Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a year podcast,

where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a

year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the

way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into

that story today. It is day 128. We're reading from 2nd Samuel, Chapter 10, and First Chronicles, chapter 13. We're also praying Psalm 31, as always. The Bible translation that I'm reading from is the revised standard version, second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, just let this be my invitation to you to subscribe to this podcast by clicking subscribe and then it's done. As I said, it is day 128. We're reading only three chapters today, 2 Samuel chapter 10, 1 Chronicles chapter 13,

and Psalm 31. The second book of Samuel, chapter 10. The Ammonites and Syrians are defeated.

After this, the king of the Ammonites, died, and Hanun, his son reigned in his stead, and David said,

I will deal loyally with Hanun,

the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me. So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites, but the princes of

the Ammonites said to Hanun, their lord, do you think, because David has sent comforters to you

that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out

and to overthrow it? So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off

their garments in the middle at the hips and sent them away.

When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed.

And the king said, remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.

When the Ammonites saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians at Beth Rahob and the Syrians of Zob,

20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maaka, with a thousand men and the men of Tob, 12,000 men. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men, and the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zob and of Rahob,

and the men of Taub and Maaka were by themselves and the open country. When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the picked men of

Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abashai,

his brother, and he arrayed them against

the Ammonites. And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me. But if

the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage,

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