WEBVTT

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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Samuel chapters

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15 and 16, as well as Psalms 3 and 7. 2 Samuel

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chapter 15. After this, it happened that Absalom

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proved himself with chariots and horses and 50

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men to run before him. Now Absalom would rise

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early and stand beside the way to the gate. so

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it was whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came

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to the king for a decision that Absalom would

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call to him and say what city are you from and

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he would say your servant is from such and such

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a tribe of Israel then Absalom would say to him

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look your case is good and right but there is

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no deputy of the king to hear you Moreover, Absalom

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would say, O that I were made judge in the land,

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and everyone who has any suit or cause would

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come to me, then I would give him justice. And

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so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down

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to him, that he would put out his hand and take

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him and kiss him. In this manner Absalom acted

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toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment.

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So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

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Now it came to pass after forty years that Absalom

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said to the king, Please let me go to Hebron

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and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. For

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your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur

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in Syria, saying, If the Lord indeed brings me

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back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.

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And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he

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arose and went to Hebron. Then Absalom sent spies

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throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying,

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As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet,

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then you shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron.

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And with Absalom went 200 men invited from Jerusalem,

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and they went along innocently and did not know

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anything. Then Absalom sent for Ahitophel the

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Gilonite, David's counselor from his city, from

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Gilo, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy

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grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually

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increased in number. Now a messenger came to

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David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel

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are with Absalom. So Absalom said to all his

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servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise

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and let us flee, or we shall not escape from

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Absalom. make haste to depart lest he overtake

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us suddenly and bring disaster upon us and strike

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the city with the edge of the sword and the king's

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servants said to the king we are your servants

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ready to do whatever my lord the king commands

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then the king went out with all his household

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after him But the king left ten women, concubines,

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to keep the house. And the king went out with

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all the people after him and stopped at the outskirts.

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Then all his servants passed before him. And

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all the Caritites, all the Pellitites, and all

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the Gittites, six hundred men, who had followed

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him from Gad, passed before the king. Then the

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king said to Etai the Gittite, Why are you also

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going with us? Return and remain with the king.

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For you are a foreigner and also an exile from

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your own place. In fact, you came only yesterday.

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Should I make you wander up and down with us

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today? Since I go, I know not where. Return and

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take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with

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you. But Ittai answered the king and said, As

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the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives,

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surely in whatever place my lord the king shall

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be, whether in death or life, even there also

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your servant will be. So David said to Ittai,

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Go and cross the river. Then Ittai the Gittite

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and all his men and all the little ones who were

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with him crossed over, and all the country wept

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with a loud voice, and all the people crossed

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over. The king himself also crossed over the

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brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over

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toward the way of the wilderness. There was Zadok

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also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the

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ark of the covenant of God. And they set down

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the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all

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the people had finished crossing over from the

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city. Then the king said to Zadok, Carry the

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ark of God back into the city. If I find favor

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in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back

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and show me both it and his dwelling place. But

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if he says thus, I have no delight in you, here

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I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him.

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The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you

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not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and

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your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and

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Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will wait

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in the plains of the wilderness until word comes

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from you to inform me. Therefore Zadok and Abiathar

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carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and

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they remained there. So David went up by the

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ascent of the Mount of Olives and wept as he

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went up. And he had his head covered and went

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barefoot. And all the people who were with him

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covered their heads and went up, weeping as they

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went up. Then someone told David, saying, Ahithophel

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is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David

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said, O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel

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into foolishness. Now it happened when David

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had come to the top of the mountain where he

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worshipped God. There was Hushai the archite

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coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust

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on his head. David said to him, If you go on

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with me, then you will become a burden to me.

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But if you return to the city and say to Absalom,

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I will be your servant, O king, as I was your

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father's servant previously, so I will now also

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be your servant. Then you may defeat the council

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of Ahitophel for me. And do you not have Zadok

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and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore

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it will be that whatever you hear from the king's

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house, you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the

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priests. Indeed they have there with them their

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two sons, Ahimaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan,

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Abiathar's son. And by them you shall send me

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everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend,

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went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

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Psalm 3, Inscription A Psalm of David, when he

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fled from Absalom his son. Lord, how they have

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increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise

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up against me! Many are they who say of me, there

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is no help for him in God. Salah. But you, O

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Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the one

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who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with

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my voice, and he heard me from his holy hill.

