Bible Readings for June 2, 2021

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are 2 Samuel 19:11–20:13; John 21:1-25; Psalm 120:1-7; and Proverbs 16:16-17. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

---

2 Samuel 19:11-20:13 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹When David found out what they were saying, he sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. It said:
   Say to the leaders of Judah, "Why are you the last tribe to think about bringing King David back home? ¹²He is your brother, your own relative! Why haven't you done anything to bring him back?"
    ¹³And tell Amasa, "You're my nephew, and with God as a witness, I swear I'll make you commander of my army instead of Joab."
    ¹⁴Soon the tribe of Judah again became followers of David, and they sent him this message: "Come back, and bring your soldiers with you."     

David Starts Back for Jerusalem

 ¹⁵David started back and had gone as far as the Jordan River when he met the people of Judah. They had gathered at Gilgal and had come to help him cross the river.     ¹⁶Shimei ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} the son of Gera was there with them. He had hurried from Bahurim to meet David. Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, and ¹⁷a thousand others from Benjamin had come with him. Ziba, the chief servant of Saul's family, also came to the Jordan River. He and his fifteen sons and twenty servants waded across ^[b<="">] to meet David. ¹⁸Then they brought David's family and servants back across the river, and they did everything he wanted them to do. Shimei crossed the Jordan River and bowed down in front of David. 

Shimei Meets with David

 ¹⁹He said, "Your Majesty, I beg you not to punish me! Please, forget what I did when you were leaving Jerusalem. Don't even think about it. ²⁰I know I was wrong. That's why I wanted to be the first one from the northern tribes to meet you."    ²¹But Abishai shouted, "You should be killed for cursing the LORD's chosen king!"
    ²²David said, "Abishai, what will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? Is it your job to tell me who has done wrong? I've been made king of all Israel today, and no one will be put to death!" ²³Then David promised Shimei that he would not be killed.
    

Mephibosheth Meets with David

 ²⁴Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul, also came to meet David. He had missed David so much that he had not taken a bath or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes the whole time David was gone.     ²⁵After they had gone back to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth came to see David, who asked him, "Why didn't you go with me?"
    ²⁶He answered, "Your Majesty, you know I can't walk. I told my servant to saddle a donkey for me ^[c<="">] so I could go with you. But my servant left without me, and ²⁷then he lied about me. You're as wise as an angel of God, so do what you think is right. ²⁸After all, you could have killed my whole family and me. But instead, you let me eat at your own table. Your Majesty, what more could I ask?" ²⁹David answered, "You've said enough! I've decided to divide the property ^[d<="">] between you and Ziba." ³⁰Mephibosheth replied, "He can have it all! I'm just glad you've come home safely."   

Barzillai Returns Home

 ³¹Barzillai came from Rogelim in Gilead to meet David at the Jordan River and go across with him. ³²Barzillai was eighty years old. He was very rich and had sent food to David in Mahanaim.     ³³David said to him, "Cross the river and go to Jerusalem with me. I will take care of you."
    ³⁴Barzillai answered:
   Your Majesty, why should I go to Jerusalem? I don't have much longer to live. ³⁵I'm already eighty years old, and my body is almost numb. I can't taste my food or hear the sound of singing, and I would be nothing but a burden. ³⁶I'll cross the river with you, but I'll only go a little way on the other side. You don't have to be so kind to me. ³⁷Just let me return to my hometown, where I can someday be buried near my father and mother. My servant Chimham ^[e<="">] can go with you, and you can treat him as your own. ³⁸David said, "I'll take Chimham with me, and whatever you ask me to do for him, I'll do. And if there's anything else you want, I'll also do that."
    ³⁹David's soldiers went on across the river, while he stayed behind to tell Barzillai good-by and to wish him well. Barzillai returned home, but ⁴⁰Chimham crossed the river with David.
   All of Judah's army and half of Israel's army were there to help David cross the river. 

Israel and Judah Argue

 ⁴¹The soldiers from Israel came to him and said, "Why did our relatives from Judah sneak you and your family and your soldiers across the Jordan?"     ⁴²The people of Judah answered, "Why are you so angry? We are the king's relatives. He didn't give us any food, and we didn't take anything for ourselves!"
    ⁴³Those from Israel said, "King David belongs to us ten times more than he belongs to you. ^[f<="">] Why didn't you think we were good enough to help you? After all, we were the first ones to think of bringing him back!" The people of Judah spoke more harshly than the people of Israel.
    

2 Samuel 20

Sheba Rebels against David

 ¹A troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin was there. His name was Sheba the son of Bichri, and he blew a trumpet to get everyone's attention. Then he said, "People of Israel, David the son of Jesse doesn't belong to us! Let's go home."    ²So they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.     

David's Ten Wives

 ³David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again. ^[g<="">] They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.

