Bible Readings for May 28, 2013

Today our passages are 2 Samuel 13:1-39; John 17:1-26; Psalm 119:81-96; and Proverbs 16:6-7. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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2 Samuel 13:1-39 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Samuel 13

Amnon Disgraces Tamar

 ¹David had a beautiful daughter named Tamar, who was the sister of Absalom. She was also the half sister of Amnon, ^[a] 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 ^[b] while I watch, and then she can serve me the bread." ⁷David told Tamar, "Go over to Amnon's house and fix 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 forever! And think of yourself. Everyone in Israel will say you're nothing but trash! 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. ^{[c] 19}Tamar 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.

Absalom Kills Amnon

 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 oldest son and also his favorite, and David would not do anything to make Amnon unhappy. ^{[d] 22}Absalom 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 of the king's sons to be there. ^{[e] 24}Then 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. ^{[f] 28}But 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 of 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 ^[g] Jonadab said, "Your Majesty, not all of 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. ^[h] He went and told the king, "I saw some men coming along Horonaim Road." ^{[i] 35}Jonadab 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 ^[j] the son of Ammihud.

David Lets Absalom Come Home

 ³⁹David still felt so sad over the loss of Amnon that he wanted to take his army there and capture Absalom. ^[k]

Footnotes:

1. 2 Samuel 13:1 Tamar. . . Absalom. . . Amnon: David was their father, but Amnon had a different mother.
2. 2 Samuel 13:6 special bread: Or "heart-shaped bread" or "dumplings."
3. 2 Samuel 13:18 long. . . sleeves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. 2 Samuel 13:21 But Amnon. . . unhappy: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; these words are not in the Standard Hebrew Text.
5. 2 Samuel 13:23 invited. . . there: Cutting the wool from sheep was a time for celebrating as well as working.
6. 2 Samuel 13:27 Absalom prepared. . . king: One ancient translation; these words are not in the Hebrew text.
7. 2 Samuel 13:32 David's nephew: The Hebrew text has "the son of David's brother Shimeah."
8. 2 Samuel 13:34 the road to Horonaim: Or "the road behind him" or "the road to the west."
9. 2 Samuel 13:34 He. . . Road: One ancient translation; these words are not in the Hebrew text.
10. 2 Samuel 13:37 King Talmai: Absalom's grandfather (see 3.3).
11. 2 Samuel 13:39 David. . . Absalom: Or "David was comforted over the loss of Amnon, and he no longer wanted to take his army there to capture Absalom."

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John 17:1-26 (Contemporary English Version)

John 17

Jesus Prays

 ¹After Jesus had finished speaking to his disciples, he looked up toward heaven and prayed:    Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you. ²And you gave him power over all people, so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. ³Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. ⁴I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave me to do. ⁵Now, Father, give me back the glory that I had with you before the world was created.
    ⁶You have given me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what you are like. They were yours, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed you. ⁷They know that you gave me everything I have. ⁸I told my followers what you told me, and they accepted it. They know that I came from you, and they believe that you are the one who sent me. ⁹I am praying for them, but not for those who belong to this world. ^[a] My followers belong to you, and I am praying for them. ¹⁰All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine, and they will bring glory to me. ¹¹Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. ¹²While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.
    ¹³I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. ¹⁴I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don't belong to this world, just as I don't.
    ¹⁵Father, I don't ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶They don't belong to this world, and neither do I. ¹⁷Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. ¹⁸I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. ¹⁹I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.
    ²⁰I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. ²¹I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.
    ²²I have honored my followers in the same way that you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. ²³I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world's people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.
    ²⁴Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created. ²⁵Good Father, the people of this world don't know you. But I know you, and my followers know that you sent me. ²⁶I told them what you are like, and I will tell them even more. Then the love that you have for me will become part of them, and I will be one with them.
   

Footnotes:

1. John 17:9 world: See the note at 12.31.

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Psalm 119:81-96 (Contemporary English Version)

⁸¹I long for you to rescue me!
   Your word is my only hope.
    ⁸²I am worn out from waiting
   for you to keep your word.
   When will you have mercy?
    ⁸³My life is wasting away
   like a dried-up wineskin, ^[a] but I have not forgotten
   your teachings.
    ⁸⁴I am your servant!
   How long must I suffer?
   When will you punish
   those troublemakers?
    ⁸⁵Those proud people reject
   your teachings,
   and they dig pits
   for me to fall in.
    ⁸⁶Your laws can be trusted!
   Protect me from cruel liars.
    ⁸⁷They have almost killed me,
   but I have been faithful
   to your teachings.
    ⁸⁸Show that you love me
   and let me live,
   so that I may obey all
   of your commands.
    ⁸⁹Our LORD, you are eternal!
   Your word will last as long
   as the heavens. ^{[b] 90}You remain faithful
   in every generation,
   and the earth you created
   will keep standing firm.
    ⁹¹All things are your servants,
   and the laws you made
   are still in effect today.
    ⁹²If I had not found happiness
   in obeying your Law,
   I would have died in misery.
    ⁹³I won't ever forget
   your teachings,
   because you give me new life
   by following them.
    ⁹⁴I belong to you,
   and I have respected your laws,
   so keep me safe.
    ⁹⁵Brutal enemies are waiting
   to ambush and destroy me,
   but I obey your rules.
    ⁹⁶Nothing is completely perfect,
   except your teachings.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 119:83 a dried-up wineskin: The Hebrew text has " a wineskin in the smoke." In ancient times bags were made from animal skins to hold wine, but when the bags dried up they cracked and could no longer be used.
2. Psalm 119:89 Our. . . heavens: Or " Our LORD, your word is eternal. It will last as long as the heavens."

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Proverbs 16:6-7 (Contemporary English Version)

⁶If we truly love God,
   our sins will be forgiven;
   if we show him respect,
   we will keep away from sin.
    ⁷When we please the LORD,
   even our enemies
   make friends with us.

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Verse of the Day

“When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad.” - Romans 12:15

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English-born Australian writer who is widely regarded as one of the most important English-language novelists of the 20th century Patrick White wrote, “I feel that in my own life anything I have done of possible worth has happened in spite of my gross, worldly self. I have been no more than the vessel used to convey ideas above my intellectual capacities. When people praise passages I have written, more often than not I can genuinely say, ‘Did I write that?’ I don’t think this is due to my having a bad memory, because I have almost total recall of trivialities. I see it as evidence of the part the supernatural plays in lives which would otherwise remain earthbound.”