The Passover with the Disciples

12 ^tAnd on the ^ufirst day of Unleavened Bread, when they ^vsacrificed the ^wPassover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ^x“Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The ^yTeacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

17 ^zAnd when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, ^aone of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes ^bas it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is ^cbetrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

22 ^dAnd as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; ^ethis is my body.” 23 And he took a ^fcup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, ^g“This is my ^hblood of the¹ covenant, which is poured out ⁱfor many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

26 ^jAnd when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ^k‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will ^lgo before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, ^mbefore the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

Final Warnings

1 ^xThis is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established ^yby the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned ^zthose who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For ^ahe was crucified in weakness, but lives ^bby the power of God. For we also are ^cweak in him, but in dealing with you ^dwe will live with him by the power of God.

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. ^eTest yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is ^fin you?—^gunless indeed you ^hfail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when ⁱwe are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come ^jI may not have to be severe in my use of ^kthe authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Final Greetings

11 Finally, brothers,¹ rejoice. Aim for restoration, ^lcomfort one another,^{2 m}agree with one another, ⁿlive in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 ^oGreet one another with a holy kiss. 13 ^pAll the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the ^qfellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Help Me, O Lord My God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

David Anointed King of Israel

1 ^zThen all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, ^awe are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be ^bprince¹ over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David ^cmade a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was ^dthirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.²

6 ^eAnd the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, ^fthe inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David took the ^gstronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. 10 ^hAnd David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was ⁱwith him.

11 ^jAnd ^kHiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had ^lexalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13 And David took ^mmore concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 ⁿAnd these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

17 ^oWhen the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David ^pinquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to ^qBaal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.³ 21 And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And when you ^rhear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has ^sgone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

1 ^tDavid again ^ugathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ^vark of God, ^wwhich is called by the name of the Lord of hosts ^xwho sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God ^yon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio,⁴ the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God,⁵ and Ahio went before the ark.

Uzzah and the Ark

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs⁶ and ^zlyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and ^atook hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God ^bstruck him down there because of his error, and he ^cdied there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah⁷ to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

12 ^dAnd it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he ^esacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was ^fwearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

David and Michal

16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, ^gMichal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the ^htent that David had pitched for it. And David ⁱoffered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 ^jAnd when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat,⁸ and a cake of raisins to each one. ^kThen all the people departed, each to his house.

20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as ^lprince⁹ over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your¹⁰ eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

The Lord’s Covenant with David

1 ^mNow when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to ⁿNathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a ^ohouse of cedar, but the ark of God dwells ^pin a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is ^qin your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^rWould you build me a house to dwell in? 6 ^sI have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges¹¹ of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you ^tfrom the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be ^uprince¹² over my people Israel. 9 And I have been ^vwith you wherever you went and have ^wcut off all your enemies from before you. And I will ^xmake for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will ^yplant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 ^zfrom the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that ^athe Lord will make you a house. 12 ^bWhen your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, ^cI will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body,¹³ and I will establish his kingdom. 13 ^dHe shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the ^ethrone of his kingdom forever. 14 ^fI will be to him a ^gfather, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, ^has I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.¹⁴ Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

18 ⁱThen King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ^j“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are ^kgreat, O Lord God. For ^lthere is none like you, and there is ^mno God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And ⁿwho is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them¹⁵ great and awesome things by driving out before your people,¹⁶ whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you ^oestablished for yourself your people Israel ^pto be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, ^qconfirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed ^rforever.”