Bible Reading Plan

The Gibeonites Avenged

¹ During the reign of David, there was a famine^(a) for three successive years; so David sought^(b) the face of the Lord . The Lord said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death."

² The king summoned the Gibeonites^(c) and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) ³ David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord 's inheritance?"^(d)

⁴ The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death."^(e)

"What do you want me to do for you?" David asked.

⁵ They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, ⁶ let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed^(f) before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord 's chosen^(g) one."

So the king said, "I will give them to you."

⁷ The king spared Mephibosheth^(h) son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath⁽ⁱ⁾ before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. ⁸ But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah,^(j) whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab,^[a] whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.^{(k) 9} He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord . All seven of them fell together; they were put to death^(l) during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.^(m)

¹⁰ Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night.^{(n) 11} When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done, ¹² he went and took the bones of Saul^(o) and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead.^(p) (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan,^(q) where the Philistines had hung^(r) them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)^{(s) 13} David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.

¹⁴ They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's father Kish, at Zela^(t) in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that,^(u) God answered prayer^(v) in behalf of the land.^(w)

Wars Against the Philistines^(x)

¹⁵ Once again there was a battle between the Philistines^(y) and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. ¹⁶ And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels^[b] and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. ¹⁷ But Abishai^(z) son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp^(aa) of Israel will not be extinguished.^(ab)"

¹⁸ In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai^(ac) the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

¹⁹ In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair^[c] the Bethlehemite killed the brother of^[d] Goliath the Gittite,^(ad) who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.^(ae)

²⁰ In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. ²¹ When he taunted^(af) Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah,^(ag) David's brother, killed him.

²² These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

Chapter 6

²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake^(p) realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.^{(q) 23} Then some boats from Tiberias^(r) landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.^{(s) 24} Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi,^(t) when did you get here?"

²⁶ Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,^(u) not because you saw the signs^(v) I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures^(w) to eternal life,^(x) which the Son of Man^(y) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal^(z) of approval."

²⁸ Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

²⁹ Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe^(aa) in the one he has sent."^(ab)

³⁰ So they asked him, "What sign^(ac) then will you give that we may see it and believe you?^(ad) What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna^(ae) in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'^[c]"^(af)

³² Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven^(ag) and gives life to the world."

³⁴ "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread."^(ah)

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, "I am^(ai) the bread of life.^(aj) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(ak) in me will never be thirsty.^{(al) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(am) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(an) not to do my will but to do the will^(ao) of him who sent me.^{(ap) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(aq) but raise them up at the last day.^{(ar) 40} For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(as) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(at) and I will raise them up at the last day."