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)

¹² Saul was afraid^(A) of David, because the Lord^(B) was with^(C) David but had departed from^(D) Saul.

¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed^(A) from me. He no longer answers^(B) me, either by prophets or by dreams.^(C) So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁰ The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(A) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(B) as he usually^(C) did. Saul had a spear^(D) in his hand

²⁰ Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”^(A)

He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.^(B)

²³ God stirred up animosity^(A) between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek.

¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.