Monday 23 January 2012

1Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke,saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.2In times past, when Saul was king over us,it was you who led Israel out and in.The Lord said to you,‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel,and you will be prince over Israel.’”3So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron,and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord;and they anointed David king over Israel.

4David was thirty years old when he began to reign,and he reigned forty years.5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

6The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites,the inhabitants of the land,who spoke to David,saying, “The blindand the lame will keep you out of here,”thinking, “David can’t come in here.”7Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion.This is David’s city.· · · verses 8–9 are not read10David grew greater and greater,for the Lord, the God of Armies, was with him.

20Then you spoke in vision to your saints,and said, “I have given strength to the warrior.I have exalted a young man from the people.

21I have found David, my servant.I have anointed him with my holy oil,22with whom my hand shall be established.My arm will also strengthen him.

25But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him.In my name, his horn will be exalted.26I will set his hand also on the sea,and his right hand on the rivers.

22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said,“He has Beelzebul,”and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.”

23He summoned them and said to them in parables,“How can Satan cast out Satan?24If a kingdom is divided against itself,that kingdom cannot stand.25If a house is divided against itself,that house cannot stand.26If Satan has risen up against himself,and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end.27But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man;then he will plunder his house.

28“Most certainly I tell you,all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven,including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;29but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,but is subject to eternal condemnation.”30— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”