The Daily Audio Bible
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9 And David said, Whether any man is, that (is) left of the house of Saul, that I do mercy with him for Jonathan? (And David asked, Is there any man who is left of Saul’s family, to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?)
2 And there was a servant, Ziba by name, of the house of Saul; whom when the king had called to himself, the king said to him, Whether thou art not Ziba? (Art thou Ziba?) And he answered, I am thy servant.
3 And the king said, Whether any man liveth of the house of Saul, that I do with him the mercy of God? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, feeble in the feet. (And the king said, Is there any man left of Saul’s family, to whom I can show the kindness that God commandeth? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, who is lame, or crippled.)
4 And the king said, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Lo! he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
5 Therefore king David sent, and took Jonathan’s son from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. (And so King David sent for Jonathan’s son, and brought him to Jerusalem from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.)
6 And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, [the] son of Saul, had come to David, he felled into his face, and worshipped. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am present, thy servant. (And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face, and honoured him. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am thy servant.)
7 And David said to him, Dread thou not, for I doing shall do mercy to thee for Jonathan, thy father; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread in my table ever[more]. (And David said to him, Fear not, for I shall do kindness to thee because of thy father Jonathan; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy grandfather, and thou shalt have a place at my table forevermore.)
8 Which worshipped him (Who bowed low before him again), and said, Who am I, thy servant, for thou hast beheld on a dead dog like me?
9 Therefore the king called Ziba, the servant of Saul; and said to him, I have given to the son of thy lord all things, whichever were of Saul, and all the house of him; (And so the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, I have given to thy lord’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul, and his family;)
10 therefore work thou the land to him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in meats to the son of thy lord, that he be fed; but Mephibosheth, the son of thy lord, shall eat ever bread on my board. And fifteen sons and twenty servants were to Ziba. (and so work thou the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in the harvest for the family of thy lord, so that they can be fed; but Mephibosheth, the grandson of thy lord, shall have a place at my table forevermore. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 And Ziba said to the king, As thou, my lord (the) king, hast commanded to thy servant, so thy servant shall do; and Mephibosheth, as one of the sons of the king, shall eat on thy board (and Mephibosheth, like one of the king’s sons, ate at the king’s table).
12 And Mephibosheth had a little son, Micha by name; and all the family of the house of Ziba served Mephibosheth.
13 And Mephibosheth dwelled in Jerusalem; for he ate continually of the king’s board, and was crooked, or halt, on either foot. (And so Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem; and he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame, or crippled, in both feet.)
10 Forsooth it was done after these things, that Nahash, [the] king of the sons of Ammon, died; and Hanun, his son, reigned for him (and his son Hanun reigned in his place).
2 And David said, I shall do mercy with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father did mercy with me. Therefore David sent comforting (to) him by his servants on the death of the father (And David said, I shall show friendship to Nahash’s son Hanun, like his father showed to me. And so, by his servants, David sent words of comfort to Hanun on the death of his father). And when the servants of David had come into the land of the sons of Ammon,
3 the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord, Guessest thou, that for the honour of thy father David hath sent comforters to thee; and not rather therefore David sent his servants to thee, that he should espy, and ensearch the city, and destroy it? (and not rather, that David sent his servants to thee to spy out, and to search through the city, so that later he could destroy it?)
4 Therefore Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved half the part of the beard of them, and he cutted away the middle clothes of them, till to the buttocks; and let go them. (And so Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off half of their beards, and cut away half of their clothes, unto the buttocks, and then let them go.)
5 And when this was told to David, he sent into the coming of them, for the men were shamed full vilely (And when this was told to David, he sent men to meet them, for these men had been vilely shamed). And David commanded to them, (and said,) Dwell ye in Jericho, till your beard (hath) waxed, and then turn ye again.
6 And the sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, and they sent, and hired with meed of Bethrehob of Syria, and of Zoba of Syria, twenty thousand of footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob, twelve thousand of men. (And the Ammonites saw that they had wronged David, and so they sent for, and hired for pay, Syrians from Bethrehob and from Zoba, yea, twenty thousand footmen, and a thousand men from King Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.)
7 And when David had heard this, he sent (out) Joab, and all the host of fighters (and all his army of fighting men).
8 Therefore the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array before them in the entering of the gate. And Zoba, and Rehob of Syria, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were asides half in the field. (And so the Ammonites went out, and dressed the battle array before them at the entrance to the city gate. And the Syrians from Zoba and from Rehob, and the men from Tob, and from Maacah, were asides half in the field.)
