¹And David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. ²Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.” ³But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.” ⁴Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom. ⁶So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. ⁷The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. ⁸For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. ⁹Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. ¹⁰Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!” ¹¹So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.” ¹²But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!’ ¹³Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.” ¹⁴Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. ¹⁵And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him. ¹⁶So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. ¹⁷And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent. ¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King’s Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument. ¹⁹Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lᴏʀᴅ has avenged him of his enemies.” ²⁰And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran. ²²And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?” ²³“But whatever happens,” he said, “let me run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite. ²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near. ²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!” And the king said, “He also brings news.” ²⁷So the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.” ²⁸And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, “Blessed be the Lᴏʀᴅ your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!” ²⁹The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about.” ³⁰And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still. ³¹Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lᴏʀᴅ has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.” ³²And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!” ³³Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: “O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!”

¹Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. ²For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! ⁵For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. ⁶Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. ⁷Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? ⁸I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. ¹⁰As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! ¹²But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. ¹⁶I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. ¹⁹For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! ²⁰For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. ²¹To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also. ²²Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. ²³Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. ²⁴From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. ²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— ²⁸besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? ³⁰If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. ³¹The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ³²In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; ³³but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

¹The word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came to me, saying, ²“Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. ³Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lᴏʀᴅ God! Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity, ⁴indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. ⁵And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ.” ⁶For thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, ⁷indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ.” ⁸‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,’ ⁹therefore, behold, I will clear the territory of Moab of cities, of the cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kirjathaim. ¹⁰To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations. ¹¹And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ.” ¹²‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,” ¹³therefore thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword. ¹⁴I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ God. ¹⁵‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,” ¹⁶therefore thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. ¹⁷I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ‘ ”

¹A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. ²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. ³For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. ⁵They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. ⁶Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. ⁷Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. ⁸They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. ⁹They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. ¹⁰Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. ¹¹And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” ¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches. ¹³Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. ¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning. ¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. ¹⁶When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— ¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. ¹⁸Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. ¹⁹Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. ²⁰As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. ²¹Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. ²²I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. ²³Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. ²⁴You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. ²⁶My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. ²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ God, That I may declare all Your works.