Bible in a Year.

On day 139, we see divine protection and victory. 2 Samuel 21 recounts the defeat of Israel's enemies and the restoration of justice. 1 Chronicles 26 describes the organization of the temple guards, ensuring order and security in the sacred service. Psalm 40 reinforces trust in God, reminding us that He hears and answers those who wait on Him.

1. And there was a famine in the days of David for three years successively: and David consulted the oracle of the Lord. And the Lord said: It is for Saul, and his bloody house, because he slew the Gabaonites.

2. Then the king, calling for the Gabaonites, said to them: (Now the Gabaonites were not of the children of Israel, but the remains of the Amorrhites: I and the children of Israel had sworn to them, and Saul sought to slay them out of zeal, as it were for the children of Israel and Juda:)

3. David therefore said to the Gabaonites: What shall I do for you? and what shall be the atonement for you, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

4. And the Gabaonites said to him: We have no contest about silver and gold, but against Saul and against his house: neither do we desire that any man be slain of Israel. And the king said to them: What will you then that I should do for you?

5. And they said to the king: The man that crushed us and oppressed us unjustly, we must destroy in such manner that there be not so much as one left of his stock in all the coasts of Israel.

6. Let seven men of his children be delivered unto us, that we may crucify them to the Lord in Gabaa of Saul, once the chosen of the Lord. And the king said: I will give them.

7. And the king spared Miphiboseth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord, that had been between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8. So the king took the two sons of Respha the daughter of Aia, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni, and Miphiboseth: and the five sons of Michol the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Hadriel the son of Berzellai, that was of Molathi:

9. And gave them into the hands of the Gabaonites: and they crucified them on a hill before the Lord: and these seven died together in the first days of the harvest, when the barley began to be reaped.

10. And Respha the daughter of Aia took haircloth, and spread it under her upon the rock from the beginning of the harvest, till water dropped upon them out of heaven: and suffered neither the birds to tear them by day, nor the beasts by night.

11. And it was told David, what Respha the daughter of Aia, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12. And David went, and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabes Galaad, who had stolen them from the street of Bethsan, where the Philistines had hanged them when they had slain Saul in Gelboe.

13. And he brought from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gathered up the bones of them that were crucified,

14. And they buried them with the bones of Saul, and of Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in the side, in the sepulchre of Cis his father: and they did all that the king had commanded, and God shewed mercy again to the land after these things.

15. And the Philistines made war again against Israel, and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. And David growing faint,

16. Jesbibenob, who was of the race of Arapha, the iron of whose spear weighed three hundred ounces, being girded with a new sword, attempted to kill David.

17. And Abisai the son of Sarvia rescued him, and striking the Philistine killed him. Then David's men swore unto him, saying: Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, lest thou put out the lamp of Israel.

18. There was also a second battle in Gob against the Philistines: then Sobochai of Husathi slew Saph of the race of Arapha of the family of the giants.

19. And there was a third battle in Gob against the Philistines, in which Adeodatus the son of the Forrest an embroiderer of Bethlehem slew Goliath the Gethite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20. A fourth battle was in Geth. where there was a man of great stature, that had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, four and twenty in all, and he was of the race of Arapha.

21. And he reproached Israel: and Jonathan the son of Samae the brother of David slew him.

22. These four were born of Arapha in Geth, and they fell by the hand of David, and of his servants.

1. And the divisions of the porters: of the Corites Meselemia, the son of Core, of the sons of Asaph.

2. The sons of Meselemia: Zacharias the firstborn, Jadihel the second, Zabadias the third, Jathanael the fourth,

3. Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

4. And the sons of Obededom, Semeias the firstborn, Jozabad the second, Joaha the third, Sachar the fourth, Nathanael the fifth,

5. Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Phollathi the eighth: for the Lord had blessed him.

6. And to Semei his son were born sons, herds of their families: for they were men of great valour.

7. The sons then of Semeias were Othni, and Raphael, and Obed, Elizabad, and his brethren most valiant men: and Eliu, and Samachias.

