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23 All of the land was weeping with a loud voice as all the people were passing by and the king was crossing through the Wadi Kidron, and all the people were passing on the road to the wilderness.[a]
The Priests Offer Sacrifices for David
24 Suddenly Zadok was there, and all of the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people passed out of the city. 25 The king said to Zadok, “Let the ark of God return to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yawheh, he will let me return and let me see him in his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ then I am ready.[b] Let him do to me that which is good in his eyes. 27 Then the king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you. 28 See, I am waiting at the fords of the wilderness until a word comes from you all to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and they remained there.
Hushai Offers to Serve King David
30 Now David was going up on the Ascent of the Olives, weeping as he went,[c] with his head covered and going barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered their head and wept as they went.[d] 31 Now David was told, “Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom.” Then David said, “Please frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.” 32 It happened that as David was coming up to the summit where he used to worship God, suddenly Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. His coat was torn and dirt was on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you move on with me, you will be a burden to me, 34 but if you want to return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king. I used to be a servant of your father, but from then and now I will be your servant,’ then you can frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? It shall be that all the words you hear from the house of the king you shall tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Look, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz of Zadok and Jonathan of Abiathar. You shall send to me by means of them[e] all the words that you hear.” 37 So Hushai the friend of David came to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
Ziba Brings Provisions
16 Now David passed a little from beyond the summit, and suddenly Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him with a pair of saddled donkeys; on them were two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred raisin cakes, with a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine. 2 The king said to Ziba, “What do you want to accomplish by bringing these?”[f] And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for the faint in the wilderness to drink. 3 Then the king said, “Where is the son of your lord?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is living in Jerusalem for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel shall return the kingdom of my father to me.’” 4 The king said to Ziba, “Look, all that was Mephibosheth’s is yours.” Ziba said, “I hereby do obeisance; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there was coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei the son of Gera. He was cursing as he came out.[g] 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left. 7 Shimei said while cursing him, “Go out, go out, you man of bloodshed,[h] you man of wickedness.[i] 8 Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul whom you have supplanted as king,[j] and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood.” 9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” 10 The king said, “What do we have in common,[k] sons of Zeruiah? If[l] he curses because Yahweh has said to him ‘Curse David,’ who can say, “Why have you done this?” 11 David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Look, my son who came out of my loins[m] is seeking my life. Now as far as[n] this Benjaminite, leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has spoken to him. 12 Perhaps Yahweh will look in my eye[o] and repay good for me in place of his curse this day. 13 Then David and his men went on the road, with Shimei going on the side of the hill beside him, cursing as he went.[p] He threw stones beside him and threw[q] dust in the air. 14 When the king and all of the people who were with him arrived, he was weary, so he recovered there.
Hushai Comes to Absalom
15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king, long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to him[r] I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 Furthermore,[s] for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? So shall I serve you!”[t] 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and all of your followers will be motivated!”[u] 22 Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. 23 The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was regarded as when a man[v] inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.
Peter Denies Jesus the Second and Third Times
25 Now Simon Peter was standing there and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?”[a] He denied it[b] and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 So Peter denied it[c] again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus Brought Before Pilate
28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s residence. Now it was early, and they did not enter into the governor’s residence so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have handed him over to you!” 31 So Pilate said to them, “You take him and judge him according to your law!” The Jews said to him, “It is not permitted for us to kill anyone,” 32 in order that the word of Jesus would be fulfilled that he had spoken, indicating by what sort of death he was going to die.
Pilate Questions Jesus
33 Then Pilate entered again into the governor’s residence and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus replied, “Do you say this from yourself, or have others said this[d] to you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I?[e] Your people and the chief priests handed you over to me! What have you done?” 36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So then you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world: in order that I can testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
And when he[f] had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no basis for an accusation against him. 39 But it is your custom that I release for you one prisoner[g] at the Passover. So do you want me[h] to release for you the king of the Jews?” 40 Then they shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)[i]
Pilate Attempts to Release Jesus
19 So then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.[j] 2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and placed it[k] on his head, and put a purple robe on him, 3 and were coming up to him and saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” and were giving him slaps in the face.
4 And Pilate came outside again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing him outside to you, so that you will know that I find no basis for an accusation against him.” 5 Then Jesus came outside wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and he said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 So when they saw him, the chief priests and the officers shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate said to them, “You take him and crucify him![l] For I do not find a basis for an accusation against him.” 7 The Jews replied to him, “We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself out to be the Son of God!”
8 So when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid, 9 and he entered into the governor’s residence again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not give him an answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I have authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus replied to him, “You would not have any authority over me unless it was given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has greater sin.”
12 From this point on Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews shouted, saying, “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar! Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!” 13 So Pilate, when he[m] heard these words, brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat, in the place called The Stone Pavement (but Gabbatha in Aramaic). 14 (Now it was the day of preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour.) And he said to the Jews, “Behold your king!”
15 Then those shouted, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests replied, “We do not have a king except Caesar!” 16 So then he handed him over to them in order that he could be crucified.
Jesus Is Crucified
So they took Jesus, 17 and carrying for himself the cross, he went out to the place called The Place of a Skull (which is called Golgotha in Aramaic), 18 where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side,[n] and Jesus in the middle. 19 And Pilate also wrote a notice and placed it[o] on the cross, and it was written: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 20 So many of the Jews read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The king of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, I am king of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”
Samek
113 I hate the double-minded,[a]
but I love your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
115 Turn aside from me, you evildoers,
for I will keep the commands of my God.
116 Sustain me according to your word,[b] that I may live,
and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117 Uphold me, that I may be delivered,
and have regard for your statutes continually.
118 You reject all who stray from your statutes,
for their deceit is a breach of faith.
119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.
ʽAyin
121 I have done justice and righteousness;[c]
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Pledge good for your servant;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes long for[d] your salvation,
and your righteous word.[e]
124 Deal with your servant according to your loyal love,
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your statutes.
126 It is time for Yahweh to act,[f]
for they have broken your law.
127 Therefore I love your commands
more than gold, even fine gold.
128 Therefore all your precepts of everything I regard as right;
I hate every false way.
10 A decision is upon the lips of a king;
in judgment his mouth will not sin.
11 A balance and scales of justice belong to Yahweh;
all the weights of the bag are his work.
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