Daniel’s Terrifying Vision of a Man

Daniel 10:1) In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
2) In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3) I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4) On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5) I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6) His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7) And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8) So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9) Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
10) And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11) And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12) Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13) The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14) and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come."
15) When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16) And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, "O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17) How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me."
18) Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19) And he said, "O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage." And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." 20) Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21) But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.

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.