June 1st

And Amnon was so distressed because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin. So it was hard in Amnon’s sight to do anything to her.

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”

Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; and your father will come to see you, and you will say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’ ”

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

And she took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” So everyone went out from him.

Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.

Then she brought them near to him to eat, but he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

But she said to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!

As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. So now, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”

But he was not willing to listen to her voice. Now he was stronger than she, so he violated her and lay with her.

Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!”

But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” But he was not willing to listen to her.

Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now cast this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.”

Now she had on a long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her.

Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

So Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry.

But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Now it happened after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.”

But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you.” Although he urged him, he was not willing to go, but blessed him.

Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons with him.

Then Absalom commanded his young men, saying, “See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be strong and be valiant.”

Thus the young men of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled.

Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”

Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn.

But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone has died; because by the intent of Absalom this has been set since the day that he violated his sister Tamar.

So now, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, saying, ‘all the king’s sons have died,’ for only Amnon has died.”

Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; according to your servant’s word, so it happened.”

As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.

Now Absalom had fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years.

And the heart of King David was consumed with going out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he had died.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.

So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;

then you shall go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

So the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, “Save, O king.”

And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow; my husband has died.

And your servant-woman had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to deliver between them, so one struck the other and put him to death.

And behold, the whole family has risen against your servant-woman, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which remains, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”

And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.”

So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”

Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to bring about ruin, so that they would not destroy my son.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

Then the woman said, “Please let your servant-woman speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”

Then the woman said, “Why then have you thought up such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.

For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but thinks up ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.

So now, the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant-woman said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the word of his maidservant.

For the king will listen and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’

Then your servant-woman said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be a resting place, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to listen with discernment through the good and evil. And may Yahweh your God be with you.’ ”

At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem;

it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon.

The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us openly.”

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me.

But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.

Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”

The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”

Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?

If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and continue knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.

And many came to Him and were saying, “While John did no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.”

And many believed in Him there.