Old/New Testament
Joab Sends a Wise Woman to David
14 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that ·King David missed Absalom very much [L David’s heart longed for/mind was on Absalom]. 2 So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He said to her, “Pretend ·to be very sad [L you are in mourning]. Put on ·funeral [mourning] clothes and don’t put ·lotion [perfume; anointing oil] on yourself. Act like a woman who has been ·crying [mourning] many days for someone who died. 3 Then go to the king and say these words.” Then Joab ·told her what to say [L put the words in her mouth].
4 ·So [When…] the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king. She bowed facedown on the ground ·to show respect [L and prostrated herself] and said, “My king, help me!”
5 King David asked her, “What is ·the matter [troubling you]?”
The woman said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting, and no one was there to ·stop [separate] them. So one ·son [L struck and] killed the other son. 7 Now ·all the family group [the whole family/clan] ·is [L has risen] against me. They said to me, ‘·Bring [Hand over; Give up] the son who ·killed [L struck] his brother so we may ·kill [execute] him for ·killing [murdering; taking the life of] his brother. That way we will ·also get rid of the one who would receive what belonged to his father [destroy the heir as well; C so he doesn’t profit from his crime].’ ·My son is like the last spark of a fire. He is all [L They want to extinguish/quench the only coal/ember] I have left. ·If they kill him, my [L My] husband’s name and ·property [or family; descendents; L remnant] will be gone from the ·earth [L face of the earth].”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go home. I will ·take care of this for [L give orders concerning] you.”
9 The woman of Tekoa said to him, “Let the ·blame [guilt] be on me and my father’s family. My ·master and [lord the] king, you and your throne are ·innocent [guiltless].”
10 King David said, “Bring me anyone who ·says anything bad to [threatens; criticizes] you. Then he won’t ·bother [L touch] you again.”
11 The woman said, “Please ·promise in the name of [swear by; remember; keep in mind] the Lord your God. Then ·my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer [my near-relative; L the avenger of blood; C a relative obligated to execute the murderer; Num. 35:12, 19–21] won’t ·add to [continue] the destruction by killing my son.”
David said, “As surely as the Lord lives, ·no one will hurt your son [L not one hair from his head will fall to the ground].”
12 The woman said, “Let me say something to you, my ·master and [lord the] king.”
The king said, “Speak.”
13 Then the woman said, “Why have you ·decided this way against [acted/L planned to the harm/detriment of] the people of God? When you ·judge [decide; L speak] this way, you ·show that you are guilty [convict yourself] for not bringing back your son who was ·forced to leave home [banished]. 14 We will all die someday. We’re like water spilled on the ground; no one can ·gather it back [collect it together]. But God doesn’t ·take away [discard] life. Instead, he plans ways that ·those who have been sent away will not have to stay away from him [will bring back/home the banished]! 15 My ·master and [lord the] king, I came to say this to you because the people have ·made me afraid [threatened/intimidated me]! I thought, ‘Let me talk to the king. Maybe he will ·do [grant] what I ask. 16 Maybe he will listen. Perhaps he will ·save [rescue; deliver] me from ·those who want to keep both me and my son from getting what God gave us [L the hand of the man who would cut me and my son from God’s inheritance/heritage].’
17 “Now I say, ‘May the words of my ·master [lord] the king give me ·rest [comfort; peace]. Like an angel of God, you ·know [discern; understand] what is good and what is ·bad [evil]. May the Lord your God be with you!’”
18 Then King David said, “Do not ·hide [evade] the truth. Answer me one question.”
The woman said, “My ·master [lord] the king, please ·ask your question [speak].”
19 The king said, “·Did Joab tell you to say [L Is Joab’s hand with you in] all these things?”
The woman answered, “As you live, my ·master [lord] the king, no one ·could avoid that question [can fool/mislead you; L turn to the right or left concerning what you’ve said]. You are right. Your servant Joab ·did tell me to say these things [L commanded me and put all these words in my mouth]. 20 Joab did it ·so you would see things differently [to change the look of things]. My ·master [lord], you are wise like an angel of God who knows ·everything that happens [all things] on earth.”
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
21 The king said to Joab, “Look, I ·will do what I promised [grant this request]. Bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Joab bowed facedown on the ground [L and prostrated himself] and blessed the king. Then he said, “Today I know ·you are pleased with me [L I have found favor in your sight/eyes], because you have done what I asked.”
