WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.719 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:09.300 in a year. Today's reading is from 1 Samuel chapters 00:00:09.300 --> 00:00:15.339 24 and 25, along with Psalms 57 and 142. 1 Samuel 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.820 chapter 24. Now it happened when Saul had returned 00:00:18.820 --> 00:00:20.960 from following the Philistines that it was told 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.820 him, saying, Take note, David is in the wilderness 00:00:23.820 --> 00:00:26.940 of En Gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:29.260 men from all Israel and went to seek David and 00:00:29.260 --> 00:00:32.039 his men on the rocks of the wild goats. So he 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:34.579 came to the sheepfolds by the road where there 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:36.979 was a cave, and Saul went in to attend to his 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:39.000 needs. David and his men were staying in the 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:41.560 recesses of the cave. Then the men of David said 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:43.759 to him, This is the day of which the Lord said 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.079 to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.359 your hand, that you may do to him as it seems 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:50.960 good to you. And David arose and secretly cut 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:53.420 off a corner of Saul's robe. Now it happened 00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.640 afterward that David's heart troubled him, because 00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:58.060 he had cut Saul's robe. And he said to his men, 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:00.340 The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to 00:01:00.340 --> 00:01:02.740 my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out 00:01:02.740 --> 00:01:05.159 my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.599 of the Lord. So David restrained his servants 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:09.879 with these words, and did not allow them to rise 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:12.799 against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.480 went on his way. And David also arose afterward, 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:17.519 went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, 00:01:17.579 --> 00:01:20.219 saying, My lord, the king. And when Saul looked 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:22.620 behind him, David stooped with his face to the 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:25.200 earth and bowed down. And David said to Saul, 00:01:25.379 --> 00:01:27.599 Why do you listen to the words of men who say 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.359 indeed David seeks you harm? Look, this day your 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:32.340 eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:34.959 into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.260 to kill you, but my eyes spared you, and I said, 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.579 I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.780 for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father, 00:01:42.819 --> 00:01:45.519 see, yes see the corner of your robe in my hand 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:47.920 for in that i cut off the corner of your robe 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:50.519 and did not kill you know and see that there 00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:52.959 is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand and 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:55.620 i have not sinned against you yet you hunt my 00:01:55.620 --> 00:01:58.159 life to take it let the lord judge between you 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.060 and me and let the lord avenge me on you but 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:03.359 my hand shall not be against you as the proverb 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:06.239 of the ancients says wickedness proceeds from 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:08.699 the wicked but my hand shall not be against you 00:02:08.699 --> 00:02:12.129 after whom has the king of israel come out Whom 00:02:12.129 --> 00:02:14.930 do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? Therefore 00:02:14.930 --> 00:02:17.590 let the Lord be judge, and judge between you 00:02:17.590 --> 00:02:19.949 and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver 00:02:19.949 --> 00:02:22.669 me out of your hand. So it was, when David had 00:02:22.669 --> 00:02:24.669 finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul 00:02:24.669 --> 00:02:27.870 said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul 00:02:27.870 --> 00:02:30.080 lifted up his voice and wept. Then he said to 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:32.439 David, You are more righteous than I, for you 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:34.919 have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:37.740 you with evil. And you have shown this day how 00:02:37.740 --> 00:02:39.900 you have dealt with me, for when the Lord delivered 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:42.460 me into your hand, you did not kill me. For if 00:02:42.460 --> 00:02:44.740 a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:47.270 safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with 00:02:47.270 --> 00:02:49.550 good for what you have done to me this