The Lord Has Chosen Zion

A Song of (A)Ascents.

132 Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
    all (B)the hardships he endured,

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They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of (A)Ascents.

129 “Greatly[a] have they (B)afflicted me (C)from my youth”—
    (D)let Israel now say—

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2

Deliver Me, O Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

120 In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.

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Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord

(A)Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
    look, and see (B)our disgrace!

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19 (A)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    (B)the wormwood and (C)the gall!

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I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of (A)Ascents. Of David.

131 O Lord, my heart is not (B)lifted up;
    my eyes are not (C)raised too high;
I do not (D)occupy myself with things
    too great and (E)too marvelous for me.

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My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

130 Out of (B)the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

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Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

128 (B)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
    who (C)walks in his ways!

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Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of (A)Ascents. Of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord (B)watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.

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Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

126 When the Lord (B)restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who (C)dream.

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The Lord Surrounds His People

A Song of (A)Ascents.

125 Those who (B)trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which (C)cannot be moved, but abides forever.

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Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents. Of David.

124 (B)If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
    (C)let Israel now say—

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Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

A Song of (A)Ascents.

123 To you I (B)lift up my eyes,
    O you who are (C)enthroned in the heavens!

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Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents. Of David.

122 I was glad when they said to me,
    (B)“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

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My Help Comes from the Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

121 I (B)lift up my eyes to (C)the hills.
    From where does my help come?

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Remember your (A)mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    (B)for they have been from of old.
Remember not (C)the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your (D)steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

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Absalom's Conspiracy

15 After this Absalom (A)got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside (B)the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, (C)“Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

And at the end of four[a] years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. For your servant (D)vowed a vow (E)while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to[b] the Lord.’” The king said to him, (F)“Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem (G)who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for[c] (H)Ahithophel the Gilonite, (I)David's counselor, from his city (J)Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom (K)kept increasing.

David Flees Jerusalem

13 And a messenger came to David, saying, (L)“The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us (M)flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 And the king's servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left (N)ten concubines to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

18 And (O)all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from (P)Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to (Q)Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go (R)I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show[d] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:7 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew forty
  2. 2 Samuel 15:8 Or will serve
  3. 2 Samuel 15:12 Or sent
  4. 2 Samuel 15:20 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks may the Lord show

David and Jonathan's Friendship

18 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan (A)loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day (B)and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because (C)he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out (D)and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

Saul's Jealousy of David

As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, (E)the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.[a] And the women (F)sang to one another as they celebrated,

(G)“Saul has struck down his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands.”

And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but (H)the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.

10 The next day (I)a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and (J)he raved within his house while David was (K)playing the lyre, as he did day by day. (L)Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul (M)hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.

12 (N)Saul was afraid of David because (O)the Lord was with him (P)but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. (Q)And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David (R)had success in all his undertakings, (S)for the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that (T)he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 (U)But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is (V)my elder daughter Merab. (W)I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me (X)and fight the Lord's battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, (Y)but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 And David said to Saul, (Z)“Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19 But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to (AA)Adriel the (AB)Meholathite for a wife.

20 Now (AC)Saul's daughter Michal (AD)loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may (AE)be a snare for him (AF)and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,[b] (AG)“You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king's son-in-law.’” 23 And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, (AH)“Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” 24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no (AI)bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, (AJ)that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.’” (AK)Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. (AL)Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, (AM)along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. (AN)And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28 But when Saul saw and knew that (AO)the Lord was with David, (AP)and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.

30 (AQ)Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out (AR)David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:6 Or triangles, or three-stringed instruments
  2. 1 Samuel 18:21 Hebrew by two

24 And (A)God heard their groaning, and God (B)remembered his covenant with (C)Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

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The Flood Subsides

But God (A)remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And (B)God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.

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