1 Samuel 21:13-15

New International Version

¹³So he pretended to be insane^(A) in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? ¹⁵Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

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Psalm 34

New International Version

Psalm 34^[a]^[b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane^(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

¹I will extol the Lord at all times;^(B)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
²I will glory^(C) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.^(D)
³Glorify the Lord^(E) with me;
    let us exalt^(F) his name together.

⁴I sought the Lord,^(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered^(H) me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him are radiant;^(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.^(J)
⁶This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.^(K)
⁷The angel of the Lord^(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers^(M) them.

⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge^(O) in him.
⁹Fear the Lord,^(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.^(Q)
¹⁰The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.^(R)
¹¹Come, my children, listen^(S) to me;
    I will teach you^(T) the fear of the Lord.^(U)
¹²Whoever of you loves life^(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
¹³keep your tongue^(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.^(X)
¹⁴Turn from evil and do good;^(Y)
    seek peace^(Z) and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord^(AA) are on the righteous,^(AB)
and his ears are attentive^(AC) to their cry;
¹⁶but the face of the Lord is against^(AD) those who do evil,^(AE)
to blot out their name^(AF) from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears^(AG) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is close^(AH) to the brokenhearted^(AI)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹The righteous person may have many troubles,^(AJ)
but the Lord delivers him from them all;^(AK)
²⁰he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.^(AL)

²¹Evil will slay the wicked;^(AM)
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord will rescue^(AN) his servants;
no one who takes refuge^(AO) in him will be condemned.

Footnotes

Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.

1 Samuel 22:1

New International Version

David at Adullam and Mizpah

22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave^(A) of Adullam.^(B) When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

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1 Samuel 22:1 in all English translations

Psalm 142

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

¹I cry aloud^(B) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.^(C)
²I pour out before him my complaint;^(D)
before him I tell my trouble.^(E)

³When my spirit grows faint^(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
⁴Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;^(G)
    no one cares^(H) for my life.

⁵I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,^(I)
my portion^(J) in the land of the living.”^(K)

⁶Listen to my cry,^(L)
    for I am in desperate need;^(M)
rescue me^(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong^(O) for me.
⁷Set me free from my prison,^(P)
    that I may praise your name.^(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.^(R)

Footnotes

Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

1 Samuel 22:2-23

New International Version

²All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered^(A) around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

³From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” ⁴So he left them with the king of Moab,^(B) and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

⁵But the prophet Gad^(C) said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.^(D)

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated,^(E) spear in hand, under the tamarisk^(F) tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. ⁷He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders^(G) of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸Is that why you have all conspired^(H) against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant^(I) with the son of Jesse.^(J) None of you is concerned^(K) about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

⁹But Doeg^(L) the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub^(M) at Nob.^(N) ¹⁰Ahimelek inquired^(O) of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions^(P) and the sword^(Q) of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. ¹²Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

¹³Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired^(R) against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

¹⁴Ahimelek answered the king, “Who^(S) of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? ¹⁵Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

¹⁶But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.^(T)”

¹⁷Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling^(U) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”^(V) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.^(W) ¹⁹He also put to the sword^(X) Nob,^(Y) the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub,^(Z) named Abiathar,^(AA) escaped and fled to join David.^(AB) ²¹He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²²Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg^(AC) the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. ²³Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you^(AD) is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

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Psalm 52

New International Version

Psalm 52^[a]

For the director of music. A maskil^[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

¹Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
    Why do you boast^(B) all day long,^(C)
    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
²You who practice deceit,^(D)
    your tongue plots destruction;^(E)
    it is like a sharpened razor.^(F)
³You love evil^(G) rather than good,
    falsehood^(H) rather than speaking the truth.^[c]
⁴You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!^(I)

⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck^(J) you from your tent;
    he will uproot^(K) you from the land of the living.^(L)
⁶The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh^(M) at you, saying,
⁷“Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold^(N)
but trusted in his great wealth^(O)
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸But I am like an olive tree^(P)
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust^(Q) in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
⁹For what you have done I will always praise you^(R)
    in the presence of your faithful people.^(S)
And I will hope in your name,^(T)
    for your name is good.^(U)

Footnotes

Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.

1 Samuel 21:13-15

New International Version

Cross references

Psalm 34

New International Version

Psalm 34^[a]^[b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane^(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

Footnotes

Cross references

1 Samuel 22:1

New International Version

David at Adullam and Mizpah

Cross references

Psalm 142

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

Footnotes

Cross references

1 Samuel 22:2-23

New International Version

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

Cross references

Psalm 52

New International Version

Psalm 52^[a]

For the director of music. A maskil^[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Footnotes

Cross references

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1 Samuel 21:13-15 New International Version

Cross references

Psalm 34 New International Version

Psalm 34[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

Footnotes

Cross references

1 Samuel 22:1 New International Version

David at Adullam and Mizpah

Cross references

Psalm 142 New International Version

Psalm 142[a]

A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.

Footnotes

Cross references

1 Samuel 22:2-23 New International Version

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

Cross references

Psalm 52 New International Version

Psalm 52[a]

For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Footnotes

Cross references

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1 Samuel 21:13-15

New International Version

Psalm 34

New International Version

Psalm 34^[a]^[b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane^(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

1 Samuel 22:1

New International Version

Psalm 142

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

1 Samuel 22:2-23

New International Version

Psalm 52

New International Version

Psalm 52^[a]

For the director of music. A maskil^[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”