Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁶ As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.^{[a](A) 7} And the women sang to one another as they made merry,

⁸ Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?”^{(C) 9} So Saul eyed David from that day on.

Saul Tries to Kill David

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand,^{(D) 11} and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.^(E)

¹² Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.^{(F) 13} So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand, and David marched out and came in, leading the army.^{(G) 14} David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.^{(H) 15} When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.^(I)

David Marries Michal

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him.”^{(J) 18} David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my kinsfolk, my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”^{(K) 19} But at the time when Saul’s daughter Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.^(L)

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him.^{(M) 21} Saul thought, “Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,^[b] “You shall now be my son-in-law.”^{(N) 22} Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘See, the king is delighted with you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” ²³ So Saul’s servants reported these words to David in private. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?” ²⁴ The servants of Saul told him, “This is what David said.” ²⁵ Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.^{(O) 26} When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired,^{(P) 27} David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred^[c] of the Philistines, and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.^{(Q) 28} But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that Saul’s daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy from that time forward.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great.^(R)

The Storm at Sea

¹³ When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. ¹⁴ But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete.^{[a](A) 15} Since the ship was caught and could not be turned head-on into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. ¹⁶ By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda^[b] we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. ¹⁷ After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and so were driven.^{(B) 18} We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard,^{(C) 19} and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

²¹ Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss.^{(D) 22} I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.^{(E) 23} For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,^{(F) 24} and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’^{(G) 25} So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.^{(H) 26} But we will have to run aground on some island.”^(I)

²⁷ When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. ²⁸ So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. ²⁹ Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. ³⁰ But when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea on the pretext of putting out anchors from the bow,^{(J) 31} Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.

³³ Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. ³⁴ Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive, for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.”^{(K) 35} After he had said this, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat.^{(L) 36} Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves.^{(M) 37} (We were in all two hundred seventy-six^[c] persons in the ship.) ³⁸ After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.^(N)