2 Samuel 8–9; Psalm 60; John 2

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2 Samuel 8–9

David’s Victories

gAfter this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took hMetheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

iAnd he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites jbecame servants to David and kbrought tribute.

David also defeated lHadadezer the son of Rehob, king of mZobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. nAnd David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David ohamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. pAnd when the qSyrians of Damascus came to help lHadadezer king of mZobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians rbecame servants to David and brought tribute. sAnd the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. And David took tthe shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

When Toi king of uHamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. 11 vThese also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, wMoab, xthe Ammonites, ythe Philistines, zAmalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of mZobah.

13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in athe Valley of Salt. 14 Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, band all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David’s Officials

15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 cJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and dJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 and eZadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and fSeraiah was secretary, 18 and gBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over1 the hCherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests.

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

And David said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may ishow him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was jZiba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, Are you Ziba? And he said, I am your servant. And the king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show kthe kindness of God to him? Ziba said to the king, There is still a son of lJonathan; he is crippled in his feet. The king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, He is in the house of mMachir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And nMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold, I am your servant. And David said to him, Do not fear, ifor I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and oyou shall eat at my table always. And he paid homage and said, What is your servant, that you should show regard for pa dead dog such as I?

Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson oshall always eat at my table. Now Ziba had qfifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do. So Mephibosheth oate at David’s2 table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, rwhose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ohe ate always at the king’s table. Now lhe was lame in both his feet.


Psalm 60

He Will Tread Down Our Foes

To the choirmaster: according to fShushan Eduth. A gMiktam1 of David; hfor instruction; when he istrove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

O God, jyou have rejected us, kbroken our defenses;

you have been angry; loh, restore us.

You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;

mrepair its breaches, for it totters.

nYou have made your people see hard things;

oyou have given us pwine to drink that made us stagger.

You have set up qa banner for those who fear you,

that they may flee to it rfrom the bow.2 Selah

sThat your tbeloved ones may be delivered,

give salvation by your right hand and answer us!

God has spoken uin his holiness:3

With exultation vI will divide up wShechem

and portion out the Vale of xSuccoth.

yGilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;

zEphraim is amy helmet;

Judah is my bscepter.

cMoab is my washbasin;

upon Edom I dcast my shoe;

over ePhilistia I shout in triumph.4

Who will bring me to the fortified city?

fWho will lead me to Edom?

10  Have you not grejected us, O God?

You hdo not go forth, O God, with our armies.

11  Oh, grant us help against the foe,

for ivain is the salvation of man!

12  With God we shall jdo valiantly;

it is he who will ktread down our foes.


John 2

The Wedding at Cana

On hthe third day there was a wedding at iCana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with jhis disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. And Jesus said to her, kWoman, lwhat does this have to do with me? mMy hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.

Now there were six stone water jars there nfor the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty ogallons.1 Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast. So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted pthe water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now. 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested qhis glory. And rhis disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and shis brothers2 and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 tThe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus uwent up to Jerusalem. 14 vIn the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, Take these things away; do not make wmy Father’s house a house of trade. 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, xZeal for your house will consume me.

18 So the Jews said to him, yWhat sign do you show us for doing these things? 19 Jesus answered them, zDestroy this temple, and in three days aI will raise it up. 20 The Jews then said, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,3 and will you raise it up in three days? 21 But he was speaking about bthe temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, chis disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed dthe Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name ewhen they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus fon his part did not entrust himself to them, because ghe knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for ghe himself knew what was in man.