The Daily Audio Bible
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Nathan’s Picture-Story about David
12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “There were two men in one city. One was rich and the other was poor. 2 The rich man had many flocks and cattle. 3 But the poor man had nothing except one little female lamb which he bought and fed. It grew up together with him and his children. It would eat his bread and drink from his cup and lie in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man. But the rich man was not willing to take from his own flock or his own cattle, to make food for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s female lamb and made it ready for the man who had come to him.” 5 David was very angry at the man, and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, for sure the man who has done this should die. 6 And he must pay four times the worth of the lamb, because he did this thing without pity.”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I chose you to be the king of Israel. I saved you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you Saul’s family and Saul’s wives into your care. I gave you the nations of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would give you as much more. 9 Why have you hated the Word of the Lord by doing what is bad in His eyes? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword. You have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 So now some from your family, even in the future, will die by the sword, because you have turned against Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 This is what the Lord says: ‘See, I will bring trouble against you from your own family. I will take your wives in front of your eyes and give them to your neighbor. He will lie with your wives in the light of day. 12 You did it in secret. But I will do this in front of all Israel, and under the sun.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to him, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You will not die. 14 But by this act you have given those who hate the Lord a reason to speak against the Lord. The child that is born to you will die for sure.” 15 Then Nathan went home.
David’s Son Dies
The Lord sent trouble upon the child of Uriah’s wife and David, so that he was very sick. 16 David begged God to make the child well. He went without food and lay all night on the ground. 17 The leaders of his family stood beside him to lift him up from the ground. But David was not willing. He would not eat food with them. 18 The child died on the seventh day. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “See, we spoke to him while the child was still alive, and he did not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He might hurt himself.” 19 But when David saw his servants speaking together in secret, he understood that the child was dead. He asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” 20 So David got up from the ground, washed, poured oil on himself, and changed his clothes. Then he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He returned to his own house and asked for food. So they set food in front of him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While the child was alive, you went without food and cried. But when the child died, you got up and ate food.” 22 David said, “I went without food and cried while the child was still alive, for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord might be kind to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now he has died. Why should I go without food? Can I bring him to life again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went in and lay with her, and she gave birth to a son. He gave him the name Solomon. The Lord loved him, 25 and sent word through Nathan who spoke for God. And Nathan gave him the name Jedidiah because of the Lord.
David Takes Rabbah
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and took the king’s city. 27 Joab sent men to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah. I have taken the city of waters. 28 So gather the rest of the people together. Go against the city and take it, or I will take the city myself and it will be called by my name.” 29 So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah. He fought against it, and took it. 30 Then he took the very heavy crown from their king’s head. In it were beautiful stones of much worth. The crown was put on David’s head. And he brought a large amount of things out of the city. 31 He brought out the people who were in it also. He made them work with saws, sharp iron tools, and iron axes. And he made them work in the heat making building stones. He did this to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Jesus Tells His Followers It Will Be Very Hard for Them
16 “I have told you these things so you will not be ashamed of Me and leave Me. 2 They will put you out of the places of worship. The time will come when anyone who kills you will think he is helping God. 3 They will do these things to you because they do not know the Father or Me.
4 “When these things happen, you will remember I told you they would happen. That is why I am telling you about these things now. I did not tell you these things before, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to Him Who sent Me. Yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
The Three Kinds of Work of the Holy Spirit
6 “Your hearts are full of sorrow because I am telling you these things. 7 I tell you the truth. It is better for you that I go away. If I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When the Helper comes, He will show the world the truth about sin. He will show the world about being right with God. And He will show the world what it is to be guilty. 9 He will show the world about sin, because they do not put their trust in Me. 10 He will show the world about being right with God, because I go to My Father and you will see Me no more. 11 He will show the world what it is to be guilty because the leader of this world (Satan) is guilty.
The Holy Spirit Will Give Honor to the Son
12 “I still have many things to say to you. You are not strong enough to understand them now. 13 The Holy Spirit is coming. He will lead you into all truth. He will not speak His Own words. He will speak what He hears. He will tell you of things to come. 14 He will honor Me. He will receive what is Mine and will tell it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is Mine. That is why I said to you, ‘He will receive what is Mine and will tell it to you.’
Jesus Tells of His Death
16 “In a little while you will not see Me. Then in a little while you will see Me again.” 17 Some of His followers said to each other, “What is He trying to tell us when He says, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and in a little while you will see Me again,’ and ‘Because I go to My Father’?” 18 So they said, “What is He trying to tell us by saying, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.”
19 Jesus knew they wanted to ask Him something. He said to them, “Are you asking each other why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and in a little while you will see Me again’? 20 For sure, I tell you, you will cry and have sorrow, but the world will have joy. You will have sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman gives birth to a child, she has sorrow because her time has come. After the child is born, she forgets her pain. She is full of joy because a child has been born into the world. 22 You are sad now. I will see you again and then your hearts will be full of joy. No one can take your joy from you.
Asking and Receiving
23 “When the time comes that you see Me again, you will ask Me no question. For sure, I tell you, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive. Then your joy will be full.
25 “I have told you these things in picture-stories. The time is coming when I will not use picture-stories. I will talk about My Father in plain words. 26 In that day you will ask in My name. I will not ask the Father for you 27 because the Father loves you. He loves you because you love Me and believe that I came from the Father.
Jesus Tells of His Going
28 “I came from the Father and have come into the world. I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” 29 His followers said to Him, “Now You are talking in plain words. You are not using picture-stories. 30 Now we are sure You know everything. You do not need anyone to tell You anything. Because of this we believe that You came from God.”
31 Jesus said to them, “Do you believe now? 32 The time is coming, yes, it is already here when you will be going your own way. Everyone will go to his own house and leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me. 33 I have told you these things so you may have peace in Me. In the world you will have much trouble. But take hope! I have power over the world!”
65 You have done good to Your servant, O Lord, because of Your Word. 66 Teach me what I should know to be right and fair for I believe in Your Law. 67 Before I suffered I went the wrong way, but now I obey Your Word. 68 You are good and You do good. Teach me Your Law. 69 The proud have put together a lie against me. I will keep Your Law with all my heart. 70 Their heart is covered with fat, but I find joy in Your Law. 71 It is good for me that I was troubled, so that I might learn Your Law. 72 The Law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
73 Your hands made me and put me together. Give me understanding to learn Your Law. 74 May those who fear You see me and be glad, for I have put my hope in Your Word. 75 O Lord, I know that what You decide is right and good. You punish me because You are faithful. 76 May Your loving-kindness comfort me because of Your promise to Your servant. 77 Let Your loving-pity come to me so I may live. For Your Law is my joy. 78 May the proud be ashamed, because they do wrong to me for no reason, but I will think about Your Law. 79 May those who fear You and those who know Your Law turn to me. 80 Let my heart be without blame in Your Law. Do not let me be put to shame.
4 The Lord has made all things for His own plans, even the sinful for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is a shame to the Lord. For sure, that one will be punished.
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