191 Now it came about after this , that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died , and his son became king in his place . 2 Then David said , "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash , because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father . And David's servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. 3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun , "Do you think that David is honoring your father , in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land ?" 4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips , and sent them away . 5 Then certain persons went and told David about the men . And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated . And the king said , "Stay at Jericho until e your beards grow , and then return ."
6 When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David , Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia , from Aram-maacah e and from Zobah . 7 So they hired for themselves 32,000 e e chariots , and the king of Maacah and his people , who came and camped before Medeba . And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle . 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army , the mighty men . 9 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city , and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field . 10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear , he selected from all the choice men of Israel and they arrayed themselves against the Arameans . 11 But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abshai his brother ; and they arrayed themselves against the sons of Ammon . 12 He said , "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help e me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 "Be strong , and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God ; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight ." 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans , and they fled before e him. 15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled , they also fled before e Abshai his brother and entered the city . Then Joab came to Jerusalem . 16 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel , they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond e the River , with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. 17 When it was told David , he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan , and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans , they fought against him. 18 The Arameans fled before e Israel , and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 e charioteers and 40,000 e foot soldiers e , and put to death Shophach the commander of the army . 19 So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel , they made peace with David and served him. Thus the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore .
201 Then it happened in the spring , at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army e and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon , and came and besieged Rabbah . But David stayed at Jerusalem . And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 David took the crown of their king from his head , and he found it to weigh a talent of gold , and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David's head . And he brought out the spoil of the city , a very great amount. 3 He brought out the people who were in it, and cut them with saws and with sharp instruments and with axes . And thus David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon . Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem .
4 Now it came about after this , that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines ; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai , one of the descendants of the giants , and they were subdued . 5 And there was war with the Philistines again , and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite , the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam . 6 Again there was war at Gath , where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four e fingers and toes , six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants . 7 When he taunted Israel , Jonathan the son of Shimea , David's brother , killed him. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath , and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants .
211 Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel . 2 So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people , " Go , number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan , and bring me word that I may know their number ." 3 Joab said , " May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king , are they not all my lord's servants ? Why does my lord seek this thing ? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel ?" 4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab . Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel , and came to Jerusalem . 5 Joab gave the number of the census of all the people to David . And all Israel were 1,100,000 e e e men who drew the sword ; and Judah was 470,000 e e e men who drew the sword . 6 But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab .
7 God was displeased e with this thing , so He struck Israel . 8 David said to God , "I have sinned greatly , in that I have done this thing . But now , please take away the iniquity of Your servant , for I have done very foolishly ." 9 The Lord spoke to Gad , David's seer , saying , 10 "Go and speak to David , saying , 'Thus says the Lord , "I offer you three things ; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.""' 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the Lord , 'Take for yourself 12 either three years of famine , or three months to be swept away before e your foes , while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord , even pestilence in the land , and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel .' Now , therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me." 13 David said to Gad , "I am in great distress ; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord , for His mercies are very great . But do not let me fall into the hand of man ." 14 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel ; 70,000 e men of Israel fell . 15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity , and said to the destroying angel , "It is enough ; now relax your hand ." And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite . 16 Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven , with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem . Then David and the elders , covered with sackcloth , fell on their faces . 17 David said to God , "Is it not I who commanded to count the people ? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly , but these sheep , what have they done ? O Lord my God , please let Your hand be against me and my father's household , but not against Your people that they should be plagued ."
18 Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David , that David should go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite . 19 So David went up at the word of Gad , which he spoke in the name of the Lord . 20 Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel , and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat . 21 As David came to Ornan , Ornan looked and saw David , and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground . 22 Then David said to Ornan , "Give me the site of this threshing floor , that I may build on it an altar to the Lord ; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people ." 23 Ornan said to David , "Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight . See , I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering ; I will give it all ." 24 But King David said to Ornan , "No , but I will surely buy it for the full price ; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord , or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing ." 25 So David gave Ornan 600 e shekels of gold by weight for the site . 26 Then David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings . And he called to the Lord and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering . 27 The Lord commanded the angel , and he put his sword back in its sheath .
28 At that time , when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite , he offered sacrifice there . 29 For the tabernacle of the Lord , which Moses had made in the wilderness , and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time . 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God , for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord .
