Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 21 May 2018

A bit sparse.
I started "coming down with something" last Friday or so.  Just drained of all energy and feeling yucky.  (Nice technical terminology there).  I was able to attend church services yesterday morning, but being there was about all that I could muster.  I'd intended to swing by the house afterwards, grab a sandwich while checking on Wife, and then make an attendance at a big multi-church gathering long in the planning stage.  Didn't make it.  Basically drifted off while getting the sandwich (don't even remember what it was), and woke up after 6 p.m.  Had something nondescript to eat then, and crashed again until dawn this morning.  Feeling a teeny bit better, enough so that I could run to the library and return the three books that were due today, grab two more, and come home.  Still don't have much energy, but I do feel somewhat stronger.  Don't know what hit me. 

So things everywhere are in disarray.  Apologies.

===================================

2nd Samuel 11

1  And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

2  And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3  And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath–sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4  And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

5  And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6  And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7  And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

8  And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

9  But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10  And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

11  And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

12  And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

13  And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

14  And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15  And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

16  And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17  And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18  Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19  And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

20  And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

21  Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

22  So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23  And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

24  And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

25  Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

26  And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27  And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

2nd Samuel 12

1  And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3  But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5  And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6  And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8  And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9  Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11  Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12  For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13  And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

15  And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

16  David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.fasted: Heb. fasted a fast

17  And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

18  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

19  But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

20  Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

21  Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

22  And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

23  But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

24And David comforted Bath–sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him.

25  And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

26  And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27  And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

28  Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.it be called…: Heb. my name be called upon it

29  And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30  And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31  And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

=====================================

Psalm 101

A Psalm of David.

 

1  I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.

2  I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

4  A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

5  Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

6  Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

7  He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

8  I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

=======================================

Acts 12

1  Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3  And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4  And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5  Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6  And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7  And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8  And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9  And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

10  When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

11  And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12  And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

13  And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

14  And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

15  And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

16  But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17  But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

18  Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

19  And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

20  And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

21  And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23  And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

24  But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25  And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.