Wednesday, 27 November

1.   It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle , that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it. 2.   Then David took their king’s crown from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. 3.   And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 4.   Now it happened afterward that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of the giant. And they were subdued. 5.   Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6.   Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty–four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot ; and he also was born to the giant. 7.   So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. 8.   These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

1.   Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 2.   So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it ." 3.   And Joab answered, "May the LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?" 4.   Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem. 5.   Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. 6.   But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab. 7.   And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. 8.   So David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." 9.   And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10.   "Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three things ; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you."’" 11.   So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: ‘Choose for yourself, 12.   ‘either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you , or else for three days the sword of the LORD––the plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me." 13.   And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." 14.   So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. 15.   And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16.   Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17.   And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued." 18.   Therefore, the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19.   So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD. 20.   Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat. 21.   Then David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with his face to the ground. 22.   Then David said to Ornan, "Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the LORD. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people." 23.   And Ornan said to David, "Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all." 24.   Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing." 25.   So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place. 26.   And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering. 27.   So the LORD commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath. 28.   At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29.   For the tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in Gibeon. 30.   But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

1.   Then David said, "This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel."

1.   "Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt. 2.   "The LORD also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; According to his deeds He will recompense him. 3.   He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. 4.   Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us–– 5.   That is, the LORD God of hosts. The LORD is His memorable name. 6.   So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually. 7.   "A cunning Canaanite! Deceitful scales are in his hand; He loves to oppress. 8.   And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labors They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’ 9.   "But I am the LORD your God, Ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, As in the days of the appointed feast. 10.   I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets." 11.   Though Gilead has idols––Surely they are vanity––Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field. 12.   Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep . 13.   By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet he was preserved. 14.   Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly; Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him, And return his reproach upon him.

19.   The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. 20.   Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21.   "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said." 22.   And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?" 23.   Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" 24.   Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25.   Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" 26.   One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" 27.   Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. 28.   Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29.   Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" 30.   They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you." 31.   Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law." Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," 32.   that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 33.   Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34.   Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" 35.   Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" 36.   Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 37.   Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 38.   Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all. 39.   "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" 40.   Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.