Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.
2 Samuel 21
There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David inquired of Yahweh, and Yahweh said, "The bloodguilt is on Saul and on his household, because he killed the Gibeonites." So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not from the Israelites; they were from the remainder of the Amorites. Now the Israelites had sworn to them, but Saul tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah. So David asked the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you, and with what can I make amends that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?" Then the Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter for us of silver or gold with Saul or with his household. It is not for us to put to death anyone in Israel." He asked, "What are you saying that I should do for you all?" Then they said to the king, "The man who consumed us and who plotted against us so that we were destroyed from existing in all of the territory of Israel, let seven men from his sons be given over to us, and we will execute them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen one of Yahweh." Then the king said, "I will give them over." But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the sworn oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. So the king took two of the sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, namely Armoni and Mephibosheth, and five of the sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they executed them on the mountain in the presence of Yahweh, and the seven fell together. Now they were put to death in the days of the harvest, at the beginning of the harvest of barley.
Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took the sackcloth, and she spread it for herself on the rock at the beginning of the harvest until water gushed forth on them from heaven, but she did not allow the birds of heaven to rest on them by day nor the animals of the field by night. David was told about what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. So David left and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the rulers of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines hung them when the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of the executed. And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin at Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. They did all that the king had commanded, and afterward God was entreated for the land.
There was war again for the Philistines with Israel, and David and his servants with him went down, and they fought the Philistines, and David grew weary. Now Yishbi in Nob, who was among the descendents of Raphah (now the weight of his spearhead was three hundredweight of bronze, and he was newly armed), said that he would kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and he attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall not go out with us any longer to the battle, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel."
It happened afterward that there was again battle at Gob with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph who was among the descendants of the Raphah.
There was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. And Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim, the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like the beam of a weaver.
Once again there was battle at Gath, and there was a man of great size. The fingers of his hand and the toes of his feet were six and six, twenty-four in number. He was also born to the Raphah. He taunted Israel but Jonathan the son of Shimei, the brother of David, killed him. These four were born for the Raphah in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
2 Samuel 22
Then David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song, on the day Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
And he said:
"Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
I take refuge in God, my rock, my shield, and the strength of my salvation.
My stronghold and my refuge, O my savior, you will save me from violence!
I call upon Yahweh who is praiseworthy,
and I am saved from those who hate me.
For the breaker waves of death engulfed me;
the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.
The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon Yahweh, and to my God I called.
He heard my voice from his temple,
and my cry for help was to his ears.
The earth heaved and shook,
the foundations of heaven trembled and heaved
because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils and fire from his mouth.
Burning coals devoured, they burned from him.
He bowed the heavens and came down;
a very thick cloud was under his feet.
He rode upon a cherub and flew;
he was seen on the wings of the wind.
He put darkness as a canopy all around him,
a collection of thick rain clouds.
From the brightness before him
flamed burning coals of fire.
Yahweh thundered from heaven,
and the Most High uttered his voice.
He sent arrows and he scattered them,
lightning, and he directed them.
Then the channels of water of the sea were exposed,
the foundations of the world,
at the rebuke of Yawheh,
from the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
He sent from a high position and took me;
he drew me from mighty waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemies,
from those who hate me, for they were mightier than I.
They approached me on the day of my disaster,
but Yahweh was my support.
He brought me out to a spacious place.
He delivered me because he delighted in me.
Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of Yahweh;
I have not acted wickedly against my God.
For all of his ordinances were before me,
and I did not turn aside from his statutes.
I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my iniquity.
Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness before his eyes.
With the loyal, you act as loyal,
and with the blameless, you show yourself blameless.
With the pure, you show yourself pure,
but with the crooked, you appear as a fool.
Humble people you will deliver,
but your eyes are on the haughty, whom you bring down.
For you, O Yahweh are my lamp,
and Yahweh lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run a raid;
by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God, his way is blameless;
the promise of Yahweh is flawless.
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
For who is God apart from Yahweh?
And who is a rock apart from our God?
God is my strong refuge,
he has fully opened my way.
He makes my feet like a doe deer,
and on my high places he has set me.
He trains my hands for the war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation;
your willingness to help has made me great.
You have broadened my steps beneath me;
my ankles have not wobbled.
