The Report of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came to pass after the ^(A)death of Saul, when David had returned from ^(B)the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, ² on the third day, behold, it happened that ^(C)a man came from Saul’s camp ^(D)with his clothes ^[a]torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he ^(E)fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

³ And David said to him, “Where have you come from?”

So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

⁴ Then David said to him, ^(F)“How did the matter go? Please tell me.”

And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and ^(G)Jonathan his son are dead also.”

⁵ So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

⁶ Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on ^(H)Mount Gilboa, there was ^(I)Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ⁷ Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for ^[b]anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and ^(J)killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and ^(K)tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² And they ^(L)mourned and wept and ^(M)fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the ^(N)people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³ Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”

And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”

¹⁴ So David said to him, “How ^(O)was it you were not ^(P)afraid to ^(Q)put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ Then ^(R)David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. ¹⁶ So David said to him, ^(S)“Your blood is on your own head, for ^(T)your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”

The Song of the Bow

¹⁷ Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, ^18 (U)and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written ^(V)in the Book ^[c]of Jasher:

David Anointed King of Judah

2 It happened after this that David ^(AJ)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the Lord said to him, “Go up.”

David said, “Where shall I go up?”

And He said, “To ^(AK)Hebron.”

² So David went up there, and his ^(AL)two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ And David brought up ^(AM)the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

^4 (AN)Then the men of Judah came, and there they ^(AO)anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, ^(AP)“The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” ⁵ So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, ^(AQ)“You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. ⁶ And now may ^(AR)the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. ⁷ Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

⁸ But ^(AS)Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took ^[e]Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to ^(AT)Mahanaim; ⁹ and he made him king over ^(AU)Gilead, over the ^(AV)Ashurites, over ^(AW)Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. ¹⁰ Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹ And ^(AX)the ^[f]time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The Fruitful Grain of Wheat

²⁰ Now there ^(A)were certain Greeks among those ^(B)who came up to worship at the feast. ²¹ Then they came to Philip, ^(C)who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

²² Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

²³ But Jesus answered them, saying, ^(D)“The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(E)unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much ^[a]grain. ^25 (F)He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, let him ^(G)follow Me; and ^(H)where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross

^27 (I)“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? ^(J)But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.”

^(K)Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

²⁹ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, ^(L)“This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now ^(M)the ruler of this world will be cast out. ³² And I, ^(N)if I am ^[b]lifted up from the earth, will draw ^(O)all peoples to Myself.” ^33 (P)This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

³⁴ The people answered Him, ^(Q)“We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer ^(R)the light is with you. ^(S)Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; ^(T)he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become ^(U)sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and ^(V)was hidden from them.

Who Has Believed Our Report?

³⁷ But although He had done so many ^(W)signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

^41 (AA)These things Isaiah said ^[c]when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

Walk in the Light

⁴² Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but ^(AB)because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; ^43 (AC)for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out and said, ^(AD)“He who believes in Me, ^(AE)believes not in Me ^(AF)but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And ^(AG)he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ^46 (AH)I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷ And if anyone hears My words and does not ^[d]believe, ^(AI)I do not judge him; for ^(AJ)I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ^48 (AK)He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—^(AL)the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹ For ^(AM)I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, ^(AN)what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I ^(AO)speak.”