David’s Success

18 When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship,[a] and loved him as much as he loved himself.(A) Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.

Jonathan made a covenant with David(B) because he loved him as much as himself. Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David,(C) along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,(D) singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. As they danced, the women sang:

Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands.(E)

Saul was furious and resented this song. “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” (F) So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

Saul Attempts to Kill David

10 The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul,(G) and he began to rave[b] inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual,(H) but Saul was holding a spear,(I) 11 and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.”(J) But David got away from him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David,(K) because the Lord was with David(L) but had left Saul.(M) 13 Therefore, Saul sent David away from him and made him commander over a thousand men. David led the troops(N) 14 and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him.(O) 15 When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David(P) because he was leading their troops. 17 Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife(Q) if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.”(R) But Saul was thinking, “I don’t need to raise a hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”(S)

18 Then David responded, “Who am I,(T) and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 When it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.(U)

David’s Marriage to Michal

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal(V) loved David, and when it was reported to Saul, it pleased him. 21 “I’ll give her to him,” Saul thought. “She’ll be a trap for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.”(W) So Saul said to David a second time, “You can now be my son-in-law.”(X)

22 Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Therefore, you should become the king’s son-in-law.’”

23 Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, but he replied, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor commoner.”(Y)

24 The servants reported back to Saul, “These are the words David spoke.”

25 Then Saul replied, “Say this to David: ‘The king desires no other bride-price(Z) except a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’”(AA) Actually, Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.(AB)

26 When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, 27 David and his men went out and killed two hundred[c] Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as full payment to the king to become his son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David as his wife.(AC) 28 Saul realized[d] that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, 29 and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David’s enemy from then on.

30 Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight,(AD) David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers.(AE) So his name became well known.

David Delivered from Saul

19 Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David.(AF) But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much,(AG) so he told him, “My father, Saul, intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning and hide in a secret place and stay there. I’ll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are and talk to him about you. When I see what he says, I’ll tell you.”(AH)

Jonathan spoke well of David to his father, Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David.(AI) He hasn’t sinned against you; in fact, his actions have been a great advantage to you. He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine,(AJ) and the Lord brought about a great victory for all Israel.(AK) You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?” (AL)

Saul listened to Jonathan’s advice and swore an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.” So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he did before.(AM)

When war broke out again, David went out and fought against the Philistines. He defeated them with such great force that they fled from him.

Now an evil spirit sent from the Lord(AN) came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear.(AO) David was playing the lyre,(AP) 10 and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear.(AQ) As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul, ran away, and escaped that night. 11 Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch for him and kill him in the morning.(AR) But his wife Michal(AS) warned David, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!” 12 So she lowered David from the window, and he fled and escaped.(AT) 13 Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment. 14 When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, “He’s sick.”(AU)

15 Saul sent the agents back to see David and said, “Bring him on his bed so I can kill him.” 16 When the agents arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head.

17 Saul asked Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!”

She answered him, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

18 So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah(AV) and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel left and stayed at Naioth.(AW)

19 When it was reported to Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, 20 he sent agents to seize David.(AX) However, when they saw the group of prophets prophesying(AY) with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s agents, and they also started prophesying. 21 When they reported to Saul, he sent other agents, and they also began prophesying.(AZ) So Saul tried again and sent a third group of agents, and even they began prophesying. 22 Then Saul himself went to Ramah. He came to the large cistern at Secu and asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

“At Naioth in Ramah,” someone said.

23 So he went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God also came on him,(BA) and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah. 24 Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed and lay naked(BB) all that day and all that night. That is why they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (BC)

Footnotes

  1. 18:1 Lit the life of Jonathan was bound to the life of David
  2. 18:10 Or prophesy
  3. 18:27 LXX reads 100
  4. 18:28 Lit saw and knew

David’s Descendants

These(A) were David’s sons who were born to him in Hebron:

Amnon was the firstborn, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;

Daniel was born second, by Abigail of Carmel;

Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, was third;

Adonijah son of Haggith was fourth;

Shephatiah, by Abital, was fifth;

and Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah, was sixth.

Six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years.(B)

These(C) sons were born to him in Jerusalem:

Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.(D) These four were born to him by Bath-shua(E) daughter of Ammiel.

David’s other sons: Ibhar, Elishua,[a](F) Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine sons.

These were all David’s sons, with their sister Tamar,(G) in addition to the sons by his concubines.

Judah’s Kings

10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam;

his son was Abijah, his son Asa,

his son Jehoshaphat, 11 his son Jehoram,[b][c]

his son Ahaziah, his son Joash,

12 his son Amaziah, his son Azariah,

his son Jotham, 13 his son Ahaz,

his son Hezekiah, his son Manasseh,

14 his son Amon, and his son Josiah.

15 Josiah’s sons:

Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim second,

Zedekiah third, and Shallum fourth.