day. And 00:02:49.550 --> 00:02:51.909 now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, 00:02:52.069 --> 00:02:54.009 and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established 00:02:54.009 --> 00:02:57.050 in your hand. Therefore swear now to me by the 00:02:57.050 --> 00:02:58.889 Lord that you will not cut off my descendants 00:02:58.889 --> 00:03:01.530 after me, and that you will not destroy my name 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:04.069 from my father's house. So David swore to Saul, 00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:06.909 and Saul went home, but David and his men went 00:03:06.909 --> 00:03:11.669 up to the stronghold. Psalm 57 Inscription To 00:03:11.669 --> 00:03:15.530 the Chief Musician Set to Do Not Destroy a miktam 00:03:15.530 --> 00:03:18.050 of david when he fled from saul into the cave 00:03:18.050 --> 00:03:21.729 be merciful to me oh god be merciful to me for 00:03:21.729 --> 00:03:24.210 my soul trusts in you and in the shadow of your 00:03:24.210 --> 00:03:27.009 wings i will make my refuge until these calamities 00:03:27.009 --> 00:03:29.930 have passed by i will cry out to god most high 00:03:29.930 --> 00:03:32.789 to god who performs all things for me he shall 00:03:32.789 --> 00:03:35.509 send from heaven and save me he reproaches the 00:03:35.509 --> 00:03:39.110 one who should swallow me up God shall send forth 00:03:39.110 --> 00:03:41.650 his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions. 00:03:41.909 --> 00:03:44.909 I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, 00:03:45.069 --> 00:03:47.810 whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their 00:03:47.810 --> 00:03:50.409 tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above 00:03:50.409 --> 00:03:52.849 the heavens. Let your glory be above all the 00:03:52.849 --> 00:03:54.969 earth. They have prepared a net for my steps. 00:03:55.189 --> 00:03:57.969 My soul is bowed down. They have dug a pit before 00:03:57.969 --> 00:04:00.650 me. Into the midst of it they themselves have 00:04:00.650 --> 00:04:03.930 fallen. Salah. My heart is steadfast, O God, 00:04:04.030 --> 00:04:06.530 my heart is steadfast. I will sing and give praise. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:09.939 Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:12.419 awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among 00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:14.680 the peoples. I will sing to you among the nations. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.220 For your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and 00:04:17.220 --> 00:04:19.939 your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, 00:04:20.060 --> 00:04:22.300 above the heavens. Let your glory be above all 00:04:22.300 --> 00:04:27.060 the earth. Psalm 142 Inscription A contemplation 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:30.079 of David, a prayer when he was in the cave. I 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:32.439 cry out to the Lord with my voice. With my voice 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:34.860 to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out 00:04:34.860 --> 00:04:37.019 my complaint before him. I declare before him 00:04:37.019 --> 00:04:39.519 my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.620 me, then you knew my path. In the way in which 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:45.199 I walk, they have secretly set a snare for me. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:47.899 Look on my right hand and see, for there is no 00:04:47.899 --> 00:04:50.439 one who acknowledges me. Refuge has failed me. 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:53.360 No one cares for my soul. I cried out to you, 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:55.800 O Lord. I said, you are my refuge, my portion 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:58.180 in the land of the living. Attend to my cry, 00:04:58.300 --> 00:05:00.740 for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my 00:05:00.740 --> 00:05:03.649 persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring 00:05:03.649 --> 00:05:06.029 my soul out of prison, that I may praise your 00:05:06.029 --> 00:05:08.709 name. The righteous shall surround me, for you 00:05:08.709 --> 00:05:14.529 shall deal bountifully with me. Then Samuel died, 00:05:14.790 --> 00:05:16.949 and the Israelites gathered together and lamented 00:05:16.949 --> 00:05:19.250 for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. 00:05:19.410 --> 00:05:21.389 And David arose and went down to the wilderness 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:24.250 of Paran. Now there was a man in Maun, whose 00:05:24.250 --> 00:05:26.370 business was in Carmel, and the man was very 00:05:26.370 --> 00:05:28.910 rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand 00:05:28.910 --> 00:05:31.430 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 00:05:31.790 --> 00:05:34.009 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of 00:05:34.009 --> 00:05:36.290 his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good 00:05:36.290 --> 00:05:38.550 understanding and beautiful appearance. But the 00:05:38.550 --> 00:05:40.889 man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was 00:05:40.889 --> 00:05:43.230 of the house of Caleb. When David heard in the 00:05:43.230 --> 00:05:45.089 wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 00:05:45.269 --> 00:05:47.410 David sent ten young men. And David said to the 00:05:47.410 --> 00:05:50.009 young men, Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and 00:05:50.009 --> 00:05:52.149 greet him in my name. And thus you shall say 00:05:52.149 --> 00:05:55.189 to him who lives in prosperity, Peace be to you, 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:57.509 peace to your house, and peace to all that you 00:05:57.509 --> 00:06:00.279 have. Now I have heard that you have shearers. