My Rock and My Fortress
Of David.
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who ptrains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
3 O Lord, rwhat is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a sbreath;
his days are like a passing tshadow.
5 uBow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
vTouch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your warrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high;
rescue me and xdeliver me from the many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp yI will play to you,
10 who gives zvictory to kings,
who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May aour sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 bmay our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;2
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 cBlessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
dBlessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
David and Ziba
1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, xZiba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of ydonkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” 3 And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba zsaid to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” 4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, aall that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 When King David came to bBahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was cShimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he dcursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”
9 Then eAbishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this fdead dog curse my lord the king? gLet me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? hIf he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for ithe Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me,1 and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan.2 And there he refreshed himself.
Absalom Enters Jerusalem
15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And when jHushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? kAs I have served your father, so I will serve you.”
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your lcounsel. What shall we do?” 21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, m“Go in to your father’s concubines, nwhom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.
1 Masters, treat your bondservants1 justly and fairly, aknowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
2 bContinue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, cpray also for us, that God may open to us a ddoor for the word, to declare the emystery of Christ, fon account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is ghow I ought to speak.
5 hWalk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 iLet your speech always be gracious, jseasoned with salt, kso that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Final Greetings
7 lTychicus will tell you all about my activities. mHe is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant2 in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may nencourage your hearts, 9 and with him oOnesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of pthe circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always qstruggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand rmature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 sLuke the beloved physician greets you, as does tDemas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers3 at Laodicea, and to Nympha and uthe church in her house. 16 And vwhen this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to wArchippus, “See that you xfulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
18 yI, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. zGrace be with you.