23 Then Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But King David said, “Absalom must go to his own house. He may not ·come to see me [L see my face].” So Absalom went to his own house and did not ·go to see the king [L see the king’s face].
25 Absalom was greatly praised for his ·handsome appearance [beauty]. No man in Israel was as handsome as he. No ·blemish [flaw; defect] was on him from his head to his foot. 26 At the end of every year, Absalom would cut his hair, because it became too heavy. When he weighed it, it would weigh ·about five pounds by the royal measure [L 200 shekels by the king’s standard].
27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was also Tamar, and she was a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing ·King David [L the king’s face]. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab so he could send him to the king [C to intercede for him], but Joab would not come. Absalom sent a message a second time, but Joab still refused to come. 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go burn it.” So Absalom’s servants set fire to Joab’s field.
31 Then Joab went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why did your servants burn my field?”
32 Absalom said to Joab, “I sent a message to you, asking you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why ·he brought me home [L I have come] from Geshur. It would have been better for me to stay there! Now let me see the ·king [L king’s face]. If I have ·sinned [guilt/iniquity in me], he can put me to death!”
33 So Joab went to the king and told him Absalom’s words. Then the king called for Absalom. Absalom came and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before the king, and the king kissed him.
Absalom Plans to Take David’s Kingdom
15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself and fifty men to run before him [C to signal his power and claim of heir to the throne]. 2 Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate [C the hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction]. Anyone who had a ·problem [suit; petition; case] for the king to ·settle [judge] would come here. When someone came, Absalom would call out and say, “What city are you from?”
The person would answer, “·I’m [L Your servant is] from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3 Then Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are ·right [sound/valid and just], but the king has no ·one [representative; deputy] to listen to you.” 4 Absalom would also say, “I wish someone would ·make [appoint] me judge in this land! Then people with ·problems [any suit/complaint/case or cause] could come to me, and I ·could help them get [would give them] justice.”
5 People would come near Absalom to ·bow to [prostrate themselves before] him. When they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them [C to show he treated them as his equals]. 6 Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to King David for ·decisions [judgment]. In this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all Israel.
7 After four[a] years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my ·promise [vow] that I made to the Lord 8 while ·I [L your servant] was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will ·worship [offer devotion/a sacrifice to] him in Hebron.’”
9 The king said, “Go in peace.”
So Absalom went to Hebron. 10 But he sent ·secret messengers [spies; or runners] through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom is the king ·at [in] Hebron!’”
11 Absalom ·had invited [took] two hundred men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him [L innocently], ·but they didn’t know [not knowing] what he was planning. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, ·one of the people who advised David [David’s counselor], to come from his hometown of Giloh. So ·Absalom’s plans were working very well [the conspiracy grew stronger]. More and more people began to support him.
13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The ·Israelites are giving their loyalty to [L hearts of the people/Israelites are with] Absalom.”
14 Then David said to all his ·officers [officials; L servants] who were with him in Jerusalem, “We must ·leave [flee] quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to ·get away from [escape] Absalom. We must hurry before he ·catches [overtakes] us and ·destroys us and kills the people of Jerusalem [L brings disaster and puts the city to the sword].”
15 The king’s ·officers [officials; L servants] said to him, “We will do anything you ·say [decide; L choose].”
16 The king set out with everyone in his house, but he left ten ·slave women [L concubines; C secondary wives; 3:7] to take care of the palace. 17 The king left [L on foot] with all his people following him, and they stopped at ·a house far away [the last house]. 18 All the king’s ·servants [men; officers; officials] passed by him—the Kerethites and Pelethites [C foreign mercenaries who served as the king’s bodyguards], ·all those from Gath, and the six hundred men who had followed him [or and the six hundred men from Gath].
19 The king said to Ittai, a man from Gath, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with ·King Absalom [L the king] because you are a foreigner. ·This is not [L …—an exile from] your homeland. 20 You joined me only ·a short time ago [L yesterday]. Should I make you wander with us when I don’t even know where I’m going? Turn back and take your ·brothers [kinsmen; people] with you. May ·kindness [faithful love] and ·loyalty [faithfulness; truth] be shown to you.”
21 But Ittai said to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as ·you live [L my lord the king lives], I will ·stay with you [L go wherever my lord the king goes], whether it means life or death.”
