Reading: 2 Samuel 23, Galatians 3

¹ Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,² The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.³ The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.⁴ And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.⁵ Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.⁶ But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:⁷ But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.⁸ These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.¹³ And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁴ And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!¹⁶ And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.¹⁹ Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.²³ He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,²⁷ Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,³¹ Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,³⁵ Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,³⁸ Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,³⁹ Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

¹ O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?² This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?³ Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?⁴ Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.⁵ He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?⁶ Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.⁷ Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.⁸ And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.⁹ So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.¹¹ But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.¹² And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:¹⁴ That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.¹⁵ Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.¹⁷ And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.¹⁸ For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.¹⁹ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.²⁰ Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.²² But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.²³ But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.²⁴ Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.²⁵ But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.²⁶ For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.²⁹ And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.