191 And it is declared to Joab, 'Lo, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom;' 2 and the salvation on that day becometh mourning to all the people, for the people hath heard on that day, saying, 'The king hath been grieved for his son.' 3 And the people stealeth away, on that day, to go in to the city, as the people steal away, who are ashamed, in their fleeing in battle; 4 and the king hath covered his face, yea, the king crieth—a loud voice—'My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son.' 5 And Joab cometh in unto the king to the house, and saith, 'Thou hast put to shame to-day the faces of all thy servants, those delivering thy life to-day, and the life of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy concubines, 6 to love thine enemies, and to hate those loving thee, for thou hast declared to-day that thou hast no princes and servants, for I have known to-day that if Absalom 'were' alive, and all of us to-day dead, that then it were right in thine eyes. 7 'And now, rise, go out and speak unto the heart of thy servants, for by Jehovah I have sworn, that—thou art not going out—there doth not lodge a man with thee to-night; and this 'is' worse for thee than all the evil that hath come upon thee from thy youth till now.' 8 And the king riseth, and sitteth in the gate, and to all the people they have declared, saying, 'Lo, the king is sitting in the gate;' and all the people come in before the king, and Israel hath fled, each to his tents.
9 And it cometh to pass, all the people are contending through all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, yea, he himself delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he hath fled out of the land because of Absalom, 10 and Absalom whom we anointed over us 'is' dead in battle, and now, why are ye silent—to bring back the king?' 11 And king David sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, 'Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye last to bring back the king unto his house? (and the word of all Israel hath come unto the king, unto his house;) 12 my brethren ye 'are', my bone and my flesh ye 'are', and why are ye last to bring back the king? 13 And to Amasa say ye, Art not thou my bone and my flesh? Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add, if thou art not head of the host before me all the days instead of Joab.' 14 And he inclineth the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they send unto the king, 'Turn back, thou, and all thy servants.' 15 And the king turneth back, and cometh in unto the Jordan, and Judah hath come to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan,
16 and Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite, who 'is' from Bahurim, hasteth, and cometh down with the men of Judah, to meet king David, 17 and a thousand men 'are' with him from Benjamin, and Ziba servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, and they have gone prosperously over the Jordan before the king. 18 And passed over hath the ferry-boat to carry over the household of the king, and to do that which 'is' good in his eyes, and Shimei son of Gera hath fallen before the king in his passing over into Jordan, 19 and saith unto the king, 'Let not my lord impute to me iniquity; neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely in the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem,—for the king to set 'it' unto his heart; 20 for thy servant hath known that I have sinned; and lo, I have come to-day, first of all the house of Joseph, to go down to meet my lord the king.' 21 And Abishai son of Zeruiah answereth and saith, 'For this is not Shimei put to death—because he reviled the anointed of Jehovah?' 22 And David saith, 'What—to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah, that ye are to me to-day for an adversary? to-day is any man put to death in Israel? for have I not known that to-day I 'am' king over Israel?' 23 And the king saith unto Shimei, 'Thou dost not die;' and the king sweareth to him.
24 And Mephibosheth son of Saul hath come down to meet the king—and he prepared not his feet, nor did he prepare his upper lip, yea, his garments he washed not, even from the day of the going away of the king, till the day that he came in peace— 25 and it cometh to pass, when he hath come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king saith to him, 'Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?' 26 And he saith, 'My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for thy servant said, I saddle for me the ass, and ride on it, and go with the king, for thy servant 'is' lame; 27 and he uttereth slander against thy servant unto my lord the king, and my lord the king 'is' as a messenger of God; and do thou that which is good in thine eyes, 28 for all the house of my father have been nothing except men of death before my lord the king, and thou dost set thy servant among those eating at thy table, and what right have I any more—even to cry any more unto the king?' 29 And the king saith to him, 'Why dost thou speak any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba—share ye the field.' 30 And Mephibosheth saith unto the king, 'Yea, the whole let him take, after that my lord the king hath come in peace unto his house.'
31 And Barzillai the Gileadite hath gone down from Rogelim, and passeth over the Jordan with the king, to send him away over the Jordan; 32 and Barzillai 'is' very aged, a son of eighty years, and he hath sustained the king in his abiding in Mahanaim, for he 'is' a very great man; 33 and the king saith unto Barzillai, 'Pass thou over with me, and I have sustained thee with me in Jerusalem.' 34 And Barzillai saith unto the king, 'How many 'are' the days of the years of my life, that I go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 A son of eighty years I 'am' to-day; do I know between good and evil? doth thy servant taste that which I am eating, and that which I drink? do I hearken any more to the voice of singers and songstresses? and why is thy servant any more for a burden unto my lord the king? 36 As a little thing, thy servant doth pass over the Jordan with the king, and why doth the king recompense me this recompense? 37 Let, I pray thee, thy servant turn back again, and I die in mine own city, near the burying-place of my father and of my mother,—and lo, thy servant Chimham, let him pass over with my lord the king, and do thou to him that which 'is' good in thine eyes.' 38 And the king saith, 'With me doth Chimham go over, and I do to him that which 'is' good in thine eyes, yea, all that thou dost fix on me I do to thee.' 39 And all the people pass over the Jordan, and the king hath passed over, and the king giveth a kiss to Barzillai, and blesseth him, and he turneth back to his place.
40 And the king passeth over to Gilgal, and Chimham hath passed over with him, and all the people of Judah, and they bring over the king, and also the half of the people of Israel. 41 And, lo, all the men of Israel are coming unto the king, and they say unto the king, 'Wherefore have they stolen thee—our brethren, the men of Judah?' (and they bring the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him). 42 And all the men of Judah answer against the men of Israel, 'Because the king 'is' near unto us, and why 'is' this—ye are displeased about this matter? have we at all eaten of the king's 'substance?' a gift hath he lifted up to us?' 43 And the men of Israel answer the men of Judah, and say, 'Ten parts we have in the king, and also in David more than you; and wherefore have ye lightly esteemed us, that our word hath not been first to bring back our king?' And the word of the men of Judah is sharper than the word of the men of Israel.
201 And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name 'is' Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, 'We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.' 2 And every man of Israel goeth up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah have cleaved to their king, from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem. 3 And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines—whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.
4 And the king saith unto Amasa, 'Call for me the men of Judah 'in' three days, and thou, stand here,' 5 and Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him; 6 and David saith unto Abishai, 'Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself 'from' our eye.' 7 And the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri; 8 they 'are' near the great stone that 'is' in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab 'is' girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle—a sword 'is' fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth. 9 And Joab saith to Amasa, 'Art thou 'in' peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him; 10 and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that 'is' in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth 'rib', and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated 'it' to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri. 11 And a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, 'He who hath delight in Joab, and he who 'is' for David—after Joab!' 12 And Amasa is rolling himself in blood, in the midst of the highway, and the man seeth that all the people have stood still, and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the field, and casteth over him a garment, when he hath seen that every one who hath come by him—hath stood still. 13 When he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.
14 And he passeth over through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maachah, and to all the Berites, and they are assembled, and go in also after him, 15 and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are 'are' with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall. 16 And a wise woman calleth out of the city, 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.' 17 And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, 'Art thou Joab?' and he saith, 'I 'am'.' And she saith to him, 'Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, 'I am hearing.' 18 and she speaketh, saying, 'They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished. 19 I 'am' of the peaceable—faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah? 20 And Joab answereth and saith, 'Far be it—far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy. 21 The matter 'is' not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim—Sheba son of Bichri his name—hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, 'Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.' 22 And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast 'it' unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.
23 And Joab 'is' over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada 'is' over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite, 24 and Adoram 'is' over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud 'is' the remembrancer, 25 and Sheva 'is' scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar 'are' priests, 26 and also, Ira the Jairite hath been minister to David.
181 And he spake also a simile to them, that it behoveth 'us' always to pray, and not to faint, 2 saying, 'A certain judge was in a certain city—God he is not fearing, and man he is not regarding— 3 and a widow was in that city, and she was coming unto him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent, 4 and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if God I do not fear, and man do not regard, 5 yet because this widow doth give me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, perpetually coming, she may plague me.' 6 And the Lord said, 'Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith: 7 and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who are crying unto Him day and night—bearing long in regard to them? 8 I say to you, that He will execute the justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, shall he find the faith upon the earth?'
9 And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile: 10 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer; 11 the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer; 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things—as many as I possess. 13 'And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me—the sinner! 14 I say to you, this one went down declared righteous, to his house, rather than that one: for every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'
15 And they were bringing near also the babes, that he may touch them, and the disciples having seen did rebuke them, 16 and Jesus having called them near, said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God; 17 verily I say to you, Whoever may not receive the reign of God as a little child, may not enter into it.'
18 And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what having done—shall I inherit life age-during?' 19 And Jesus said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one 'is' good, except One—God; 20 the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.' 21 And he said, 'All these I did keep from my youth;' 22 and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, 'Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things—as many as thou hast—sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;' 23 and he, having heard these things, became very sorrowful, for he was exceeding 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.
