The Daily Audio Bible
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23 All the people cried loudly as everyone passed by. King David also crossed the Kidron Valley. Then all the people went on to the desert. 24 Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the Ark of the Covenant with God. They set down the Ark of the Covenant. And Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city.
25 The king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of the Covenant of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back. He will let me see both it and Jerusalem again. 26 But if the Lord says he is not pleased with me, I am ready. He can do what he wants with me.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “You are a seer. Go back to the city in peace. Take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. 28 I will wait near the crossings into the desert until I hear from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of the Covenant of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David went up the Mount of Olives crying as he went. He covered his head and went barefoot. All the people with David covered their heads also. And they were crying as they went. 31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of the people with Absalom who made secret plans against you.”
So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”
32 David came to the top of the mountain. This was where he used to worship God. Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head to show how sad he was. 33 David said to Hushai, “If you go with me, you will be just one more person to take care of. 34 But if you return to the city, you can make Ahithophel’s advice useless. Tell Absalom, ‘I am your servant, my king. In the past I served your father. But now I will serve you.’ 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you. You must tell them everything you hear in the king’s palace. 36 Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.” 37 So David’s friend Hushai entered Jerusalem. About that time, Absalom also arrived there.
Ziba Meets David
16 David passed a short way over the top of the Mount of Olives. There Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met David. Ziba had two donkeys with saddles on them. They carried 200 loaves of bread, 100 cakes of raisins and 100 cakes of figs. They also carried leather bags full of wine. 2 The king asked Ziba, “What are these things for?”
Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and cakes of figs are for the servants to eat. And the wine is for anyone to drink who becomes weak in the desert.”
3 The king asked, “Where is Mephibosheth?”
Ziba answered him, “Mephibosheth is staying in Jerusalem. He thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will give my father’s kingdom back to me!’”
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “All right. Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth, I now give to you!”
Ziba said, “I bow to you. I hope I will always be able to please you.”
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out from there. He was from Saul’s family group. His name was Shimei son of Gera. Shimei came out, cursing David as he came. 6 He began throwing stones at David and his officers. But the people and soldiers gathered all around David. 7 Shimei cursed David. He said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you troublemaker. 8 The Lord is punishing you for the people in Saul’s family you killed! You took Saul’s place as king! But now the Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom! Now you are ruined because you are a murderer!”
9 Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
10 But the king answered, “This does not concern you, sons of Zeruiah! If he is cursing me because the Lord told him to, who can question him?”
11 David also said to Abishai and all his officers, “My own son is trying to kill me! This man is a Benjaminite and has more right to kill me! Leave him alone. Let him curse me. The Lord told him to do this. 12 Maybe the Lord will see my misery. Then maybe he will repay me with something good for the curses Shimei says today!”
13 So David and his men went on down the road. But Shimei kept following David. Shimei walked on the hillside on the other side of the road. He kept cursing David and throwing stones and dirt at him. 14 The king and all his people arrived at the Jordan. They were very tired. So they rested there.
15 Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel and all the men of Israel arrived at Jerusalem. 16 David’s friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom. He said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 Absalom asked, “Why are you not loyal to your friend David? Why didn’t you leave Jerusalem with your friend?”
18 Hushai said, “I belong to the one chosen by the Lord and by these people and all the men of Israel. I will stay with you. 19 In the past I served your father. So whom should I serve now? David’s son! I will serve you.”
Ahithophel’s Advice
20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Please tell us what we should do.”
21 Ahithophel said, “Your father left behind some of his slave women who give birth to his children. He left them here to take care of the palace. Have physical relations with them. Then all the Israelites will hear that your father is your enemy. And all your people will be encouraged to give you more support.” 22 So they put up a tent for Absalom on the flat roof[a] of the palace. Everyone in Israel could see it. And Absalom had physical relations with his father’s slave women.
23 At that time people thought Ahithophel’s advice was as reliable as God’s own word. Both David and Absalom thought it was that reliable.
Peter Says Again He Doesn’t Know Jesus
25 Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “Aren’t you one of that man’s followers?”
