David Spares Saul’s Life

24 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”^{(A) 2} Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.^{(B) 3} He came to the sheepfolds beside the road, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself.^[a] Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.^{(C) 4} The men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” Then David went and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak.^{(D) 5} Afterward David was stricken to the heart because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak.^{(E) 6} He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to raise my hand against him, for he is the Lord’s anointed.”^{(F) 7} So David rebuked his men severely and did not permit them to attack Saul. Then Saul got up and left the cave and went on his way.

⁸ Afterward David also rose up and went out of the cave and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance.^{(G) 9} David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of those who say, ‘David seeks to do you harm’? ¹⁰ This very day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hand in the cave, and some urged me to kill you, but I spared^[b] you. I said, ‘I will not raise my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, see the corner of your cloak in my hand, for by the fact that I cut off the corner of your cloak and did not kill you, you may know for certain that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you are hunting me to take my life.^{(H) 12} May the Lord judge between me and you! May the Lord avenge me on you, but my hand shall not be against you.^{(I) 13} As the ancient proverb says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness,’ but my hand shall not be against you.^{(J) 14} Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea?^{(K) 15} May the Lord, therefore, be judge and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it and plead my cause and vindicate me against you.”^(L)

¹⁶ When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Saul lifted up his voice and wept.^{(M) 17} He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.^{(N) 18} Today you have explained how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands.^{(O) 19} For who has ever found an enemy and sent the enemy safely away? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. ²⁰ Now I know that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.^{(P) 21} Swear to me, therefore, by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not wipe out my name from my father’s house.”^{(Q) 22} So David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.^(R)

Personal Greetings

16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon^[a] of the church at Cenchreae,^{(A) 2} so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus,^{(B) 4} who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the gentiles. ⁵ Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert^[b] in Asia for Christ.^{(C) 6} Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia,^[c] my fellow Israelites who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.^{(D) 10} Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet my fellow Israelite Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹² Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and greet his mother—a mother to me also. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.^{(E) 16} Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.^(F)

Final Instructions

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who create dissensions and hindrances, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them.^{(G) 18} For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites,^[d] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.^{(H) 19} For your obedience is known to all; therefore, I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil.^{(I) 20} The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^[e](J)

²¹ Timothy, my coworker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Israelites.^(K)

²² I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.^[f]

²³ Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.^[g](L)

Final Doxology

²⁵ Now to God^[h] who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages^{(M) 26} but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith^(N)— ²⁷ to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.^[i]

David and Abigail

² There was a man in Maon whose property was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel.^{(A) 3} Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail. The woman was clever and beautiful, but the man was surly and mean; he was a Calebite. ⁴ David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. ⁵ So David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. ⁶ Thus you shall salute him, ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.^{(B) 7} I hear that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel.^{(C) 8} Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight, for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”^(D)

⁹ When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. ¹⁰ But Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are breaking away from their masters.^{(E) 11} Shall I take my bread and my water and the meat that I have butchered for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” ¹² So David’s young men turned away and came back and told him all this. ¹³ David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every one of them strapped on his sword; David also strapped on his sword, and about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.^(F)

¹⁴ But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he shouted insults at them. ¹⁵ Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we never missed anything when we were in the fields as long as we were with them;^{(G) 16} they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.^{(H) 17} Now, therefore, know this and consider what you should do, for evil has been decided against our master and against all his house; he is so ill-natured that no one can speak to him.”

¹⁸ Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys^{(I) 19} and said to her young men, “Go on ahead of me; I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.^{(J) 20} As she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. ²¹ Now David had said, “Surely it was in vain that I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, but he has returned me evil for good.^{(K) 22} God do so to David^[a] and more also if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”^(L)

²³ When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from the donkey and fell before David on her face, bowing to the ground.^{(M) 24} She fell at his feet and said, “Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt; please let your servant speak in your ears and hear the words of your servant.^{(N) 25} My lord, do not take seriously this ill-natured fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal^[b] is his name, and folly is with him, but I, your servant, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.^(O)

²⁶ “Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, since the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from taking vengeance with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be like Nabal.^{(P) 27} And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸ Please forgive the trespass of your servant, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live.^{(Q) 29} If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living under the care of the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. ³⁰ When the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, ³¹ my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for having saved himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”

³² David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today!^{(R) 33} Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand! ³⁴ For as surely as the Lord the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there would not have been left to Nabal so much as one male.” ³⁵ Then David received from her hand what she had brought him; he said to her, “Go up to your house in peace; see, I have heeded your voice, and I have granted your petition.”^(S)

³⁶ Abigail came to Nabal; he was holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk, so she told him nothing at all until the morning light.^{(T) 37} In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him; he became like a stone. ³⁸ About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has judged the case of Nabal’s insult to me and has kept back his servant from evil; the Lord has returned the evildoing of Nabal upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail to make her his wife.^{(U) 40} When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” ⁴¹ She rose and bowed down, with her face to the ground, and said, “Your servant is a slave to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”^{(V) 42} Abigail got up hurriedly and rode away on a donkey; her five maids attended her. She went after the messengers of David and became his wife.^(W)

Jesus Calms a Storm

²² One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out,^{(A) 23} and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. ²⁴ They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And waking up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm.^{(B) 25} Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were terrified and amazed and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?”

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

²⁶ Then they arrived at the region of the Gerasenes,^[a] which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ As he stepped out on shore, a man from the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had not worn^[b] any clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me,”^{(C) 29} for Jesus^[c] had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.^(D)

³² Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding, and the demons^[d] begged Jesus^[e] to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd stampeded down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.^(E)

³⁴ When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they became frightened.^{(F) 36} Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed.^{(G) 37} Then the whole throng of people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes^[f] asked Jesus^[g] to leave them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.^{(H) 38} The man from whom the demons had gone out begged that he might be with him, but Jesus^[h] sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. ⁴¹ Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’s feet and began pleading with him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.

As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. ⁴³ Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all she had on physicians,^[i] no one could cure her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. ⁴⁵ Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter^[j] said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”^{(I) 46} But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I noticed that power had gone out from me.”^{(J) 47} When the woman realized that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”^(K)

⁴⁹ While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.”^{(L) 50} When Jesus heard this, he replied, “Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.” ⁵¹ When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² Everyone was weeping and grieving for her, but he said, “Do not cry, for she is not dead but sleeping.”^{(M) 53} And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But taking her by the hand, he called out, “Child, get up!”^{(N) 55} Her spirit returned, and she stood up at once, and he directed them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astounded, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.^(O)