2 SAMUEL 9

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David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth  9:1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
    9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

2 SAMUEL 10

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David Defeats Ammon and Syria  10:1 After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. 5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
    6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men. 8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
    9 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” 13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
    15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates. They came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.

PROVERBS 19

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19:1

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2

Desire without knowledge is not good,

and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3

When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,

his heart rages against the Lord. 4

Wealth brings many new friends,

but a poor man is deserted by his friend. 5

A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will not escape. 6

Many seek the favor of a generous man,

and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7

All a poor man’s brothers hate him;

how much more do his friends go far from him!

He pursues them with words, but does not have them. 8

Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

he who keeps understanding will discover good. 9

A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will perish. 10

It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,

much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11

Good sense makes one slow to anger,

and it is his glory to overlook an offense. 12

A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13

A foolish son is ruin to his father,

and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14

House and wealth are inherited from fathers,

but a prudent wife is from the Lord. 15

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,

and an idle person will suffer hunger. 16

Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;

he who despises his ways will die. 17

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will repay him for his deed. 18

Discipline your son, for there is hope;

do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19

A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,

for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. 20

Listen to advice and accept instruction,

that you may gain wisdom in the future. 21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 22

What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

and a poor man is better than a liar. 23

The fear of the Lord leads to life,

and whoever has it rests satisfied;

he will not be visited by harm. 24

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish

and will not even bring it back to his mouth. 25

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;

reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. 26

He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother

is a son who brings shame and reproach. 27

Cease to hear instruction, my son,

and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28

A worthless witness mocks at justice,

and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29

Condemnation is ready for scoffers,

and beating for the backs of fools.

PSALM 58

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God Who Judges the EarthTo the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.
58:1

Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?

Do you judge the children of man uprightly? 2

No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

your hands deal out violence on earth.
3

The wicked are estranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies. 4

They have venom like the venom of a serpent,

like the deaf adder that stops its ear, 5

so that it does not hear the voice of charmers

or of the cunning enchanter.
6

O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! 7

Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. 8

Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,

like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. 9

Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,

whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11

Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

surely there is a God who judges on earth.”