David Among the Philistines

27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

² So David and the six hundred men^(A) with him left and went^(B) over to Achish^(C) son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives:^(D) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag,^(E) and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. ⁷ David lived^(F) in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,^(G) the Girzites and the Amalekites.^(H) (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur^(I) and Egypt.) ⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive,^(J) but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel^(K)” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.^(L)” ¹¹ He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. ¹² Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious^(M) to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.^(N)”

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

8 Now about food sacrificed to idols:^(A) We know that “We all possess knowledge.”^(B) But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something^(C) do not yet know as they ought to know.^{(D) 3} But whoever loves God is known by God.^[a](E)

⁴ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:^(F) We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world”^(G) and that “There is no God but one.”^{(H) 5} For even if there are so-called gods,^(I) whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ yet for us there is but one God,^(J) the Father,^(K) from whom all things came^(L) and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord,^(M) Jesus Christ, through whom all things came^(N) and through whom we live.

⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge.^(O) Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak,^(P) it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God;^(Q) we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block^(R) to the weak.^{(S) 10} For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?^{(T) 11} So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed^(U) by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against them^(V) in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.^{(W) 13} Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.^(X)

Doom for the Mountains of Israel

6 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, set your face^(A) against the mountains^(B) of Israel; prophesy against them^{(C) 3} and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys:^(D) I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.^{(E) 4} Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars^(F) will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols.^{(G) 5} I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones^(H) around your altars.^{(I) 6} Wherever you live,^(J) the towns will be laid waste and the high places^(K) demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols^(L) smashed and ruined, your incense altars^(M) broken down, and what you have made wiped out.^{(N) 7} Your people will fall slain^(O) among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^(P)

⁸ “‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape^(Q) the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations.^{(R) 9} Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember^(S) me—how I have been grieved^(T) by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols.^(U) They will loathe themselves for the evil^(V) they have done and for all their detestable practices.^{(W) 10} And they will know that I am the Lord;^(X) I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.^(Y)

¹¹ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.^{(Z) 12} One who is far away will die of the plague, and one who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I pour out my wrath^(AA) on them.^{(AB) 13} And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols^(AC) around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak^(AD)—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.^{(AE) 14} And I will stretch out my hand^(AF) against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah^[a]—wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(AG)’”