Book of Common Prayer

Security of those who trust in Jehovah, and insecurity of the wicked.

A Psalm of David.

²⁴ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food. ²⁵ And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side: but David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Nevertheless Saul spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. ²⁷ And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day? ²⁸ And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: ²⁹ and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king’s table.

³⁰ Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother’s nakedness? ³¹ For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he ^[a]shall surely die. ³² And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done? ³³ And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death. ³⁴ So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

³⁵ And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field ^[b]at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. ³⁶ And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow ^[c]beyond him. ³⁷ And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? ³⁸ And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. ³⁹ But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. ⁴⁰ And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. ⁴¹ And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose ^[d]out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. ⁴² And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

13 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ³ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴ So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant. ⁶ And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain ^[a]sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus; ⁷ who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the ^[b]sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, ¹⁰ and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun ^[c]for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

²³ And it came to pass, that he was going on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples ^[a]began, as they went, to pluck the ears. ²⁴ And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? ²⁵ And he said unto them, ^[b]Did ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he, and they that were with him? ²⁶ How he entered into the house of God ^[c]when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him? ²⁷ And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: ²⁸ so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.

3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there who had his hand withered. ² And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. ³ And he saith unto the man that had his hand withered, ^[d]Stand forth. ⁴ And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace. ⁵ And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored. ⁶ And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.