9 Therefore Joab saw, that the battle was made ready against him, both even against him and behind his back; and he chose to himself of all the chosen men of Israel (and he chose for himself the best men out of all Israel), and ordained (the) battle array against (the) Syrians.
10 Forsooth he betook to Abishai, his brother, the tother part of the people, which dressed (the) battle array against the sons of Ammon.
11 And Joab said, If (the) men of Syria have the mastery against me, thou shalt be to me into help; and if the sons of Ammon have the mastery against thee, I shall help thee;
12 be thou a strong man (be thou of good courage), and fight we for our people, and for the city of our God; for the Lord shall do that, that is good in his sight.
13 Therefore Joab and the people that was with him, began battle against men of Syria, which fled anon from his face. (And so Joab, and the men who were with him, began to fight against the Syrians, who fled at once from before them.)
14 And the sons of Ammon saw, that [the] men of Syria had fled; and they fled also from the face of Abishai, and entered into the city; and Joab turned again from the sons of Ammon, and came into Jerusalem (and then Joab left off fighting the Ammonites, and went back to Jerusalem).
15 And [the] men of Syria saw that they had fallen before Israel, and they were gathered together. (And when the Syrians saw that they had fallen before Israel, they gathered themselves together.)
16 And Hadadezer[a] sent, and led out [the] men of Syria that were beyond the flood, and he brought forth the host of them; and Shobach, [the] master of the chivalry of Hadadezer, was the prince of them. (And Hadadezer sent for the Syrians who were on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they came forth to Helam; and Shobach, the master of Hadadezer’s cavalry, or of his army, was their leader.)
17 And when this was told to David, he drew together all Israel, and he passed over Jordan (and he crossed over the Jordan River), and came into Helam. And [the] men of Syria dressed (the) battle array against David, and fought against him.
18 And Syrians fled from the face of Israel; and David killed of the Syrians (the men in) seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand of horsemen; and he smote Shobach, the prince of the chivalry, the which was dead anon. (And the Syrians fled from the Israelites; and David killed of those Syrians the men in seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck down Shobach, the leader of the cavalry, or of the army, who died on the battlefield.)
19 And all the kings, that were in help of Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome of Israel, and they made peace with Israel, and served them; and the Syrians dreaded to give (more) help to the sons of Ammon. (And when all the kings, who were subject to Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them; and from then on the Syrians were afraid to give any more help to the Ammonites.)
11 And it was done, when the year turned again, in that time in which kings be wont to go forth to battles, David sent forth Joab, and with him his servants, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah; and David dwelled in Jerusalem. (And it was done, when the year turned again, at the time when kings be wont to go forth to battle, David sent out Joab, and with him his officers, and all of Israel’s army; and they destroyed the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah; but David stayed in Jerusalem.)
2 While these things were done, it befelled, that David rose in a day from his bed after midday, and walked in the solar of the king’s house; and he saw a woman washing herself even against him upon her solar; and the woman was full fair. (While these things were done, it befell one day, that David rose from his bed after midday, and walked on the roof of his palace; and he saw a woman opposite him washing herself on her roof; and the woman was truly beautiful.)
3 Therefore the king sent, and inquired, what woman it was; and it was told to him that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, and (that) she was the wife of Uriah (the) Hittite.
4 Then by messengers sent, David took her; and when she entered to him, he slept with her, and anon she was hallowed from her uncleanness[b]. And she turned again into her house, (Then David sent messengers, who brought her to him; and after she came to him, he slept with her, and at once she was hallowed from her uncleanness. And she returned to her house,)
5 with a child conceived; and she sent, and told to David, and said, I have conceived.
6 And David sent to Joab, and said, Send thou Uriah (the) Hittite to me; and Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And Uriah came to David; and David asked, how rightfully Joab did and the people, and how the battle was (ad)ministered, or served. (And Uriah came to David; and David asked him how well Joab and the men were doing, and how the battle was going.)
8 And David said to Uriah, Go into thine house, and wash thy feet. [And] Uriah went out from the house of the king, and the king’s meat followed him (and the king’s gift followed him home).
9 Soothly Uriah slept before the gate of the king’s house with other servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. (But Uriah slept by the palace gate with other servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.)
10 And it was told to David of men, saying, Uriah went not to his house (And it was told to David by men, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house). And David said to Uriah, Whether thou camest not from the way? why wentest thou not down into thine house?
