Old/New Testament
Jonathan Intercedes for David
19 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officials[a] to kill David, but Saul’s son Jonathan was very fond of[b] David. 2 So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. In the morning be careful and stay hidden in a secret place. 3 I’ll go out and stand by my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to my father about you. If I find out what he intends to do,[c] I’ll tell you.”
4 Jonathan spoke to his father Saul favorably about David. “The king shouldn’t wrong his servant David because he has not wronged you and because what he has done has been very beneficial for you. 5 He risked his life[d] and struck down the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a spectacular deliverance for all Israel. You saw that and rejoiced, so why would you do wrong and shed innocent blood[e] by killing David without cause?” 6 Saul listened to Jonathan, and swore by the life of the Lord that David[f] would not be killed. 7 Jonathan summoned David and told him all this.[g] Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David[h] served him[i] as before.
Saul Again Tries to Kill David
8 The war continued and David went out to fight against the Philistines. He thoroughly defeated them,[j] and they fled before David.[k] 9 The evil spirit from the Lord attacked Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand and David was playing the lyre. 10 Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he jumped away from Saul and the spear stuck in the wall. That night David escaped and fled.
Michal Helps David Escape
11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him so they could kill him in the morning. David’s wife, Michal, told him, “If you don’t escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be put to death.” 12 So Michal let David down through the window, and he escaped and fled. 13 Then Michal took the household idol[l] and laid it on the bed with a cover of goat hair placed at its head. Then she covered it with clothes.
14 When Saul sent the messengers to take David, Michal said, “He’s sick.”
15 Then Saul sent messengers to check on[m] David. He told them, “Bring him to me on the bed so I may kill him.”[n] 16 The messengers went in, and there was the household idol in the bed with the cover of goat hair at its head!
17 Then Saul told Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and let my enemy go so he could escape?”
Michal told Saul, “He told me, ‘Let me go or I’ll kill you!’”[o]
Saul Prophesies at Ramah and David Escapes
18 David escaped and fled. He came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 19 It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah right now.” 20 Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw a group of prophets caught up in prophetic ecstasy,[p] with Samuel standing beside them leading them. Then the Spirit of God came on Saul’s messengers, and they also were caught up in prophetic ecstasy.[q]
21 They reported this to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also were caught up in prophetic ecstasy.[r] 22 Then Saul himself went to Ramah, and he arrived at the large well that is in Secu. He asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
Someone[s] replied, “They’re at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 Saul went to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came on him also. He continued in prophetic ecstasy[t] until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also removed his clothes and was caught up in prophetic ecstasy[u] right in front of Samuel! He fell down naked and remained there all that day and all night. That is why people say,[v] “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
David and Jonathan’s Discussion
20 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and said, “What have I done? What is my crime, and how have I wronged your father so that he’s determined to kill me?[w]
2 Jonathan[x] told him, “Far from it! You won’t die. Look, my father never does anything, great or small, without telling me;[y] so why should my father hide this thing from me? It’s not like that!”
3 David again took an oath: “Your father certainly knows that I’ve found favor with you, and so he told himself,[z] ‘Jonathan must not know this so he won’t be upset.’ But as certainly as the Lord is alive and living, and as certainly as I’m alive and living, too, there is only a step between me and death.”
4 Jonathan told David, “Whatever you say, I’ll do.”
5 David told Jonathan, “Look, the New Moon is tomorrow, and I’m expected to sit down with the king to eat. Let me go so I can hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.[aa] 6 If your father actually notices that I’m not there,[ab] then you are to say, ‘David urgently requested that I allow him to run to his hometown of Bethlehem because the yearly sacrifice for the entire family was taking place there.’ 7 If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant will be safe.[ac] But if he actually gets angry, you will know that his intentions are evil.[ad] 8 Now, show gracious kindness to your servant because you have entered into a sacred covenant[ae] with your servant. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself—why should you bring me to your father?”
9 “Nonsense!” Jonathan replied. “If I actually knew that my father intended evil against you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?”
10 Then David told Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
David and Jonathan Make a Covenant
11 Then Jonathan told David, “Come, let’s go into the field.” So the two of them went into the field. 12 Jonathan told David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness[af] that I’ll carefully question my father by tomorrow or the next day. And if the response[ag] is favorable for David, will I not then send word[ah] to you and let you know?[ai] 13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord strike me dead[aj] if I don’t let you know and send you away so you may go safely. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. 14 If I remain alive, don’t fail to show me the Lord’s gracious love so that I don’t die. 15 And don’t stop showing your gracious love to my family forever, not even when the Lord eliminates each of David’s enemies from the surface of the earth.” 16 Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David: “May the Lord punish any violation of this covenant by the hand of David’s enemies.”[ak] 17 Jonathan made David vow again out of his love for him, because he loved him as himself.
Jonathan’s Signal to David
18 Jonathan told him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed because your seat is empty. 19 On the third day go down quickly and come to the place where you hid earlier.[al] Remain beside the rock at Ezel. 20 I’ll shoot three arrows to the side of the rock[am] as though I were shooting at a target. 21 Then I’ll send a servant,[an] saying,[ao] ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the servant,[ap] ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come out because it’s safe for you, and, as surely as the Lord lives, there is no danger.[aq] 22 But if I say this to the young man: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away. 23 As for the matter about which you and I spoke, remember that[ar] the Lord is a witness[as] between us forever.”
Jonathan Intercedes for David
24 David hid in the field. When the New Moon arrived, the king sat down to eat. 25 The king sat down at his place as before, in the seat by the wall. Jonathan stood while Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26 Saul didn’t say anything that day because he told himself,[at] “Something has happened; he’s unclean; surely he’s not clean.”
