26th July

¹ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.² The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:³ But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.⁴ And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.⁵ And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:⁶ And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.⁷ And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;⁸ And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.⁹ Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.¹¹ Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.¹² For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.¹³ And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.¹⁴ Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.¹⁵ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.¹⁶ David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.¹⁷ And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.²⁰ Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.²¹ Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?²³ But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.²⁴ And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.²⁵ And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.²⁸ Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.²⁹ And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.³⁰ And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.³¹ And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

¹ The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,² Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.³ For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;⁴ They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.⁵ For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies.⁶ Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:⁷ Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.⁸ Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.⁹ For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.¹⁰ And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?¹¹ Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;¹² And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:¹³ Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.¹⁴ Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;¹⁵ But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.¹⁶ Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.¹⁷ For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.¹⁸ And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.¹⁹ O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.²⁰ Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?²¹ Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.

¹ When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:² And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.³ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,⁴ Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.⁵ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.⁶ And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.⁷ And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.⁸ Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.⁹ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;¹⁰ And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.¹¹ And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.¹² And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.¹³ Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?¹⁴ And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.¹⁵ Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.¹⁶ And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.¹⁷ Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?¹⁸ For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.¹⁹ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.²¹ The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.²² Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.²³ And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.²⁵ Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.²⁶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.²⁸ And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.²⁹ And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!³⁰ And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.³¹ And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.³² And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.³³ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,³⁴ They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.³⁵ And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.³⁶ And sitting down they watched him there;³⁷ And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.³⁸ Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.³⁹ And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,⁴⁰ And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.⁴¹ Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,⁴² He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.⁴³ He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.⁴⁴ The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?⁴⁷ Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.⁴⁸ And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.⁴⁹ The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;⁵² And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,⁵³ And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.⁵⁴ Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.⁵⁵ And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:⁵⁶ Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.⁵⁷ When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:⁵⁸ He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.⁵⁹ And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,⁶⁰ And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.⁶¹ And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.⁶² Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,⁶³ Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.⁶⁴ Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.⁶⁵ Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.⁶⁶ So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.