The Army Goes after Sheba

 ⁴David said to Amasa, "Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!"     ⁵Amasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days. ⁶So David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us." ^[h<="">] 

Joab Kills Amasa

 ⁷Abishai left Jerusalem to try and capture Sheba. He took along Joab and his soldiers, as well as David's bodyguard ^[i<="">] and best troops. ⁸They had gone as far as the big rock at Gibeon when Amasa caught up with them. Joab had a dagger strapped around his waist over his military uniform, but it fell out as he started toward Amasa. ⁹Joab said, "Amasa, my cousin, how are you?" Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss. ¹⁰Amasa did not see the dagger in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck it in Amasa's stomach, and his insides spilled out on the ground. Joab only struck him once, but Amasa was dying.    Joab and his brother Abishai went off to chase Sheba. ¹¹One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa and shouted, "If any of you like Joab, and if you are for David, then follow Joab!"
    ¹²Amasa was still rolling in his own blood in the middle of the road. The soldier who had shouted noticed that everyone who passed by would stop, so he dragged Amasa off the road and covered him with a blanket. ¹³After this, no one else stopped. They all walked straight past him on their way to help Joab capture Sheba.
    

Footnotes:

1. 2 Samuel 19:16 Shimei: See 16.5-13.
2. 2 Samuel 19:17 waded across: Or "rushed."
3. 2 Samuel 19:26 I told. . . me: Two ancient translations; Hebrew, "I said, `I will saddle a donkey for myself.' "
4. 2 Samuel 19:29 the property: The property that had belonged to Saul (see 9.7; 16.4).
5. 2 Samuel 19:37 My servant Chimham: Or "My son Chimham."
6. 2 Samuel 19:43 King David. . . you: In this verse "Israel" stands for the ten northern tribes and does not include the tribe of Judah in the south.
7. 2 Samuel 20:3 he. . . again: Because of what Absalom had done (see 16.21,22).
8. 2 Samuel 20:6 get. . . us: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. 2 Samuel 20:7 bodyguard: See the note at 8.18.

---

John 21:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

John 21

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

 ¹Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. ²Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} were there, together with two other disciples. ³Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing!" The others said, "We will go with you." They went out in their boat. But they didn't catch a thing that night.     ⁴Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. ⁵Jesus shouted, "Friends, have you caught anything?"

   "No!" they answered.

    ⁶So he told them, "Let your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish."

   They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.

    ⁷Jesus' favorite disciple told Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. ⁸The boat was only about a hundred yards from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.

    ⁹When the disciples got out of the boat, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. ¹⁰Jesus told his disciples, "Bring some of the fish you just caught." ¹¹Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were one hundred fifty-three large fish, but still the net did not rip.

    ¹²Jesus said, "Come and eat!" But none of the disciples dared ask who he was. They knew he was the Lord. ¹³Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.    

Jesus and Peter

 ¹⁵When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" ^[b<="">] Simon Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know I do!"    "Then feed my lambs," Jesus said.

    ¹⁶Jesus asked a second time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

   Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you!"

   "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus told him.

    ¹⁷Jesus asked a third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

   Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you."

   Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep. ¹⁸I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don't want to go."

    ¹⁹Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honor to God. Then he said to Peter, "Follow me!"     

Jesus and His Favorite Disciple

 ²⁰Peter turned and saw Jesus' favorite disciple following them. He was the same one who had sat next to Jesus at the meal and had asked, "Lord, who is going to betray you?" ²¹When Peter saw that disciple, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"     ²²Jesus answered, "What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me." ²³So the rumor spread among the other disciples that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die. He simply said, "What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return?"

    ²⁴This disciple is the one who told all of this. He wrote it, and we know he is telling the truth.

    ²⁵Jesus did many other things. If they were all written in books, I don't suppose there would be room enough in the whole world for all the books.

    

Footnotes:

1. John 21:2 the brothers James and John: Greek " the two sons of Zebedee."
2. John 21:15 more than the others do: Or " more than you love these things?"

---

Psalm 120:1-7 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 120

(A song for worship.)

A Prayer for the LORD's Help

 ¹When I am in trouble, I pray,     ²"Come and save me, LORD,
   from deceitful liars!"
    ³What punishment is fitting
   for you deceitful liars?
    ⁴Your reward should be
   sharp and flaming arrows!
    ⁵But I must live as a foreigner
   among the people of Meshech
   and in the tents of Kedar. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 6}I have spent too much time
   living among people
   who hate peace.
    ⁷I am in favor of peace,
   but when I speak of it,
   all they want is war.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 120:5 Meshech. . . Kedar: Meshech was a country near the Black Sea, and Kedar was a tribe of the Syrian desert.

---

Proverbs 16:16-17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶It's much better to be wise
   and sensible
   than to be rich.
    ¹⁷God's people avoid evil ways,
   and they protect themselves
   by watching where they go.

---

Thought for the Day

 

“So Christ died only once to take away the sins of many people. But when he comes again, it will not be to take away sin. He will come to save everyone who is waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:28 - Contemporary English Version) Our salvation is a two step process. First, Jesus died to free us from our sins. Second, Jesus will bring the Kingdom of God to the earth as it is in the heavens.

---

Quote for the Day

American author, poet, advocate for higher education, the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria from 1877 to 1908 and a co-founder of The Catholic University of America, John Lancaster Spalding wrote, “As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape.”

---

A Joke for Today

A man put his car in reverse and accidentally drove it into a wall. He took it to his mechanic, who replaced the dented bumper.

A few days later, he actually did it again. "I'm so embarrassed," he moaned to his wife while he reached for the phone.

"Why not tell him it was me this time?" his wife suggested.

"I could," he said while dialing, "but that's what I told him last time."

---

A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That the racial, ethnic, religious, and political divisions within the United States be healed.