Before some men who had been sent by James arrived there, Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers. But after these men arrived, he drew back and would not eat with the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who were in favor of circumcising them.

After he drank some of the wine, he became drunk, took off his clothes, and lay naked in his tent.

Then Shem and Japheth took a robe and held it behind them on their shoulders. They walked backward into the tent and covered their father, keeping their faces turned away so as not to see him naked.

When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live.

Then Moses raised the stick and struck the rock twice with it, and a great stream of water gushed out, and all the people and animals drank.

This happened at Meribah, where the people of Israel complained against the LORD and where he showed them that he is holy.

So he sent a messenger to find out who she was, and learned that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

Afterward she discovered that she was pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him.

When Uriah arrived, David asked him if Joab and the troops were well, and how the fighting was going.

But Uriah did not go home; instead he slept at the palace gate with the king's guards.

Uriah answered, "The men of Israel and Judah are away in battle, and the Covenant Box is with them; my commander Joab and his officers are camping out in the open. How could I go home, eat and drink, and sleep with my wife? By all that's sacred, I swear that I could never do such a thing!"

David invited him to supper and got him drunk. But again that night Uriah did not go home; instead he slept on his blanket in the palace guardroom.

He wrote: "Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is heaviest, then retreat and let him be killed."

The enemy troops came out of the city and fought Joab's forces; some of David's officers were killed, and so was Uriah.

and he instructed the messenger, "After you have told the king all about the battle,

Don't you remember how Abimelech son of Gideon was killed? It was at Thebez, where a woman threw a millstone down from the wall and killed him. Why, then, did you go so near the wall?' If the king asks you this, tell him, 'Your officer Uriah was also killed.' "

He said, "Our enemies were stronger than we were and came out of the city to fight us in the open, but we drove them back to the city gate.

David said to the messenger, "Encourage Joab and tell him not to be upset, since you never can tell who will die in battle. Tell him to launch a stronger attack on the city and capture it."

When the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace; she became his wife and bore him a son. But the LORD was not pleased with what David had done.

The rich man had many cattle and sheep,

One day a visitor arrived at the rich man's home. The rich man didn't want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal for his guest."

For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took."

I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much.

Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife.

You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.' "

But because you have shown such contempt for the LORD in doing this, your child will die."

When he finds it, I tell you, he feels far happier over this one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.

"If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back.

When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders

In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast!

"In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing.

'Your brother has come back home,' the servant answered, 'and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.'

But he spoke back to his father, 'Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends!

'My son,' the father answered, 'you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours.