1 Samuel 18

New International Version

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan^(A) became one in spirit with David, and he loved^(B) him as himself.^(C) ²From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³And Jonathan made a covenant^(D) with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴Jonathan took off the robe^(E) he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.^(F)

⁵Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful^(G) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.^(H) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,^(I) with joyful songs and with timbrels^(J) and lyres. ⁷As they danced, they sang:^(K)

“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens^(L) of thousands.”

⁸Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?^(M)” ⁹And from that time on Saul kept a close^(N) eye on David.

¹⁰The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(O) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(P) as he usually^(Q) did. Saul had a spear^(R) in his hand ¹¹and he hurled it, saying to himself,^(S) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded^(T) him twice.^(U)

¹²Saul was afraid^(V) of David, because the Lord^(W) was with^(X) David but had departed from^(Y) Saul. ¹³So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^(Z) the troops in their campaigns.^(AA) ¹⁴In everything he did he had great success,^(AB) because the Lord was with^(AC) him. ¹⁵When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.^(AD)

¹⁷Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter^(AE) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;^(AF) only serve me bravely and fight the battles^(AG) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,^(AH) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸But David said to Saul, “Who am I,^(AI) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?^(AJ)” ¹⁹So^[b] when the time came for Merab,^(AK) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(AL)

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(AM) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^(AN) ²¹“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(AO) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²²Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(AP) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price^(AQ) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge^(AR) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan^(AS) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal^(AT) in marriage.

²⁸When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(AU) loved David, ²⁹Saul became still more afraid^(AV) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success^(AW) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 18:10 Or a harmful
1 Samuel 18:19 Or However,

Lamentations 3

New International Version

3 ^[a]I am the man who has seen affliction^(A)
    by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.^(B)
²He has driven me away and made me walk
    in darkness^(C) rather than light;
³indeed, he has turned his hand against me^(D)
    again and again, all day long.

⁴He has made my skin and my flesh grow old^(E)
    and has broken my bones.^(F)
⁵He has besieged me and surrounded me
    with bitterness^(G) and hardship.^(H)
⁶He has made me dwell in darkness
    like those long dead.^(I)

⁷He has walled me in so I cannot escape;^(J)
    he has weighed me down with chains.^(K)
⁸Even when I call out or cry for help,^(L)
    he shuts out my prayer.^(M)
⁹He has barred^(N) my way with blocks of stone;
    he has made my paths crooked.^(O)

¹⁰Like a bear lying in wait,
    like a lion^(P) in hiding,^(Q)
¹¹he dragged me from the path and mangled^(R) me
    and left me without help.
¹²He drew his bow^(S)
    and made me the target^(T) for his arrows.^(U)

¹³He pierced^(V) my heart
    with arrows from his quiver.^(W)
¹⁴I became the laughingstock^(X) of all my people;^(Y)
    they mock me in song^(Z) all day long.
¹⁵He has filled me with bitter herbs
    and given me gall to drink.^(AA)

¹⁶He has broken my teeth with gravel;^(AB)
    he has trampled me in the dust.^(AC)
¹⁷I have been deprived of peace;
    I have forgotten what prosperity is.
¹⁸So I say, “My splendor is gone
    and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”^(AD)

¹⁹I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness^(AE) and the gall.^(AF)
²⁰I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast^(AG) within me.^(AH)
²¹Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²²Because of the Lord’s great love^(AI) we are not consumed,^(AJ)
    for his compassions never fail.^(AK)
²³They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.^(AL)
²⁴I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;^(AM)
    therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;^(AN)
²⁶it is good to wait quietly^(AO)
    for the salvation of the Lord.^(AP)
²⁷It is good for a man to bear the yoke
    while he is young.

²⁸Let him sit alone in silence,^(AQ)
    for the Lord has laid it on him.
²⁹Let him bury his face in the dust^(AR)—
    there may yet be hope.^(AS)
³⁰Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,^(AT)
    and let him be filled with disgrace.^(AU)

³¹For no one is cast off
    by the Lord forever.^(AV)
³²Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
    so great is his unfailing love.^(AW)
³³For he does not willingly bring affliction
    or grief to anyone.^(AX)

³⁴To crush underfoot
    all prisoners in the land,
³⁵to deny people their rights
    before the Most High,^(AY)
³⁶to deprive them of justice—
    would not the Lord see such things?^(AZ)

³⁷Who can speak and have it happen
    if the Lord has not decreed it?^(BA)
³⁸Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that both calamities and good things come?^(BB)
³⁹Why should the living complain
    when punished for their sins?^(BC)

⁴⁰Let us examine our ways and test them,^(BD)
    and let us return to the Lord.^(BE)
⁴¹Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,^(BF) and say:
⁴²“We have sinned and rebelled^(BG)
    and you have not forgiven.^(BH)

⁴³“You have covered yourself with anger and pursued^(BI) us;
    you have slain without pity.^(BJ)
⁴⁴You have covered yourself with a cloud^(BK)
    so that no prayer^(BL) can get through.^(BM)
⁴⁵You have made us scum^(BN) and refuse
    among the nations.

⁴⁶“All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide^(BO) against us.^(BP)
⁴⁷We have suffered terror and pitfalls,^(BQ)
    ruin and destruction.^(BR)”
⁴⁸Streams of tears^(BS) flow from my eyes^(BT)
    because my people are destroyed.^(BU)

⁴⁹My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,^(BV)
⁵⁰until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.^(BW)
⁵¹What I see brings grief to my soul
    because of all the women of my city.

⁵²Those who were my enemies without cause
    hunted me like a bird.^(BX)
⁵³They tried to end my life in a pit^(BY)
    and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴the waters closed over my head,^(BZ)
    and I thought I was about to perish.^(CA)

⁵⁵I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths^(CB) of the pit.^(CC)
⁵⁶You heard my plea:^(CD) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷You came near^(CE) when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”^(CF)

⁵⁸You, Lord, took up my case;^(CG)
    you redeemed my life.^(CH)
⁵⁹Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.^(CI)
    Uphold my cause!^(CJ)
⁶⁰You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.^(CK)

⁶¹Lord, you have heard their insults,^(CL)
    all their plots against me—
⁶²what my enemies whisper and mutter
    against me all day long.^(CM)
⁶³Look at them! Sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their songs.^(CN)

⁶⁴Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
    for what their hands have done.^(CO)
⁶⁵Put a veil over their hearts,^(CP)
    and may your curse be on them!
⁶⁶Pursue^(CQ) them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of the Lord.

Footnotes

Lamentations 3:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the verses within each stanza begin with the same letter.