81 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives . 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple , and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery , and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher , this woman has been caught in adultery , in the very act . 5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women ; what then do You say ?" 6 They were saying this , testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground . 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, " He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground . 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one , beginning with the older ones , and He was left alone , and the woman , where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman , where are they? Did no one condemn you?" 11 She said , "No one , Lord ." And Jesus said , " I do not condemn you, either . Go . From now on sin no more ."]
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying , " I am the Light of the world ; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness , but will have the Light of life ." 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, " You are testifying about Yourself ; Your testimony is not true ." 14 Jesus answered and said to them, " Even if I testify about Myself , My testimony is true , for I know where I came from and where I am going ; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going . 15 " You judge according to the flesh ; I am not judging anyone . 16 "But even if I do judge , My judgment is true ; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 "Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true . 18 "I am He who testifies about Myself , and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me." 19 So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father ?" Jesus answered , "You know neither Me nor My Father ; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also ." 20 These words He spoke in the treasury , as He taught in the temple ; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come .
21 Then He said again to them, "I go away , and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin ; where I am going , you cannot e come ." 22 So the Jews were saying , "Surely He will not kill Himself , will He, since He says , ' Where I am going , you cannot e come '?" 23 And He was saying to them, " You are from below , I am from above ; you are of this world , I am not of this world . 24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins ; for unless e you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins ." 25 So they were saying to Him, "Who are You?" Jesus said to them, "What e have I been saying to you from the beginning ? 26 "I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true ; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world ." 27 They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father .
(Read John 8:1-11)
Christ neither found fault with the law, nor excused the prisoner's guilt; nor did he countenance the pretended zeal of the Pharisees. Those are self-condemned who judge others, and yet do the same thing. All who are any way called to blame the faults of others, are especially concerned to look to themselves, and keep themselves pure. In this matter Christ attended to the great work about which he came into the world, that was, to bring sinners to repentance; not to destroy, but to save. He aimed to bring, not only the accused to repentance, by showing her his mercy, but the prosecutors also, by showing them their sins; they thought to insnare him, he sought to convince and convert them. He declined to meddle with the magistrate's office. Many crimes merit far more severe punishment than they meet with; but we should not leave our own work, to take that upon ourselves to which we are not called. When Christ sent her away, it was with this caution, Go, and sin no more. Those who help to save the life of a criminal, should help to save the soul with the same caution. Those are truly happy, whom Christ does not condemn. Christ's favour to us in the forgiveness of past sins should prevail with us, Go then, and sin no more.
(Read John 8:12-16)
Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more. What a dark dungeon would the world be without the sun! So would it be without Jesus, by whom light came into the world. Those who follow Christ shall not walk in darkness. They shall not be left without the truths which are necessary to keep them from destroying error, and the directions in the way of duty, necessary to keep them from condemning sin.
(Read John 8:17-20)
If we knew Christ better, we should know the Father better. Those become vain in their imaginations concerning God, who will not learn of Christ. Those who know not his glory and grace, know not the Father that sent him. The time of our departure out of the world, depends upon God. Our enemies cannot hasten it any sooner, nor can our friends delay it any longer, than the time appointed of the Father. Every true believer can look up and say with pleasure, My times are in thy hand, and better there than in my own. To all God's purposes there is a time.
(Read John 8:21-29)
Those that live in unbelief, are for ever undone, if they die in unbelief. The Jews belonged to this present evil world, but Jesus was of a heavenly and Divine nature, so that his doctrine, kingdom, and blessings, would not suit their taste. But the curse of the law is done away to all that submit to the grace of the gospel. Nothing but the doctrine of Christ's grace will be an argument powerful enough, and none but the Spirit of Christ's grace will be an agent powerful enough, to turn us from sin to God; and that Spirit is given, and that doctrine is given, to work upon those only who believe in Christ. Some say, Who is this Jesus? They allow him to have been a Prophet, an excellent Teacher, and even more than a creature; but cannot acknowledge him as over all, God blessed for evermore. Will not this suffice? Jesus here answers the question. Is this to honour him as the Father? Does this admit his being the Light of the world, and the Life of men, one with the Father? All shall know by their conversion, or in their condemnation, that he always spake and did what pleased the Father, even when he claimed the highest honours to himself.
