2 Samuel 13, 2 Corinthians 6, Ezekiel 20, Psalm 66, 67

2 Samuel 13,

1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
 
2 Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
 
3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
 
4 He asked Amnon, "Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
 
5 "Go to bed and pretend to be ill," Jonadab said. "When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.' "
 
6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand."
 
7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him."
 
8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it.
 
9 Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. "Send everyone out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left him.
 
10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.
 
11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister."
 
12 "Don't, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing.
 
13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you."
 
14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
 
15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!"
 
16 "No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her.
 
17 He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her."
 
18 So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore.
 
19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
 
20 Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman.
 
21 When King David heard all this, he was furious.
 
22 Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
 
23 Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there.
 
24 Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?"
 
25 "No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing.
 
26 Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?"
 
27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons.
 
28 Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave."
 
29 So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
 
30 While they were on their way, the report came to David: "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left."
 
31 The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
 
32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's expressed intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
 
33 My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead."
 
34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, "I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill."
 
35 Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons are here; it has happened just as your servant said."
 
36 As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.
 
37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned for his son every day.
 
38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years.
 
39 And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death.
 

2 Corinthians 6,

1 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.
 
2 For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
 
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
 
4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
 
5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;
 
6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
 
7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
 
8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
 
9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
 
10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
 
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.
 
12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.
 
13 As a fair exchange-I speak as to my children-open wide your hearts also.
 
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
 
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
 
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
 
17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
 
18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
 

Ezekiel 20,

1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.
 
2 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
 
3 "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.'
 
4 "Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers
 
5 and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the LORD your God."
 
6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.
 
7 And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
 
8 " 'But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.
 
9 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations they lived among and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt.
 
10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert.
 
11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.
 
12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.
 
13 " 'Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws-although the man who obeys them will live by them-and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert.
 
14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
 
15 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them-a land flowing with milk and honey, most beautiful of all lands-
 
16 because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.
 
17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert.
 
18 I said to their children in the desert, "Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols.
 
19 I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
 
20 Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."
 
21 " 'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws-although the man who obeys them will live by them-and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the desert.
 
22 But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
 
23 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries,
 
24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols.
 
25 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by;
 
26 I let them become defiled through their gifts-the sacrifice of every firstborn-that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.'
 
27 "Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me:
 
28 When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that provoked me to anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.
 
29 Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?' " (It is called Bamah to this day.)
 
30 "Therefore say to the house of Israel: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images?
 
31 When you offer your gifts-the sacrifice of your sons in the fire-you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will not let you inquire of me.
 
32 " 'You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen.
 
33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.
 
34 I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered-with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.
 
35 I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.
 
36 As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD.
 
37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
 
38 I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
 
39 " 'As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.
 
40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.
 
41 I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.
 
42 Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your fathers.
 
43 There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.
 
44 You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
 
45 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
46 "Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland.
 
47 Say to the southern forest: 'Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.
 
48 Everyone will see that I the LORD have kindled it; it will not be quenched.' "
 
49 Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! They are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?' "
 

Psalm 66, 67

1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
 
2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
 
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
 
4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah
 
5 Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!
 
6 He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot-come, let us rejoice in him.
 
7 He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations-let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah
 
8 Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
 
9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
 
10 For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
 
11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
 
12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
 
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you-
 
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
 
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah
 
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.
 
17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.
 
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
 
19 but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
 
20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!
 

    
 
  
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
 
2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
 
3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
 
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
 
5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
 
6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.
 
7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.