Peter denied it and said, “No, I am not.”
26 One of the servants of the high priest was there. This servant was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. The servant said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”
27 Again Peter said it wasn’t true. Just then a rooster crowed.
Jesus Is Brought Before Pilate
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas’ house to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early in the morning. The Jews would not go inside the palace. They did not want to make themselves unclean,[a] because they wanted to eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate went outside to them. He asked, “What charges do you bring against this man?”
30 They answered, “He is a criminal. That is why we brought him to you.”
31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
They answered, “But we are not allowed to put anyone to death.” 32 (This happened so that what Jesus had said about how he would die would come true.)
33 Then Pilate went back inside the palace. He called Jesus to him and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus said, “Is that your own question, or did others tell you about me?”
35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew. It was your own people and their leading priests who brought you before me. What have you done wrong?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged to this world, my servants would have fought to keep me from being given over to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is from another place.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king!”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. That is true. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”
38 Pilate said, “What is truth?” After he said this, he went out to the Jews again. He said to them, “I can find nothing to charge against this man. 39 But it is your custom that I free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to free this ‘king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!” (Barabbas was a robber.)
19 Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and whipped. 2 The soldiers used some thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown on Jesus’ head and put a purple robe around him. 3 Then they came to Jesus many times and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They hit Jesus in the face.
4 Again Pilate came out and said to them, “Look! I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want you to know that I find nothing I can charge against him.” 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is the man!”
6 When the leading priests and the guards saw Jesus they shouted, “Kill him on a cross! Kill him on a cross!”
But Pilate answered, “Take him and nail him to a cross yourselves. I find nothing I can charge against him.”
7 The Jews answered, “We have a law that says he should die, because he said he is the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid. 9 He went back inside the palace and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not answer him. 10 Pilate said, “You refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have power to set you free and power to have you killed on a cross?”
11 Jesus answered, “The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. The man who gave me to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go free. But the Jews cried out, “Anyone who makes himself king is against Caesar. If you let this man go free, you are not Caesar’s friend.”
13 Pilate heard what the Jews were saying. So he brought Jesus out to the place called The Stone Pavement. (In the Jewish language[b] the name is Gabbatha.) Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat there. 14 It was about six o’clock in the morning on Preparation Day of Passover week. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king!”
15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Kill him on a cross!”
Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to kill your king on a cross?”
The leading priests answered, “The only king we have is Caesar!”
16 So Pilate gave Jesus to them to be killed on a cross.
Jesus Is Killed on a Cross
The soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called The Place of the Skull. (In the Jewish language[c] this place is called Golgotha.) 18 There they nailed Jesus to the cross. They also put two other men on crosses, one on each side of Jesus with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. It read: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 The sign was written in the Jewish language, in Latin, and in Greek. Many of the Jews read the sign, because this place where Jesus was killed was near the city. 21 The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews.’ But write, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.’”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written!”
113 I hate people who are not completely loyal to you.
But I love your teachings.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield.
I trust your word.
115 Get away from me, you people who do evil,
so I can keep my God’s commands.
116 Support me as you promised so I can live.
Don’t let me be embarrassed because of my hopes.
117 Help me, and I will be saved.
I will always respect your demands.
118 You reject everyone who ignores your demands.
Their lies mislead them.
119 You throw away the wicked of the world like trash.
So I will love your rules.
120 I shake in fear of you.
I fear your laws.
121 I have done what is fair and right.
Don’t leave me to my enemies.
122 Promise that you will help me, your servant.
Don’t let proud people hurt me.
123 My eyes are tired from looking for your salvation
and for your good promise.
124 Show your love to me, your servant.
Teach me your demands.
125 I am your servant. Give me wisdom
so I can understand your rules.
126 Lord, it is time for you to do something.
People have disobeyed your teachings.
127 I love your commands
more than the purest gold.
128 I respect all your orders.
So I hate lying ways.
10 The words of a king are like a message from God.
So his decisions should be fair.
11 The Lord wants honest balances and scales to be used.
He wants all weights to be honest.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.