David Again Spares Saul

26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “^(A)Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is before ^[a]Jeshimon?” ² So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him ^(B)three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. ³ Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before ^[b]Jeshimon, ^(C)beside the road, and David was staying in the wilderness. When ^(D)he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, ⁴ David sent out spies, and he knew that Saul was definitely coming. ⁵ David then arose and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and ^(E)Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him.

⁶ Then David said to Ahimelech ^(F)the Hittite and to ^(G)Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who ^(H)will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” ⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear ^[c]to the ground with one stroke, and I will not ^[d]strike him the second time.” ⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for ^(I)who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt?” ¹⁰ David also said, “As the Lord lives, ^(J)surely the Lord will strike him, or ^(K)his day will come that he dies, or ^(L)he will go down into battle and perish. ^11 (M)The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go.” ¹² So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because ^(N)a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance with a large area between them. ¹⁴ David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?” ¹⁵ So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord. ¹⁶ This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you ^[e](O)must surely die, because you did not guard your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now, see where the king’s spear is and the jug of water that was at his head.”

¹⁷ Then Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “^(P)Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.” ¹⁸ He also said, “^(Q)Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? ¹⁹ Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If ^(R)the Lord has stirred you up against me, ^(S)let Him ^[f]accept an offering; but ^(T)if it is ^[g]men, cursed are they before the Lord, for ^(U)they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ ²⁰ Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to search for ^(V)a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul said, “^(W)I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error.” ²² David replied, “Behold the spear of the king! Now let one of the young men come over and take it. ^23 (X)The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but ^(Y)I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. ²⁴ Now behold, as your life was ^(Z)highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He ^(AA)deliver me from all distress.” ²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “^(AB)Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.” So ^(AC)David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Tav.

Thanksgiving

1 ^(A)Paul and ^(B)Timothy, ^(C)bond-servants of ^(D)Christ Jesus,

To ^(E)all the ^[a](F)saints in Christ Jesus who are in ^(G)Philippi, ^[b]including the ^(H)overseers and ^(I)deacons: ^2 (J)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^3 (K)I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always offering prayer with joy in ^(L)my every prayer for you all, ⁵ in view of your ^[c](M)participation in the ^(N)gospel ^(O)from the first day until now. ⁶ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until ^(P)the day of Christ Jesus. ^7 [d]For ^(Q)it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I ^(R)have you in my heart, since both in my ^[e](S)imprisonment and in the ^(T)defense and confirmation of the ^(U)gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. ⁸ For ^(V)God is my witness, how I long for you all with the ^[f]affection of ^(W)Christ Jesus. ⁹ And this I pray, that ^(X)your love may abound still more and more in ^(Y)real knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may ^[g](Z)approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless ^[h]until ^(AA)the day of Christ; ¹¹ having been filled with the ^(AB)fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

The Gospel Is Preached

¹² Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances ^(AC)have turned out for the greater progress of the ^(AD)gospel, ¹³ so that my ^[i](AE)imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole ^[j]praetorian guard and to ^(AF)everyone else, ¹⁴ and that most of the ^[k]brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my ^[l](AG)imprisonment, have ^(AH)far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. ^15 (AI)Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even ^[m]from envy and strife, but some also ^[n]from good will; ¹⁶ the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the ^(AJ)gospel; ¹⁷ the former proclaim Christ ^(AK)out of selfish ambition ^[o]rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my ^[p](AL)imprisonment. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that this will turn out for my ^[q]deliverance ^(AM)through your ^[r]prayers and the provision of ^(AN)the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ according to my ^(AO)earnest expectation and ^(AP)hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with ^(AQ)all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be ^(AR)exalted in my body, ^(AS)whether by life or by death.

To Live Is Christ

²¹ For to me, ^(AT)to live is Christ and to die is gain. ^22 [s]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean ^(AU)fruitful labor for me; and I do not know ^[t]which to choose. ²³ But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the ^(AV)desire to depart and ^(AW)be with Christ, for that is very much better; ²⁴ yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. ^25 (AX)Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy ^[u]in the faith, ²⁶ so that your ^(AY)proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only conduct yourselves in a manner ^(AZ)worthy of the ^(BA)gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are ^(BB)standing firm in ^(BC)one spirit, with one ^[v]mind ^(BD)striving together for the faith of the gospel; ²⁸ in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a ^(BE)sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. ²⁹ For to you ^(BF)it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to ^(BG)suffer for His sake, ³⁰ experiencing the same ^(BH)conflict which ^(BI)you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.