Saul Resents David

18 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, ^(A)the ^[a]soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, ^(B)and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ² Saul took him that day, ^(C)and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. ³ Then Jonathan and David made a ^(D)covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

⁵ So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and ^[b]behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. ⁶ Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the ^[c]Philistine, that ^(E)the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. ⁷ So the women ^(F)sang as they danced, and said:

⁸ Then Saul was very angry, and the saying ^(H)displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but ^(I)the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul ^[d]eyed David from that day forward.

¹⁰ And it happened on the next day that ^(J)the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, ^(K)and he prophesied inside the house. So David ^(L)played music with his hand, as at other times; ^(M)but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ And Saul ^(N)cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

¹² Now Saul was ^(O)afraid of David, because ^(P)the Lord was with him, but had ^(Q)departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from ^[e]his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and ^(R)he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and ^(S)the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But ^(T)all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; ^(U)I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight ^(V)the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, ^(W)“Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸ So David said to Saul, ^(X)“Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹ But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to ^(Y)Adriel the ^(Z)Meholathite as a wife.

^20 (AA)Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹ So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may ^[f]be a snare to him, and that ^(AB)the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, ^(AC)“You shall be my son-in-law today.”

²² And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

²³ So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?” ²⁴ And the servants of Saul told him, saying, ^[g]“In this manner David spoke.”

²⁵ Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any ^(AD)dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take ^(AE)vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul ^(AF)thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶ So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now ^(AG)the days had not expired; ²⁷ therefore David arose and went, he and ^(AH)his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And ^(AI)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

²⁸ Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; ²⁹ and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy ^[h]continually. ³⁰ Then the princes of the Philistines ^(AJ)went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David ^(AK)behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

Saul Persecutes David

19 Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill ^(A)David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, ^(B)delighted greatly in David. ² So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. ³ And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell ^(C)you.”

⁴ Thus Jonathan ^(D)spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king ^(E)sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. ⁵ For he took his ^(F)life in his hands and ^(G)killed the Philistine, and ^(H)the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. ^(I)Why then will you ^(J)sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”

⁶ So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.” ⁷ Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence ^(K)as in times past.

⁸ And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, ^(L)and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.

⁹ Now ^(M)the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. ¹⁰ Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.

^11 (N)Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” ¹² So Michal ^(O)let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. ¹³ And Michal took ^[a]an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. ¹⁴ So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”

¹⁵ Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?”

And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! ^(P)Why should I kill you?’ ”

¹⁸ So David fled and escaped, and went to ^(Q)Samuel at ^(R)Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!” ²⁰ Then ^(S)Saul sent messengers to take David. ^(T)And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also ^(U)prophesied. ²¹ And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. ²² Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?”

And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then ^(V)the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ^24 (W)And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down ^(X)naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, ^(Y)“Is Saul also among the prophets?”

The Family of David^(A)

3 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was ^(B)Amnon, by ^(C)Ahinoam the ^(D)Jezreelitess; the second, ^[a]Daniel, by ^(E)Abigail the Carmelitess; ² the third, ^(F)Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, ^(G)Adonijah the son of Haggith; ³ the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife ^(H)Eglah.

⁴ These six were born to him in Hebron. ^(I)There he reigned seven years and six months, and ^(J)in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. ^5 (K)And these were born to him in Jerusalem: ^[b]Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and ^(L)Solomon—four by ^[c]Bathshua the daughter of ^[d]Ammiel. ⁶ Also there were Ibhar, ^[e]Elishama, ^[f]Eliphelet, ⁷ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸ Elishama, ^[g]Eliada, and Eliphelet—^(M)nine in all. ⁹ These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and ^(N)Tamar their sister.

The Family of Solomon^(O)

¹⁰ Solomon’s son was ^(P)Rehoboam; ^[h]Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, ^11 [i]Joram his son, ^[j]Ahaziah his son, ^[k]Joash his son, ¹² Amaziah his son, ^[l]Azariah his son, Jotham his son, ¹³ Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, ¹⁴ Amon his son, and Josiah his son. ¹⁵ The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second ^[m]Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth ^[n]Shallum. ¹⁶ The sons of ^(Q)Jehoiakim were ^[o]Jeconiah his son and ^[p]Zedekiah his son.

The Family of Jeconiah

¹⁷ And the sons of ^[q]Jeconiah ^[r]were Assir, Shealtiel ^(R)his son, ¹⁸ and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. ¹⁹ The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, ²⁰ and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all.

²¹ The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah. ²² The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were ^(S)Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all. ²³ The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam—three in all. ²⁴ The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.

Paul and Barnabas Are Sent to the Gentiles

13 Now ^(A)in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: ^(B)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, ^(C)Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ^(D)“Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work ^(E)to which I have called them.” ³ Then, ^(F)having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Preaching in Cyprus

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to ^(G)Cyprus. ⁵ And when they arrived in Salamis, ^(H)they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had ^(I)John as their assistant.

⁶ Now when they had gone through ^[a]the island to Paphos, they found ^(J)a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, ⁷ who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But ^(K)Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) ^[b]withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ Then Saul, who also is called Paul, ^(L)filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, ^(M)you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, indeed, ^(N)the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

At Antioch in Pisidia

¹³ Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and ^(O)John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and ^(P)went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. ¹⁵ And ^(Q)after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have ^(R)any word of ^[c]exhortation for the people, say on.”

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and ^(S)you who fear God, listen: ¹⁷ The God of this people ^[d]Israel ^(T)chose our fathers, and exalted the people ^(U)when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with ^[e]an uplifted arm He ^(V)brought them out of it. ¹⁸ Now ^(W)for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. ¹⁹ And when He had destroyed ^(X)seven nations in the land of Canaan, ^(Y)He distributed their land to them by allotment.

²⁰ “After that ^(Z)He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, ^(AA)until Samuel the prophet. ^21 (AB)And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them ^(AC)Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. ²² And ^(AD)when He had removed him, ^(AE)He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ^(AF)‘I have found David the son of Jesse, ^(AG)a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ ^23 (AH)From this man’s seed, according ^(AI)to the promise, God raised up for Israel ^(AJ)a^[f] Savior—Jesus— ^24 (AK)after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ And as John was finishing his course, he said, ^(AL)‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, ^(AM)there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

²⁶ “Men and brethren, sons of the ^[g]family of Abraham, and ^(AN)those among you who fear God, ^(AO)to you the ^[h]word of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, ^(AP)because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. ^28 (AQ)And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. ^29 (AR)Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, ^(AS)they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. ^30 (AT)But God raised Him from the dead. ^31 (AU)He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. ³² And we declare to you glad tidings—^(AV)that promise which was made to the fathers. ³³ God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

³⁴ And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to ^[i]corruption, He has spoken thus:

³⁵ Therefore He also says in another Psalm:

³⁶ “For David, after he had served ^[k]his own generation by the will of God, ^(AZ)fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and ^[l]saw corruption; ³⁷ but He whom God raised up ^[m]saw no corruption. ³⁸ Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that ^(BA)through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; ³⁹ and ^(BB)by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. ⁴⁰ Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

Blessing and Conflict at Antioch

^42 [n]So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. ⁴³ Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, ^(BD)persuaded them to continue in ^(BE)the grace of God.

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they ^(BF)opposed the things spoken by Paul. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ^(BG)“It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but ^(BH)since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, ^(BI)we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us:

⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. ^(BK)And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, ^(BL)raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. ^51 (BM)But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples ^(BN)were filled with joy and ^(BO)with the Holy Spirit.

The Assured Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[a]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David ^(A)when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.