Mark 14:43-52
[43]
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the
twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief
priests and the scribes and the elders. [44] Now the betrayer had given
them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead
him away under guard.” [45] And when he came, he went up to him at once
and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. [46] And they laid hands on him
and seized him. [47] But one of those who stood by drew his sword and
struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. [48] And
Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords
and clubs to capture me? [49] Day after day I was with you in the temple
teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be
fulfilled.” [50] And they all left him and fled.
[51]
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his
body. And they seized him, [52] but he left the linen cloth and ran away
naked.
Galatians 2
[1]
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
taking Titus along with me. [2] I went up because of a revelation and
set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential)
the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I
was not running or had not run in vain. [3] But even Titus, who was with
me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. [4] Yet
because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out
our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us
into slavery—[5] to them we did not yield in submission even for a
moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. [6]
And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no
difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed
influential added nothing to me. [7] On the contrary, when they saw that
I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as
Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised [8] (for he
who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised
worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), [9] and when James and
Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was
given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me,
that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. [10]
Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to
do.
[11]
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he
stood condemned. [12] For before certain men came from James, he was
eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated
himself, fearing the circumcision party. [13] And the rest of the Jews
acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led
astray by their hypocrisy. [14] But when I saw that their conduct was
not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them
all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how
can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
[15]
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we
know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through
faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in
order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
[17]
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to
be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! [18] For if
I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. [19]
For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. [20]
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but
Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do
not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the
law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Psalm 111
[1] Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
[2] Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
[3] Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
[4] He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
[5] He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
[6] He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
[7] The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
[8] they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
[9] He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
[10] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
2 Samuel 11
[1]
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David
sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged
the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
[2]
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and
was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a
woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. [3] And David sent and
inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the
daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” [4] So David sent
messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now
she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned
to her house. [5] And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David,
“I am pregnant.”
[6]
So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent
Uriah to David. [7] When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was
doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going. [8] Then
David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And
Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present
from the king. [9] But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with
all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. [10]
When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said
to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to
your house?” [11] Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah
dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are
camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to
drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I
will not do this thing.” [12] Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here
today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in
Jerusalem that day and the next. [13] And David invited him, and he ate
in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening
he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he
did not go down to his house.
[14]
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of
Uriah. [15] In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the
hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck
down, and die.” [16] And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned
Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. [17] And the
men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants
of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. [18] Then
Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. [19] And he
instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news
about the fighting to the king, [20] then, if the king’s anger rises,
and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did
you not know that they would shoot from the wall? [21] Who killed
Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper
millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you
go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the
Hittite is dead also.’”
[22]
So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent
him to tell. [23] The messenger said to David, “The men gained an
advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove
them back to the entrance of the gate. [24] Then the archers shot at
your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and
your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” [25] David said to the
messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter
displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen
your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”
[26]
When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she
lamented over her husband. [27] And when the mourning was over, David
sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a
son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
2 Samuel 12
[1]
And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him,
“There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
[2] The rich man had very many flocks and herds, [3] but the poor man
had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought
it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of
his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a
daughter to him. [4] Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he
was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the
guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared
it for the man who had come to him.” [5] Then David’s anger was greatly
kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the
man who has done this deserves to die, [6] and he shall restore the lamb
fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
[7]
Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the
hand of Saul. [8] And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s
wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And
if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. [9] Why have
you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You
have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his
wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the
Ammonites. [10] Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your
house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the
Hittite to be your wife.’ [11] Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will
raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your
wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie
with your wives in the sight of this sun. [12] For you did it secretly,
but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” [13]
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said
to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. [14]
Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD,
the child who is born to you shall die.” [15] Then Nathan went to his
house.
And
the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he
became sick. [16] David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And
David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. [17] And the
elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but
he would not, nor did he eat food with them. [18] On the seventh day the
child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the
child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive,
we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him
the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” [19] But when David
saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that
the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”
They said, “He is dead.” [20] Then David arose from the earth and
washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into
the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And
when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. [21] Then his
servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted
and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you
arose and ate food.” [22] He said, “While the child was still alive, I
fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be
gracious to me, that the child may live?’ [23] But now he is dead. Why
should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he
will not return to me.”
[24]
Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay
with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the
LORD loved him [25] and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he
called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
[26]
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal
city. [27] And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought
against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. [28] Now then
gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and
take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name.” [29] So
David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought
against it and took it. [30] And he took the crown of their king from
his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a
precious stone, and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out
the spoil of the city, a very great amount. [31] And he brought out the
people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and
iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all
the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to
Jerusalem.
