Through the Bible – Day 110

₁₆So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor. ₁₇His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them.

₁₈After the child had been sick for seven days, he died, but the officials were afraid to tell David. They said to each other, “Even when the boy was alive, David wouldn't listen to us. How can we tell him his son is dead? He might do something terrible!”

₁₉David noticed his servants whispering, and he knew the boy was dead. “Has my son died?” he asked his servants.

“Yes, he has,” they answered.

₂₀David got up off the floor; he took a bath, combed his hair, and dressed. He went into the LORD's tent and worshipped, then he went back home. David asked for something to eat, and when his servants brought him some food, he ate it.

₂₁His officials said, “What are you doing? You went without eating and cried for your son while he was alive! But now that he's dead, you're up and eating.”

₂₂David answered:

₂₄David comforted his wife Bathsheba and slept with her. Later on, she gave birth to another son and named him Solomon. The LORD loved Solomon ₂₅and sent Nathan the prophet to tell David, “The LORD will call him Jedidiah.”

₂₆Meanwhile, Joab had been in the country of Ammon, attacking the city of Rabbah. He captured the royal fortress ₂₇and sent a messenger to tell David:

₂₉David called the rest of the army together and attacked Rabbah. He captured the city ₃₀and took the crown from the statue of their god Milcom. The crown was made of about thirty-five kilogrammes of gold, and there was a valuable jewel on it. David put the jewel on his own crown. He also carried off everything else of value. ₃₁David made the people of Rabbah tear down the city walls with iron picks and axes, and then he put them to work making bricks. He did the same thing with all the other Ammonite cities.

David went back to Jerusalem, and the people of Israel returned to their homes.

₁David had a beautiful daughter named Tamar, who was the sister of Absalom. She was also the half-sister of Amnon, who fell in love with her. ₂But Tamar was a virgin, and Amnon could not think of a way to be alone with her. He was so upset about it that he made himself sick.

₃Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab always knew how to get what he wanted, ₄and he said to Amnon, “What's the matter? You're the king's son! You shouldn't have to go around feeling sorry for yourself every morning.”

Amnon said, “I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.”

₅Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him to send Tamar, so you can watch her cook something for you. Then she can serve you the food.”

₆So Amnon went to bed and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, “Please, ask Tamar to come over. She can make some special bread while I watch, and then she can serve me the bread.”

₇David told Tamar, “Go over to Amnon's house and prepare him some food.” ₈When she got there, he was lying in bed. She mixed the dough, made the loaves, and baked them while he watched. ₉Then she took the bread out of the pan and put it on his plate, but he refused to eat it.

Amnon said, “Send the servants out of the house.” After they had gone, ₁₀he said to Tamar, “Serve the food in my bedroom.”

Tamar picked up the bread that she had made and brought it into Amnon's bedroom. ₁₁But as she was taking it over to him, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me!”

₁₂She answered, “No! Please don't force me! This sort of thing isn't done in Israel. It's too disgusting! ₁₃Think of me. I'll be disgraced for ever! And think of yourself. Everyone in Israel will say you're nothing but a load of rubbish! Just ask the king, and he will let you marry me.”

₁₄But Amnon would not listen to what she said. He was stronger than she was, so he overpowered her and raped her. ₁₅Then Amnon hated her even more than he had loved her before. So he told her, “Get up and get out!”

₁₆She said, “Don't send me away! That would be worse than what you have already done.”

But Amnon would not listen. ₁₇He called in his servant and said, “Throw this woman out and lock the door!”

₁₈The servant made her leave, and he locked the door behind her.

The king's unmarried daughters used to wear long robes with sleeves. ₁₉Tamar tore the robe she was wearing and put ashes on her head. Then she covered her face with her hands and cried loudly as she walked away.

₂₀Tamar's brother Absalom said to her, “How could Amnon have done such a terrible thing to you! But since he's your brother, don't tell anyone what happened. Just try not to think about it.”

Tamar soon moved into Absalom's house, but she was always sad and lonely. ₂₁When David heard what had happened to Tamar, he was very angry. But Amnon was his eldest son and also his favourite, and David would not do anything to make Amnon unhappy.

₂₂Absalom treated Amnon as though nothing had happened, but he hated Amnon for what he had done to his sister Tamar.

₂₃Two years later, Absalom's servants were cutting wool from his sheep in Baal-Hazor near the town of Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons to be there. ₂₄Then he went to David and said, “My servants are cutting the wool from my sheep. Please come and join us!”

₂₅David answered, “No, my son, we won't go. It would be too expensive for you.” Absalom tried to get him to change his mind, but David did not want to go. He only said that he hoped they would have a good time.

₂₆Absalom said, “If you won't go, at least let my brother Amnon come with us.”

David asked, “Why should he go with you?” ₂₇But Absalom kept on insisting, and finally David let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom.

Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. ₂₈But he told his servants, “Keep an eye on Amnon. When he gets a little drunk from the wine and is feeling good, I'll give the signal. Then kill him! I've commanded you to do it, so don't be afraid. Be strong and brave.”

₂₉Absalom's servants killed Amnon, just as Absalom had told them. The rest of the king's sons quickly rode away on their mules to escape from Absalom.

₃₀While they were on their way to Jerusalem, someone told David, “Absalom has killed all your sons! Not even one is left.” ₃₁David got up, and in his sorrow he tore his clothes and lay down on the ground. His servants remained standing, but they tore their clothes too.

₃₂Then David's nephew Jonadab said, “Your Majesty, not all your sons were killed! Only Amnon is dead. On the day that Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom decided to kill him. ₃₃Don't worry about the report that all your sons were killed. Only Amnon is dead, ₃₄and Absalom has run away.”

One of the guards noticed a lot of people coming along the hillside on the road to Horonaim. He went and told the king, “I saw some men coming along Horonaim Road.”

₃₅Jonadab said, “Your Majesty, look! Here come your sons now, just as I told you.”

₃₆No sooner had he said it, than David's sons came in. They were weeping out loud, and David and all his officials cried just as loudly. _37-38David was sad for a long time because Amnon was dead.

Absalom had run away to Geshur, where he stayed for three years with King Talmai the son of Ammihud. ₃₉David still felt so sad over the loss of Amnon that he wanted to take his army there and capture Absalom.

₁One Sabbath, Jesus was having dinner in the home of an important Pharisee, and everyone was carefully watching Jesus. ₂All of a sudden a man with swollen legs stood up in front of him. ₃Jesus turned and asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?” ₄But they did not say a word.

Jesus took hold of the man. Then he healed him and sent him away. ₅Afterwards, Jesus asked the people, “If your son or ox falls into a well, wouldn't you pull him out straight away, even on the Sabbath?” ₆There was nothing they could say.

₇Jesus saw how the guests had tried to take the best seats. So he told them:

₁₂Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him:

₁₅After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, “The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God's kingdom!”

₁₆Jesus told him: