2Samuel 2
2After this, David asked the LORD, "Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?" "Yes," the LORD replied. Then David asked, "Which town should I go to?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered.H310H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H259H5892H3063H3068H559H5927H1732H559H5927H559H22752David's two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wivesH1732H5927H8147H802H293H3159H26H5037H802H37613and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.H582H1732H5927H376H1004H3427H5892H22754Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,H582H3063H935H4886H1732H4428H1004H3063H5046H1732H559H582H3003H1568H6912H75865he sent them this message: "May the LORD bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial.H1732H7971H4397H582H3003H1568H559H1288H3068H6213H2617H113H7586H69126May the LORD be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.H3068H6213H2617H571H6213H2896H6213H16977Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king."H3027H2388H1121H2428H113H7586H4191H1004H3063H4886H44288But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul's son Ishbosheth.H74H1121H5369H8269H7586H6635H3947H378H1121H7586H5674H42669There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.H4427H1568H805H3157H669H1144H347810Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David.H378H7586H1121H705H8141H1121H4427H3478H4427H8147H8141H1004H3063H310H173211David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.H4557H3117H1732H4428H2275H1004H3063H7651H8141H8337H232012One day Abner led Ishbosheth's troops from Mahanaim to Gibeon.H74H1121H5369H5650H378H1121H7586H3318H4266H139113About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David's troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool.H3097H1121H6870H5650H1732H3318H6298H3162H1295H1391H3427H1295H129514Then Abner suggested to Joab, "Let's have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us." "All right," Joab agreed.H74H559H3097H5288H6965H7832H6440H3097H559H696515So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side—twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David.H6965H5674H4557H8147H6240H1144H378H1121H7586H8147H6240H5650H173216Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other's side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords.H2388H376H7453H7218H2719H7453H6654H5307H3162H4725H7121H2521H139117A fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the forces of David.H3966H7186H4421H3117H74H5062H582H3478H6440H5650H173218Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David's forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,H7969H1121H6870H3097H52H6214H6214H7031H7272H259H7704H664319and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything.H6214H7291H310H74H3212H5186H3225H8040H310H7420When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes, it is," he replied.H74H6437H310H559H6214H55921"Go fight someone else!" Abner warned. "Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner.H74H559H5186H3225H8040H270H259H5288H3947H2488H6214H14H5493H31022Again Abner shouted to him, "Get away from here! I don't want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?"H74H559H3254H6214H5493H310H5221H776H5375H6440H3097H25123But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there.H3985H5493H74H310H2595H5221H413H2570H2595H3318H310H5307H4191H8478H935H4725H6214H5307H4191H597524When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.H3097H52H7291H310H74H8121H935H935H1389H522H6440H1520H1870H4057H139125Abner's troops from the tribe of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand.H1121H1144H6908H310H74H259H92H5975H7218H138926Abner shouted down to Joab, "Must we always be killing each other? Don't you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?"H74H7121H3097H559H2719H398H5331H3045H4751H314H559H5971H7725H310H25127Then Joab said, "God only knows what would have happened if you hadn't spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary."H3097H559H430H2416H3884H1696H1242H5971H5927H376H310H25128So Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel.H3097H8628H7782H5971H5975H7291H310H3478H3898H325429All that night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, traveling all through the morning, and didn't stop until they arrived at Mahanaim.H74H582H1980H3915H6160H5674H3383H3212H1338H935H426630Meanwhile, Joab and his men also returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel.H3097H7725H310H74H6908H5971H6908H6485H1732H5650H8672H6240H376H621431But 360 of Abner's men had been killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin.H5650H1732H5221H1144H74H582H7969H3967H8346H376H419132Joab and his men took Asahel's body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father's tomb. Then they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.H5375H6214H6912H6913H1H1035H3097H582H3212H3915H2275H215
