1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23:1  It was reported to David: “Notice, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors.”

1 Samuel 23:2  So David inquired of Yahveh: “Should I launch an attack against these Philistines?” Yahveh answered David, “Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah.”

1 Samuel 23:3  But David’s men said to him, “Notice, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

1 Samuel 23:4  Once again, David inquired of Yahveh, and Yahveh answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.”

1 Samuel 23:5  Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.

1 Samuel 23:6  Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.

1 Samuel 23:7  When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.”

1 Samuel 23:8  Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

1 Samuel 23:9  When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod.”

1 Samuel 23:10  Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, your slave has reliable information that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

1 Samuel 23:11  Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your slave has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell your slave.” Yahveh answered, “He will come down.”

1 Samuel 23:12  Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” “They will,” Yahveh responded.

1 Samuel 23:13  So David and his men, numbering about six hundred, left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.

1 Samuel 23:14  David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.

1 Samuel 23:15  David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to seek his throat.

1 Samuel 23:16  Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God,

1 Samuel 23:17  saying, “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.”

1 Samuel 23:18  Then the two of them made a covenant in Yahveh’s presence. Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

1 Samuel 23:19  Some Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.

1 Samuel 23:20  Now, whenever the king’s throat wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king.”

1 Samuel 23:21  “May you be blessed by Yahveh,” replied Saul, “for you have shown concern for me.

1 Samuel 23:22  Go and check again. Investigate where he goes and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning.

1 Samuel 23:23  Investigate all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I’ll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I’ll search for him among all the clans of Judah.”

1 Samuel 23:24  So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

1 Samuel 23:25  and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.

1 Samuel 23:26  Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

1 Samuel 23:27  Then a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!”

1 Samuel 23:28  So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.

1 Samuel 23:29  From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

links:

escapes
Even Saul knew
knowing the moves
praying again

The 1 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22:1  So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there.

1 Samuel 22:2  In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or had a bitter throat rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

1 Samuel 22:3  From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”

1 Samuel 22:4  So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

1 Samuel 22:5  Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Leave and return to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

1 Samuel 22:6  Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree at the high place. His spear was in his hand, and all his slaves were standing around him.

1 Samuel 22:7  Saul said to his slaves, “Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse’s son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

1 Samuel 22:8  That’s why all of you have conspired against me! Nobody tells me when my own son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. None of you cares about me or tells me that my son has stirred up my own slave to wait in ambush for me, as is the case today.”

1 Samuel 22:9  Then Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s slaves, answered: “I saw Jesse’s son come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

1 Samuel 22:10  Ahimelech inquired of Yahveh for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

1 Samuel 22:11  The king sent messengers to summon the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests in Nob. All of them came to the king.

1 Samuel 22:12  Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub!” “Notice, I’m at your service, my lord,” he said.

1 Samuel 22:13  Saul asked him, “Why did you and Jesse’s son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as is the case today.”

1 Samuel 22:14  Ahimelech replied to the king: “Who among all your slaves is as faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house.

1 Samuel 22:15  Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your slave or any of my father’s family, for your slave didn’t have any idea about all this.”

1 Samuel 22:16  But the king said, “You will die, Ahimelech– you and your father’s whole family!”

1 Samuel 22:17  Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahveh because they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn’t tell me.” But the king’s slaves would not lift a hand to execute the priests of Yahveh.

1 Samuel 22:18  So the king said to Doeg, “Go and execute the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite went and executed the priests himself. On that day, he killed eighty-five men who wore linen ephods.

1 Samuel 22:19  He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword– both men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.

1 Samuel 22:20  However, one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.

1 Samuel 22:21  Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahveh.

1 Samuel 22:22  Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day and that he was sure to report to Saul. I myself am responsible for the throats of everyone in your father’s family.

1 Samuel 22:23  Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who seeks my throat seeks your throat. You will be safe with me.”

links:

better times
Doeg’s treachery
refuge in dangerous times

The 1 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21:1  David went to the priest Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech was afraid to meet David, so he said to him, “Why are you alone and no one is with you?”