11 And Uriah said to David, The ark of God, [and] Israel, and Judah (all) dwell in tents, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord dwell upon the face of the earth, and shall I (then) go into mine house, to eat and drink, and sleep with my wife? By thine health, and by the health of thy soul, I shall not do this thing.
12 Therefore David said to Uriah, Dwell thou here also today, and tomorrow I shall deliver thee. Uriah dwelled in Jerusalem in that day, and the tother (And so Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next day as well).
13 And David called him, that he should eat and drink before him, and David made drunken Uriah (and David made Uriah drunk); and he went out in the eventide, and slept in his bed with the servants of his lord; and went not down into his house.
14 Therefore when the morrowtide was made, David wrote [an] epistle to Joab, and sent (it) by the hand of Uriah,
15 and wrote in the epistle, Put ye Uriah even against the battle, where the battle is strongest, that is, where the adversaries be (the) strong(est), and forsake ye him, that he be smitten and perish (and leave ye him there, so that he can be struck down and die).
16 Therefore when Joab besieged the city, he setted Uriah in the place where he knew that (the) strongest men were.
17 And [the] men went out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed of the people of the servants of David, and also Uriah (the) Hittite was dead there. (And the men came out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed some of David’s officers, and Uriah the Hittite was also killed.)
18 Therefore Joab sent, and told all the words of the battle; (And so Joab sent a message to David, telling him all about the battle;)
19 and he commanded to the messenger, and said, When thou hast fulfilled all the words of the battle to the king (When thou hast finished telling the king everything about the battle),
20 if thou seest, that he is wroth, and saith, Why nighed ye to the wall to fight? whether ye knew not, that many darts, (or arrows,) (would) be sent out from the wall above?
21 who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? whether not a woman sent on him a gobbet of a millstone from the wall, and killed him in Thebez? why nighed ye beside the wall? thou shalt say, Also thy servant, Uriah (the) Hittite, died. (do ye not recall who struck down Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman send down a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall above, and killed him there in Thebez? why did ye go beside the wall? thou shalt say, And thy officer, Uriah the Hittite, also died.)
22 Therefore the messenger went, [and came] (to the king), and told to David all things which Joab had commanded to him.
23 And the messenger said to David, [The] Men had the mastery against us, and they went out to us into the field; and with great fierceness we pursued them unto the gate of the city.
24 And [the] archers sent (out) darts to thy servants from the wall above, and some of the king’s servants be dead; and also thy servant, Uriah (the) Hittite, is dead. (And their archers sent out arrows at thy servants, or thy officers, from the wall above, and some of the king’s servants were killed; and thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, also died.)
25 And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, This thing break not thee; for the hap of battle is diverse, and sword wasteth now this man, [and] now that man; comfort thy fighters against the city, that thou destroy it, and excite thou them. (And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, Do not let this thing break thee; for the happenstance of battle is diverse, and the sword wasteth now this man, and now that one; make thy fighting men strong against the city, so that thou destroy it, yea, encourage thou them.)
26 And the wife of Uriah heard, that Uriah her husband was dead, and she bewailed him.
27 And when the mourning was passed, David sent, and brought her into his house; and she was made (a) wife to him, and she childed a son to him. And this word that David had done displeased before the Lord (But this thing that David had done greatly displeased the Lord).
15 I am a very vine, and my Father is an earth-tiller.
2 Each branch in me that beareth not fruit, he shall take away it [he shall do it away]; and each that beareth fruit, he shall purge it, that it bear the more fruit [that it bear more fruit].
3 Now ye be clean, for the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Dwell ye in me, and I in you; as a branch may not make fruit of itself, but it dwell in the vine, so neither ye, but ye dwell in me.
5 I am the vine, ye be the branches. Who that dwelleth in me, and I in him, this beareth much fruit, for without me, ye be able to nothing do.[a]
6 If any man dwelleth not in me, he shall be cast out as a branch, and shall wax dry; and they shall gather him, and they shall cast him into the fire, and he shall burn [and he burneth].
7 If ye dwell in me, and my words dwell in you, whatever thing ye will [whatever thing ye shall desire], ye shall ask, and it shall be done to you.
8 In this thing my Father is clarified, that ye bring forth full much fruit, and that ye be made my disciples.
9 As my Father loved me, I have loved you; dwell ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall dwell in my love; as I have kept the commandments of my Father, and dwell in his love.