16 Jehoiakim’s sons:

his sons Jeconiah and Zedekiah.

David’s Line after the Exile

17 The sons of Jeconiah the captive:

his sons Shealtiel, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19 Pedaiah’s sons: Zerubbabel and Shimei.

Zerubbabel’s sons: Meshullam and Hananiah, with their sister Shelomith; 20 and five others—Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed.

21 Hananiah’s descendants: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah, and Shecaniah.[d]

22 The son[e] of Shecaniah: Shemaiah.

Shemaiah’s sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six.

23 Neariah’s sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three.

24 Elioenai’s sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven.

Footnotes

  1. 3:6 Lit Elishama; 2Sm 5:15; 1Ch 14:5
  2. 3:11 Lit Joram
  3. 3:11 = The Lord is Exalted
  4. 3:21 LXX reads Jeshaiah, his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, and his son Shecaniah
  5. 3:22 LXX; MT reads sons

Psalm 59

God Our Stronghold

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.(A)

Rescue me from my enemies, my God;(B)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(C)
Rescue me from evildoers,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(D)
Because look, Lord, they set an ambush for me.(E)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(F)
For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(G)
Lord God of Armies, you are the God of Israel.
Rise up to punish all the nations;
do not show favor to any wicked traitors.(H)Selah

They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(I)
Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[a] their lips.(J)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?” (K)
But you laugh at them, Lord;
you ridicule all the nations.(L)
I will keep watch for you, my[b] strength,
because God is my stronghold.(M)
10 My faithful God[c] will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries.(N)

11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
By your power, make them homeless wanderers(O)
and bring them down,
Lord, our shield.(P)
12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
They utter curses and lies.(Q)
13 Consume them in fury;
consume them until they are gone.(R)
Then people will know throughout[d] the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(S)Selah

14 And they return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(T)
15 They scavenge for food;
they growl if they are not satisfied.(U)

16 But I will sing of your strength
and will joyfully proclaim
your faithful love in the morning.(V)
For you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge in my day of trouble.(W)
17 To you, my strength, I sing praises,
because God is my stronghold—
my faithful God.(X)

Footnotes

  1. 59:7 Lit swords are on
  2. 59:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg; other Hb mss read his
  3. 59:10 Alt Hb tradition reads My God in his faithful love
  4. 59:13 Lit know to the ends of

Preparing for the Mission Field

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch,(A) and Saul.

As they were worshiping[a] the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”(B) Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.(C)

The Mission to Cyprus

So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.(D) When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.(E) He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.(F) But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed(G) them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.(H)

But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil(I) and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths(J) of the Lord? 11 Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you.(K) You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.(L)

Paul’s Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia

13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem.(M) 14 They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.(N) 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”(O)

16 Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen!(P) 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty[b] arm.(Q) 18 And for about forty years he put up with them[c] in the wilderness;(R) 19 and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan,(S) he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.(T) 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.(U) 22 After removing him,(V) he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart,[d](W) who will carry out all my will.’

23 “From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel(X) the Savior, Jesus.[e] 24 Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.(Y) 25 Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’(Z)

26 “Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent.(AA) 27 Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him.(AB) 28 Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed.(AC) 29 When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb.(AD) 30 But God raised him from the dead,(AE) 31 and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.(AF) 32 And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.(AG) 33 God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.[f][g] (AH)

34 As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David.[h](AI) 35 Therefore he also says in another passage, You will not let your Holy One see decay.[i](AJ) 36 For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep,(AK) was buried with his fathers, and decayed,(AL) 37 but the one God raised up did not decay. 38 Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.(AM) 39 Everyone who believes is justified[j] through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses.(AN) 40 So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:

41 Look, you scoffers,
marvel and vanish away,
because I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will never believe,
even if someone were to explain it to you.[k](AO)

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch

42 As they were leaving, the people[l] urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. 43 After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.(AP)

44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord.[m] 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him.(AQ)

46 Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.(AR) 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

I have made you
a light for the Gentiles
to bring salvation
to the ends of the earth.[n](AS)

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district.(AT) 51 But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet(AU) against them(AV) and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.(AW)

Footnotes

  1. 13:2 Or were ministering to
  2. 13:17 Lit with an uplifted
  3. 13:18 Other mss read he cared for them
  4. 13:22 1Sm 13:14; Ps 89:20
  5. 13:23 Other mss read brought salvation
  6. 13:33 Or I have begotten you
  7. 13:33 Ps 2:7
  8. 13:34 Is 55:3
  9. 13:35 Ps 16:10
  10. 13:39 Or freed, also later in this verse
  11. 13:41 Hab 1:5
  12. 13:42 Other mss read they were leaving the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles
  13. 13:44 Other mss read of God
  14. 13:47 Is 49:6

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