David Learns of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came about after ^(A)the death of Saul, when David had returned from ^(B)the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remained two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day, behold, ^(C)a man came out of the camp from Saul, ^(D)with his clothes torn and ^[a]dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that ^(E)he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. ³ Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “^(F)How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” ⁵ So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶ The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on ^(G)Mount Gilboa, and behold, ^(H)Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. ⁷ When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I ^[b]answered him, ‘^(I)I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my ^[c]life still lingers in me.’ ¹⁰ So I stood beside him ^(J)and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And ^(K)I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then ^(L)David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. ¹² They mourned and wept and ^(M)fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he ^[d]answered, “^(N)I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid ^(O)to stretch out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, ^[e]cut him down.” ^(P)So he struck him and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “^(Q)Your blood is on your head, for ^(R)your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David ^(S)chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, ¹⁸ and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in ^(T)the book of Jashar.

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

Instructions to Those Who Minister

6 ^(A)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so ^(B)that the name of God and our doctrine will not be ^[a]spoken against. ² Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are ^(C)brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who ^[b]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. ^(D)Teach and ^[c]preach these principles.

³ If anyone ^(E)advocates a different doctrine and does not ^[d]agree with ^(F)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine ^(G)conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is ^(H)conceited and understands nothing; but he ^[e]has a morbid interest in ^(I)controversial questions and ^(J)disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between ^(K)men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(L)suppose that ^[f]godliness is a means of gain. ^6 (M)But godliness actually is a means of ^(N)great gain when accompanied by ^(O)contentment. ⁷ For ^(P)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸ If we ^(Q)have food and covering, with these we shall be content. ^9 (R)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and ^(S)a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For ^(T)the love of money is a root of all ^[g]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have ^(U)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹ But ^(V)flee from these things, you ^(W)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, ^(X)faith, ^(Y)love, ^[h]perseverance and gentleness. ^12 (Z)Fight the good fight of ^(AA)faith; ^(AB)take hold of the eternal life ^(AC)to which you were called, and you made the good ^(AD)confession in the presence of ^(AE)many witnesses. ^13 (AF)I charge you in the presence of God, who ^[i]gives life to all things, and of ^(AG)Christ Jesus, who testified the ^(AH)good confession ^(AI)before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the ^(AJ)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will ^[j]bring about at ^(AK)the proper time—He who is ^(AL)the blessed and ^(AM)only Sovereign, ^(AN)the King of ^[k]kings and ^(AO)Lord of ^[l]lords, ^16 (AP)who alone possesses immortality and ^(AQ)dwells in unapproachable light, ^(AR)whom no man has seen or can see. ^(AS)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in ^(AT)this present world ^(AU)not to be conceited or to ^(AV)fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(AW)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^(AX)good ^[m]works, ^(AY)to be generous and ready to share, ^19 (AZ)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(BA)take hold of that which is life indeed.

²⁰ O ^(BB)Timothy, guard ^(BC)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding ^(BD)worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— ²¹ which some have professed and thus ^(BE)gone astray ^[n]from ^(BF)the faith.

^(BG)Grace be with you.