http://gospeltranslations.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Uriah 2026-04-21T21:59:34Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.16alpha http://gospeltranslations.org/w/index.php?title=Uriah&diff=14526&oldid=prev 2008-10-13T16:27:31Z

<p>New page: {{info}} (&#39;&#39;This audio of John Piper&#39;s reading is from 2001&#39;&#39;.)&nbsp; When he was small his mother told&lt;br&gt;Him many times the tales of old,&lt;br&gt;When Hittites ruled the mountains and&lt;br&gt;Th...</p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{info}}<br /> <br /> (''This audio of John Piper's reading is from 2001''.)&amp;nbsp;<br /> <br /> When he was small his mother told&lt;br&gt;Him many times the tales of old,&lt;br&gt;When Hittites ruled the mountains and&lt;br&gt;The plains, and conquered all the land&lt;br&gt;From western seas to rivers in&lt;br&gt;The west. She said they used to win&lt;br&gt;Their battles by the chivalry&lt;br&gt;And strength that enemies could see&lt;br&gt;On bloody fields, and by the creed&lt;br&gt;Of honor to abstain from greed&lt;br&gt;And lust. She said once to the boy,&lt;br&gt;&quot;Uriah, I recall the joy&lt;br&gt;Your father brought when he'd return&lt;br&gt;From victory. My heart would burn&lt;br&gt;Like fire with good news from Haran.&lt;br&gt;Your father was a mighty man&lt;br&gt;Of war. . . One time he never came.&lt;br&gt;You were too young to know. His name&lt;br&gt;Was read among the valiant dead.&lt;br&gt;Your uncle El-Eroduth said&lt;br&gt;He buried him with honor though,&lt;br&gt;And that your father's mighty bow&lt;br&gt;Was full-bent to the end. He brought&lt;br&gt;A note to me and said, ‘You ought&lt;br&gt;To read this to Uriah when&lt;br&gt;He's old enough to sit with men&lt;br&gt;And dream of war.' Your father wrote,&lt;br&gt;‘Dear son, I leave to you my coat,&lt;br&gt;My bow, my honor and my name.&lt;br&gt;I had a dream tonight. God came&lt;br&gt;And told me that tomorrow I&lt;br&gt;Must die. He said, &quot;Above the sky&lt;br&gt;I rule the heavens and the earth;&lt;br&gt;I bring the tiny child to birth.&lt;br&gt;No ruler rises but by Me,&lt;br&gt;None falls but at My own decree.&lt;br&gt;By My design the sparrow dies,&lt;br&gt;By My decree the arrow flies.&quot;&lt;br&gt;My son, do not resent God's choice.&lt;br&gt;There was a glory in his voice&lt;br&gt;That made me want to rise and go.&lt;br&gt;There's one thing more that you must know&lt;br&gt;And love. Uriah, mark this well:&lt;br&gt;He was the God of Israel.' <br /> <br /> Uriah waited for his mother's word.&lt;br&gt;&quot;Do you believe what you have heard?&quot;&lt;br&gt;She asked. &quot;Do you?&quot; he said. &quot;I do,&lt;br&gt;My son, and always have. Now you&lt;br&gt;And I must leave this place and go&lt;br&gt;Up to Jerusalem and throw&lt;br&gt;Ourselves upon the God of grace,&lt;br&gt;And pray that he would make his face&lt;br&gt;To shine in tender mercy on&lt;br&gt;A Hittite widow and her son.&lt;br&gt;There we will live and spend our days,&lt;br&gt;And we will learn the Jewish ways,&lt;br&gt;And we will have a happy life,&lt;br&gt;And take for you a holy wife.&lt;br&gt;And you will learn to love and sing,&lt;br&gt;And serve a good and righteous king.&quot; <br /> <br /> The years went by. Uriah and&lt;br&gt;His mother found the promised land&lt;br&gt;A place of joy. The boy grew strong;&lt;br&gt;And handsome too. It wasn't long&lt;br&gt;Before he showed his father's craft:&lt;br&gt;His sword was swift and every shaft&lt;br&gt;Shot from his father's bow would score.&lt;br&gt;He was a mighty man of war.&lt;br&gt;The very year his mother died&lt;br&gt;God found for him a holy bride.&lt;br&gt;Bathsheba was her name, and they&lt;br&gt;Were much in love. A one year stay&lt;br&gt;Was given them according to&lt;br&gt;The law, and then Uriah drew&lt;br&gt;His lot to fight the Ammonites.