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Salah. I lay down and slept. I awoke, for the

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Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten

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thousands of people who have set themselves against

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me all around. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God,

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for you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone.

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You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation

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belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your

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people. Salah 2 Samuel 16 When David was a little

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past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba

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the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with

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a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two

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hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters

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of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a

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skin of wine. And the king said to Ziba, What

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do you mean to do with these? So Ziba said, The

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donkeys are for the king's household to ride

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on. The bread and summer fruit for the young

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men to eat, and the wine are for those who are

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faint in the wilderness to drink. Then the king

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said, And where is your master's son? And Ziba

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said to the king, Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem.

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For he said, Today the house of Israel will restore

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the kingdom of my father to me. So the king said

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to Ziba, Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth

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is yours. And Ziba said, I humbly bow before

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you, that I may find favor in your sight, my

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lord, O king. Now when king David came to Bahurim,

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there was a man from the family of the house

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of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gerah,

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coming from there. He came out cursing continuously

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as he came, and he threw stones at David and

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at all the servants of king David, and all the

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people and all the mighty men were on his right

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hand and on his left. Also Shimei said thus when

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he cursed, Come out, come out, you bloodthirsty

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man, you rogue. The Lord has brought upon you

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all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose

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place you have reigned. And the Lord has delivered

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the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son.

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So now you are caught in your own evil, because

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you are a bloodthirsty man. Then Abishai the

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son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this

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dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me

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go over and take off his head. But the king said,

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What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?

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So let him curse, because the Lord has said to

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him, Curse David. Who then shall say, Why have

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you done so? And David said to Abishai and all

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his servants, See how my son, who came from my

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own body, seeks my life. How much more now may

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this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse.

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For so the Lord has ordered him. It may be that

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the Lord will look on my affliction and that

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the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing

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this day. And as David and his men went along

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the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite

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him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him

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and kicked up dust. Now the king and all the

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people who were with him became weary, so they

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refreshed themselves there. Meanwhile, Absalom

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and all the people, the men of Israel, came to

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Jerusalem, and Ahitophel was with him. And so

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it was when Hushai the archite, David's friend,

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came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom,

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Long live the king, long live the king. So Absalom

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said to Hushai, Is this your loyalty to your

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friend? Why did you not go with your friend?

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And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom the

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Lord and this people and all the men of Israel

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choose, his I will be, and with him I will remain.

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Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not

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serve in the presence of his son? As I have served

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in your father's presence, so will I be in your

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presence. Then Absalom said to Ahitophel, Give

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advice as to what we should do. And Ahitophel

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said to Absalom, Go into your father's concubines,

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whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel

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will hear that you are abhorred by your father.

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Then the hands of all who are with you will be

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strong. So they pitched a tent for Absalom on

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the top of the house, and Absalom went into his

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father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

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Now the advice of Ahitophel, which he gave in

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those days, was as if one had inquired at the

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oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahitophel,

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both with David and with Absalom. Psalm 7 Inscription

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A meditation of David, which he sang to the Lord

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concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. Yes,

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let him trample my life to the earth and lay

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my honor in the dust. Salah. Arise, O Lord, in

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your anger. Lift yourself up because of the rage

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of my enemies. Rise up for me to the judgment

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you have commanded, so the congregation of the

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peoples shall surround you. For their sakes,

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therefore, return on high. The Lord shall judge

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the peoples. Judge me, O Lord, according to my

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righteousness, and according to my integrity

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within me. O let the wickedness of the wicked

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come to an end, but establish the just. For the

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righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My

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defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart.

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God is a just judge, and God is angry with the

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wicked every day. If he does not turn back, he

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will sharpen his sword. He bends his bow and

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makes it ready. He also prepares for himself

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instruments of death. He makes his arrows into

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fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked brings forth

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iniquity. Yes, he conceives trouble and brings

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forth falsehood. He made a pit and dug it out,

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and has fallen into the ditch which he made.

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His trouble shall return upon his own head, and

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his violent dealing shall come down on his own

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crown. I will praise the Lord according to his

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righteousness, and will sing praise to the name

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of the Lord Most High. I hope you enjoyed today's

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reading as much as I did and I look forward to

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seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our

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journey. God bless you and have a great day.