BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

¹⁹ Not a blacksmith^(A) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!^(B)” ²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles^[a] sharpened. ²¹ The price was two-thirds of a shekel^[b] for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel^[c] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

²² So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan^(C) had a sword or spear^(D) in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

Jonathan Attacks the Philistines

²³ Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass^(E) at Mikmash.^(F) 14 ¹ One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

² Saul was staying^(G) on the outskirts of Gibeah^(H) under a pomegranate tree^(I) in Migron.^(J) With him were about six hundred men, ³ among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s^(K) brother Ahitub^(L) son of Phinehas, the son of Eli,^(M) the Lord’s priest in Shiloh.^(N) No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

⁴ On each side of the pass^(O) that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. ⁵ One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.^(P)

⁶ Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised^(Q) men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing^(R) can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many^(S) or by few.^(T)”

⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

⁸ Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign^(U) that the Lord has given them into our hands.^(V)”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews^(W) are crawling out of the holes they were hiding^(X) in.” ¹² The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.^(Y)”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand^(Z) of Israel.”

¹³ Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. ¹⁴ In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Israel Routs the Philistines

¹⁵ Then panic^(AA) struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding^(AB) parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.^[d]

Saul’s Conversion^(A)

9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.^(B) He went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,^(C) so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,^(D) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.^{(E) 4} He fell to the ground and heard a voice^(F) say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”^(G)

⁷ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound^(H) but did not see anyone.^{(I) 8} Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.^(J) So they led him by the hand into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,^(B) who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.^{(C) 27} A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed^(D) for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.^{(E) 29} For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’^{(F) 30} Then

³¹ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^(H)