1 Samuel 18

New International Version

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan^(A) became one in spirit with David, and he loved^(B) him as himself.^(C) ²From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³And Jonathan made a covenant^(D) with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴Jonathan took off the robe^(E) he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.^(F)

⁵Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful^(G) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.^(H) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,^(I) with joyful songs and with timbrels^(J) and lyres. ⁷As they danced, they sang:^(K)

“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens^(L) of thousands.”

⁸Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?^(M)” ⁹And from that time on Saul kept a close^(N) eye on David.

¹⁰The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(O) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(P) as he usually^(Q) did. Saul had a spear^(R) in his hand ¹¹and he hurled it, saying to himself,^(S) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded^(T) him twice.^(U)

¹²Saul was afraid^(V) of David, because the Lord^(W) was with^(X) David but had departed from^(Y) Saul. ¹³So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^(Z) the troops in their campaigns.^(AA) ¹⁴In everything he did he had great success,^(AB) because the Lord was with^(AC) him. ¹⁵When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.^(AD)

¹⁷Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter^(AE) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;^(AF) only serve me bravely and fight the battles^(AG) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,^(AH) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸But David said to Saul, “Who am I,^(AI) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?^(AJ)” ¹⁹So^[b] when the time came for Merab,^(AK) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(AL)

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(AM) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^(AN) ²¹“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(AO) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²²Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(AP) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price^(AQ) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge^(AR) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan^(AS) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal^(AT) in marriage.

²⁸When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(AU) loved David, ²⁹Saul became still more afraid^(AV) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success^(AW) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 18:10 Or a harmful
1 Samuel 18:19 Or However,

Jeremiah 46

New International Version

A Message About Egypt

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:^(A)

²Concerning Egypt:^(B)

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho^(C) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish^(D) on the Euphrates^(E) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(F) son of Josiah king of Judah:

³“Prepare your shields,^(G) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
⁴Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish^(H) your spears,
    put on your armor!^(I)
⁵What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee^(J) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror^(K) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
⁶“The swift cannot flee^(L)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates^(M)
    they stumble and fall.^(N)

⁷“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?^(O)
⁸Egypt rises like the Nile,^(P)
    like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
    I will destroy cities and their people.’^(Q)
⁹Charge, you horses!
    Drive furiously, you charioteers!^(R)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush^[a]^(S) and Put who carry shields,
    men of Lydia^(T) who draw the bow.
¹⁰But that day^(U) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
    a day of vengeance^(V), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour^(W) till it is satisfied,
    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.^(X)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice^(Y)
    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.^(Z)

¹¹“Go up to Gilead and get balm,^(AA)
    Virgin^(AB) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
    there is no healing^(AC) for you.
¹²The nations will hear of your shame;
    your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
    both will fall^(AD) down together.”

¹³This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(AE) to attack Egypt:^(AF)

¹⁴“Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
    proclaim it also in Memphis^(AG) and Tahpanhes:^(AH)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
    for the sword devours^(AI) those around you.’
¹⁵Why will your warriors be laid low?
    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.^(AJ)
¹⁶They will stumble^(AK) repeatedly;
    they will fall^(AL) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
    to our own people^(AM) and our native lands,
    away from the sword of the oppressor.’^(AN)
¹⁷There they will exclaim,
    ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;^(AO)
    he has missed his opportunity.^(AP)’

¹⁸“As surely as I live,” declares the King,^(AQ)
    whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor^(AR) among the mountains,
    like Carmel^(AS) by the sea.
¹⁹Pack your belongings for exile,^(AT)
    you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis^(AU) will be laid waste^(AV)
    and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

²⁰“Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
    but a gadfly is coming
    against her from the north.^(AW)
²¹The mercenaries^(AX) in her ranks
    are like fattened calves.^(AY)
They too will turn and flee^(AZ) together,
    they will not stand their ground,
for the day^(BA) of disaster is coming upon them,
    the time^(BB) for them to be punished.
²²Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
    as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
    like men who cut down trees.^(BC)
²³They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,^(BD)
    they cannot be counted.
²⁴Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.^(BE)”

²⁵The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,^(BF) on Pharaoh,^(BG) on Egypt and her gods^(BH) and her kings, and on those who rely^(BI) on Pharaoh. ²⁶I will give them into the hands^(BJ) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king^(BK) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited^(BL) as in times past,” declares the Lord.

²⁷“Do not be afraid,^(BM) Jacob^(BN) my servant;^(BO)
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.^(BP)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.
²⁸Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
    for I am with you,”^(BQ) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy^(BR) all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

Footnotes

Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region

Psalm 94:1-11

New International Version

Psalm 94

¹The Lord is a God who avenges.^(A)
    O God who avenges, shine forth.^(B)
²Rise up,^(C) Judge^(D) of the earth;
    pay back^(E) to the proud what they deserve.
³How long, Lord, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?^(F)

⁴They pour out arrogant^(G) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.^(H)
⁵They crush your people,^(I) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.^(J)
⁶They slay the widow^(K) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.^(L)
⁷They say, “The Lord does not see;^(M)
    the God of Jacob^(N) takes no notice.”

⁸Take notice, you senseless ones^(O) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
⁹Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?^(P)
¹⁰Does he who disciplines^(Q) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches^(R) mankind lack knowledge?
¹¹The Lord knows all human plans;^(S)
    he knows that they are futile.^(T)

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Romans 11:1-18

New International Version

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!^(A) I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham,^(B) from the tribe of Benjamin.^(C) ²God did not reject his people,^(D) whom he foreknew.^(E) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ³“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”^[a]?^(F) ⁴And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^[b]^(G) ⁵So too, at the present time there is a remnant^(H) chosen by grace.^(I) ⁶And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;^(J) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.^(K) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,^(L) ⁸as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,^(M)
to this very day.”^[c]^(N)

⁹And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
¹⁰May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,^(O)
and their backs be bent forever.”^[d]^(P)

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!^(Q) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles^(R) to make Israel envious.^(S) ¹²But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,^(T) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,^(U) I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy^(V) and save^(W) some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection brought reconciliation^(X) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?^(Y) ¹⁶If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits^(Z) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷If some of the branches have been broken off,^(AA) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others^(AB) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.^(AC)

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