I pursued those who hate me, and I destroyed them.
I did not turn back until finishing them.
I wiped them out and I smashed them;
they did not get up; they fell under my feet.
You have girded me with physical strength for the battle;
you caused those who rose up against me to kneel under me.
My enemies you cause to retreat from me;
I destroy those who hate me.
They looked out, but there was no deliverer,
even to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
I beat them fine, like the dust of the earth;
like the mire of the streets, I crushed them, I stamped them down.
You delivered me from the strife of my people;
you preserved me as the head of the nations.
A people I had not known served me.
Children of a foreign land came cringing to me;
when they heard of me, they became obedient to me.
Children of a foreign land lost heart
and came trembling from their strongholds.
Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock!
May God, the rock of my salvation, be exalted!
God does vengeance for me,
bringing down peoples under me.
He brings me out from my enemies,
and from those who rose up against me you lift me up,
and from men of violence you rescue me.
Therefore I will extol you, Yahweh, among the nations!
I will sing praises to your name!
He makes great salvation for his king
and shows loyal love to his anointed one, David
and to his descendants forever."
2 Samuel 23
These are the last words of David, the declaration of David the son of Jesse, and the declaration of the man exalted by the Most High, the anointed one of the God of Jacob and the darling of the songs of Israel. "The spirit of Yahweh speaks through me, and his word is upon my tongue. The God of Israel said to me, the rock of Israel has spoken; ‘He who rules over mankind rules righteously, in the fear of God. Like the light of the morning when the sun rises, shining with no clouds, bringing vegetation from the earth apart from rain.’ Yet not so is my house with God, for he made an everlasting covenant for me, arranging everything. He has secured all my deliverance, and all my desire he will cause to happen. But evil persons are like thorns cast aside; all of them, because they cannot be picked up in the hand. And if a man wants to touch them, he must use an iron instrument or the shaft of a spear; then they are consumed entirely with fire on the spot."
These are the names of the mighty warriors who were David’s: Josheb-Basshebeth a Tahkemonite was chief of three officers; first Adino, whose spear was against eight hundred slain on one occurrence. Next to him Eleazar, the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, was among the three mighty warriors with David when they defied the Philistines and they gathered there for the battle and the men of Israel withdrew. He stood up and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew tired and his hand clung to the sword, and Yahweh brought about a great victory on that day. Then the army returned back to him only for stripping the dead. Next to him was Shamma, the son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, a plot of the field was there filled with lentils, and the army fled there from the presence of the Philistines. But he took a stand in the middle of the plot of land and defended it. He killed the Philistines, and Yahweh brought about a great victory. Then three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the time of the harvest to the cave of Adullam, while a group of the Philistines were camping in the valley of the Rephaim. Now at that time, David was in the stronghold, and a garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that same time. David said longingly, "Oh that someone would bring me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that is at the gate." So three of the mighty warriors broke into the camp of the Philistines, and they drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was at the gate, and they carried it and brought it to David. But he was not willing to drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh. He said, "Far be it from me before Yahweh that I should do this. Is this not the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" So he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty warriors did. Now Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah was himself the leader of the thirty. He was wielding his spear against three hundred slain and gained a name among the thirty. Among the thirty, is it not that he was honored and became a commander for them? But he did not come up to the three. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of Ish-Hai, was a great man of deeds from Kabzeel. He struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab, and he went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. He also killed a good-looking Egyptian man, in whose hand was a spear. He went down against him with the staff and snatched the spear from the hand of the Egyptian and killed him with his spear. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did and gained a name for himself among the three mighty warriors. He was honored more than the thirty, but he did not come up to the three. David appointed him in charge of his bodyguard.
Among the thirty were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the carriers of the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite; in all, thirty-seven.
Psalm 18
For the music director. Of David, the servant of Yahweh,
who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song
when Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies,
and from the hand of Saul.
And he said:
"I love you, O Yahweh, my strength."
Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I have taken refuge,
my shield and the horn of my deliverance, my stronghold.
I called upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised,
and I was saved from my enemies.
The ropes of death encircled me,
and streams of ruin overwhelmed me.
The ropes of Sheol surrounded me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my trouble I called on Yahweh,
and to my God I cried for help.