8. All these of the sons of Obededom: they, and their sons, and their brethren most able men for service, sixty-two of Obededom.

9. And the sons of Meselemia, and their brethren strong men, were eighteen.

10. And of Hosa, that is, of the sons of Merari: Semri the chief, (for he had not a firstborn, and therefore his father made him chief.)

11. Helcias the second, Tabelias the third, Zacharias the fourth: all these the sons, and the brethren of Hosa, were thirteen.

12. Among these were the divisions of the porters, so that the chiefs of the wards, as well as their brethren, always ministered in the house of the Lord.

13. And they cast lots equally, both little and great, by their families for every one of the gates.

14. And the lot of the east fell to Selemias. But to his son Zacharias, a very wise and learned man, the north gate fell by lot.

15. And to Obededom and his sons that towards the south: in which part of the house was the council of the ancients.

16. To Sephim, and Hosa towards the west, by the gate which leadeth to the way of the ascent: ward against ward.

17. Now towards the east were six Levites: and towards the north four a day: and towards the south likewise four a day: and where the council was, two and two.

18. In the cells also of the porters toward the west four in the way: and two at every cell.

19. These are the divisions of the porters of the sons of Core, and of Merari.

20. Now Achias was over the treasures of the house of God, and the holy vessels.

21. The sons of Ledan, the sons of Gersonni: of Ledan were heads of the families, of Ledan, and Gersonni, Jehieli.

22. The sons of Jehieli: Zathan and Joel, his brethren over the treasures of the house of the Lord,

23. With the Amramites, and Isaarites, and Hebronites, and Ozielites.

24. And Subael the son of Gersom, the son of Moses, was chief over the treasures.

25. His brethren also, Eliezer, whose son Rohobia, and his son Isaias, and his son Joram, and his son Zechri, and his son Selemith.

26. Which Selemith and his brethren were over the treasures of the holy things, which king David, and the heads of families, and the captains over thousands and over hundreds, and the captains of the host had dedicated,

27. Out of the wars, and the spoils won in battles, which they had consecrated to the building and furniture of the temple of the Lord.

28. And all these things that Samuel the seer and Saul the son of Cis, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Sarvia had sanctified: and whosoever had sanctified those things, they were under the hand of Selemith and his brethren.

29. But Chonenias and his sons were over the Isaarites, for the business abroad over Israel to teach them and judge them.

30. And of the Hebronites Hasabias, and his brethren most able men, a thousand seven hundred had the charge over Israel beyond the Jordan westward, in all the works of the Lord, and for the service of the king.

31. And the chief of the Hebronites was Jeria according to their families and kindreds. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were numbered, and there were found most valiant men in Jazer Galaad,

32. And his brethren of stronger age, two thousand seven hundred chiefs of families. And king David made them rulers over the Rubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses, for all the service of God, and the king.

1. Unto the end, a psalm for David himself.

2. With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

3. And he heard my prayers, and brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs. And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps.

4. And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many shall see, and shall fear : and they shall hope in the Lord.

5. Blessed is the man whose trust is in the name of the Lord; and who hath not had regard to vanities, and lying follies.

6. Thou hast multiplied thy wonderful works, O Lord my God : and in thy thoughts there is no one like to thee. I have declared and I have spoken they are multiplied above number.

7. Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require :

8. then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me

9. that I should do thy will : O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.

10. I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips : O Lord, thou knowest it.

11. I have not hid thy justice within my heart : I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council.

12. Withhold not thou, O Lord, thy tender mercies from me : thy mercy and thy truth have always upheld me.

13. For evils without number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see. They are multiplied above the hairs of my head : and my heart hath forsaken me.

14. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me, look down, O Lord, to help me.

15. Let them be confounded and ashamed together, that seek after my soul to take it away. Let them be turned backward and be ashamed that desire evils to me.

16. Let them immediately bear their confusion, that say to me : 'T is well, 't is well.

17. Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee : and let such as love thy salvation say always : The Lord be magnified.

18. But I am a beggar and poor : the Lord is careful for me. Thou art my helper and my protector : O my God, be not slack.