1 Samuel 26-27
Christian Standard Bible
David Again Spares Saul
26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah saying, “David is hiding on the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon.”(A) 2 So Saul, accompanied by three thousand of the fit young men of Israel,(B) went immediately to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there. 3 Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah(C) opposite Jeshimon. David was living in the wilderness and discovered Saul had come there after him.(D) 4 So David sent out spies and knew for certain that Saul had come. 5 Immediately, David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner,(E) the commander of his army, were lying down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp with the troops camped around him. 6 Then David asked Ahimelech the Hethite(F) and Joab’s brother Abishai(G) son of Zeruiah, “Who will go with me into the camp(H) to Saul?”
“I’ll go with you,” answered Abishai.
7 That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t have to strike him twice!”
9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be innocent?” (I) 10 David added, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down:(J) either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 However, as the Lord is my witness, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.(K) Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.”
12 So David took the spear and the water jug by Saul’s head, and they went their way. No one saw them, no one knew, and no one woke up; they all remained asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord(L) came over them. 13 David crossed to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance; there was a considerable space between them. 14 Then David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner?”
“Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner asked.
15 David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? 16 What you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you deserve to die[a] since you didn’t protect your lord, the Lord’s anointed.(M) Now look around; where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
17 Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?” (N)
“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said. 18 Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed?(O) 19 Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the Lord who has incited you against me,(P) then may he accept an offering.(Q) But if it is people,(R) may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord, for today they have banished me from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying,(S) ‘Go and worship other gods.’ 20 So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea,(T) like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.”
21 Saul responded, “I have sinned.(U) Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”
22 David answered, “Here is the king’s spear; have one of the young men come over and get it. 23 The Lord will repay every man for his righteousness(V) and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed, even though the Lord handed you over to me today.(W) 24 Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the Lord consider my life valuable(X) and rescue me from all trouble.”(Y)
25 Saul said to him, “You are blessed, my son David. You will certainly do great things and will also prevail.”(Z) Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home.(AA)
David Flees to Ziklag
27 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines.(AB) Then Saul will give up searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.” 2 So David set out with his six hundred men(AC) and went over to Achish son of Maoch,(AD) the king of Gath. 3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him,(AE) and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel,(AF) Nabal’s widow. 4 When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5 Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6 That day Achish gave Ziklag(AG) to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today. 7 The length of time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.(AH)
8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,(AI) the Girzites,[b] and the Amalekites.(AJ) From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur(AK) as far as the land of Egypt. 9 Whenever David attacked the land, he did not leave a single person alive, either man or woman, but he took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing.(AL) Then he came back to Achish, 10 who inquired, “Where did you raid today?” [c](AM)
David replied, “The south country of Judah,” “The south country of the Jerahmeelites,”(AN) or “The south country of the Kenites.”(AO)
11 David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory. 12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself repulsive to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”
1 Chronicles 8
Christian Standard Bible
Benjamin’s Descendants
8 Benjamin(A) fathered Bela, his firstborn; Ashbel was born second, Aharah third, 2 Nohah fourth, and Rapha fifth.
3 Bela’s sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud,[a] 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
6 These were Ehud’s sons, who were the heads of the families living in Geba and who were deported to Manahath: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera deported them and was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.
8 Shaharaim had sons in the territory of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 His sons by his wife Hodesh: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, family heads. 11 He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.
12 Elpaal’s sons: Eber, Misham, and Shemed who built Ono and Lod and its surrounding villages, 13 Beriah and Shema, who were the family heads of Aijalon’s residents and who drove out the residents of Gath, 14 Ahio,[b] Shashak, and Jeremoth.
15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were Beriah’s sons.
17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were Elpaal’s sons.
19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were Shimei’s sons.
22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were Shashak’s sons.
26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were Jeroham’s sons.
28 These(B) were family heads, chiefs according to their family records; they lived in Jerusalem.
29 Jeiel[c](C) fathered Gibeon and lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. 30 Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, 32 and Mikloth who fathered Shimeah. These also lived opposite their relatives in Jerusalem, with their other relatives.
33 Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.[d]
34 Jonathan’s son was Merib-baal,[e] and Merib-baal fathered Micah.
35 Micah’s sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
36 Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri fathered Moza.
37 Moza fathered Binea. His son was Raphah, his son Elasah, and his son Azel.
38 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel’s sons.
39 His brother Eshek’s sons: Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third.
40 Ulam’s sons were valiant warriors and archers.[f] They had many sons and grandsons—150 of them.
All these were among Benjamin’s sons.
Acts 18
Christian Standard Bible
Founding the Corinthian Church
18 After this, he[a] left Athens and went to Corinth,(A) 2 where he found a Jew named Aquila,(B) a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, 3 and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade,(C) he stayed with them and worked. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.(D)
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word[b] and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.(E) 6 When they resisted and blasphemed,(F) he shook out his clothes(G) and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads!(H) I am innocent.[c] From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”(I) 7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household.(J) Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.
9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”(K) 11 He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal.(L) 13 “This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. 15 But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”(M) 16 So he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all[d] seized Sosthenes,(N) the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.
The Return Trip to Antioch
18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.(O) 19 When they reached Ephesus(P) he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added,[e] “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.”(Q) Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.(R)
23 After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.(S)
The Eloquent Apollos
24 Now a Jew named Apollos,(T) a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,[f] he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.(U) 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside[g] and explained the way of God to him more accurately.(V) 27 When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.(W) 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.(X)
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