Daily Readings

¹ Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.² And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;³ And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;⁴ And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;⁵ And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.⁶ And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.⁷ And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?⁸ Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?⁹ So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;¹⁰ To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.¹¹ And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.¹² And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.¹³ And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.¹⁴ And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.¹⁵ And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.¹⁶ And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.¹⁷ And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you:¹⁸ Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.¹⁹ And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.²⁰ So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.²¹ And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.²² And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.²³ When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.²⁴ Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?²⁵ Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.²⁶ And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.²⁷ And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.²⁸ And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:²⁹ Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.³⁰ So Joab, and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.³¹ And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.³² And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.³³ And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?³⁴ Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.³⁵ And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.³⁶ And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.³⁷ For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.³⁸ And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?³⁹ And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

¹ Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!² Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.³ And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.⁴ Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.⁵ And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.⁶ Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.⁷ Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?⁸ Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.⁹ Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?¹⁰ For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.¹¹ And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.¹² Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?¹³ And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;¹⁴ But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:¹⁵ Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.¹⁶ I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.¹⁷ Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:¹⁸ And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.¹⁹ For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.²⁰ Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.²¹ For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.²² Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.²³ Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:²⁴ But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.²⁵ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;²⁶ Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

¹ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.³ And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?⁷ They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.⁸ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.⁹ And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,¹² Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.¹³ But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?¹⁴ Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.¹⁷ And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,¹⁸ Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,¹⁹ And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.²⁰ Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.²¹ And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.²² But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.²³ And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.²⁴ And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.²⁵ But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.²⁶ But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;²⁷ And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:²⁸ Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.²⁹ And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.³⁰ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.³¹ And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.³² And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?³³ They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.³⁴ So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.