191 Then it was told Joab , "Behold , the king is weeping and mourns for Absalom ." 2 The victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people , for the people heard it said that day , "The king is grieved for his son ." 3 So the people went by stealth into the city that day , as people who are humiliated steal away when they flee in battle . 4 The king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice , " O my son Absalom , O Absalom , my son , my son !" 5 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said , "Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants , who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters , the lives of your wives , and the lives of your concubines , 6 by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today , then you would be pleased e . 7 "Now therefore arise , go out and speak kindly to your servants , for I swear by the Lord , if you do not go out, surely not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now ." 8 So the king arose and sat in the gate . When they told all the people , saying , "Behold , the king is sitting in the gate ," then all the people came before the king . Now Israel had fled , each to his tent .
9 All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel , saying , " The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines , but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom . 10 "However, Absalom , whom we anointed over us, has died in battle . Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back ?" 11 Then King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests , saying , "Speak to the elders of Judah , saying , 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house , since the word of all Israel has come to the king , even to his house ? 12 'You are my brothers ; you are my bone and my flesh . Why then should you be the last to bring back the king ?' 13 "Say to Amasa , 'Are you not my bone and my flesh ? May God do so to me, and more also , if you will not be commander of the army before me continually e in place of Joab .' " 14 Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man , so that they sent word to the king , saying, "Return , you and all your servants ." 15 The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan . And Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king , to bring the king across the Jordan .
16 Then Shimei the son of Gera , the Benjamite who was from Bahurim , hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David . 17 There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, with Ziba the servant of the house of Saul , and his fifteen e sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king . 18 Then they kept crossing the ford to bring over the king's household , and to do what was good in his sight . And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan . 19 So he said to the king , " Let not my lord consider me guilty , nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from Jerusalem , so that the king would take it to heart . 20 "For your servant knows that I have sinned ; therefore behold , I have come today , the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king ." 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said , " Should not Shimei be put to death for this , because he cursed the Lord'S anointed ?" 22 David then said , " What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah , that you should this day be an adversary to me? Should any man be put to death in Israel today ? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today ?" 23 The king said to Shimei , " You shall not die ." Thus the king swore to him.
24 Then Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king ; and he had neither cared for his feet , nor trimmed his mustache , nor washed his clothes , from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace . 25 It was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king , that the king said to him, " Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth ?" 26 So he answered , "O my lord , the king , my servant deceived me; for your servant said , 'I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king ,' because your servant is lame . 27 "Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king ; but my lord the king is like the angel of God , therefore do what is good in your sight . 28 "For all my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king ; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table . What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king ?" 29 So the king said to him, "Why do you still speak of your affairs ? I have decided , 'You and Ziba shall divide the land .' " 30 Mephibosheth said to the king , "Let him even take it all , since e my lord the king has come safely to his own house ."
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim ; and he went on to the Jordan with the king to escort him over the Jordan . 32 Now Barzillai was very old , being eighty years old ; and he had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim , for he was a very great man . 33 The king said to Barzillai , "You cross over with me and I will sustain you in Jerusalem with me." 34 But Barzillai said to the king , " How long have I yet to live , that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem ? 35 "I am now eighty years old . Can I distinguish between good and bad ? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink ? Or can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king ? 36 "Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king . Why should the king compensate me with this reward ? 37 "Please let your servant return , that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother . However, here is your servant Chimham , let him cross over with my lord the king , and do for him what is good in your sight ." 38 The king answered , "Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight ; and whatever e you require of me, I will do for you." 39 All the people crossed over the Jordan and the king crossed too. The king then kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place .
40 Now the king went on to Gilgal , and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel accompanied the king . 41 And behold , all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king , " Why had our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away , and brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over the Jordan ?" 42 Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel , "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter ? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has anything been taken for us?" 43 But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said , " We have ten parts in the king , therefore we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt ? Was it not our advice first to bring back our king ?" Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel .
201 Now a worthless fellow happened to be there whose name was Sheba , the son of Bichri , a Benjamite e ; and he blew the trumpet and said , " We have no portion in David , Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse ; Every man to his tents , O Israel !" 2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri ; but the men of Judah remained steadfast to their king , from the Jordan even to Jerusalem . 3 Then David came to his house at Jerusalem , and the king took the ten women , the concubines whom he had left to keep the house , and placed them under guard e and provided them with sustenance , but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death , living as widows .