1 Samuel 21:2  David answered the priest Ahimelech, “The king gave me a mission, but he told me, ‘Don’t let anyone know anything about the mission I’m sending you on or what I have ordered you to do.’ I have stationed my boys at a certain place.

1 Samuel 21:3  Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found.”

1 Samuel 21:4  The priest told him, “There is no ordinary bread on hand. However, there is consecrated bread, but the boys may eat it only if they have kept themselves from women.”

1 Samuel 21:5  David answered him, “I swear that women are being kept from us, as always when I go out to battle. The boys’ bodies are consecrated even on an ordinary mission, so of course their bodies are consecrated today.”

1 Samuel 21:6  So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, for there was no bread there except the Bread of the Presence that had been removed from the presence of Yahveh. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.

1 Samuel 21:7  One of Saul’s slaves, detained before Yahveh, was there that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, chief of Saul’s shepherds.

1 Samuel 21:8  David said to Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn’t even bring my sword or my weapons since the king’s mission was urgent.”

1 Samuel 21:9  The priest replied, “Notice, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it for yourself, then take it, for there isn’t another one here.” “There’s none like it!” David said. “Give it to me.”

1 Samuel 21:10  David fled that day from Saul’s presence and went to King Achish of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:11  But Achish’s slaves said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Don’t they sing about him during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?”

1 Samuel 21:12  David took this to heart and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath,

1 Samuel 21:13  so he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them, scribbling on the doors of the city gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

1 Samuel 21:14  “Notice! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his slaves. “Why did you bring him to me?

1 Samuel 21:15  Do I have such a shortage of crazy people that you brought this one to act crazy around me? Is this one going to come into my house?”

links:

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, September 18, 2019
plan backfired
refuge in dangerous times
Why are you alone?

The 1 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:1  David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my throat?”

1 Samuel 20:2  Jonathan said to him, “No, you won’t die. Notice, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can’t be true.”

1 Samuel 20:3  But David said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor with you. He has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.'” David also swore, “As surely as Yahveh lives and as your throat lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

1 Samuel 20:4  Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

1 Samuel 20:5  So David told him, “Notice, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I’ll hide in the countryside for the next two nights.

1 Samuel 20:6  If your father misses me at all, say, ‘David urgently requested my permission to go quickly to his hometown Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.’

1 Samuel 20:7  If he says, ‘Good,’ then your slave is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions.

1 Samuel 20:8  Deal kindly with your slave, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before Yahveh. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?”

1 Samuel 20:9  “No!” Jonathan responded. “If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?”

1 Samuel 20:10  So David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

1 Samuel 20:11  He answered David, “Come on, let’s go out to the countryside.” So both of them went out to the countryside.

1 Samuel 20:12  “By Yahveh, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. Notice, if I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

1 Samuel 20:13  If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May Yahveh be with you, just as he was with my father.

1 Samuel 20:14  If I continue to live, show me kindness from Yahveh, but if I die,

1 Samuel 20:15  don’t ever withdraw your kindness from my household– not even when Yahveh cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the land.”

1 Samuel 20:16  Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May Yahveh hold David’s enemies accountable.”

1 Samuel 20:17  Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his throat.

1 Samuel 20:18  Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; you’ll be missed because your seat will be empty.

1 Samuel 20:19  The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel.

1 Samuel 20:20  I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I’m aiming at a target.

1 Samuel 20:21  Then, notice, I will send a boy and say, ‘Go and find the arrows! ‘ Now, if I expressly say to the servant, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you– get them,’ then come, because as Yahveh lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem.

1 Samuel 20:22  But if I say this to the youth, Notice, the arrows are beyond you! ‘ then go, for Yahveh is sending you away.

1 Samuel 20:23  As for the matter you and I have spoken about, Ynotice, Yahveh will be a witness between you and me forever.”

