The Law of Liberty

14 Receive^(A) one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ² For one believes he ^(B)may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and ^(C)let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. ^4 (D)Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

^5 (E)One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who ^(F)observes the day, observes it to the Lord; ^[a]and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for ^(G)he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For ^(H)none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we ^(I)live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For ^(J)to this end Christ died ^[b]and rose and lived again, that He might be ^(K)Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For ^(L)we shall all stand before the judgment seat of ^[c]Christ. ¹¹ For it is written:

¹² So then ^(N)each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another ^[d]anymore, but rather resolve this, ^(O)not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

The Law of Love

¹⁴ I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus ^(P)that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. ^(Q)Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. ^16 (R)Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; ^17 (S)for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^(T)peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For he who serves Christ in ^[e]these things ^(U)is acceptable to God and approved by men.

^19 (V)Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which ^(W)one may ^[f]edify another. ^20 (X)Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. ^(Y)All things indeed are pure, ^(Z)but it is evil for the man who eats with ^[g]offense. ²¹ It is good neither to eat ^(AA)meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles ^[h]or is offended or is made weak. ^22 [i]Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. ^(AB)Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. ²³ But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for ^(AC)whatever is not from faith is ^[j]sin.

David Spares Saul a Second Time

26 Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, ^(A)“Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” ² Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having ^(B)three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. ³ And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. ⁴ David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.

⁵ So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and ^(C)Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. ⁶ Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai ^(D)the son of Zeruiah, brother of ^(E)Joab, saying, “Who will ^(F)go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

And ^(G)Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, ^(H)“God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him ^[a]at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; ^(I)for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” ¹⁰ David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, ^(J)the Lord shall strike him, or ^(K)his day shall come to die, or he shall ^(L)go out to battle and perish. ^11 (M)The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” ¹² So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because ^(N)a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

¹³ Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them. ¹⁴ And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?”

Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out 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 in to destroy your lord the king. ¹⁶ This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”

¹⁷ Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, ^(O)“Is that your voice, my son David?”

David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” ¹⁸ And he said, ^(P)“Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand? ¹⁹ Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has ^(Q)stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, ^(R)for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the ^(S)inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ ²⁰ So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek ^(T)a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul said, ^(U)“I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”

²² And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. ^23 (V)May the Lord ^(W)repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. ²⁴ And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still ^(X)prevail.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[a]“The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.