1 Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed. 2Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin— Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, 3because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.

4 And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

5 Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap. 6They entered the interior of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

7 They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed, and having stabbed and killed him, they beheaded him, took his head, and traveled all night by way of the Arabah. 8They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

9 But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news! 11How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!”

12 So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. 2Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the Lord said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”

3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the Lord. And they anointed him king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

6 Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.”

7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 8On that day he said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must use the water shaft to reach the lame and blind who are despised by David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the palace.”

9 So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward. 10And David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of Hosts was with him.

11 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

12 And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

13 After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went down to the stronghold.

18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 19So David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

“Go up,” replied the Lord, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

20 So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim. 21There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.

22 Once again the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23So David inquired of the Lord, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the Lord has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”

25 So David did as the Lord had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

1 David again assembled the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand in all. 2And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name— the name of the Lord of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.

3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart, 4bringing with it the ark of God. And Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

5 David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. 7And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.

8 Then David became angry because the Lord had burst forth against Uzzah. So he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day.

9 That day David feared the Lord and asked, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10So he was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and all his household.

12 Now it was reported to King David, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.”

So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing. 13When those carrying the ark of the Lord had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

14 And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the Lord, 15while he and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sounding of the ram’s horn.

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

17 So they brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

18 When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. 19Then he distributed to every man and woman among the multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. And all the people departed, each to his own home.

20 When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”

21 But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the Lord, 22and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”

23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself — and will glorify Him at once.

33 Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

36“Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked.

Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”

37“Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”

38 “Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’’

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. 2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going. ”

5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works. 11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me — or at least believe on account of the works themselves.

12 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.