2 Samuel 21, Galatians 1, Ezekiel 28, Psalm 77

2 Samuel 21,

1 During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death."
 
2 The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.)
 
3 David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?"
 
4 The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death." "What do you want me to do for you?" David asked.
 
5 They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel,
 
6 let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul-the Lord 's chosen one." So the king said, "I will give them to you."
 
7 The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
 
8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
 
9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.
 
10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night.
 
11 When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done,
 
12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)
 
13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
 
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.
 
15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.
 
16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword , said he would kill David.
 
17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."
 
18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
 
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.
 
20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot-twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha.
 
21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.
 
22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
 

Galatians 1,

1 Paul, an apostle-sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-
 
2 and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia:
 
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
 
4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
 
5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-
 
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
 
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
 
9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
 
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
 
11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.
 
12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
 
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
 
14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
 
15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
 
16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
 
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
 
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.
 
19 I saw none of the other apostles-only James, the Lord's brother.
 
20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
 
21 Later I went to Syria and Cilicia.
 
22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
 
23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."
 
24 And they praised God because of me.
 

Ezekiel 28,

1 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
2 "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
 
3 Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?
 
4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
 
5 By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.
 
6 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
 
7 I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
 
8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
 
9 Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you.
 
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
 
11 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
 
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
 
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
 
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
 
16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
 
17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
 
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
 
19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.' "
 
20 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
21 "Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her
 
22 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'I am against you, O Sidon, and I will gain glory within you. They will know that I am the LORD, when I inflict punishment on her and show myself holy within her.
 
23 I will send a plague upon her and make blood flow in her streets. The slain will fall within her, with the sword against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
 
24 " 'No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
 
25 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.
 
26 They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.' "
 

Psalm 77

1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.
 
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.
 
3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah
 
4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
 
5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;
 
6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
 
7 "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
 
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
 
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah
 
10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."
 
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
 
12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
 
13 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
 
14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
 
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
 
16 The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.
 
17 The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.
 
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
 
19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
 
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.