22 David said to Ittai, “Go, march on.” So Ittai from Gath and all his people with their ·children [families] marched on. 23 All the people ·cried loudly [wept out loud] as ·everyone [the people] passed by. King David crossed the Kidron Valley, and then all the people went on to the ·desert [wilderness]. 24 Zadok and all the Levites with him carried the Ark of the ·Agreement with God [Covenant/Treaty of God]. They set it down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had ·left [marched out of] the city.
25 The king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back into the city. If ·the Lord is pleased with me [L I find favor in the Lord’s sight/eyes], he will bring me back and will let me see both it and ·Jerusalem [L its dwelling place/tent/Tabernacle] again. 26 But if the Lord says ·he is not pleased with me [L “I take no delight in you”], ·I am ready [here I am]. He can do ·what he wants with me [L to me what is good in his sight/eyes].”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “·Aren’t you a seer [or Do you understand]? Go back to the city ·in peace [quietly] and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. 28 I will wait near the ·crossings into the desert [fords in the wilderness; C shallow crossing points of the Jordan River] until I hear from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David went up the ·Mount [L Ascent] of Olives, crying as he went. He covered his head and went barefoot [C signs of mourning]. All the people with David covered their heads also and cried as they went. 31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of the ·people with Absalom who made secret plans against you [conspirators with Absalom].”
So David prayed, “Lord, please ·make [turn] Ahithophel’s ·advice foolish [counsel into foolishness].”
32 When David reached the top of the mountain where people ·used to worship [worshiped] God, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head [C a sign of mourning or distress]. 33 David said to Hushai, “If you go with me, you will be ·just one more person for me to take care of [L a burden]. 34 But if you return to the city, you can ·make Ahithophel’s advice useless [thwart/frustrate/counter Ahithophel’s counsel]. 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 [L they not…?] be with you. Tell them everything you hear in the royal 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 [returned to] Jerusalem just as Absalom arrived.
Sin and Forgiveness(A)
17 Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “·Things that cause people to sin [Stumbling blocks; Causes of sin; Temptations] ·will happen [are inevitable; L it is impossible for them not to come], but ·how terrible for [L woe to] the person who causes them to happen! 2 It would be better for ·you [L him; that person] to be thrown into the sea with a ·large [L mill] stone around ·your [L his] neck than to cause one of these little ones to ·sin [stumble]. 3 So ·be careful [watch yourselves]!
“If ·another follower [fellow believer; L your brother (or sister)] sins, ·warn [rebuke] him, and if he ·is sorry and stops sinning [repents], forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times ·in one day [or each day] and ·says that he is sorry each time [repents seven times], forgive him.”
How Big Is Your Faith?(B)
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!”
6 The Lord said, “If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘·Dig yourself up [Be uprooted] and plant yourself in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Be Good Servants
7 “Suppose one of you has a ·servant [slave] who has been plowing the ground or caring for the sheep. When the servant comes in from working in the field, would you say, ‘Come in and ·sit down to eat [L recline; C the posture for a banquet or formal meal]’? 8 No, ·you [L he] would say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Then ·get yourself ready [or put on your apron; L gird yourself] and ·serve [wait on] me. After I finish eating and drinking, you can eat and drink.’ 9 ·The servant does not get any special thanks [L Does he thank the servant…?] for doing what his master commanded. 10 It is the same with you. When you have done everything you are told to do, you should say, ‘We are ·unworthy [undeserving; worthless] servants; we have only done ·the work we should do [our duty; our obligation].’”
Be Thankful
11 [L Now it happened that] While Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he was going through the ·area between [middle of; borderlands of] Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he came into a ·small town [village], ten men ·who had a skin disease [T with leprosy; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; see Lev. 14] met him there. They ·did not come close to Jesus [L stood at a distance] 13 but ·called [shouted; raised their voices] to him, “Jesus! Master! Have ·mercy [pity] on us!”
14 When Jesus saw the men, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests [C only a priest could declare a person cleansed of such skin disorders; Lev. 14].”
As the ten men were going, they were ·healed [L cleansed; C skin disorders like this rendered the person afflicted ceremonially unclean]. 15 When one of them saw that he was healed, he went back to Jesus, praising God in a loud voice. 16 Then he ·bowed down [L fell on his face] at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (And this man was a Samaritan [C a shocking revelation, since Samaritans were despised by Jews].) 17 Jesus said, “Weren’t ten men ·healed [L cleansed; v. 14]? Where are the other nine? 18 Is this ·Samaritan [L foreigner] the only one who came back to ·thank [L give glory to] God?” 19 Then Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go on your way. ·You were healed because you believed [L Your faith has saved/healed you].”
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