27 But the next day, on the second day of the New Moon, David’s place was empty, and so Saul told his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the festival, either yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David urgently requested that I let him go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go because our family has a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has ordered me to come. Now, if it’s acceptable to you,[au] please let me get away so I can see my brothers.’ That’s the reason he didn’t come to the king’s table.”
Saul’s Anger toward Jonathan
30 Saul flew into a rage and told Jonathan, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have chosen Jesse’s son to your shame and to the shame of your mother who bore you?[av] 31 As long as[aw] Jesse’s son lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established! Now send someone and bring David[ax] to me. He’s a dead man!”
32 Jonathan asked his father Saul, “Why should he be killed? What did he do?” 33 Then Saul threw the spear that was beside him to strike Jonathan[ay] down. So Jonathan realized that his father was determined to kill David. 34 So on the second day of the New Moon Jonathan angrily got up from the table without eating because he was upset about David, and because his father had humiliated him.
Jonathan Warns David
35 In the morning Jonathan, accompanied by a servant,[az] went out to the field for the appointment with David. 36 Jonathan[ba] told his servant,[bb] “Run, find the arrows that I’m shooting.” As the servant[bc] ran, Jonathan[bd] shot the arrow beyond him. 37 The servant[be] came to the place where Jonathan had shot it, and Jonathan called out to him,[bf] “The arrow is beyond you, isn’t it?” 38 Jonathan called out to the servant,[bg] “Hurry, be quick, don’t stand around.” Jonathan’s servant[bh] picked up the arrow and brought it to his master. 39 The servant was not aware of anything. Only Jonathan and David understood what had happened.[bi]
40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant[bj] who was with him and told him, “Go, take these things to the city.” 41 The servant[bk] went. Then David came out from the south side of the rock,[bl] fell on his face, and bowed down three times. The men kissed each other, and both of them cried, but David even more. 42 Jonathan told David, “Go in peace since both of us swore in the name of the Lord: ‘May the Lord be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”
[bm]Then David[bn] got up and left, while Jonathan went to the city.
David Flees to Nob
21 [bo]David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech was trembling as he came[bp] to meet David. Ahimelech[bq] told him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?”
2 David told Ahimelech the priest, “The king commanded me about a matter, saying to me, ‘Don’t let anyone know anything about the matter I’m sending you to do[br] and about which I’ve commanded you. I’ve directed the young men to a certain place.’ 3 Now, what do you have available?[bs] Give me five loaves of bread or whatever you have.”[bt]
4 The priest answered David: “There is no ordinary bread available;[bu] only consecrated bread, provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5 David answered the priest, saying to him, “Indeed, women were kept from us as is usual[bv] whenever I go out on a mission,[bw] and the equipment[bx] of the young men is consecrated even when it’s an ordinary journey, so how much more is their equipment[by] consecrated today?” 6 So the priest gave him consecrated bread because no bread was there except the Bread of the Presence that had been removed from the Lord’s presence and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
7 Now, Doeg the Edomite, one of Saul’s officials,[bz] was there that day, detained in the Lord’s presence. He was the chief of Saul’s shepherds.
David Takes Goliath’s Sword
8 David told Ahimelech, “Is there no spear or sword available[ca] here? I took neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s mission is urgent.”
9 The priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah is wrapped up in a cloth behind the ephod.[cb] If you want it, take it because there is no other except it here.”
So David said, “There is none like it. Give it to me.”
David Flees to Gath
10 David got up that day and fled from Saul, and he went to King Achish of Gath. 11 The officials[cc] of Achish told him, “Isn’t this David, king of the land? Isn’t this the one about whom they sang as they danced,
‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his ten thousands’?”
12 David took these words seriously,[cd] and he was very frightened of King Achish of Gath. 13 So David changed his behavior before them and acted like he was crazy in their presence. He scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down his beard. 14 Achish told his officials,[ce] “Look, you see a person acting like a madman. Why’d you bring him to me? 15 Am I lacking madmen that you bring me this one to act like a madman around me? Shall this one come into my house?”
The Sign of Jonah(A)
29 Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus,[a] he went on to say, “This people living today are[b] an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah, 30 because just as Jonah became a sign[c] to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. 31 The queen of the south will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today,[d] because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, something greater than Solomon is here! 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today,[e] because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, something greater than Jonah is here!”
The Lamp of the Body(B)
33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place[f] or under a basket,[g] but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it’s evil, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore, be careful that the light in you isn’t darkness. 36 Now if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.”
Jesus Denounces the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law(C)
37 After Jesus[h] had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus[i] went and took his place at the table. 38 The Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn’t first wash before the meal. 39 But the Lord told him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil. 40 You fools! The one who made the outside made the inside, too, didn’t he? 41 So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you.
42 “How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, spices, and every kind of herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.
43 How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You love to have the places of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces.
44 How terrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves—people walk on them without realizing it.”
45 Then one of the experts in the Law told him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us, too.”
46 Jesus[j] said, “How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law, too! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you don’t even lift a finger to ease those burdens.
47 How terrible it will be for you! You build monuments for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them! 48 So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed those for whom you are building monuments. 49 That is why the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them and persecute others,’[k] 50 so those living today[l] will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that was shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel[m] to the blood of Zechariah,[n] who died between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation!
52 How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in.”
53 As Jesus[o] was leaving, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely, interrogating him about many things. 54 They watched him closely in an effort to trap him in something he might say.
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