Jonathan and David

18 Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that ^(A)the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and ^(B)Jonathan loved him as himself. ² Saul took him that day and ^(C)did not let him return to his father’s house. ³ Then ^(D)Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ^4 (E)Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. ⁵ So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and ^[a]prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

⁶ It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that ^(F)the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with ^[b]musical instruments. ⁷ The women ^(G)sang as they ^[c]played, and said,

⁸ Then Saul became very angry, for this saying ^[d]displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now ^(J)what more can he have but the kingdom?” ⁹ Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

Saul Turns against David

¹⁰ Now it came about on the next day that ^(K)an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and ^(L)he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, ^[e](M)as usual; and ^[f](N)a spear was in Saul’s hand. ^11 (O)Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will ^[g]pin David to the wall.” But David ^[h]escaped from his presence twice.

¹² Now ^(P)Saul was afraid of David, ^(Q)for the Lord was with him but ^(R)had departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from ^[i]his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and ^(S)he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ David was ^[j]prospering in all his ways for ^(T)the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he was ^[k]prospering greatly, he dreaded him. ¹⁶ But ^(U)all Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “^(V)Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight ^(W)the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but ^(X)let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “^(Y)Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ So it came about at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to ^(Z)Adriel ^(AA)the Meholathite for a wife.

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

²⁰ Now ^(AB)Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable ^[l]to him. ²¹ Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and ^(AC)that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “^(AD)For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.” ²² Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’” ²³ So Saul’s servants spoke these words ^[m]to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, ^(AE)since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” ²⁴ The servants of Saul reported to him ^[n]according to these words which David spoke. ²⁵ Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any ^(AF)dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ^(AG)to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now ^(AH)Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶ When his servants told David these words, ^[o]it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. ^[p](AI)Before the days had expired ²⁷ David rose up and went, ^(AJ)he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then ^(AK)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife. ²⁸ When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, ²⁹ then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines ^(AL)went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David ^(AM)behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.

The Council at Jerusalem

15 ^(A)Some men came down from Judea and began teaching ^(B)the brethren, “Unless you are ^(C)circumcised according to ^(D)the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And when Paul and Barnabas had ^[a]great dissension and ^(E)debate with them, ^(F)the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the ^(G)apostles and elders concerning this issue. ³ Therefore, being ^(H)sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both ^(I)Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(J)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all ^(K)the brethren. ⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and ^(L)the apostles and the elders, and they ^(M)reported all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some of ^(N)the sect of the ^(O)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to ^(P)circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

^6 (Q)The apostles and the elders came together to ^[b]look into this ^[c]matter. ⁷ After there had been much ^(R)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that ^[d]in the early days ^(S)God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of ^(T)the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, ^(U)who knows the heart, testified to them ^(V)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; ⁹ and ^(W)He made no distinction between us and them, ^(X)cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now therefore why do you ^(Y)put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which ^(Z)neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we are saved through ^(AA)the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

¹² All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were ^(AB)relating what ^(AC)signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

James’s Judgment

¹³ After they had stopped speaking, ^[e](AD)James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. ^14 (AE)Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. ¹⁵ With this the words of ^(AF)the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

¹⁹ Therefore it is ^(AM)my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, ²⁰ but that we write to them that they abstain from ^[j](AN)things contaminated by idols and from ^(AO)fornication and from ^(AP)what is strangled and from blood. ²¹ For ^(AQ)Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since ^[k]he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²² Then it seemed good to ^(AR)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to ^(AS)Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and ^(AT)Silas, leading men among ^(AU)the brethren, ²³ and they ^[l]sent this letter by them,

³⁰ So when they were sent away, ^(BO)they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the ^[q]congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its ^[r]encouragement. ^32 (BP)Judas and ^(BQ)Silas, also being ^(BR)prophets themselves, ^[s]encouraged and strengthened ^(BS)the brethren with a lengthy message. ³³ After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren ^(BT)in peace to those who had ^(BU)sent them out. ³⁴ [^[t]But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] ³⁵ But ^(BV)Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and ^(BW)preaching with many others also, ^(BX)the word of the Lord.

Second Missionary Journey

³⁶ After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in ^(BY)every city in which we proclaimed ^(BZ)the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take ^(CA)John, called Mark, along with them also. ³⁸ But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had ^(CB)deserted them ^[u]in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took ^(CC)Mark with him and sailed away to ^(CD)Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose ^(CE)Silas and left, being ^(CF)committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he was traveling through ^(CG)Syria and ^(CH)Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Folly and Wickedness of Men.

For the choir director; according to ^[a]Mahalath. A ^[b]Maskil of David.