1 Samuel 20:24  So David hid in the countryside. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal.

1 Samuel 20:25  He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David’s place was empty.

1 Samuel 20:26  Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, “Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean– yes, that’s it, he is unclean.”

1 Samuel 20:27  However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal either yesterday or today?”

1 Samuel 20:28  Jonathan answered, “David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 20:29  He said, ‘Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go so I can see my brothers.’ That’s why he didn’t come to the king’s table.”

1 Samuel 20:30  Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you are siding with Jesse’s son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother?

1 Samuel 20:31  Every day Jesse’s son lives on land you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me– he must die!”

1 Samuel 20:32  Jonathan answered his father back: “Why is he to be killed? What has he done?”

1 Samuel 20:33  Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.

1 Samuel 20:34  He got up from the table fiercely angry and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

1 Samuel 20:35  In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A little boy was with him.

1 Samuel 20:36  He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I’m shooting.” As the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

1 Samuel 20:37  The boy came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called to him and said, “The arrow is beyond you, isn’t it?”

1 Samuel 20:38  Then Jonathan called to him, “Hurry up and don’t stop!” Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

1 Samuel 20:39  He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

1 Samuel 20:40  Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy who was with him and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”

1 Samuel 20:41  When the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell facedown to the ground, and payed homage three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.

1 Samuel 20:42  Jonathan then said to David, “Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the name of Yahveh when we said: Yahveh will be a witness between you and me and between my offspring and your offspring forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan went into the city.

links:

anger separates
anger separates families
Jonathan was grieved
time to leave

The 1 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19:1  Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his slaves to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much,

1 Samuel 19:2  so he told him: “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning and hide in a secret place and stay there.

1 Samuel 19:3  I’ll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are and talk to him about you. When I see what he says, I’ll tell you.”

1 Samuel 19:4  Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. He said to him: “The king should not sin against his slave David. He hasn’t sinned against you; in fact, his actions have been a great advantage to you.

1 Samuel 19:5  He took his throat in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and Yahveh brought about a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”

1 Samuel 19:6  Saul listened to Jonathan’s advice and swore an oath: “As surely as Yahveh lives, David will not be killed.”

1 Samuel 19:7  So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he did before.

1 Samuel 19:8  When war broke out again, David went out and fought against the Philistines. He defeated them with such great force that they fled from him.

1 Samuel 19:9  Now an evil breath sent from Yahveh came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear. David was playing the lyre,

1 Samuel 19:10  and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul, ran away, and escaped that night.

1 Samuel 19:11  Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David, “If you don’t save your throat tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!”

1 Samuel 19:12  So she lowered David from the window, and he fled and escaped.

1 Samuel 19:13  Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.

1 Samuel 19:14  When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, “He’s sick.”

1 Samuel 19:15  Saul sent the agents back to see David and said, “Bring him on his bed so I can kill him.”

1 Samuel 19:16  When the agents arrived, they noticed the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head.

1 Samuel 19:17  Saul asked Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” She answered him, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you? ‘”

1 Samuel 19:18  So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel left and stayed at Naioth.

1 Samuel 19:19  When they told Saul “Notice, David is at Naioth in Ramah”,

1 Samuel 19:20  he sent agents to seize David. However, when they saw the group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading them, the Breath of God came on Saul’s agents, and they also started prophesying.

1 Samuel 19:21  When they reported to Saul, he sent other agents, and they also began prophesying. So Saul tried again and sent a third group of agents, and even they began prophesying.

1 Samuel 19:22  Then Saul himself went to Ramah. He came to the large cistern at Secu and asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Notice, at Naioth in Ramah,” someone said.

1 Samuel 19:23  So he went to Naioth in Ramah. The Breath of God also came on him, and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah.

1 Samuel 19:24  Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed and lay naked all that day and all that night. That is why they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

links:

behind the scenes
defending a friend
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, September 18, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, September 17, 2019
the Holy Spirit as protector
where did all the spirits go?

The 1 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library