Matthew 6
6"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.G4337G4160G3361G5216G1654G1715G444G4314G2300G846G1490G2192G3756G3408G3844G5216G3962G3588G1722G37722When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.G3767G3752G4160G1654G4537G3361G4537G1715G4675G5618G5273G4160G1722G4864G2532G1722G4505G3704G1392G5259G444G281G3004G5213G568G846G34083But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.G1161G4675G4160G1654G1097G3361G4675G710G1097G5101G4675G1188G41604Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.G3704G4675G1654G5600G1722G2927G2532G4675G3962G3588G991G1722G2927G846G591G4671G1722G53185"When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.G2532G3752G4336G2071G3756G2071G5618G5273G3754G5368G4336G2476G1722G4864G2532G1722G1137G4113G3704G302G5316G444G281G3004G5213G3754G568G846G34086But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.G1161G4771G3752G4336G1525G1519G4675G5009G2532G2808G4675G2374G4336G4675G3962G3588G1722G2927G2532G4675G3962G3588G991G1722G2927G591G4671G1722G53187"When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.G1161G4336G945G3361G945G5618G1482G1063G1380G3754G1522G1722G846G41808Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!G3666G3361G3666G3767G3666G846G1063G5216G3962G1492G3739G2192G5532G4253G5209G154G8469Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.G3779G3767G4336G5210G2257G3962G3588G1722G3772G37G4675G368610May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.G4675G932G2064G4675G2307G1096G1909G1093G2532G5613G1722G377211Give us today the food we need,G1325G2254G4594G2257G1967G74012and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.G2532G863G2254G2257G3783G2532G5613G2249G863G2257G378113And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.G2532G1533G2248G3361G1519G3986G235G4506G2248G575G4190G3754G4675G2076G932G2532G1411G2532G1391G1519G165G28114"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.G1063G1437G863G444G846G3900G5216G3770G3962G2532G863G521315But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.G1161G3362G863G3362G444G846G3900G3761G5216G3962G863G5216G390016"And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.G1161G3752G3522G1096G3361G5618G5273G4659G1063G853G846G4383G3704G5316G444G3522G281G3004G5213G3754G568G846G340817But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.G1161G4771G3522G218G4675G2776G2532G3538G4675G438318Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.G3704G5316G3361G444G3522G235G4675G3962G3588G1722G2927G2532G4675G3962G3588G991G1722G2927G591G4671G1722G531819"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.G2343G3361G2343G5213G2344G1909G1093G3699G4597G2532G1035G853G2532G3699G2812G1358G2532G281320Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.G1161G2343G5213G2344G1722G3772G3699G3777G4597G3777G1035G853G2532G3699G2812G1358G3756G1358G3761G281321Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.G1063G3699G5216G2344G2076G1563G2071G5216G2588G2071G253222"Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.G3088G4983G2076G3788G1437G3767G4675G3788G5600G573G4675G3650G4983G2071G546023But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!G1161G1437G4675G3788G5600G4190G4675G3650G4983G2071G4652G1487G3767G5457G2076G1722G4671G4655G4214G465524"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.G3762G1410G1398G1417G2962G1063G2228G3404G1520G2532G25G2087G2228G472G1520G2532G2706G2087G3756G1410G1398G2316G2532G312625"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?G1223G5124G3004G5213G3361G3309G5216G5590G5101G5315G2532G5101G4095G3366G5216G4983G5101G1746G2076G3780G5590G4119G5160G2532G4983G174226Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?G1689G1519G4071G3772G3754G4687G3756G3761G2325G3761G4863G1519G596G2532G5216G3770G3962G5142G846G1308G5210G3756G3123G1308G84627Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?G1161G1537G5101G5216G3309G1410G4369G1520G4083G1909G846G224428"And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing,G2532G5101G3309G4012G1742G2648G2918G68G4459G837G2872G3756G3761G351429yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.G1161G3004G5213G3754G3761G4672G1722G3956G846G1391G4016G3761G4016G5613G1520G513030And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?G1161G1487G2316G3779G294G5528G68G4594G5607G2532G839G906G1519G2823G3756G4183G3123G5209G364031"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'G3767G3361G3309G3004G5101G5315G2228G5101G4095G2228G5101G401632These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.G1063G1934G3956G5023G1484G1934G1063G5216G3770G3962G1492G3754G5535G537G513033Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.G1161G2212G4412G932G2316G2532G846G1343G2532G3956G5023G4369G521334"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.G3309G3767G3361G3309G1519G839G1063G839G3309G3588G1438G713G2250G2549G846
Dublin, OH
.H74
