2 Samuel 18

• 1. David now appointed generals and captains to lead his troops.
• 2. One-third were placed under Joab, one-third under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one-third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told his troops, "I am going out with you."
• 3. But his men objected strongly. "You must not go," they urged. "If we have to turn and run--and even if half of us die--it will make no difference to Absalom's troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth ten thousand of us, and it is better that you stay here in the city and send us help if we need it."
• 4. "If you think that's the best plan, I'll do it," the king finally agreed. So he stood at the gate of the city as all the divisions of troops passed by.
• 5. And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: "For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom." And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.
• 6. So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim,
• 7. and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David's men. There was a great slaughter, and twenty thousand men laid down their lives that day.
• 8. The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
• 9. During the battle, Absalom came unexpectedly upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great oak, his head got caught. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.
• 10. One of David's men saw what had happened and told Joab, "I saw Absalom dangling in a tree."
• 11. "What?" Joab demanded. "You saw him there and didn't kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero's belt!"
• 12. "I wouldn't do it for a thousand pieces of silver, "the man replied. "We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, `For my sake, please don't harm young Absalom.'
• 13. And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son--and the king would certainly find out who did it--you yourself would be the first to abandon me."
• 14. "Enough of this nonsense," Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom's heart as he dangled from the oak still alive.
• 15. Ten of Joab's young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.
• 16. Then Joab blew the trumpet, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.
• 17. They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And the army of Israel fled to their homes.
• 18. During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King's Valley, for he had said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom's Monument to this day.
• 19. Then Zadok's son Ahimaaz said, "Let me run to the king with the good news that the LORD has saved him from his enemy Absalom."
• 20. "No," Joab told him, "it wouldn't be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger some other time, but not today."
• 21. Then Joab said to a man from Cush, "Go tell the king what you have seen." The man bowed and ran off.
• 22. But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, "Whatever happens, please let me go, too.Why should you go, my son?" Joab replied. "There will be no reward for you."
• 23. "Yes, but let me go anyway," he begged. Joab finally said, "All right, go ahead." Then Ahimaaz took a shortcut across the plain of the Jordan and got to Mahanaim ahead of the man from Cush.
• 24. While David was sitting at the city gate, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them.
• 25. He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, "If he is alone, he has news." As the messenger came closer,
• 26. the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, "Here comes another one!" The king replied, "He also will have news."
• 27. "The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok," the watchman said. "He is a good man and comes with good news," the king replied.
• 28. Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, "All is well!" He bowed low with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against you."
• 29. "What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?" Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn't know what was happening."
• 30. "Wait here," the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside.
• 31. Then the man from Cush arrived and said, "I have good news for my lord the king. Today the LORD has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you."
• 32. "What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?" And the Cushite replied, "May all of your enemies, both now and in the future, be as that young man is!"
• 33. The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to his room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son."

2 Corinthians 11

• 1. I hope you will be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool. Please bear with me.
• 2. I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ.
• 3. But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent.
• 4. You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
• 5. But I don't think I am inferior to these "super apostles."
• 6. I may not be a trained speaker, but I know what I am talking about. I think you realize this by now, for we have proved it again and again.
• 7. Did I do wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God's Good News to you without expecting anything in return?
• 8. I "robbed" other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.
• 9. And when I was with you and didn't have enough to live on, I did not ask you to help me. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me another gift. I have never yet asked you for any support, and I never will.
• 10. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, I will never stop boasting about this all over Greece.
• 11. Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do.
• 12. But I will continue doing this to cut the ground out from under the feet of those who boast that their work is just like ours.
• 13. These people are false apostles. They have fooled you by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
• 14. But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.
• 15. So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers. In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
• 16. Once again, don't think that I have lost my wits to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little.
• 17. Such bragging is not something the Lord wants, but I am acting like a fool.
• 18. And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.
• 19. After all, you, who think you are so wise, enjoy listening to fools!
• 20. You put up with it when they make you their slaves, take everything you have, take advantage of you, put on airs, and slap you in the face.
• 21. I'm ashamed to say that we were not strong enough to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about--I'm talking like a fool again--I can boast about it, too.
• 22. They say they are Hebrews, do they? So am I. And they say they are Israelites? So am I. And they are descendants of Abraham? So am I.
• 23. They say they serve Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.
• 24. Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes.
• 25. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
• 26. I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians but are not.
• 27. I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
• 28. Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of how the churches are getting along.
• 29. Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
• 30. If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.
• 31. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows I tell the truth.
• 32. When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.
• 33. But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall, and that's how I got away!

Ezekiel 25

• 1. Then this message came to me from the LORD:
• 2. "Son of man, look toward the land of Ammon and prophesy against its people.
• 3. Give the Ammonites this message from the Sovereign LORD: Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD! Because you scoffed when my Temple was desecrated, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah as she went away into exile,
• 4. I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your country. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents on your land. They will harvest all your fruit and steal your livestock.
• 5. And I will turn the city of Rabbah into a pasture for camels, and all the land of the Ammonites into an enclosure for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
• 6. "And the Sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped and stamped and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people,
• 7. I will lift up my fist against you. I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
• 8. "And the Sovereign LORD says: Because the people of Moab have said that Judah is just like all the other nations,
• 9. I will open up their eastern flank and wipe out their glorious frontier cities--Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.
• 10. And I will hand Moab over to nomads from the eastern deserts, just as I handed over Ammon. Yes, the Ammonites will no longer be counted among the nations.
• 11. And in the same way, I will bring my judgment down on the Moabites. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
• 12. "And the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah.
• 13. Therefore, says the Sovereign LORD, I will raise my fist of judgment against Edom. I will wipe out their people, cattle, and flocks with the sword. I will make a wasteland of everything from Teman to Dedan.
• 14. By the hand of my people of Israel, I will accomplish this. They will carry out my furious vengeance, and Edom will know it is from me. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!
• 15. "And the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of revenge and long-standing contempt.
• 16. Therefore, says the Sovereign LORD, I will raise my fist of judgment against the land of the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea.
• 17. I will execute terrible vengeance against them to rebuke them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, then they will know that I am the LORD."

New Living Translation: 265 of 365 days.