The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
War between Judah and Israel
12 Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Then Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out, and they met at the pool of Gibeon. The one group sat on one side of the pool, and the other sat on the other side. 14 Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come up and fight in our presence.” And Joab said, “Let them come up.” 15 So they came forward and passed by in number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. 16 Then each seized his opponent[a] by the head and each thrust his sword in the side of his opponent, so they fell together. So they[b] called the name of that place Helkath Hazzurim,[c] which is in Gibeon. 17 Then the battle became increasingly fierce[d] on that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift with his feet as one of the gazelles which is in the open field. 19 So Asahel pursued[e] Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left from going after Abner. 20 Abner turned around and said, “Are you this Asahel?” And he said, “Yes.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left; seize for yourself one of the young men, and take his belongings for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from him. 22 So Abner said to Asahel once again,[f] “For your own sake,[g] turn aside from following me.[h] Why should I strike you down to the ground? How could I show my face[i] to Joab your brother?” 23 But he refused to turn away, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of the spear, and the spear went out of his back. He fell there and he died on the spot.[j] Then[k] all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died just stood there.
24 So Joab and Abishai pursued[l] Abner when[m] the sun went down. And they came to the hill country of Ammah, which is before Giah[n] on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 The descendants[o] of Benjamin rallied after Abner, and they became as one fighting group and stood on the top of a certain hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Will the sword devour forever? Do you not know that there will be bitterness in the end? How long[p] will you not tell the people to turn away from pursuing[q] their brothers?” 27 Joab said, “As God lives,[r] for if you had not spoken, the people would surely have gone up in the morning, each one of them from following after[s] his brother.” 28 Then Joab blew on the trumpet and all the people stopped, and they no longer pursued after Israel, and they did not fight with them again.
29 Then Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night, and they crossed over the Jordan. They went all the forenoon and came to Mahanaim. 30 After Joab returned from pursuing[t] Abner, he gathered all the people; nineteen of the servants of David were missing along with Asahel. 31 The servants of David had killed some of the Benjaminites among the men of Abner; three hundred and sixty men had died. 32 Then they picked up Asahel and buried him in the grave of his father, which was at Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all that night arriving in Hebron at first light.[u]
The House of David Grows Stronger
3 The battle was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David was growing stronger and stronger[v] while the house of Saul was becoming weaker and weaker.[w] 2 And sons were born to David in Hebron; his firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam from Jezreel[x]. 3 His second was Kileab by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, who was the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur. 4 The fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah the son of Abital. 5 The sixth was Ithream by Eglah the wife of David. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 As the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was continuing, Abner was strengthening himself in the house of Saul. 7 Saul had had a concubine, and her name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah. Then Ish-Bosheth[y] said to Abner, “Why did you have sex with[z] my father’s concubine?” 8 Abner became very angry[aa] at the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he said, “Am I the head of a dog which is for Judah today? Do I not continue to show loyal love with the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends? I have not let you fall into the hands of David, yet you have accused me of sin with this woman[ab] today. 9 Thus may God punish Abner,[ac] if I do not accomplish what Yahweh has sworn to David;[ad] 10 specifically, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba!” 11 And Ish-Bosheth was no longer able to answer[ae] Abner because he feared him.[af]
Abner Pledges Support for David
12 Abner sent messengers to David where he was,[ag] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me![ah] Look, my hand is with you to bring all of Israel over to you!” 13 He[ai] said, “Good. I will make a covenant with you.[aj] I am asking only one thing from you: You shall not see my face unless you bring Michal the daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”[ak] 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, saying, “Give me my wife Michal whom I betrothed to myself[al] for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 So Ish-Bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.[am] 16 But her husband went with her, weeping all along[an] after her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go and return.” So he returned.
17 The word of Abner came to[ao] the elders of Israel, saying, “For quite some time[ap] you were seeking David as king over you. 18 So then, bring it about, because Yahweh had said to David, “Through the hand of David my servant I am about to save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.” 19 Abner also spoke privately to Benjamin.[aq] Abner also went to speak to David[ar] in Hebron, all that was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.
