Jonathan’s Covenant with David

18 When David^[a] had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.^{(A) 2} Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.^{(B) 3} Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt. ⁵ David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.

⁶ As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.^{[b](C) 7} And the women sang to one another as they made merry,

⁸ Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?”^{(E) 9} So Saul eyed David from that day on.

Saul Tries to Kill David

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand,^{(F) 11} and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.^(G)

¹² Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.^{(H) 13} So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand, and David marched out and came in, leading the army.^{(I) 14} David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.^{(J) 15} When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.^(K)

David Marries Michal

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him.”^{(L) 18} David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my kinsfolk, my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”^{(M) 19} But at the time when Saul’s daughter Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.^(N)

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him.^{(O) 21} Saul thought, “Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,^[c] “You shall now be my son-in-law.”^{(P) 22} Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘See, the king is delighted with you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” ²³ So Saul’s servants reported these words to David in private. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?” ²⁴ The servants of Saul told him, “This is what David said.” ²⁵ Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.^{(Q) 26} When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired,^{(R) 27} David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred^[d] of the Philistines, and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.^{(S) 28} But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that Saul’s daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy from that time forward.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great.^(T)

Jonathan Intercedes for David

19 Saul spoke with his son Jonathan and with all his servants about killing David. But Saul’s son Jonathan took great delight in David.^{(U) 2} Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you; therefore be on guard tomorrow morning; stay in a secret place and hide yourself. ³ I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you; if I learn anything I will tell you.”^{(V) 4} Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you and because his deeds have been of good service to you,^{(W) 5} for he took his life in his hand when he attacked the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced; why then will you sin against an innocent person by killing David without cause?”^{(X) 6} Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” ⁷ So Jonathan called David and related all these things to him. Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.^(Y)

Michal Helps David Escape from Saul

⁸ Again there was war, and David went out to fight the Philistines. He launched a heavy attack on them, so that they fled before him. ⁹ Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing music.^{(Z) 10} Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.^(AA)

¹¹ Saul sent messengers to David’s house to keep watch over him, planning to kill him in the morning. David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” ¹² So Michal let David down through the window; he fled away and escaped.^{(AB) 13} Michal took an idol^[e] and laid it on the bed; she put a net^[f] of goats’ hair on its head and covered it with the clothes. ¹⁴ When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”^{(AC) 15} Then Saul sent the messengers to see David for themselves. He said, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ When the messengers came in, the idol^[g] was in the bed, with the covering^[h] of goats’ hair on its head. ¹⁷ Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go; why should I kill you?’ ”

David Joins Samuel in Ramah

¹⁸ Now David fled and escaped; he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and settled at Naioth.^{(AD) 19} Saul was told, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” ²⁰ Then Saul sent messengers to take David. When they saw the company of the prophets in a frenzy, with Samuel standing in charge of^[i] them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also fell into a prophetic frenzy.^{(AE) 21} When Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they also fell into a frenzy. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also fell into a frenzy. ²² Then he himself went to Ramah. He came to the great well that is in Secu; he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “They are at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ He went there, toward Naioth in Ramah, and the spirit of God came upon him. As he was going, he fell into a prophetic frenzy, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.^{(AF) 24} He, too, stripped off his clothes, and he, too, fell into a frenzy before Samuel. He lay naked all that day and all that night. Therefore it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Descendants of David and Solomon

3 These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite;^{(A) 2} the third Absalom, son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth Adonijah, son of Haggith; ³ the fifth Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth Ithream, by his wife Eglah;^{(B) 4} six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.^{(C) 5} These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four by Bath-shua daughter of Ammiel;^{(D) 6} then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, ⁷ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. ⁹ All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.^(E)

¹⁰ The descendants of Solomon: Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,^{(F) 11} Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, ¹² Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, ¹³ Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, ¹⁴ Amon his son, Josiah his son. ¹⁵ The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. ¹⁶ The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son;^{(G) 17} and the sons of Jeconiah the captive: Shealtiel his son, ¹⁸ Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. ¹⁹ The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; ²⁰ and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. ²¹ The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. ²² The son of Shecaniah: Shemaiah, and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six.^{(H) 23} The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. ²⁴ The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

Psalm 59

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam, when Saul ordered his house to be watched in order to kill him.

Barnabas and Saul Commissioned

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a childhood friend of Herod the ruler,^[a] and Saul.^{(A) 2} While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”^{(B) 3} Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.^(C)

The Apostles Preach in Cyprus

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.^{(D) 5} When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And they had John also to assist them.^{(E) 6} When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus.^{(F) 7} He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.^{(G) 8} But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.^{(H) 9} But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him^{(I) 10} and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?^{(J) 11} And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he fumbled about for someone to lead him by the hand.^{(K) 12} When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³ Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem,^{(L) 14} but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.^{(M) 15} After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers,^[b] if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” ¹⁶ So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“Fellow Israelites^[c] and others who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.^{(N) 18} For about forty years he put up with^[d] them in the wilderness.^{(O) 19} After he had destroyed seven peoples in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance^{(P) 20} for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.^{(Q) 21} Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.^{(R) 22} When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’^{(S) 23} Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised;^{(T) 24} before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.^{(U) 25} And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of the sandals^[e] on his feet.’^(V)

²⁶ “Brothers and sisters,^[f] you descendants of Abraham’s family and others who fear God, to us^[g] the message of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him.^{(W) 28} Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed.^{(X) 29} When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.^{(Y) 30} But God raised him from the dead,^{(Z) 31} and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people.^{(AA) 32} And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors^{(AB) 33} he has fulfilled for us, their children,^[h] by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,

³⁴ “As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

³⁵ “Therefore he has also said in another psalm,

³⁶ “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died,^[i] was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption,^{(AF) 37} but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. ³⁸ Let it be known to you therefore, brothers and sisters,^[j] that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;^{(AG) 39} by this Jesus^[k] everyone who believes is set free from all those sins^[l] from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.^{(AH) 40} Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:^(AI)

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas^[m] were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.^(AJ)

⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.^{[n] 45} But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul.^{(AK) 46} Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the gentiles.^{(AL) 47} For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

⁴⁸ When the gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord, and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. ⁴⁹ Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their region. ⁵¹ So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.^{(AN) 52} And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.^(AO)