4 Then the king said to Amasa , "Call out the men of Judah for me within three days , and be present here yourself ." 5 So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah , but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai , "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom ; take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight ." 7 So Joab's men went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men ; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri . 8 When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon , Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed e in his military attire e , and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist ; and as he went forward , it fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa , "Is it well with you, my brother ?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab's hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground , and did not strike him again , and he died . Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri . 11 Now there stood by him one of Joab's young men , and said , "Whoever e favors Joab and whoever e is for David , let him follow Joab ." 12 But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway . And when the man saw that all the people stood still , he removed Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still . 13 As soon as he was removed from the highway , all the men passed on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri .
14 Now he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel , even Beth-maacah , and all the Berites ; and they were gathered together and also went after him. 15 They came and besieged e him in Abel Beth-maacah , and they cast up a siege ramp against the city , and it stood by the rampart ; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall . 16 Then a wise woman called from the city , "Hear , hear ! Please tell Joab , 'Come here e that I may speak with you.' " 17 So he approached her, and the woman said , "Are you Joab ?" And he answered , "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your maidservant ." And he answered , "I am listening ." 18 Then she spoke , saying , "Formerly they used to say , 'They will surely ask advice at Abel ,' and thus they ended the dispute. 19 "I am of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel . You are seeking to destroy a city , even a mother in Israel . Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord ?" 20 Joab replied , "Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy ! 21 "Such is not the case . But a man from the hill country of Ephraim , Sheba the son of Bichri by name , has lifted up his hand against King David . Only hand him over , and I will depart from the city ." And the woman said to Joab , "Behold , his head will be thrown to you over the wall ." 22 Then the woman wisely came to all the people . And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab . So he blew the trumpet , and they were dispersed from the city , each to his tent . Joab also returned to the king at Jerusalem .
23 Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites ; 24 and Adoram was over the forced labor , and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder ; 25 and Sheva was scribe , and Zadok and Abiathar were priests ; 26 and Ira the Jairite was also a priest to David .
181 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart , 2 saying , "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man . 3 "There was a widow in that city , and she kept coming to him, saying , 'Give me legal protection from my opponent .' 4 "For a while he was unwilling e ; but afterward e he said to himself , 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man , 5 yet because this widow bothers e me, I will give her legal protection , otherwise e by continually e coming she will wear me out.' " 6 And the Lord said , "Hear what the unrighteous judge said ; 7 now , will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night , and will He delay long over them? 8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly . However , when the Son of Man comes , will He find faith on the earth ?"
9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous , and viewed others with contempt : 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray , one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector . 11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself : 'God , I thank You that I am not like other people : swindlers , unjust , adulterers , or even like this tax collector . 12 'I fast twice a week ; I pay tithes of all that I get .' 13 "But the tax collector , standing some distance away , was even unwilling e to lift up his eyes to heaven , but was beating his breast , saying , 'God , be merciful to me, the sinner !' 14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other ; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled , but he who humbles himself will be exalted ."
15 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying , "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these . 17 "Truly I say to you, whoever e does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
18 A ruler questioned Him, saying , "Good Teacher , what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?" 19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good ? No one is good except God alone . 20 "You know the commandments , ' DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY , DO NOT MURDER , DO NOT STEAL , DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS , HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER .' " 21 And he said , "All these things I have kept from my youth ." 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack ; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor , and you shall have treasure in heaven ; and come , follow Me." 23 But when he had heard these things , he became very sad , for he was extremely rich .
(Read Luke 18:1-8)
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.
(Read Luke 18:9-14)
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short of the righteousness of this Pharisee, yet he was not accepted; and why not? He went up to the temple to pray, but was full of himself and his own goodness; the favour and grace of God he did not think worth asking. Let us beware of presenting proud devotions to the Lord, and of despising others. The publican's address to God was full of humility, and of repentance for sin, and desire toward God. His prayer was short, but to the purpose; God be merciful to me a sinner. Blessed be God, that we have this short prayer upon record, as an answered prayer; and that we are sure that he who prayed it, went to his house justified; for so shall we be, if we pray it, as he did, through Jesus Christ. He owned himself a sinner by nature, by practice, guilty before God. He had no dependence but upon the mercy of God; upon that alone he relied. And God's glory is to resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. Justification is of God in Christ; therefore the self-condemned, and not the self-righteous, are justified before God.
(Read Luke 18:15-17)
None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our Father's gift.
(Read Luke 18:18-30)
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their wordly gain. Their boasted obedience will be found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.