He heard my voice from his temple,
and my cry for help
came up before his presence into his ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains trembled,
and they staggered because he was angry.
Smoke went forth from his nose,
and fire from his mouth consumed.
Burning coals blazed from him.
So he bowed the heavens and came down
with a thick cloud under his feet.
And he mounted a cherub and flew,
and he swooped down on wings of wind.
He made darkness his hiding place;
all about him his covering
was a darkness of waters, thick clouds.
From the brightness before him
his clouds passed over
with hail and coals of fire.
And Yahweh thundered from the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice
with hail and coals of fire.
And he shot his arrows and scattered them,
and many lightning bolts and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea became visible,
and the foundations of the world were uncovered
by your rebuke, O Yahweh,
by the blast of the wind of your nose.
He reached from on high; he seized me.
He drew me from many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from those who hated me
because they were stronger than I.
They confronted me on the day of disaster,
but Yahweh was my support.
So he brought me out to a spacious place.
He delivered me because he delighted in me.
Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
he has repaid me.
Because I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and have not acted wickedly against my God,
because all his ordinances are before me,
and his statutes I have not removed from me,
and I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
Therefore Yahweh has repaid me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
To the loyal you show yourself loyal.
To the blameless you show yourself blameless.
To the pure you show yourself pure.
but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.
For you deliver humble people,
but haughty eyes you humiliate.
For you light my lamp;
Yahweh, my God, lights up my darkness.
For with you I can charge a troop,
and with my God I can scale a wall.
This God—his way is blameless.
The word of Yahweh is flawless.
He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
For who is God apart from Yahweh,
and who is a rock except our God?
The God who girded me with strength,
and made safe my way,
he made my feet like the deer’s,
and on my high places he makes me stand.
He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You also gave me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your humility made me great.
You enlarged my step under me,
and my ankles did not slip.
I chased my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back until they were finished off.
I struck them and they were not able to stand up;
they fell under my feet.
And you girded me with strength for the battle;
those rising against me you made to kneel under me.
And you made my enemies turn their backs,
then I destroyed those who hated me.
They cried out but there was no rescuer,
even to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
And I ground them like dust in the wind,
I emptied them out like mud of the streets.
You rescued me from strife with people;
you set me as head (over) nations.
People I did not know served me;
as soon as they heard, they obeyed me.
The children of a foreign land feigned obedience before me.
The children of a foreign land lost heart,
and they came trembling from their strongholds.
Yahweh lives, and blessed be my rock,
and may the God of my salvation be exalted—
the God who executed vengeance for me,
and subdued peoples under me,
who delivered me from my enemies.
Indeed, you exalted me higher than those who rose against me.
You delivered me from the man of violence.
Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, O Yahweh,
and I will sing the praise of your name:
the one who makes great victories for his king,
and who shows loyal love for his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
Romans 3
Therefore, what is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the use of circumcision? Much in every way. For first, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What is the result if some refused to believe? Their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! But let God be true but every human being a liar, just as it is written,
"In order that you may be justified in your words,
and may prevail when you are judged."
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? God, who inflicts wrath, is not unjust, is he? (I am speaking according to a human perspective.) May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? But if by my lying, the truth of God abounded to his glory, why am I also still condemned as a sinner? And why not (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil, in order that good may come of it? Their condemnation is just!
What then? Do we have an advantage? Not at all. For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, just as it is written,
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned aside together; they have become worthless;
There is no one who practices kindness;
there is not even one.
Their throat is an opened grave;
they deceive with their tongues;
the venom of asps is under their lips,
whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
destruction and distress are in their paths,
and they have not known the way of peace.
The fear of God is not before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law, in order that every mouth may be closed and the whole world may become accountable to God. For by the works of the law no person will be declared righteous before him, for through the law comes knowledge of sin.
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified about by the law and the prophets— that is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God made publicly available as the mercy seat through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of previously committed sins, in the forbearance of God, for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just and the one who justifies the person by faith in Jesus.
Therefore, where is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we consider a person to be justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, also of the Gentiles, since God is one, who will justify those who are circumcised by faith and those who are uncircumcised through faith. Therefore, do we nullify the law through faith? May it never be! But we uphold the law.