The Daily Audio Bible

David Hears of Saul’s Death^(A)

1 After the death^(B) of Saul, David returned from striking down^(C) the Amalekites^(D) and stayed in Ziklag two days. ² On the third day a man^(E) arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.^(F) When he came to David, he fell^(G) to the ground to pay him honor.^(H)

³ “Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

⁴ “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

⁵ Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,^(I)” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. ⁷ When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’

⁸ “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“‘An Amalekite,^(J)’ I answered.

⁹ “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me!^(K) I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’

¹⁰ “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown^(L) that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore^(M) them. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³ David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,^(N)” he answered.

¹⁴ David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?^(O)”

¹⁵ Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!”^(P) So he struck him down, and he died.^{(Q) 16} For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head.^(R) Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ David took up this lament^(S) concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,^{(T) 18} and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):^(U)

David Anointed King Over Judah

2 In the course of time, David inquired^(AQ) of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,”^(AR) the Lord answered.

² So David went up there with his two wives,^(AS) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail,^(AT) the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ³ David also took the men who were with him,^(AU) each with his family, and they settled in Hebron^(AV) and its towns. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came to Hebron,^(AW) and there they anointed^(AX) David king over the tribe of Judah.

When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead^(AY) who had buried Saul, ⁵ he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless^(AZ) you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. ⁶ May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness,^(BA) and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. ⁷ Now then, be strong^(BB) and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

War Between the Houses of David and Saul^(BC)

⁸ Meanwhile, Abner^(BD) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth^(BE) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.^{(BF) 9} He made him king over Gilead,^(BG) Ashuri^(BH) and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.^(BI)

¹⁰ Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. ¹¹ The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.^(BJ)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks^(A) among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida^(B) in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour^(C) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.^{(D) 24} Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,^(E) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it^(F) for eternal life.^{(G) 26} Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.^(H) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled,^(I) and what shall I say? ‘Father,^(J) save me from this hour’?^(K) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,^(L) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,^(M) not mine. ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world;^(N) now the prince of this world^(O) will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up^[a] from the earth,^(P) will draw all people to myself.”^{(Q) 33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.^(R)

³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law^(S) that the Messiah will remain forever,^(T) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man^(U) must be lifted up’?^(V) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light^(W) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,^(X) before darkness overtakes you.^(Y) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”^(Z) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.^(AA)

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

³⁷ Even after Jesus had performed so many signs^(AB) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory^(AE) and spoke about him.^(AF)

⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.^(AG) But because of the Pharisees^(AH) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;^{(AI) 43} for they loved human praise^(AJ) more than praise from God.^(AK)

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.^{(AL) 45} The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.^{(AM) 46} I have come into the world as a light,^(AN) so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.^{(AO) 48} There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them^(AP) at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me^(AQ) to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life.^(AR) So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”^(AS)