2 Samuel 16, 2 Corinthians 9, Ezekiel 23, Psalm 70, 71

2 Samuel 16,

1 When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.
 
2 The king asked Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert."
 
3 The king then asked, "Where is your master's grandson?" Ziba said to him, "He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, 'Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.' "
 
4 Then the king said to Ziba, "All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." "I humbly bow," Ziba said. "May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king."
 
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out.
 
6 He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left.
 
7 As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel!
 
8 The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"
 
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head."
 
10 But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' "
 
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
 
12 It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
 
13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt.
 
14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
 
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
 
16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to Absalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"
 
17 Absalom asked Hushai, "Is this the love you show your friend? Why didn't you go with your friend?"
 
18 Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the LORD, by these people, and by all the men of Israel-his I will be, and I will remain with him.
 
19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you."
 
20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"
 
21 Ahithophel answered, "Lie with your father's concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father's nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened."
 
22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
 
23 Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice.
 

2 Corinthians 9,

1 There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints.
 
2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.
 
3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.
 
4 For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we-not to say anything about you-would be ashamed of having been so confident.
 
5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
 
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
 
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
 
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
 
9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
 
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
 
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
 
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
 
13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
 
14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
 
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
 

Ezekiel 23,

1 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
2 "Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
 
3 They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.
 
4 The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
 
5 "Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians-warriors
 
6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.
 
7 She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.
 
8 She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust upon her.
 
9 "Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.
 
10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
 
11 "Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.
 
12 She too lusted after the Assyrians-governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.
 
13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
 
14 "But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red,
 
15 with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.
 
16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
 
17 Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.
 
18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.
 
19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt.
 
20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.
 
21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.
 
22 "Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side-
 
23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.
 
24 They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards.
 
25 I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.
 
26 They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
 
27 So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
 
28 "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.
 
29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity
 
30 have brought this upon you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
 
31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
 
32 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "You will drink your sister's cup, a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much.
 
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.
 
34 You will drink it and drain it dry; you will dash it to pieces and tear your breasts. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.
 
35 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and thrust me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution."
 
36 The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices,
 
37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.
 
38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths.
 
39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.
 
40 "They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry.
 
41 You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me.
 
42 "The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; Sabeans were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the arms of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.
 
43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, 'Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.'
 
44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah.
 
45 But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
 
46 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder.
 
47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
 
48 "So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.
 
49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."
 

Psalm 70, 71

1 Hasten, O God, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
 
2 May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
 
3 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" turn back because of their shame.
 
4 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"
 
5 Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.
 

    
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
 
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.
 
3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
 
4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.
 
5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.
 
6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.
 
7 I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
 
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
 
9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
 
10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.
 
11 They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him."
 
12 Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.
 
13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
 
14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
 
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.
 
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
 
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
 
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
 
19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?
 
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
 
21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
 
22 I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
 
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-I, whom you have redeemed.
 
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.