David in Saul’s Service

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed^(A) from Saul, and an evil^[a] spirit^(B) from the Lord tormented him.^(C)

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre.^(D) He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse^(E) of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior.^(F) He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with^(G) him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.^(H)” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread,^(I) a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service.^(J) Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit^(K) would leave him.

Through Macedonia and Greece

20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples^(A) and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.^{(B) 2} He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, ³ where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him^(C) just as he was about to sail for Syria,^(D) he decided to go back through Macedonia.^{(E) 4} He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus^(F) and Secundus from Thessalonica,^(G) Gaius^(H) from Derbe, Timothy^(I) also, and Tychicus^(J) and Trophimus^(K) from the province of Asia.^{(L) 5} These men went on ahead and waited for us^(M) at Troas.^{(N) 6} But we sailed from Philippi^(O) after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,^(P) where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week^(Q) we came together to break bread.^(R) Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room^(S) where we were meeting. ⁹ Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down, threw himself on the young man^(T) and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”^{(U) 11} Then he went upstairs again and broke bread^(V) and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹² The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.^{(W) 16} Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus^(X) to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,^(Y) for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem,^(Z) if possible, by the day of Pentecost.^(AA)