2 Samuel 14, 2 Corinthians 7, Ezekiel 21, Psalm 68

2 Samuel 14,

1 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom.
 
2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead.
 
3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth.
 
4 When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, "Help me, O king!"
 
5 The king asked her, "What is troubling you?" She said, "I am indeed a widow; my husband is dead.
 
6 I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him.
 
7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.' They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth."
 
8 The king said to the woman, "Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf."
 
9 But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "My lord the king, let the blame rest on me and on my father's family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt."
 
10 The king replied, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you again."
 
11 She said, "Then let the king invoke the LORD his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground."
 
12 Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied.
 
13 The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son?
 
14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.
 
15 "And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; perhaps he will do what his servant asks.
 
16 Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from the inheritance God gave us.'
 
17 "And now your servant says, 'May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.' "
 
18 Then the king said to the woman, "Do not keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you." "Let my lord the king speak," the woman said.
 
19 The king asked, "Isn't the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.
 
20 Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God-he knows everything that happens in the land."
 
21 The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."
 
22 Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant's request."
 
23 Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
 
24 But the king said, "He must go to his own house; he must not see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.
 
25 In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.
 
26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head-he used to cut his hair from time to time when it became too heavy for him-he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.
 
27 Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. The daughter's name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman.
 
28 Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face.
 
29 Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come.
 
30 Then he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
 
31 Then Joab did go to Absalom's house and he said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"
 
32 Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent word to you and said, 'Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!" ' Now then, I want to see the king's face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death."
 
33 So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.
 

2 Corinthians 7,

1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
 
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
 
3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.
 
4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
 
5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-conflicts on the outside, fears within.
 
6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
 
7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
 
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-
 
9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
 
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
 
11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
 
12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.
 
13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
 
14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.
 
15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling.
 
16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
 

Ezekiel 21,

1 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
2 "Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel
 
3 and say to her: 'This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
 
4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
 
5 Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again.'
 
6 "Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.
 
7 And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD."
 
8 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
9 "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says: " 'A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished-
 
10 sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! "Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my son Judah? The sword despises every such stick.
 
11 " 'The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped with the hand; it is sharpened and polished, made ready for the hand of the slayer.
 
12 Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people; it is against all the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword along with my people. Therefore beat your breast.
 
13 "Testing will surely come. And what if the scepter of Judah, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign LORD."
 
14 "So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter-a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side.
 
15 So that hearts may melt and the fallen be many, I have stationed the sword for slaughter at all their gates. Oh! It is made to flash like lightning, it is grasped for slaughter.
 
16 O sword, slash to the right, then to the left, wherever your blade is turned.
 
17 I too will strike my hands together, and my wrath will subside. I the LORD have spoken."
 
18 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
19 "Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city.
 
20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem.
 
21 For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver.
 
22 Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works.
 
23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.
 
24 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do-because you have done this, you will be taken captive.
 
25 " 'O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax,
 
26 this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.
 
27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.'
 
28 "And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about the Ammonites and their insults: " 'A sword, a sword, drawn for the slaughter, polished to consume and to flash like lightning!
 
29 Despite false visions concerning you and lying divinations about you, it will be laid on the necks of the wicked who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax.
 
30 Return the sword to its scabbard. In the place where you were created, in the land of your ancestry, I will judge you.
 
31 I will pour out my wrath upon you and breathe out my fiery anger against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, men skilled in destruction.
 
32 You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will be shed in your land, you will be remembered no more; for I the LORD have spoken.' "
 

Psalm 68

1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
 
2 As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
 
3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
 
4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds-his name is the LORD-and rejoice before him.
 
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
 
6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
 
7 When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah
 
8 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
 
9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
 
10 Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.
 
11 The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
 
12 "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.
 
13 Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold."
 
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.
 
15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.
 
16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?
 
17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
 
18 When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious-that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.
 
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah
 
20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
 
21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
 
22 The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
 
23 that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share."
 
24 Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
 
25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.
 
26 Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.
 
27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
 
28 Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.
 
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.
 
30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.
 
31 Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God.
 
32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah
 
33 to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.
 
34 Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.
 
35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!