Bible in a Year.

On day 132, we see how wisdom and strategy can restore justice. 2 Samuel 14 shows Joab acting to reconcile family members and protect the kingdom. In 1 Chronicles 18, David achieves military victories that solidify his leadership. Psalm 14 reflects on corruption and the need to trust in God even in the face of human wickedness.

1. And Joab the son of Sarvia, understanding that the king's heart was turned to Absalom,

2. Sent to Thecua, and fetched from thence a wise woman: and said to her: Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, and be not anointed with oil, that thou mayest be as a woman that had a long time been mourning for one dead.

3. And thou shalt go in to the king, and shalt speak to him in this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4. And when the woman of Thecua was come in to the king, she fell before him upon the ground, and worshipped, and said: Save me, O king.

5. And the king said to her: What is the matter with thee? She answered: Alas, I am a widow woman: for my husband is dead.

6. And thy handmaid had two sons: and they quarrelled with each other in the field, and there was none to part them: and the one struck the other, and slew him.

7. And behold the whole kindred rising against thy handmaid, saith: Deliver him that hath slain his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother, whom he slew, and that we may destroy the heir: and they seek to quench my spark which is left, and will leave my husband no name, nor remainder upon the earth.

8. And the king said to the woman: Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

9. And the woman of Thecua said to the king: Upon me, my lord, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father: but may the king and his throne be guiltless.

10. And the king said: If any one shall say ought against thee, bring him to me, and be shall not touch thee any more.

11. And she said: Let the king remember the Lord his God, that the next of kin be not multiplied to take revenge, and that they may not kill my son. And he said: As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12. Then the woman said: Let thy handmaid speak one word to my lord the king. And he said: Speak.

13. And the woman said: Why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God, and why hath the king spoken this word, to sin, and not bring home again his own exile?

14. We all die, and like waters that return no more, we fall down into the earth: neither will God have a soul to perish, but recalleth, meaning that he that is cast off should not altogether perish.

15. Now therefore I am come, to speak this word to my lord the king before the people. And thy handmaid said: I will speak to the king, it maybe the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

16. And the king hath hearkened to me to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of all that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

17. Then let thy handmaid say, that the word of the Lord the king be made as a sacrifice. For even as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, that he is neither moved with blessing nor cursing: wherefore the Lord thy God is also with thee.

18. And the king answering, said to the woman: Hide not from me the thing that I ask thee. And the woman said to him: Speak, my lord the king.

19. And the king said: Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? The woman answered, and said: By the health of thy soul, my lord, O king, it is neither on the left hand, nor on the right, in all these things which my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he commanded me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy handmaid.

20. That I should come about with this form of speech, thy servant Joab, commanded this: but thou, my lord, O king, art wise, according to the wisdom of ail angel of God, to understand all things upon earth.

21. And the king said to Joab: Behold I am appeased and have granted thy request: Go therefore and fetch back the boy Absalom.

22. And Joab falling down to the ground upon his face, adored, and blessed the king: and Joab said: This day thy servant hath understood, that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king: for thou hast fulfilled the request of thy servant.

23. Then Joab arose and went to Gessur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24. But the king said: Let him return into his house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned into his house, and saw not the king's face.

25. But in all Israel there was not a man so comely, and so exceedingly beautiful as Absalom: from the sole of the foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26. And when he polled his hair (now he was polled once a year, because his hair was burdensome to him) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred sicles, according to the common weight.

27. And there were born to Absalom three sons: and one daughter, whose, name was Thamar, and she was very beautiful.

28. And Absalom dwelt two years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.

29. He sent therefore to Joab, to send him to the king: but he would not come to him. And when he had sent the second time, and he would not come to him,

30. He said to his servants: You know the field of Joab near my field, that hath a crop of barley: go now and set it on fire. So the servants of Absalom set the corn on fire. And Joab's servants coming with their garments rent, said: The servants of Absalom have set part of the field on fire.

31. Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said: Why have thy servants set my corn on fire?

32. And Absalom answered Joab: I sent to thee beseeching thee to come to me, that I might send thee to the king, to say to him: Wherefore am I come from Gessur? it had been better for me to be there: I beseech thee therefore that I may see the face of the king: and if he be mindful of my iniquity, let him kill me.

33. So Joab going in to the king, told him all: and Absalom was called for, and he went in to the king: and prostrated himself on the ground before him: and the king kissed Absalom.

1. And it came to pass after this, that David defeated the Philistines, and humbled them, and took away Geth, and her daughters out of the hands of the Philistines,

2. And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites were made David's servants, and brought him gifts.

3. At that time David defeated also Adarezer king of Soba of the land of Hemath, when he went to extend his dominions as far as the river Euphrates.

4. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and he houghed all the chariot horses, only a hundred chariots, which he reserved for himself.

5. And the Syrians of Damascus came also to help Adarezer king of Soba: and David slew of them likewise two and twenty thousand men.

6. And he put a garrison in Damascus, that Syria also should serve him, and bring gifts. And the Lord assisted him in all things to which he went.

7. And David took the golden quivers which the servants of Adarezer had, and he brought them to Jerusalem.

8. Likewise out of Thebath and Chun, cities of Adarezer, he brought very much brass, of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

9. Now when Thou king of Hemath heard that David had defeated all the army of Adarezer king of Soba,

10. He sent Adoram his son to king David, to desire peace of him, and to congratulate him that he had defeated and overthrown Adarezer: for Thou was an enemy to Adarezer.

11. And all the vessels of gold, and silver, and brass king David consecrated to the Lord, with the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, as well from Edom, and from Moab, and from the sons of Ammon, as from the Philistines, and from Amalec.

12. And Abisai the son of Sarvia slew of the Edomites in the vale of the saltpits, eighteen thousand:

13. And he put a garrison in Edom, that Edom should serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all things to which he went.

14. So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

15. And Joab the son of Sarvia was over the army, and Josaphat the son of Ahilud recorder.

16. And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and Achimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests: and Susa, scribe.

17. And Banaias the son of Joiada was over the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi: and the sons of David were chief about the king.

1. Unto the end, a psalm for David. The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God, They are corrupt, and are become abominable in their ways: there is none that doth good, no not one.

2. The Lord hath looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any that understand and seek God.

3. They are all gone aside, they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they acted deceitfully; the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

4. Shall not all they know that work iniquity, who devour my people as they eat bread ?

5. They have not called upon the Lord: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.

6. For the Lord is in the just generation: you have confounded the counsel of the poor man, but the Lord is his hope.

7. Who shall give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when the Lord shall have turned away the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.