The Daily Audio Bible

Ish-bosheth Is Killed

4 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost his strength of heart. All Israel was troubled. ² Saul’s son had two men who were captains of small armies. The name of one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of Benjamin. (For Beeroth is thought of as part of Benjamin. ³ The people of Beeroth ran to Gittaim, and have been strangers there to this day.)

⁴ Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who could not walk because of his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse had picked him up and ran. In her hurry to get away, he fell and hurt his feet so he could not walk. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the family of Ish-bosheth. It was during the heat of the day, while Ish-bosheth was taking his noon rest. ⁶ They came to the center of the house as if to get wheat, and they hit Ish-bosheth in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah ran away. ⁷ They had come into the house while he was lying on his bed in his room. And they had hit him and killed him and cut off his head. They took his head and traveled by the way of Arabah all night. ⁸ Then they brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “See, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, who hated you and tried to kill you. So this day the Lord has punished Saul and his children for the king.”

⁹ David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite. He said to them, “As the Lord lives, Who has saved my life from all trouble, ¹⁰ when one told me, ‘See, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was bringing good news. But I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. This was the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much worse it is when sinful men have killed a man who is right and good, on his bed in his own house! Should I not now punish you for his blood and destroy you from the earth?” ¹² Then David had the young men kill them and cut off their hands and feet. They hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.

David Becomes King over All Israel

5 Then all the families of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “See, we are your bone and your flesh. ² When Saul was our king, you were the one who led Israel out and in. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be a ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And there King David made an agreement with them before the Lord. Then they chose David to be the king of Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years. ⁵ He ruled over Judah seven years and six months at Hebron. Then he ruled in Jerusalem thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

David Takes Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people living in the land. They said to David, “You will not come here. Even those who cannot see or walk could stop you.” They thought that David could not come here. ⁷ But David took the strong place of Zion, that is, the city of David. ⁸ David said on that day, “Whoever would kill the Jebusites, let him go up through the hole where the water flows, to those who cannot walk or see and who are hated by David’s soul.” So it is said, “Those who cannot see or walk will not come to the house.” ⁹ David lived in the strong place and called it the city of David. He built all around it from Millo toward the center. ¹⁰ David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of All was with him.

¹¹ Hiram king of Tyre sent men to David with cedar trees and men who build with wood and stone. And they built a house for David. ¹² David understood that the Lord had made him the king of Israel, and that the Lord had given honor to David’s rule because of His people Israel.

¹³ David took more wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ The names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Wins the Battle over the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been chosen to be king of Israel, all the Philistines went up to find him. When David heard of it, he went down to the strong place. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for it is sure that I will give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim and beat them there in battle. He said, “The Lord has broken through those who hate me like the breaking through of a flood.” So he gave that place the name Baal-perazim. ²¹ The Philistines left their false gods there, and David and his men carried them away.

²² The Philistines came up again, and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ David asked the Lord what he should do. And the Lord said, “Do not go up, but go around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of their steps in the tops of the balsam trees, then hurry to fight, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to destroy the Philistine army.” ²⁵ David did just as the Lord told him. He killed the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

The Special Box Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 Again David gathered all the chosen men of Israel. There were 30,000. ² He got up and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah to bring from there the special box of God. It is called by the name of the Lord of All Who sits on His throne above the cherubim. ³ They carried the special box of God on a new wagon, and brought it out of the family of Abinadab which was on the hill. Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio were leading the new wagon. ⁴ They brought it with the special box of God from the family of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the special box. ⁵ And David and all those of the family of Israel sang and danced before the Lord with all their strength. They played songs with harps and timbrels.

⁶ But the cattle pulling the wagon almost made the special box of God fall when they came to the grain-floor of Nacon. So Uzzah put out his hand and took hold of the special box so it would not fall. ⁷ The anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah. God killed him there for his mistake. And he died there by the special box of God. ⁸ David became angry because the Lord had gone against Uzzah. So that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the special box of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to move the special box of the Lord into the city of David. But he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The special box of the Lord stayed in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months. And the Lord brought good to Obed-edom and all of his family.

¹² Now it was told to King David, “The Lord has brought good to the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the special box of God.” So David went and brought the special box of God from Obed-edom’s family into the city of David with joy. ¹³ When the men who carried the special box of the Lord had gone six steps, David killed and gave to the Lord a bull and a fat calf. ¹⁴ He was dancing before the Lord with all his strength. And he was wearing a linen vest. ¹⁵ So David and all those of the family of Israel were bringing the special box of the Lord with a loud voice and the sound of the horn. ¹⁶ As the special box of the Lord came into the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window. She saw King David jumping and dancing before the Lord, and she hated him in her heart. ¹⁷ They brought in the special box of the Lord and put it in its place inside the tent David had set up for it. And David gave burnt gifts and peace gifts to the Lord. ¹⁸ When he had finished giving the burnt gifts and peace gifts, David prayed that good would come to the people in the name of the Lord of All. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a loaf of dates and a loaf of dried grapes to each man and woman of all the people of Israel. And all the people went home.

²⁰ David returned to pray that good would come to his family. But Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today! He took his clothes off today so that his servants’ young women would see him. He acted like one of the foolish ones taking his clothes off without shame!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord. He chose me over your father and all his family, and made me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. So I will act with joy before the Lord. ²² I will be honored less than this. I will be without pride in my own eyes. But the young women you have spoken about will honor me.” ²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

Love—the Greatest Law

³¹ After Judas went out, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is now honored and God has been honored in Him. ³² If God is honored in Him, God will also honor Him in Himself right now. ³³ Little children, I will be with you only a little while. You will look for Me. I say to you what I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come!’ ³⁴ I give you a new Law. You are to love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. ³⁵ If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers.”

Jesus Tells How Peter Will Lie about Him ^(A)

³⁶ Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “You cannot follow Me now where I am going. Later you will follow Me.” ³⁷ Peter said to Jesus, “Why can I not follow You now? I will die for You.” ³⁸ Jesus answered Peter, “Will you die for Me? For sure, I tell you, before a rooster crows, you will have said three times that you do not know Me.”

Jesus Comforts His Followers

14 “Do not let your heart be troubled. You have put your trust in God, put your trust in Me also. ² There are many rooms in My Father’s house. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going away to make a place for you. ³ After I go and make a place for you, I will come back and take you with Me. Then you may be where I am. ⁴ You know where I am going and you know how to get there.”

⁵ Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way to get there?” ⁶ Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one can go to the Father except by Me. ⁷ If you had known Me, you would know My Father also. From now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Jesus and His Father Are One

⁸ Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we ask.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time and you do not know Me yet? Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in Me? What I say to you, I do not say by My own power. The Father Who lives in Me does His work through Me.

¹¹ “Believe Me that I am in the Father and that the Father is in Me. Or else believe Me because of the things I do. ¹² For sure, I tell you, whoever puts his trust in Me can do the things I am doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so the shining-greatness of the Father may be seen in the Son. ¹⁴ Yes, if you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

¹⁷ Do good to Your servant so I may live and obey Your Word. ¹⁸ Open my eyes so that I may see great things from Your Law. ¹⁹ I am a stranger on the earth. Do not hide Your Word from me. ²⁰ My soul is crushed with a desire for Your Law at all times. ²¹ You speak sharp words to the proud, the hated ones, because they turn from Your Word. ²² Take away shame and bad feelings from me, for I have kept Your Law. ²³ Even if rulers sit together and speak against me, Your servant thinks about Your Law. ²⁴ Your Law is my joy and it tells me what to do.

²⁵ My soul is laid in the dust. Give me new life because of Your Word. ²⁶ I have told about my ways, and You have answered me. Teach me Your Law. ²⁷ Make me understand the way of Your Law so I will talk about Your great works. ²⁸ My soul cries because of sorrow. Give me strength because of Your Word. ²⁹ Take the false way from me. Show Your loving-favor by giving me Your Law. ³⁰ I have chosen the faithful way. I have set Your Law in front of me. ³¹ I hold on to Your Law, O Lord. Do not put me to shame. ³² I will run the way of Your Law, for You will give me a willing heart.

³¹ He whose ear listens to careful words spoken will live among the wise.

³² He who does not listen to strong teaching hates himself, but he who listens when strong words are spoken gets understanding.