He Will Descend from the line of David....

The Righteous Branch

Jeremiah 23:1) “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2) Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3) Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4) I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

5) “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6) In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

7) “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8) but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

Messiah would be the "Son of God" . . .

For to Us a Child Is Born

Isaiah 9:1) But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2) The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

3) You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

4) For the yoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

5) For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6) For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7) Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem . . .

Micah 5:1) Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;

siege is laid against us;

with a rod they strike the judge of Israel

on the cheek.

2) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old,

from ancient days.

3) Therefore he shall give them up until the time

when she who is in labor has given birth;

then the rest of his brothers shall return

to the people of Israel.

4) And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

5) And he shall be their peace.

When the Assyrian comes into our land

and treads in our palaces,

then we will raise against him seven shepherds

and eight princes of men;

6) they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,

and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;

and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian

when he comes into our land

and treads within our border.

The Sign of Immanuel (The Messiah would be born of a virgin)

Isaiah 7:10) Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11) "Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." 12) But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test." 13) And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15) He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16) For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17) The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria."
18) In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19) And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.
20) In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.
21) In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22) and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.
23) In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24) With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25) And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Bible Family Feud

I am preparing to host a couples retreat in February and I need a little help.  We will be playing Bible Family Feud with the Wives competing against the Husbands I need answers to the following questions, for them to guess the most popular answers.  So if you please take the time to send me an email at fallhiker@gmail.com with your answers.  Thank You and God Bless

Name a King in the Bible

Name a New Testament Book

Name a Prophet in the Bible

Name a City in the Bible

Name an Animal in the Bible

Name a Judge in the Bible  

Name an Old Testament Book

David at the Cave of Adullam

1 Samuel 22:1) David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2) And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
3) And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 4) And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5) Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Kills the Priests at Nob

1 Samuel 22:6) Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7) And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8) that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9) Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10) and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11) Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12) And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13) And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14) Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15) Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16) And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17) And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18) Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19) And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.
20) But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21) And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22) And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23) Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

David Saves the City of Keilah

1 Samuel 23:1) Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors." 2) Therefore David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." 3) But David’s men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" 4) Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand." 5) And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6) When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7) Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars." 8) And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9) David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10) Then David said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11) Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down." 12) Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will surrender you." 13) Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14) And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

Saul Pursues David

1 Samuel 23:15) David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16) And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17) And he said to him, "Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this." 18) And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19) Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20) Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand." 21) And Saul said, "May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22) Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23) See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah." 24) And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25) And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26) Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27) a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land." 28) So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29) And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

Further Instructions

Colossians 04:2) Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3) At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4) that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5) Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6) Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

David Spares Saul’s Life

1 Samuel 24:1) When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." 2) Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. 3) And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4) And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ " Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5) And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6) He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed." 7) So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
8) Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. 9) And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10) Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11) See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12) May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13) As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14) After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! 15) May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand."
16) As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17) He said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18) And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19) For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20) And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21) Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house." 22) And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David and Abigail

1 Samuel 25:0)1Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah.
Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 2) And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3) Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite. 4) David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5) So David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. 6) And thus you shall greet him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7) I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. 8) Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ "
9) When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. 10) And Nabal answered David’s servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. 11) Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?" 12) So David’s young men turned away and came back and told him all this. 13) And David said to his men, "Every man strap on his sword!" And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.
14) But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. 15) Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. 16) They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17) Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him."
18) Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19) And she said to her young men, "Go on before me; behold, I come after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20) And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. 21) Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good. 22) God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him."
23) When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. 24) She fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 25) Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26) Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 27) And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28) Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 29) If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30) And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, 31) my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant."
32) And David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33) Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! 34) For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male." 35) Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition."
36) And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. 37) In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38) And about ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39) When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40) When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife." 41) And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." 42) And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43) David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives. 44) Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

Matthew 16:1) And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2) He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3) And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4) An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Matthew 16:5) When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6) Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 7) And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread." 8) But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9) Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10) Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11) How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12) Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1) And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2) And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3) And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4) And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5) He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." 6) When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7) But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." 8) And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9) And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." 10) And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 11) He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12) But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands." 13) Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

Matthew 17:14) And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15) said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16) And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." 17) And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." 18) And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19) Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20) He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

Matthew 17:22) As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23) and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

Matthew 17:24) When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?" 25) He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?" 26) And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27) However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."

David Spares Saul Again

1 Samuel 26:1) Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?" 2) So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3) And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4) David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come. 5) Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
6) Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah,"Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." 7) So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. 8) Then Abishai said to David, "God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice." 9) But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?" 10) And David said, "As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11) The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go." 12) So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13) Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. 14) And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will you not answer, Abner?" Then Abner answered, "Who are you who calls to the king?" 15) And David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. 16) This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head."
17) Saul recognized David’s voice and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." 18) And he said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? 19) Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20) Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains."
21) Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake." 22) And David answered and said, "Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. 23) The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24) Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation." 25) Then Saul said to David, "Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them." So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

David Flees to the Philistines

1 Samuel 27:1) Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2) So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3) And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4) And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.
5) Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6) So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7) And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.
8) Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9) And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. 10) When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11) And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’ ” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12) And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”

Saul and the Medium of En-dor

1 Samuel 28:1) In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, "Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army." 2) David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
3) Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4) The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5) When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6) And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7) Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at En-dor."
8) So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, "Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you." 9) The woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?" 10) But Saul swore to her by the Lord, "As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." 11) Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me." 12) When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." 13) The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth." 14) He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.
15) Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do." 16) And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17) The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18) Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19) Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."
20) Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21) And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, "Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22) Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way." 23 He refused and said, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24) Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25) and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

The Philistines Reject David

1 Samuel 29:1) Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. 2) As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, 3) the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day." 4) But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,

and David his ten thousands’?"

6) Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7) So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines." 8) And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" 9) And Achish answered David and said, "I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10) Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light." 11) So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Qualifications for Overseers/Deacons

Qualifications for Overseers
1 Timothy 3:1) The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2) Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3) not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4) He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5) for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7) Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Qualifications for Deacons

1 Timothy 3:8) Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9) They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10) And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11) Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12) Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13) For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

David’s Wives Are Captured

1 Samuel 30:1) Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2) and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3) And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4) Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5) David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6) And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
7) And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8) And David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue." 9) So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10) But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.
11) They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12) and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13) And David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14) We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire." 15) And David said to him, "Will you take me down to this band?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band."

David Defeats the Amalekites

1 Samuel 30:16) And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17) And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18) David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19) Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 20) David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, "This is David’s spoil."
21) Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22) Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart." 23) But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24) Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike." 25) And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.
26) When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord." 27) It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28) in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29) in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30) in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31) in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

The Death of Saul

1 Samuel 31:1) Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2) And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3) The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4) Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5) And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6) Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7) And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.
8) The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9) So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10) They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11) But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12) all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13) And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

Luke 9:1) And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2) and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3) And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4) And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5) And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." 6) And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus

Luke 9:7) Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8) by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9) Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Luke 9:10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11) When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12) Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place." 13) But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people."14) For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15) And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16) And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17) And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

Luke 9:18) Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" 19) And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen." 20) Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

Jesus Foretells His Death

Luke 9:21) And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22) saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

Concern for the Corinthian Church

2 Corinthians 12:11) I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12) The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13) For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! 14) Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15) I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16) But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17) Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18) I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
19) Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20) For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21) I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

David’s Song of Deliverance

2 Samuel 22:1) And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2) He said,

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

3) my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge,

my savior; you save me from violence.

4) I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

5) "For the waves of death encompassed me,

the torrents of destruction assailed me;

6) the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

7) "In my distress I called upon the Lord;

to my God I called.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry came to his ears.

8) "Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations of the heavens trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

9) Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

10) He bowed the heavens and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

11) He rode on a cherub and flew;

he was seen on the wings of the wind.

12) He made darkness around him his canopy,

thick clouds, a gathering of water.

13) Out of the brightness before him

coals of fire flamed forth.

14) The Lord thundered from heaven,

and the Most High uttered his voice.

15) And he sent out arrows and scattered them;

lightning, and routed them.

16) Then the channels of the sea were seen;

the foundations of the world were laid bare,

at the rebuke of the Lord,

at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17) "He sent from on high, he took me;

he drew me out of many waters.

18) He rescued me from my strong enemy,

from those who hated me,

for they were too mighty for me.

19) They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the Lord was my support.

20) He brought me out into a broad place;

he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

21) "The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

22) For I have kept the ways of the Lord

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23) For all his rules were before me,

and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

24) I was blameless before him,

and I kept myself from guilt.

25) And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to my cleanness in his sight.

26) "With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

27) with the purified you deal purely,

and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

28) You save a humble people,

but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

29) For you are my lamp, O Lord,

and my God lightens my darkness.

30) For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

31) This God—his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

32) "For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?

33) This God is my strong refuge

and has made my way blameless.

34) He made my feet like the feet of a deer

and set me secure on the heights.

35) He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36) You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your gentleness made me great.

37) You gave a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip;

38) I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,

and did not turn back until they were consumed.

39) I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;

they fell under my feet.

40) For you equipped me with strength for the battle;

you made those who rise against me sink under me.

41) You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

those who hated me, and I destroyed them.

42) They looked, but there was none to save;

they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

43) I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;

I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

44) "You delivered me from strife with my people;

you kept me as the head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

45) Foreigners came cringing to me;

as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

46) Foreigners lost heart

and came trembling out of their fortresses.

47) "The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

48) the God who gave me vengeance

and brought down peoples under me,

49) who brought me out from my enemies;

you exalted me above those who rose against me;

you delivered me from men of violence.

50) "For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,

and sing praises to your name.

51) Great salvation he brings to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his offspring forever."

All Is Vanity

Ecclesiates 1:1) The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2) Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,

vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3) What does man gain by all the toil

at which he toils under the sun?

4) A generation goes, and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever.

5) The sun rises, and the sun goes down,

and hastens to the place where it rises.

6) The wind blows to the south

and goes around to the north;

around and around goes the wind,

and on its circuits the wind returns.

7) All streams run to the sea,

but the sea is not full;

to the place where the streams flow,

there they flow again.

8) All things are full of weariness;

a man cannot utter it;

the eye is not satisfied with seeing,

nor the ear filled with hearing.

9) What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

10) Is there a thing of which it is said,

"See, this is new"?

It has been already

in the ages before us.

11) There is no remembrance of former things,

nor will there be any remembrance

of later things yet to be

among those who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

Ecclesiates 1:12) I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13) And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14) I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15) What is crooked cannot be made straight,

and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16) I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing
all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge." 17) And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18) For in much wisdom is much vexation,

and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Mark 13:1) And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" 2) And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

Signs of the Close of the Age

Mark 13:3) And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4) "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" 5) And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. 6) Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7) And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9) "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10) And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11) And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12) And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13) And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.