David Again Spares Saul

26 Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah saying, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hachilah which faces Jeshimon?” ² So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, 3,000 chosen men of Israel with him, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. ³ Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah which faces Jeshimon, by the road. But David was staying in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness. ⁴ So David sent out spies and realized that Saul had already arrived. ⁵ Then David got up and went to the place where Saul had camped. David detected the spot where Saul lay asleep, as well as Abner son of Ner his army commander. Saul was lying inside the barricade and the troops were camped around him.

⁶ Then David spoke and asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

“I will go down with you,” Abishai answered.

⁷ So David and Abishai approached the troops by night. Behold, Saul was lying asleep within the barricade with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now let me pin him to the ground with a single thrust of the spear. I will not have to strike him twice.”

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! For who can lay his hand on Adonai’s anointed and be guiltless?” ¹⁰ David added, “As Adonai lives, either Adonai will strike him down, or his day will come to die, or he will go down to battle and be swept away. ¹¹ Adonai forbid that I should lay my hand on Adonai’s anointed! Now, just take the spear that is at his head and the water jar and let’s go.” ¹² So David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul’s head. They got away—and no one saw it, or knew it, or woke up—for all were asleep, for a deep sleep from Adonai had fallen upon them.

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on the top of a distant hill with a wide space between them. ¹⁴ David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner saying, “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner?”

Then Abner answered saying, “Who are you, who called out to the king?”

¹⁵ “Aren’t you a man?” David said to Abner. “Indeed, who is like you in Israel? So, why didn’t you guard your lord the king? For one of the troops came in to kill the king your lord. ¹⁶ This thing that you’ve done is no good. As Adonai lives, all of you deserve to die, because you have not kept watching over your lord, Adonai’s anointed. So now, look around, where are the king’s spear and the water jar that were at his head?”

¹⁷ Saul then recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, David my son?”

“It is my voice, my lord the king,” David said, ¹⁸ then added, “Yet why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand? ¹⁹ Now please, let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If Adonai has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if men have done so, then cursed are they before Adonai, because they have now driven me out that I would not cling to Adonai’s inheritance, saying: ‘Go, worship other gods.’ ²⁰ So now, let not my blood fall to the ground, away from the presence of Adonai. For the king of Israel has come out to search for but a single flea, just as one hunts for a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul replied, “I have sinned! Return, David my son, for I will no longer do you harm, since my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I’ve played the fool and erred so seriously.”

²² David then answered and said, “There is the king’s spear! Let one of the young men cross over and take it. ²³ Adonai will repay everyone his righteousness and his faithfulness. For Adonai gave you into my hand today, but I refused to lay my hand on Adonai’s anointed. ²⁴ See, just as your life was highly valued in my eyes today, so let my life be highly valued in Adonai’s eyes, and may He deliver me from all trouble.”

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, David my son! You will both do mightily and will surely prevail.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

David Settles in Ziklag

27 Then David said in his heart, “One day I’ll be swept away by the hand of Saul. There’s nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me in all the territories of Israel, so I’ll escape from his hand.” ² So David rose and crossed over, he and the 600 men that were with him, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³ David stayed with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. ⁴ So when Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place in one of the country towns, so I may live there. Why should your servant stay in the royal city with you?” ⁶ So Achish granted him Ziklag that day. Thus Ziklag came to belong to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷ The number of days that David stayed in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gizrites and the Amalekites, for those were inhabitants of the region from ancient times, as you go all the way from Shur and as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹ David attacked the region and was leaving not a man or woman alive, and took away sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels and clothing. When he returned and came to Achish, ¹⁰ Achish would ask, “Where have you raided today?”

So David would reply, “Against the Negev of Judah, against the Negev of the Jerahmeelite and against the Negev of the Kenites.” ¹¹ David left no man or woman alive to bring to Gath, thinking, “Unless they should tell about us, saying: ‘So did David.’” So was his practice all the time he stayed in the country of the Philistines. ¹² Then Achish trusted David, saying, “He has certainly made himself abhorrent to his people Israel; therefore, he will be my vassal forever.”

Saul Consults a Medium

28 At that time, the Philistines gathered their armed forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You surely know that you and your men must march out with me in the army.”

² David said to Achish, “Well then, you know what your servant will do.”

“Well then, I appoint you my bodyguard for life,” Achish said to David.

³ Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

⁴ So the Philistines mustered and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped at Gilboa. ⁵ Now when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ When Saul inquired of Adonai, Adonai did not answer, neither by dreams nor by Urim or prophets.

⁷ Then Saul said to his courtiers, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go to her and inquire through her.” So his courtiers said to him, “Behold, there is a woman that is a medium at En-dor.” ⁸ So Saul disguised himself, put on other clothes, and went with two other men, and they reached the woman by night. Then he said, “Please conjure up for me a ghost—bring up for me the one I will name to you.”

⁹ “Look, you know what Saul has done,” she said, “how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. So why then are you setting a trap for my life to get me killed?”

¹⁰ Saul vowed to her by Adonai saying, “As Adonai lives, no punishment will come on you for this thing.”

¹¹ “Whom will I bring up for you?” the woman asked.

“Bring me up Samuel,” he said.

¹² But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud shriek. Then the woman spoke to Saul saying, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

¹³ “Don’t be afraid!” the king said to her. “What do you see?”

The woman said to Saul, “I see a godlike being coming up from the earth.”

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” he asked her.

“An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe,” she said.

Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, so he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. ¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I’m in great distress,” Saul answered. “The Philistines are waging war against me, and God has turned away from me—He doesn’t answer me anymore, whether by prophets or by dreams. So I called you up to tell me what I should do.”

¹⁶ Samuel said, “So why ask me, since Adonai has turned away from you and become your adversary? ¹⁷ Now Adonai has done for Himself just as He foretold through me—Adonai has torn the kingship out of your hand and has given it to another fellow, to David. ¹⁸ Since you did not obey the voice of Adonai and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so Adonai has done this to you today. ¹⁹ Moreover, Adonai will also give the Israelites who are with you into the hand of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me! Yes, Adonai will give the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground, and became so terrified because of the words of Samuel that there was absolutely no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. ²¹ Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was so agitated, so she told him, “Behold, your maidservant obeyed you; I put my life in my hand by listening to your words, which you spoke to me. ²² Please you too listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a morsel of bread before you, so you can eat and have strength to go on your way.”

²³ But he refused and said, “I won’t eat.” But when his courtiers and the woman urged him, he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fatted calf in the house, so she hurried and butchered it, and took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. ²⁵ She brought it before Saul and his courtiers, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.

Lazarus Is Dead

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Miriam and her sister Martha. ² This was the same Miriam who anointed the Master with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. ³ So the sisters sent a word to Yeshua, saying, “Master, the one you love is sick!”

⁴ When Yeshua heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for God’s glory, so that Ben-Elohim may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Yeshua loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ However, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.

⁷ Then after this, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go up to Judea again.”

⁸ “Rabbi,” the disciples say to Him, “just now the Judean leaders were trying to stone You! And You’re going back there again?”

⁹ Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of the world. ¹⁰ But if a man should walk around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

¹¹ After He said this, He tells them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m going there to wake him up.”

¹² So the disciples said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will get better.” ¹³ Now Yeshua had spoken about his death, but they thought He was talking about ordinary sleep.

¹⁴ Then Yeshua told them clearly, “Lazarus is dead! ¹⁵ I’m glad for your sake I wasn’t there, so that you may believe. Anyway, let’s go to him!”

¹⁶ Then Thomas called the Twin^[a] said to the other disciples, “Let’s go too, so that we may die with Him!”

Comforting the Mourners

¹⁷ So when Yeshua arrived, He discovered that Lazarus had been in the tomb already for four days. ¹⁸ Bethany was less than two miles^[b] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Miriam to console them about their brother.

²⁰ When Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Miriam sat in the house. ²¹ Martha said to Yeshua, “Master, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died! ²² But I know, even now, that whatever You may ask of God, He will give You.”

²³ Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha said to Him, “I know, he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

²⁵ Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷ She says to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, Ben-Elohim who has come into the world.” ²⁸ After she said this, she left and secretly told her sister Miriam, “The Teacher is here, and He’s calling for you.” ²⁹ As soon as Miriam heard, she quickly got up and was coming to Him. ³⁰ Now Yeshua had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. ³¹ The Judeans, who were with Miriam in the house and comforting her, seeing how quickly she got up and went out, followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to weep there.

³² So when Miriam came to where Yeshua was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!”

³³ When Yeshua saw her weeping, and the Judeans who came with her weeping, He was deeply troubled in spirit and Himself agitated. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” He asked.

“Come and see, Master,” they tell Him.

³⁵ Yeshua wept. ³⁶ So the Judeans said, “See how He loved him!”

³⁷ But some of them said, “Couldn’t this One, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have also kept this man from dying?”

Yeshua’s Word Raises the Dead

³⁸ So Yeshua, again deeply troubled within Himself, comes to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹ Yeshua says, “Roll away the stone!”

Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Master, by this time he stinks! He’s been dead for four days!”

⁴⁰ Yeshua says to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they rolled away the stone. Yeshua lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. ⁴² I knew that You always hear Me; but because of this crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

⁴³ And when He had said this, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ He who had been dead came out, wrapped in burial clothes binding his hands and feet, with a cloth over his face. And Yeshua tells them, “Cut him loose, and let him go!”

Better that One Man Die

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Judeans, who had come to Miriam and had seen what Yeshua had done, put their trust in Him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Yeshua had done.

⁴⁷ So the ruling kohanim and Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we doing?” they asked. “This Man is performing many signs! ⁴⁸ If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our holy place and our nation.”

⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was kohen gadol that year, said to them, “You know nothing! ⁵⁰ You don’t take into account that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

⁵¹ Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation. ^{[c] 52} And not for the nation only, but also so that He might gather together into one the scattered children of God.^[d]

⁵³ So from that day on, they plotted to kill Him. ⁵⁴ Therefore Yeshua no longer walked openly among the Judeans, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with His disciples.

Praise Him, All You Nations

Psalm 117