David and the Holy Bread

21 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And (A)Ahimelech was (B)afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”

And the priest answered David and said, “There is no [a]common bread on hand; but there is (C)holy[b] bread, (D)if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”

Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And [c]the (E)vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated (F)in the vessel this day.”

So the priest (G)gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread (H)which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. And his name was (I)Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in (J)the Valley of Elah, (K)there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.”

And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

10 Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And (L)the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

(M)‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

12 Now David (N)took these words [d]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So (O)he changed his behavior before them, pretended [e]madness in their hands, [f]scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:4 ordinary
  2. 1 Samuel 21:4 consecrated
  3. 1 Samuel 21:5 The young men are ceremonially undefiled
  4. 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit. in his heart
  5. 1 Samuel 21:13 insanity
  6. 1 Samuel 21:13 scribbled

The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job(A)

38 Then the Lord answered Job (B)out of the whirlwind, and said:

“Who(C) is this who darkens counsel
By (D)words without knowledge?
(E)Now [a]prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

“Where(F) were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the [b]line upon it?
To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all (G)the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or(H) who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When (I)I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves (J)must stop!’

12 “Have you (K)commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And (L)the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their (M)light is withheld,
And (N)the [c]upraised arm is broken.

16 “Have you (O)entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have (P)the gates of death been [d]revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?

22 “Have you entered (Q)the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 (R)Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light [e]diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

25 “Who (S)has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 (T)To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 (U)Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the (V)frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is (W)frozen.[f]

31 “Can you bind the cluster of the (X)Pleiades,[g]
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out [h]Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide [i]the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know (Y)the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 (Z)Who has put wisdom in [j]the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?

39 “Can(AA) you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41 (AB)Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:3 Lit. gird up your loins like
  2. Job 38:5 measuring line
  3. Job 38:15 Lit. high
  4. Job 38:17 Lit. opened
  5. Job 38:24 Lit. divided
  6. Job 38:30 Lit. imprisoned
  7. Job 38:31 Or the Seven Stars
  8. Job 38:32 Lit. Constellations
  9. Job 38:32 Or Arcturus
  10. Job 38:36 Lit. the inward parts

Prelude to the Bowl Judgments

15 Then (A)I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: (B)seven angels having the seven last plagues, (C)for in them the wrath of God is complete.

And I saw something like (D)a sea of glass (E)mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, (F)over his image and [a]over his mark and over the (G)number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, (H)having harps of God. They sing (I)the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the (J)Lamb, saying:

(K)“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
(L)Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the [b]saints!
(M)Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are (N)holy.
For (O)all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”

After these things I looked, and [c]behold, (P)the [d]temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the [e]temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, (Q)clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. (R)Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God (S)who lives forever and ever. (T)The temple was filled with smoke (U)from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 15:2 NU, M omit over his mark
  2. Revelation 15:3 NU, M nations
  3. Revelation 15:5 NU, M omit behold
  4. Revelation 15:5 sanctuary, the inner shrine
  5. Revelation 15:6 sanctuary, the inner shrine

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