20 Then Abner came to David in Hebron and with him were twenty men. David had prepared a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, “Let me get up and go and gather all of Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant[as] with you so you can reign over all which your soul desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he left in peace. 22 And look, the servants of David and Joab came from the raid, and they brought much plunder with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he[at] had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him came, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he left in peace.”
Joab Assassinates Abner
24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came here to you? Why have you dismissed him that he actually went away?[au] 25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you. He came to learn about your going out and coming in and to know all which you are doing.” 26 Then Joab went out from David, and he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from Bor Hasirah, but David did not know it.
27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak with him in private. Then he struck him in the stomach there and he died, for he had shed the blood of Asahel his brother.[av] 28 When David heard this afterwards, he said: “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh[aw] forever for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May the blood come down on the head of Joab and all the house of his father. May the house of Joab never lack[ax] one with a bodily discharge or one with leprosy or one who grasps the distaff or one who falls by the sword or one who is lacking food.”
30 So Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner because he had killed Asahel, their brother, at Gibeon in the battle. 31 David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothing and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” Now King David was following after the bier. 32 And they buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 The king sang a lament for Abner and said, “Should Abner have died the death of a fool? 34 Your hands were not tied and your feet were not in contact with bronze fetters. You have fallen as one who falls before sons of wickedness.” Then all the people wept over him again.[ay] 35 Then all the people came to give David food. Still on that day, David swore, “May God punish me[az] if I taste food or anything before the sun goes down.” 36 All the people noticed, and it was good in their eyes, as everything that the king did was good in the eyes of all the people. 37 Then all the people and all of Israel realized on that day that the king had not desired[ba] to kill Abner the son of Ner. 38 Then the king said to his servants, “Did you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel? 39 I am weak today even though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are crueler than I am. May Yahweh pay them back for doing wickedness according to their own wickedness.”
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, and[a] having loved his[b] own in the world, loved them to the end. 2 And as[c] a dinner was taking place, when[d] the devil had already put into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him, 3 because he[e] knew that the Father had given him all things into his[f] hands, and that he had come forth from God and was going away to God, 4 he got up from the dinner and took off his[g] outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it[h] around himself. 5 Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them[i] dry with the towel which he had tied around himself.[j]
6 Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet forever!”[k] Jesus replied to him, “Unless I wash you, you do not have a share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my[l] hands and my[m] head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed only needs[n] to wash his[o] feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 (For he knew the one who would betray him; because of this he said, “Not all of you are clean.”)
12 So when he had washed their feet and taken his outer clothing and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, for I am. 14 If then I—your[p] Lord and Teacher—wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do. 16 Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.
18 “I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but in order that the scripture would be fulfilled, ‘The one who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’[q] 19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, in order that when it happens you may believe that I am he.[r] 20 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Jesus Predicts Judas’ Betrayal
21 When he[s] had said these things, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified and said, “Truly, truly I say to you that one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples began looking[t] at one another, uncertain about whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close beside[u] Jesus. 24 So Simon Peter gestured for this one to inquire who it was about whom he was speaking. 25 He leaned back[v] accordingly against Jesus’ chest and[w] said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “It is he to whom I dip the piece of bread and give it[x] to him.” Then after[y] dipping the piece of bread, he gave it[z][aa] to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 And after the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you are doing, do quickly!” 28 (Now no one of those reclining at table knew for what reason he said this to him. 29 For some were thinking because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, “Purchase what we need[ab] for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.) 30 So after he[ac] had taken the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.
Aleph[a]
119 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of Yahweh.
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies;
they seek him with a whole heart.
3 They also do no wrong;
they walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded[b] your precepts,
that we should keep them diligently.
5 Oh that my ways were steadfast,
to keep your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed
when I look to all your commands.
7 I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will heed your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By taking heed according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought you;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 In my heart I have hidden your word,[c]
so that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Yahweh.
Teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
all the ordinances of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I have rejoiced
as I would over all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and look at[d] your ways.
16 I will take delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software