Daily Readings for July 19
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2Samuel 3

 

1.Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: and David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. 2.To David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3.and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4.and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5.and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. 6.It happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul. 7.Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?" 8.Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman! 9.God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don't do even so to him; 10.to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba."

11.He could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. 12.Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land?" and saying, "Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel around to you."

13.He said, "Good; I will make a treaty with you; but one thing I require of you. That is, you shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."

14.David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

15.Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish. 16.Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go! Return!" and he returned. 17.Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past, you sought for David to be king over you. 18.Now then do it; for Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"

19.Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Benjamin. 20.So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast. 21.Abner said to David, "I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

22.Behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. 23.When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace. 24.Then Joab came to the king, and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone? 25.You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do."

26.When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn't know it. 27.When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28.Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29.Let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread." 30.So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. 31.David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. King David followed the bier. 32.They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. 33.The king lamented for Abner, and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies? 34.Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell."

All the people wept again over him. 35.All the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, "God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or anything else, until the sun goes down." 36.All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people. 37.So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner. 38.The king said to his servants, "Don't you know that there a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39.I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness."

 

Jeremiah 9

 

1.Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! 2.Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3.They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don't know me, says Yahweh. 4.Take heed everyone of his neighbor, and don't trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders. 5.They will deceive everyone his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity. 6.Your habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, says Yahweh. 7.Therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how should I deal with the daughter of my people? 8.Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit: one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lays wait for him. 9.Shall I not visit them for these things? says Yahweh; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10.For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passes through; neither can men hear the voice of the livestock; both the birds of the sky and the animals are fled, they are gone. 11.I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. 12.Who is the wise man, that may understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of Yahweh has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that none passes through? 13.Yahweh says, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein, 14.but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them; 15.therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16.I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them. 17.Thus says Yahweh of Armies, Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skillful women, that they may come: 18.and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19.For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we ruined! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings. 20.Yet hear the word of Yahweh, you women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; and teach your daughters wailing, and everyone her neighbor lamentation. 21.For death has come up into our windows, it is entered into our palaces; to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets. 22.Speak, Thus says Yahweh, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester; and none shall gather them. 23.Thus says Yahweh, Don't let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, don't let the rich man glory in his riches; 24.but let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says Yahweh. 25.Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will punish all those who are circumcised in uncircumcision: 26.Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.

 

Matthew 20

 

1."For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2.When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius⁹⁰ a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3.He went out about the third hour,⁹¹ and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4.To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way. 5.Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,⁹² and did likewise. 6.About the eleventh hour⁹³ he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'

7."They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.'

"He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.' 8.When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.'

9."When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10.When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. 11.When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, 12.saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!'

13."But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius? 14.Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. 15.Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?' 16.So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

17.As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18."Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19.and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."

20.Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him. 21.He said to her, "What do you want?"

She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."

22.But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

They said to him, "We are able."

23.He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

24.When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

25.But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26.It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be⁹⁴ your servant. 27.Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, 28.even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

29.As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30.Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!" 31.The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

32.Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

33.They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

34.Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.

 

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