Old/New Testament
David Learns About Saul’s Death
1 Now Saul was dead. And after David had defeated the Amalekites, he returned to Ziklag. He stayed there two days. 2 On the third day a young man came to Ziklag. He came from Saul’s camp. To show his sadness his clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head. He came and bowed facedown on the ground before David.
3 David asked him, “Where did you come from?”
The man answered him, “I escaped from the Israelite camp.”
4 David asked him, “What happened? Please tell me!”
The man answered, “The people have run away from the battle. Many of them have fallen dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.”
5 David said to him, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 The young man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots and the men riding in them were coming closer to Saul. 7 When he looked back and saw me, he called to me. I answered him, ‘Here I am!’
8 “Then Saul asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
9 “Then Saul said to me, ‘Please come here and kill me. I am badly hurt and am almost dead already.’
10 “So I went over and killed him. He had been hurt so badly I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm. I have brought them here to you, my master.”
11 Then David tore his clothes to show his sorrow. And all the men with him did also. 12 They were very sad and cried. They did not eat until evening. They cried for Saul and his son Jonathan. And they cried for the Israelites who had been killed with swords.
David Orders the Amalekite Killed
13 David asked the young man who brought the report, “Where are you from?”
The young man answered, “I am the son of a foreigner. I am an Amalekite.”
14 David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s appointed king?”
15 Then David called one of his men. David told him, “Go! Kill the Amalekite!” So the Israelite killed the Amalekite. 16 David had said to the Amalekite, “You are responsible for your own death. You have spoken against yourself! You said, ‘I have killed the Lord’s appointed king.’”
David’s Song About Saul and Jonathan
17 David sang a funeral song about Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 David ordered that the people of Judah be taught this song. It is called “The Bow.” This song is written in the Book of Jashar:
19 “Israel, your leaders have been killed on the hills.
How the mighty men have fallen in battle!
20 Don’t tell it in Gath.
Don’t announce it in the streets of Ashkelon.
If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will be happy.
The daughters of the Philistines will rejoice.
21 “May there be no dew or rain on the mountains of Gilboa.
May their fields produce no grain.
This is because there the mighty warrior’s shield was dishonored.
Saul’s shield was no longer rubbed with oil.
22 Jonathan’s bow killed its share of enemies.
And Saul’s sword killed its share, too.
Their weapons are stained with the blood of dead men.
Their weapons have stabbed the flesh of strong men.
23 “We loved Saul and Jonathan.
We enjoyed them while they lived.
Saul and Jonathan are together even in death.
They were faster than eagles.
They were stronger than lions.
24 “You daughters of Israel, cry for Saul.
Saul clothed you with red dresses.
He put gold decorations on your dresses.
25 “How the mighty men have fallen in battle!
Jonathan is dead on Gilboa’s hills.
26 I cry for you, my brother Jonathan.
I enjoyed your friendship so much.
Your love to me was wonderful,
more wonderful than the love of women.
27 “How the mighty men have fallen in battle!
The weapons of war are gone.”
David Is Made King of Judah
2 Later, David prayed to the Lord. David said, “Should I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”
The Lord said to David, “Go.”
David asked, “Where should I go?”
The Lord answered, “To Hebron.”
2 So David went up to Hebron with his two wives. One was Ahinoam from Jezreel. The other was Abigail, the widow of Nabal in Carmel. 3 David also brought his men and their families. They all made their homes in the cities of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron. They appointed David king over Judah.
They told David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul. 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead. They told David’s message to the men in Jabesh: “The Lord bless you. You have shown kindness to your master Saul by burying him. 6 May the Lord now be kind and true to you. I will also be kind to you because you have done this. 7 Now be strong and brave. Saul your master is dead. The people of Judah have appointed me their king.”
War Between Judah and Israel
8 Now Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul’s army. Abner took Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim. 9 There Abner made him king of Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king over Israel. He ruled two years. But the people of Judah followed David. 11 David was king in Hebron for seven years and six months.
12 Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim. They went to Gibeon. 13 Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men also went there. They met Abner and Ish-Bosheth’s men at the pool of Gibeon. Abner’s group sat on one side of the pool. Joab’s group sat on the other side.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and have a contest here.”
