The Daily Audio Bible

⁵ David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he was successful. So Saul set him over the men of war, and it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of the servants of Saul.

⁶ When they came home, as David was returning from slaying the Philistine, the women came out from all cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. ⁷ The dancing women sang and said,

⁸ Saul became very angry, and this saying was displeasing to him. Therefore he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what remains for him to have but the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul was suspicious of David from that day and forward.

¹⁰ It came to pass the following day, that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, so that he raved in the midst of the house. And David was playing the lyre, as at other times. Now there was a spear in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ And Saul threw the spear. For he said, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David avoided him two times.

¹² Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and placed him as his captain over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ David was successful in all his ways and the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he was very successful, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ Now all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “Behold my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as your wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who am I? And what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹ So when it was time that Merab, daughter of Saul, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.

²⁰ Now Michal, daughter of Saul, loved David and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹ Saul said, “I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him, and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “For a second time, you may be my son-in-law today.”

²² Saul commanded his servants, saying, “Speak to David in secret saying, ‘Listen, the king delights in you and all his servants love you. Now therefore become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

²³ So the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?”

²⁴ And the servants of Saul reported to him saying, “According to these words, David spoke.” ²⁵ Saul said, “Thus will you say to David, ‘The king does not desire any dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶ When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Now the days had not expired; ²⁷ therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins and they gave them in full to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.

²⁸ When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, his daughter, loved him, ²⁹ Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul became the enemy of David continually.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to make war. And when they went out David was more successful than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly honored.

Saul Tries to Kill David

19 And Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted very much in David. ² Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore, be on guard in the morning; stay in a secret place and hide yourself. ³ And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. Then I will speak about you to my father, and what I observe I will report to you.”

⁴ Jonathan spoke positively of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have been very good toward you. ⁵ For he took his life in his hand and struck down the Philistine, and the Lord made a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Now why then would you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without cause?”

⁶ So Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, he will not be killed.”

⁷ Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as previously.

⁸ Then there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines. He slew them with a great slaughter and they fled from him.

⁹ Now an evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. ¹⁰ Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence. He struck the spear into the wall. But David fled and escaped that night.

¹¹ Saul also sent messengers to the house of David, to watch him and to slay him in the morning. But Michal, wife of David, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead.” ¹² So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled to safety. ¹³ Michal took an idol and laid it in the bed, and put a braided goat hair pillow for its head and covered it with clothes.

¹⁴ When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”

¹⁵ Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ When the messengers came in, there was the idol in the bed with a goat hair pillow for its head.

¹⁷ Saul said to Michal, “Why have you betrayed me and sent away my enemy, so that he escaped?”

And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’ ”

¹⁸ Now David fled, and he escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah. And he reported to him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ It was told Saul, saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” ²⁰ Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel taking his stand over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul and they also prophesied. ²¹ When it was reported to Saul, he sent other messengers. And they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again a third time, and they too prophesied. ²² Then he also went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Seku. And he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?”

And one said, “They are at Naioth in Ramah.

²³ He went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also. And he went on and he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ²⁴ He stripped off his clothes and he also prophesied before Samuel. And he lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

The Truth Will Set You Free

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. ³² You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never been in bondage to anyone. Why do You say, ‘You shall be set free’? ”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ Now a slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s seed. But you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. ³⁸ I am telling what I have seen with My Father, and you are doing what you have seen with your father.”

Your Father the Devil

³⁹ They answered Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. ⁴⁰ But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father: God.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and proceeded into the world. I did not come of My own authority, but He sent Me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand My speaking? Because you cannot bear to hear My word. ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. ⁴⁶ Which of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me? ⁴⁷ He who is of God hears God’s words. Therefore, you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

The Preexistence of Jesus

⁴⁸ The Jews answered Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. But I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. ⁵⁰ I do not seek glory for Myself. There is One who seeks it and judges. ⁵¹ Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he shall never see death.”

⁵² Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died, and You say, ‘If a man keeps My word, he shall never taste death.’ ⁵³ “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets are dead! Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say that He is your God. ⁵⁵ Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. If I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day. He saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old. Have You seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” ⁵⁹ Then they took up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. Going through their midst, He passed by.

Psalm 112