11 These things I spake to you, that my joy be in you, and your joy be full-filled [and your joy be filled].
12 This is my commandment, that ye love together, as I have loved you.
13 No man hath more love than this, that a man put his life for his friends.
14 Ye be my friends if ye do those things, that I command to you.
15 Now I shall not call you servants, for the servant knoweth not, what his lord shall do; but I have called you friends, for all things whatever I heard of my Father, I have made known to you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I chose you; and I have put you [and put you], that ye go, and bring forth fruit, and your fruit dwell; that whatever thing ye [shall] ask the Father in my name, he give to you.
17 These things I command to you, that ye love together.
18 If the world hate you, know ye, that it had me in hate rather than you [know ye, for it had me in hate first than you].
19 If ye had been of the world, the world should love that thing that was his; but for ye be not of the world, but I chose you from the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Have ye mind of my word, which I said to you [that I said to you], The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have pursued me, they shall pursue you also; if they have kept my word, they shall keep yours also.
21 But they shall do to you all these things for my name, for they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come, and had not spoken to them, they should not have sin; but now they have none excusation of their sin [forsooth now they have not excusing of their sin].
23 He that hateth me, hateth also my Father.
24 If I had not done the works in them, which none other man did, they should not have sin; but now both they have seen, and hated/have hated me and my Father.
25 But that the word be fulfilled, that is written in their law, For they had me in hate without cause.
26 But when the comforter shall come, which I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which cometh forth of the Father [which proceedeth, or cometh forth, of the Father], he shall bear witnessing of me;
27 and ye shall bear witnessing, for ye be with me from the beginning.
49 [Zain]. Lord, have thou mind on thy word to thy servant (Lord, remember thy word to thy servant); in which word thou hast given hope to me.
50 This comforted me in my lowness; for thy word quickened me. (This comforted me in my time of trouble; for thy word hath given me life.)
51 Proud men did wickedly (to me) by all things; but I bowed not away from thy law. (The proud and the boastful have scorned me in all things; but I have not turned away from thy Law.)
52 Lord, I was mindful of thy dooms from the world; and I was comforted. (Lord, I remember thy judgements of long ago; and I am comforted.)
53 Failing held me; for sinners forsaking thy law. (Anger taketh hold of me; when I think of the sinners who desert thy Law.)
54 Thy justifyings were delightable to me to be sung; in the place of my pilgrimage. (Thy statutes were delightful for me to sing about; here on my pilgrimage.)
55 Lord, I had mind of thy name by night; and I kept thy law. (Lord, I remember thy name in the night; and I obey thy Law.)
56 This thing was made to me; for I sought thy justifyings. (And this is true of me; that I have kept thy precepts/that I have obeyed thy commands.)
57 [Cheth]. Lord, my part; I said to keep thy law. (Lord, thou art my portion; I have said that I would obey thy Law.)
58 I besought thy face in all mine heart; have thou mercy on me by thy speech. (I sought thee out with all my heart; have thou mercy on me according to thy word.)
59 I bethought (on) my ways; and I turned my feet into thy witnessings. (I thought about my ways; and I have turned my feet to follow thy teachings.)
60 I am ready, and I am not troubled; to keep thy commandments. (I am ready, and I have not delayed, to obey thy commandments.)
61 The cords of sinners have embraced me; and I have not forgotten thy law. (The cords of the sinners have entangled me; but I have not forgotten thy Law.)
62 At midnight, I rose to acknowledge to thee; on the dooms of thy justifyings. (At midnight, I rise to give thee thanks/I rise to give thee praise; for all thy righteous judgements.)
63 I am partner of all that dread thee; and keep thy behests. (I am a partner of all who fear thee/I am a friend of all who revere thee; of all who obey thy precepts.)
64 Lord, the earth is full of thy mercy; teach thou me thy justifyings. (Lord, the earth is full of thy love; teach thou me thy statutes.)
16 It pertaineth to man to make ready the soul; and it pertaineth to the Lord to govern the tongue. (Each person must prepare their own soul, or their own life; but it is God who governeth their tongue, or telleth them what to say.)
2 All the ways of men be open to the eyes of God (All the ways of people be before God); the Lord is a weigher of spirits, that is, of wills, yielding to man after his deservings.
3 Show thy works to the Lord; and thy thoughts shall be (ad)dressed. (Commit thy plans to the Lord; and they shall succeed.)
2001 by Terence P. Noble