was king for two years. But the family of Judah followed David. ¹¹ David was king in Hebron over the family of Judah for seven years and six months.

The Greek People Want to See Jesus

²⁰ Some Greek people had come to worship at the religious gathering. They were among the others who had come to worship. ²¹ These Greek people came to Philip. He was from the city of Bethsaida in the country of Galilee. They said to him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus!” ²² Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

The Law of Life

²³ Jesus said to them, “The hour is near for the Son of Man to be taken to heaven to receive great honor. ²⁴ For sure, I tell you, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it will only be a seed. If it dies, it will give much grain. ²⁵ Anyone who loves his life will lose it. Anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it forever. ²⁶ If anyone wants to serve Me, he must follow Me. So where I am, the one who wants to serve Me will be there also. If anyone serves Me, My Father will honor him.

²⁷ “Now My soul is troubled. Should I say, ‘Father, save Me from this time of trouble and pain’? No, this is why I came to this time. ²⁸ Father, honor Your name!”

The People Hear the Voice of God

Then a voice from heaven came, saying, “I have already honored My name. I will honor it again!” ²⁹ The people heard the voice. Some who stood there said, “It was thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to Him.” ³⁰ Jesus said, “The voice did not come for Me, but it came to be a help to you.

Jesus Tells How He Will Die

³¹ “Now this world is being told it is guilty. Now the leader of this world will be thrown out. ³² And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will attract all people toward Me.” ³³ He said this to tell the kind of death He was going to die.

³⁴ The people said to Him, “The Law of Moses says that the Christ is to live forever. Why do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “The Light will be with you for a little while yet. Go on your way while you have the Light so you will not be in the dark. When a man is walking in the dark, he does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the Light, put your trust in the Light. Then you will be the sons of the Light.” Jesus said these things and then went away. He hid Himself from them.

The People Do Not Believe

³⁷ Jesus had done many powerful works in front of them, but they did not put their trust in Him. ³⁸ This happened as the words of the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen. He had said, “Lord, has anyone believed our preaching? Has the Lord shown His power to anyone?” ³⁹ The reason they could not believe is written again in Isaiah. ⁴⁰ It says, “He has blinded their eyes and made their hearts hard. Then they would not see with their eyes. They would not understand with their heart. They would not turn to Me. I could not heal them.” ^{(A) 41} This is what Isaiah said when he saw the shining-greatness of Jesus and spoke of Him.

⁴² Even among the leaders of the people there were many who believed in Jesus. But because of the proud religious law-keepers, they did not tell about it. If they had, they would have been put out of the Jewish place of worship. ⁴³ They loved to have the respect from men more than honor from God.

Jesus and His Father Are One

⁴⁴ Then Jesus spoke with a loud voice, “Anyone who puts his trust in Me, puts his trust not only in Me, but in Him Who sent Me. ⁴⁵ Anyone who sees Me, sees Him Who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I came to the world to be a Light. Anyone who puts his trust in Me will not be in darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone hears My Words but does not believe them, I do not say he is guilty. I did not come to say the world is guilty. I came to save the world from the punishment of sin. ⁴⁸ Anyone who does not receive Me and does not receive My teaching has One Who will say he is guilty. The Word that I have spoken will say he is guilty on the last day. ⁴⁹ I have not spoken by My own power. The Father Who sent Me has told Me what to say and speak. ⁵⁰ I know that His Word is life that lasts forever. I speak the things the Father has told Me to speak.”

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of what is right and good. I will go through them and give thanks to the Lord. ²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord. Those who are right with God will pass through it. ²¹ I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me. And You are the One Who saves me.

²² The stone that was put aside by the workmen has become the most important stone in the building. ²³ The Lord has done this. We think it is great! ²⁴ This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it. ²⁵ O Lord, we beg You to save us! O Lord, we ask that You let everything go well for us! ²⁶ Great and honored is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We honor you from the house of the Lord. ²⁷ The Lord is God. He has given us light. Tie the gift with rope to the horns of the altar on this special day. ²⁸ You are my God and I will give You thanks. You are my God and I will praise You. ²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever.

²⁷ He who gets things by doing wrong brings trouble to his family, but he who will not be paid in secret for wrong-doing will live.

²⁸ The mind of the one who is right with God thinks about how to answer, but the mouth of the sinful pours out sinful things.