Joab said, “Yes, let them have a contest.”
15 Then the young men got up. The two groups counted their men for the contest. Twelve men were chosen from the people of Benjamin for Ish-Bosheth son of Saul. Twelve men were chosen from David’s men. 16 Each man grabbed his enemy’s head. Then he stabbed his enemy’s side with a knife. And the men fell down together. So that place in Gibeon is called The Field of the Sharp Knives. 17 That day the contest became a terrible battle. And David’s men defeated Abner and the Israelites.
Abner Kills Asahel
18 Zeruiah’s three sons, Joab, Abishai and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner. He was as fast as a deer in the field. 19 Asahel chased Abner, going straight toward him. 20 Abner looked back and asked, “Are you Asahel?”
Asahel said, “Yes, I am.”
21 Then Abner said to Asahel, “Turn to your right or left. Catch one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
22 Abner again said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me! If you don’t stop, I’ll have to kill you! Then I won’t be able to face your brother Joab again!”
23 But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So Abner used the back end of his spear. He stabbed it into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out of his back. Asahel died right there. Everyone stopped when they came to the place where Asahel’s body lay.
24 But Joab and Abishai continued chasing Abner. The sun was going down when they arrived at the hill of Ammah. This is near Giah on the way to the empty land near Gibeon. 25 The men of Benjamin came to Abner. They all stood together at the top of the hill.
26 Abner shouted to Joab, “Must the sword kill forever? Surely you must know this will only end in sadness! Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers!”
27 Then Joab said, “If you had not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until morning. This is as sure as God is alive.” 28 Then Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not try to fight them anymore.
29 Abner and his men marched all night through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River. After marching all day, they arrived at Mahanaim.
30 Joab came back after he had stopped chasing Abner. Then Joab gathered the people together. Asahel and 19 of David’s men were missing. 31 But David’s men had killed 360 Benjaminites who had followed Abner. 32 David’s men took Asahel and buried him. They put him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. The sun came up as they reached Hebron.
Is It Right to Heal on the Sabbath?
14 On a Sabbath day, Jesus went to the home of a leading Pharisee to eat with him. The people there were all watching Jesus very closely. 2 A man with dropsy[a] was brought before Jesus. 3 Jesus said to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, “Is it right or wrong to heal on the Sabbath day?” 4 But they would not answer his question. So Jesus took the man, healed him, and sent him away. 5 Jesus said to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, “If your son[b] or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not pull him out quickly?” 6 And they could not answer him.
Don’t Make Yourself Important
7 Then Jesus noticed that some of the guests were choosing the best places to sit. So Jesus told this story: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, don’t take the most important seat. The host may have invited someone more important than you. 9 And if you are sitting in the most important seat, the host will come to you and say, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then you will begin to move down to the last place. And you will be very embarrassed. 10 So when you are invited, go sit in a seat that is not important. Then the host will come to you and say, ‘Friend, move up here to a more important place!’ Then all the other guests will respect you. 11 Everyone who makes himself great will be made humble. But the person who makes himself humble will be made great.”
You Will Be Rewarded
12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite only your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. At another time they will invite you to eat with them. Then you will have your reward. 13 Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed, because they cannot pay you back. They have nothing. But you will be rewarded when the good people rise from death.”
A Story About a Big Banquet
15 One of the men sitting at the table with Jesus heard these things. The man said to Jesus, “The people who will eat a meal in God’s kingdom are blessed.”
16 Jesus said to him, “A man gave a big banquet and invited many people. 17 When it was time to eat, the man sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come! Everything is ready!’
18 “But all the guests said they could not come. Each man made an excuse. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go look at it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another man said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen; I must go and try them. Please excuse me.’ 20 A third man said, ‘I just got married; I can’t come.’ 21 So the servant returned. He told his master what had happened. Then the master became angry and said, ‘Go at once into the streets and alleys of the town. Bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Later the servant said to him, ‘Master, I did what you told me to do, but we still have places for more people.’ 23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes. Tell the people there to come. I want my house to be full! 24 None of those men that I invited first will ever eat with me!’”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.