Minggu, 01 September

1.   When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled. 2.   Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For Beeroth also was part of Benjamin, 3.   because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.) 4.   Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth. 5.   Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. 6.   And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7.   For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. 8.   And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants." 9.   But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, " As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, 10.   "when someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag––the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. 11.   "How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?" 12.   So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

1.   Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, "Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2.   "Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’" 3.   Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel. 4.   David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5.   In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty–three years over all Israel and Judah. 6.   And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you," thinking, "David cannot come in here." 7.   Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is , the City of David). 8.   Now David said on that day, "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain ." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." 9.   Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. 10.   So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him. 11.   Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. 12.   So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. 13.   And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. 14.   Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15.   Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16.   Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. 17.   Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18.   The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 19.   So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand." 20.   So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 21.   And they left their images there, and David and his men carried them away. 22.   Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 23.   Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He said, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 24.   "And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." 25.   And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

1.   The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2.   For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house. 3.   For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, "Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; 4.   "and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye; 5.   "then he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall be until I visit him," says the LORD; "though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed"’?" 6.   And Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 7.   ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, "Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it ."’ 8.   "Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. 9.   "So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money––seventeen shekels of silver. 10.   "And I signed the deed and sealed it , took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales. 11.   "So I took the purchase deed, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open; 12.   "and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son , and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison. 13.   "Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14.   ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days." 15.   ‘For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."’ 16.   "Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: 17.   ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. 18.   ‘ You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them––the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 19.   ‘ You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. 20.   ‘You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and among other men; and You have made Yourself a name, as it is this day. 21.   ‘You have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22.   ‘You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them––"a land flowing with milk and honey." 23.   ‘And they came in and took possession of it, but they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them. 24.   ‘Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it ! 25.   ‘And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy the field for money, and take witnesses"! ––yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’" 26.   Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 27.   "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? 28.   "Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it. 29.   ‘And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger; 30.   ‘because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands," says the LORD. 31.   ‘For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face 32.   ‘because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger––they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33.   ‘And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them , yet they have not listened to receive instruction. 34.   ‘But they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35.   ‘And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.’ 36.   "Now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence’: 37.   ‘Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 38.   ‘They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39.   ‘then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. 40.   ‘And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41.   ‘Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’ 42.   "For thus says the LORD: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them. 43.   ‘And fields will be bought in this land of which you say, " It is desolate, without man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans." 44.   ‘Men will buy fields for money, sign deeds and seal them , and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captives to return,’ says the LORD."

1.   There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2.   And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3.   "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4.   "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5.   "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." 6.   He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7.   "Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8.   "But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it . 9.   ‘And if it bears fruit, well . But if not, after that you can cut it down.’" 10.   Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11.   And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12.   But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." 13.   And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14.   But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." 15.   The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16.   "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound––think of it––for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" 17.   And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. 18.   Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19.   "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." 20.   And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21.   "It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."