Ishbosheth Is Murdered

4 When Saul’s ^[a]son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, ^(A)he^[b] lost heart, and all Israel was ^(B)troubled. ² Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For ^(C)Beeroth also was ^[c]part of Benjamin, ³ because the Beerothites fled to ^(D)Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

^4 (E)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came ^(F)from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was ^(G)Mephibosheth.^[d]

⁵ Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the ^(H)house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. ⁶ And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they ^[e]stabbed him ^(I)in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷ For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. ⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, ^(J)who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”

⁹ But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, ^(K)who has redeemed my life from all adversity, ¹⁰ when ^(L)someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now ^(M)require his ^[f]blood at your hand and ^[g]remove you from the earth?” ¹² So David ^(N)commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the ^(O)tomb of Abner in Hebron.

David Reigns over All Israel^(P)

5 Then all the tribes of Israel ^(Q)came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed ^(R)we are your bone and your flesh. ² Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, ^(S)you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ^(T)‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ” ^3 (U)Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^(V)and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^(W)before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was ^(X)thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^(Y)he reigned forty years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah ^(Z)seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

The Conquest of Jerusalem^(AA)

^6 (AB)And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against ^(AC)the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion ^(AD)(that is, the City of David).

⁸ Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), ^(AE)he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”

⁹ Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it ^(AF)the City of David. And David built all around from ^[h]the Millo and inward. ¹⁰ So David went on and became great, and ^(AG)the Lord God of hosts was with ^(AH)him.

¹¹ Then ^(AI)Hiram ^(AJ)king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. ¹² So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had ^(AK)exalted His kingdom ^(AL)for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³ And ^(AM)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ Now ^(AN)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: ^[i]Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, ^(AO)Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, ^[j]Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

The Philistines Defeated^(AP)

^17 (AQ)Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it ^(AR)and went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in ^(AS)the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ So David ^(AT)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

²⁰ So David went to ^(AU)Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place ^[k]Baal Perazim. ²¹ And they left their ^[l]images there, and David and his men ^(AV)carried them away.

^22 (AW)Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ Therefore ^(AX)David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. ²⁴ And it shall be, when you ^(AY)hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then ^(AZ)the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” ²⁵ And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from ^(BA)Geba^[m] as far as ^(BB)Gezer.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign^(A)

16 Then the ^(B)Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ ^[a]Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ^4 (C)A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of ^[b]the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(D)

⁵ Now ^(E)when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, ^(F)“Take heed and beware of the ^[c]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you ^[d]have brought no bread? ^9 (G)Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ^10 (H)Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the ^[e]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the ^[f]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ^(I)

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ^(J)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, ^(K)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ^(L)one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do ^(M)you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, ^(N)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, ^(O)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but ^(P)My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that ^(Q)you are Peter, and ^(R)on this rock I will build My church, and ^(S)the gates of Hades shall not ^[g]prevail against it. ^19 (T)And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth ^[h]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

^20 (U)Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(V)

²¹ From that time Jesus began ^(W)to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ^[i]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, ^(X)Satan! ^(Y)You are ^[j]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him^(Z)

^24 (AA)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and ^(AB)follow Me. ²⁵ For ^(AC)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what ^(AD)profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or ^(AE)what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For ^(AF)the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father ^(AG)with His angels, ^(AH)and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸ Assuredly, I say to you, ^(AI)there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”