Wednesday

2 Samuel 18:19-33

[19]

Then said Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok, "Let me run, and carry tidings to
the king that the LORD has delivered him from the power of his enemies."

[20] And Jo'ab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings today; you may
carry tidings another day, but today you shall carry no tidings, because
the king's son is dead."
[21] Then Jo'ab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have
seen." The Cushite bowed before Jo'ab, and ran.
[22] Then Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok said again to Jo'ab, "Come what may,
let me also run after the Cushite." And Jo'ab said, "Why will you run, my
son, seeing that you will have no reward for the tidings?"
[23] "Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run."
Then Ahi'ma-az ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
[24]

Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to
the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and
looked, he saw a man running alone.

[25] And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If
he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew
near.
[26] And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to
the gate and said, "See, another man running alone!" The king said, "He
also brings tidings."
[27] And the watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like
the running of Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a
good man, and comes with good tidings."
[28]

Then Ahi'ma-az cried out to the king, "All is well." And he bowed before
the king with his face to the earth, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your
God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord
the king."

[29] And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?"
Ahi'ma-az answered, "When Jo'ab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult,
but I do not know what it was."
[30] And the king said, "Turn aside, and stand here." So he turned aside,
and stood still.
[31]

And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Good tidings for my
lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the power of
all who rose up against you."

[32] The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man
Ab'salom?" And the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king,
and all who rise up against you for evil, be like that young man."
[33] And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the
gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Ab'salom, my son, my
son Ab'salom! Would I had died instead of you, O Ab'salom, my son, my
son!"

Acts 23:23-35

[23]

Then he called two of the centurions and said, "At the third hour of the
night get ready two hundred soldiers with seventy horsemen and two hundred
spearmen to go as far as Caesare'a.

[24] Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix
the governor."
[25] And he wrote a letter to this effect:
[26]

"Claudius Lys'ias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greeting.

[27] This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them,
when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned
that he was a Roman citizen.
[28] And desiring to know the charge on which they accused him, I brought
him down to their council.
[29] I found that he was accused about questions of their law, but charged
with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
[30] And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against
the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state
before you what they have against him."
[31]

So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought
him by night to Antip'atris.

[32] And on the morrow they returned to the barracks, leaving the horsemen
to go on with him.
[33] When they came to Caesare'a and delivered the letter to the governor,
they presented Paul also before him.
[34] On reading the letter, he asked to what province he belonged. When he
learned that he was from Cili'cia
[35] he said, "I will hear you when your accusers arrive." And he
commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium.

Mark 12:13-27

[13]

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Hero'di-ans, to
entrap him in his talk.

[14] And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true,
and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly
teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
[15] Should we pay them, or should we not?" But knowing their hypocrisy,
he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin, and let me look
at it."
[16] And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and
inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's."
[17] Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at him.
[18]

And Sad'ducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and
they asked him a question, saying,

[19] "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves
a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the wife, and raise up
children for his brother.
[20] There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died
left no children;
[21] and the second took her, and died, leaving no children; and the third
likewise;
[22] and the seven left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
[23] In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as
wife."
[24]

Jesus said to them, "Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither
the scriptures nor the power of God?

[25] For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in
marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
[26] And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of
Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, `I am the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
[27] He is not God of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong."