The Daily Audio Bible
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23 All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed over. The king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people went on toward the wilderness.
24 Abiathar [the priest] and behold, Zadok came also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until all the people had gone from the city.
25 Then the king told Zadok, Take back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His house.
26 But if He says, I have no delight in you, then here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him.
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? [You and Abiathar] return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar.
28 See, I will wait at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.
29 Zadok, therefore, and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they stayed there.
30 And David went up over the Mount of Olives and wept as he went, barefoot and his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, weeping as they went.
31 David was told, Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.
32 When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head.
33 David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.
35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, just tell it to [them].
36 Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them send to me everything you hear.
37 So Hushai, David’s friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.
16 When David was a little past the top [of Olivet], behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, and upon them 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
2 The king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? Ziba said, The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who become faint in the wilderness.
3 The king said, And where is your master’s son [grandson Mephibosheth]? Ziba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father [grandfather Saul].
4 Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours. Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord O king.
5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei son of Gera, came out and cursed continually as he came.
6 And he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7 Shimei said as he cursed, Get out, get out, you man of blood, you base fellow!
8 The Lord has avenged upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son. Behold, the calamity is upon you because you are a bloody man!
9 Then said [David’s nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.
10 The king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, Curse David, who then shall ask, Why have you done so?
11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who was born to me, seeks my life. With how much more reason now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone; and let him curse, for the Lord has bidden him to do it.
12 It may be that the Lord will look on the iniquity done me and will recompense me with good for his cursing this day.
13 So David and his men went by the road, and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite David and cursed as he went and threw stones and dust at him.
14 And the king and all the people who were with him came [to the Jordan] weary, and he refreshed himself there.
15 And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to [him], Long live the king! Long live the king!
17 Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness and loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?
18 Hushai said to Absalom, No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him I will remain.
19 And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so will I serve you.
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel. What shall we do?
21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father’s concubines whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be made strong.
22 So they spread for Absalom a tent on the top of the [king’s] house, and Absalom went in to his father’s harem in the sight of all Israel.
23 And the counsel of Ahithophel in those days was as if a man had consulted the word of God; so was all Ahithophel’s counsel considered both by David and by Absalom.
25 But Simon Peter [still] was standing and was warming himself. They said to him, You are not also one of His disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not!
26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did I not see you in the garden with Him?
27 And again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (judgment hall, governor’s palace). And it was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled (become ceremonially unclean), but might be fit to eat the Passover [supper].
29 So Pilate went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this [a]Man?
30 They retorted, If He were not an evildoer (criminal), we would not have handed Him over to you.
31 Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and judge and sentence and punish Him according to your [own] law. The Jews answered, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.
32 This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken to show (indicate, predict) by what manner of death He was to die.(A)
33 So Pilate went back again into the judgment hall and called Jesus and asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus replied, Are you saying this of yourself [on your own initiative], or have others told you about Me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your [own] people and nation and their chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom (kingship, royal power) belongs not to this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have been fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here (this world); [it has no such origin or source].
37 Pilate said to Him, Then You are a King? Jesus answered, You say it! [You speak correctly!] For I am a King. [Certainly I am a King!] This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth] hears and listens to My voice.
38 Pilate said to Him, What is Truth? On saying this he went out to the Jews again and told them, I find no fault in Him.
39 But it is your custom that I release one [prisoner] for you at the Passover. So shall I release for you the King of the Jews?
40 Then they all shouted back again, Not Him [not this Man], but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber.
19 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged (flogged, whipped) Him.
2 And the soldiers, having twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple cloak around Him.
3 And they kept coming to Him and saying, Hail, King of the Jews! [Good health to you! Peace to you! Long life to you, King of the Jews!] And they struck Him with the palms of their hands.(B)
4 Then Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault (crime, cause for accusation) in Him.
5 So Jesus came out wearing the thorny crown and purple cloak, and Pilate said to them, See, [here is] the [b]Man!
6 When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no fault (crime) in Him.
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God.
8 So, when Pilate heard this said, he was more alarmed and awestricken and afraid than before.
9 He went into the judgment hall again and said to Jesus, Where are You from? [To what world do You belong?] But Jesus did not answer him.
10 So Pilate said to Him, Will You not speak [even] to me? Do You not know that I have power (authority) to release You and I have power to crucify You?
11 Jesus answered, You would not have any power or authority whatsoever against (over) Me if it were not given you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the one who delivered Me over to you is greater.
12 Upon this, Pilate wanted (sought, was anxious) to release Him, but the Jews kept shrieking, If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar! Anybody who makes himself [out to be] a king sets himself up against Caesar [is a rebel against the emperor]!
13 Hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement [the Mosaic Pavement, the Stone Platform]—in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about the sixth hour (about twelve o’clock noon). He said to the Jews, See, [here is] your King!
15 But they shouted, Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar!
16 Then he delivered Him over to them to be crucified.
17 And they took Jesus and led [Him] away; so He went out, bearing His own cross, to the spot called The Place of the Skull—in Hebrew it is called Golgotha.
18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two others—one on either side and Jesus between them.(C)
19 And Pilate also wrote a title (an inscription on a placard) and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.
20 And many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, [and] in Greek.
21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am King of the Jews.
22 Pilate replied, What I have written, I have written.
113 I hate the thoughts of undecided [in religion], double-minded people, but Your law do I love.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.(A)
115 Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].(B)
116 Uphold me according to Your promise, that I may live; and let me not be put to shame in my hope!(C)
117 Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for Your statutes continually!
118 You spurn and set at nought all those who stray from Your statutes, for their own lying deceives them and their tricks are in vain.
119 You put away and count as dross all the wicked of the earth [for there is no true metal in them]; therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles and shudders for fear and reverential, worshipful awe of You, and I am afraid and in dread of Your judgments.
121 I have done justice and righteousness; leave me not to those who would oppress me.
122 Be surety for Your servant for good [as Judah was surety for the safety of Benjamin]; let not the proud oppress me.(D)
123 My eyes fail, watching for Your salvation and for the fulfillment of Your righteous promise.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy and loving-kindness, and teach me Your statutes.
125 I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know (discern and be familiar with the character of) Your testimonies.
126 It is time for the Lord to act; they have frustrated Your law.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments more than [resplendent] gold, yes, more than [perfectly] refined gold.
128 Therefore I esteem as right all, yes, all Your precepts; I hate every false way.
10 Divinely directed decisions are on the lips of the king; his mouth should not transgress in judgment.
11 A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights of the bag are His work [established on His eternal principles].
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