&lt;br&gt;Safe in the shadow of the heights&lt;br&gt;Of David's palace, there he left&lt;br&gt;His wife, a dove within the cleft&lt;br&gt;Of David's care and love: no less&lt;br&gt;A shield than royal righteousness.&lt;br&gt;And while Uriah risked his life,&lt;br&gt;The righteous king lay with his wife;&lt;br&gt;And she was found to be with child.&lt;br&gt;And now the noble king, beguiled&lt;br&gt;By lust, sent for the man of war.&lt;br&gt;And soon Uriah stood before&lt;br&gt;The king. &quot;My servant Joab said&lt;br&gt;You are a fearful man of dread&lt;br&gt;Against the Ammonites. Well done,&lt;br&gt;Take your reward: before the sun&lt;br&gt;Breaks forth now bathe yourself for love;&lt;br&gt;Go down and nestle with your dove.&quot;&lt;br&gt;Uriah smiled the way a friend&lt;br&gt;Would smile, and took his leave to spend&lt;br&gt;The night beside the palace gate. <br /> <br /> &quot;Have you not even seen your mate,&lt;br&gt;Uriah?&quot; David said. &quot;Pray tell&lt;br&gt;Why do you not go bid her well?&quot;&lt;br&gt;Uriah looked perplexed, and then&lt;br&gt;He said, &quot;My lord, you know that when&lt;br&gt;The Hittites went to war, they made&lt;br&gt;A solemn vow, and never laid&lt;br&gt;With wife or concubine until&lt;br&gt;The deadly battle ceased. And will&lt;br&gt;The king of Israel accept&lt;br&gt;Allegiance from a man who slept&lt;br&gt;At home, while others sleep alone&lt;br&gt;On fleshless beds made out of stone?&lt;br&gt;My lord, this would not suit you well:&lt;br&gt;You are the king of Israel!&quot; <br /> <br /> Then David tried to make him drunk,&lt;br&gt;And failing this, the monarch sunk,&lt;br&gt;As low as he would ever sink,&lt;br&gt;As near the final, fatal brink&lt;br&gt;Of no return as he could be:&lt;br&gt;The note to Joab read: &quot;Now see&lt;br&gt;That this Uriah fall before&lt;br&gt;He comes back to me anymore.&lt;br&gt;Press him against the city wall&lt;br&gt;And let the arrows do it all.&quot; <br /> <br /> And on the morrow it was done.&lt;br&gt;And Joab sent a man to run&lt;br&gt;And tell the king. &quot;Be sure to say,&lt;br&gt;‘Your friend Uriah died today.'&lt;br&gt;Then tell him that we found this note&lt;br&gt;Sealed for the king inside his coat.&quot; <br /> <br /> And so the word arrived that night&lt;br&gt;And David heard by candlelight.&lt;br&gt;&quot;A note?&quot; &quot;Yes, Sire, and sealed by his&lt;br&gt;Own ring, for you, and here it is.&quot;&lt;br&gt;&quot;Well done, young man, now you may go,&lt;br&gt;I'll call you if you need to know.&quot; <br /> <br /> He broke the seal and read the note:&lt;br&gt;&quot;My lord, I leave to her my coat,&lt;br&gt;My bow, my honor and my name.&lt;br&gt;I had a dream tonight. God came&lt;br&gt;And told me that tomorrow I&lt;br&gt;Must die. He said, ‘Above the sky&lt;br&gt;I rule the heavens and the earth;&lt;br&gt;I bring the tiny child to birth.&lt;br&gt;No ruler rises but by Me,&lt;br&gt;None falls but at My own decree.&lt;br&gt;By My design the sparrow dies,&lt;br&gt;By My decree the arrow flies.'&lt;br&gt;My Lord, tonight I bow before&lt;br&gt;The King of kings and I adore&lt;br&gt;The mercy and the power that sought&lt;br&gt;Me as a Hittite boy and brought&lt;br&gt;Me to Jerusalem, and let&lt;br&gt;Me know the living God, and set&lt;br&gt;Me in the service of his king,&lt;br&gt;And taught me by your psalms to sing.&lt;br&gt;And I embrace the Lord's decree,&lt;br&gt;For He has granted me to see&lt;br&gt;That she will bear another child,&lt;br&gt;And by Him all that's been defiled&lt;br&gt;By you — and me — will be like snow.&lt;br&gt;And now farewell, my Lord, I go.&quot; <br /> <br /> Come, you who know it is too late&lt;br&gt;To save the victims of your hate.&lt;br&gt;For in the fire of candle three&lt;br&gt;Christ purges even treachery.</div>

Greetje