1 Samuel 21:10-22:2

New American Standard Bible

¹⁰Then David set out and fled that day from Saul, and went to ^(A)Achish king of Gath. ¹¹But the ^(B)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? ^(C)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

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

¹²David ^(D)took these words ^[a]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. ¹³So he ^(E)disguised his sanity while in their sight and acted insanely in their ^[b]custody, and he scribbled on the doors of the gate, and drooled on his beard. ¹⁴Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is behaving like an insane person. Why do you bring him to me? ¹⁵Do I lack insane people, that you have brought this one to behave like an insane person in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”

Priests Killed at Nob

22 So David departed from there and ^(F)escaped to ^(G)the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard about it, they went down there to him. ²Then everyone who was in distress, and everyone who ^[c]was in debt, and everyone who was ^[d]discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were ^(H)about four hundred men with him.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 21:12 Lit in his
1 Samuel 21:13 Lit hand
1 Samuel 22:2 Lit had a creditor
1 Samuel 22:2 Lit bitter of soul

Psalm 142

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

^[a]Maskil of David, when he was ^[b]in the cave. A Prayer.

142 I ^(A)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I ^(B)implore the Lord for compassion.
²I ^(C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my ^(D)trouble before Him.
³When ^(E)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have ^(F)hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see;
For there is ^(G)no one who regards me favorably;
^[c]There is no ^(H)escape for me;
^(I)No one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are ^(J)my refuge,
My ^(K)portion in the ^(L)land of the living.
⁶^(M)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been ^(N)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too ^(O)strong for me.
⁷^(P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will ^(Q)look after me.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Psalm 142 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
Psalm 142 Title 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3
Psalm 142:4 Lit Escape has perished from me

Psalm 57

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.

For the music director; set to ^[a]Al-tashheth. A ^[b]Mikhtam of David, ^[c]when he fled from Saul in the cave.

57 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
For my soul ^(A)takes refuge in You;
And in the ^(B)shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
Until destruction ^(C)passes by.
²I will cry to God Most High,
To God who ^(D)accomplishes all things for me.
³He will ^(E)send from heaven and save me;
He rebukes the one who ^[d]^(F)tramples upon me. Selah
God will send His ^[e]^(G)favor and His truth.

⁴My soul is among ^(H)lions;
I must lie among those who devour,
Among sons of mankind whose ^(I)teeth are spears and arrows,
And their ^(J)tongue is a sharp sword.
⁵^(K)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.
⁶They have prepared a ^(L)net for my steps;
My soul is ^(M)bowed down;
They ^(N)dug a pit before me;
They themselves have ^(O)fallen into the midst of it. Selah

⁷^(P)My ^(Q)heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
⁸Awake, ^(R)my glory!
Awake, ^(S)harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
⁹^(T)I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the ^[f]nations.
¹⁰For Your ^(U)goodness is great to the heavens
And Your ^[g]truth to the clouds.
¹¹^(V)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.