May 30th

He also struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

Then David struck Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the River.

And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for 100 chariots.

Then the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah. And David struck down 22,000 Arameans.

Then David placed garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went.

And David took the small shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

Also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.

Then Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck down all the military force of Hadadezer,

so Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him down; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And in Joram’s hand were articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze.

King David also set these apart as holy to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he had set apart as holy from all the nations which he had subdued:

from Aram, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

So David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Arameans in the Valley of Salt.

Then he placed garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he placed garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went.

So David reigned over all Israel; and David was doing justice and righteousness for all his people.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was scribe;

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were priests.

Then David said, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him lovingkindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

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.”

And the king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the lovingkindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”

So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.”

Then King David sent and took him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

So Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!”

And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show lovingkindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table continually.”

So he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”

Then the king called Saul’s young man Ziba and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.

And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food and eat of it; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table continually.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.

Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table continually. Now he was lame in both feet.

Now it happened afterwards, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son became king in his place.

So David said, “I will show lovingkindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed lovingkindness to me.” So David sent to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants. And David’s servants came to the land of the sons of Ammon.

But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “In your eyes, is David honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?”

So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.

Then they told it to David. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”

Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David. So the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men.

Then David heard of it and sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men.

And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the gate of the city. But the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him from the front and from the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel, and they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans.

But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother; and he arranged them to meet the sons of Ammon.

And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you.

Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight.”

So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him.

Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they also fled before Abishai and came into the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

Then the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel. So they gathered themselves together.

And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them.

And it was told to David, so he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans arranged themselves to meet David and fought against him.

But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 700 charioteers and 40,000 horsemen and struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

Then all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated by Israel. So they made peace with Israel and served them. And the Arameans were afraid to save the sons of Ammon anymore.

Then, the Jews did not believe it of him that he was blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight,

and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”

So his parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.”

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.

For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

Therefore, a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.”

He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to listen again? Do you want to become His disciples too?”

And they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.”

The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from, and He opened my eyes.

We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.

Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.

If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

They answered and said to him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.

Jesus heard that they had put him out, and after finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”

And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.

And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”

Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “Are we blind too?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.