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.699 Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:04.860 them, nor was there anything missing from them 00:06:04.860 --> 00:06:07.459 all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young 00:06:07.459 --> 00:06:09.699 men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:12.100 young men find favor in your eyes, for we come 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:14.420 on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to 00:06:14.420 --> 00:06:16.480 your hand to your servants and to your son David. 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:19.120 So when David's young men came, they spoke to 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:21.420 Nabal according to all these words in the name 00:06:21.420 --> 00:06:24.100 of David and waited. Then Nabal answered David's 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:26.500 servants and said, Who is David, and who is the 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:28.939 son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays 00:06:28.939 --> 00:06:31.860 who break away each one from his master. Shall 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:34.560 I then take my bread and my water and my meat 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:36.920 that I have killed for my shearers and give it 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:39.160 to men when I do not know where they are from? 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:41.879 So David's young men turned on their heels and 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:44.040 went back, and they came and told him all these 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:46.660 words. Then David said to his men, Every man 00:06:46.660 --> 00:06:49.319 gird on his sword. So every man girded on his 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:51.839 sword, and David also girded on his sword. And 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:54.300 about four hundred men went with David, and two 00:06:54.300 --> 00:06:56.689 hundred stayed with the supplies. Now one of 00:06:56.689 --> 00:06:59.089 the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, 00:06:59.329 --> 00:07:01.550 Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness 00:07:01.550 --> 00:07:04.250 to greet our master, and he reviled them. But 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:06.370 the men were very good to us, and we were not 00:07:06.370 --> 00:07:08.829 hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we 00:07:08.829 --> 00:07:10.870 accompanied them when we were in the fields. 00:07:11.110 --> 00:07:13.470 They were a wall to us both by night and day. 00:07:13.670 --> 00:07:15.850 All the time we were with them keeping the sheep. 00:07:16.170 --> 00:07:18.610 Now therefore know and consider what you will 00:07:18.610 --> 00:07:21.170 do, for harm is determined against our master 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:23.709 and against all his household, for he is such 00:07:23.709 --> 00:07:26.089 a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him. Then 00:07:26.089 --> 00:07:28.069 Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves 00:07:28.069 --> 00:07:30.829 of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already 00:07:30.829 --> 00:07:33.930 dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred 00:07:33.930 --> 00:07:36.449 clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of 00:07:36.449 --> 00:07:38.829 figs, and loaded them on donkeys. And she said 00:07:38.829 --> 00:07:41.389 to her servants, Go on before me, see I am coming 00:07:41.389 --> 00:07:43.850 after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:46.759 So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:49.040 went down under cover of the hill. And there 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:51.279 were David and his men coming down toward her, 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.959 and she met them. Now David had said, Surely 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.420 in vain I have protected all that this fellow 00:07:56.420 --> 00:07:58.800 has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.100 of all that belongs to him. and he has repaid 00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:03.939 me evil for good. May God do so and more also 00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:06.120 to the enemies of David, if I leave one male 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:09.000 of all who belong to him by morning light. Now 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:11.220 when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:13.360 from the donkey, fell on her face before David, 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:15.300 and bowed down to the ground. So she fell at 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:18.379 his feet and said, On me, my lord, on me, let 00:08:18.379 --> 00:08:20.800 this iniquity be, and please let your maidservant 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.360 speak in your ears, and hear the words of your 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:26.220 maidservant. Please let not my lord regard this 00:08:26.220 --> 00:08:29.420 scoundrel Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. 00:08:29.709 --> 00:08:32.370 Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But 00:08:32.370 --> 00:08:34.649 I, your maidservant, did not see the young men 00:08:34.649 --> 00:08:37.269 of my lord whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, 00:08:37.309 --> 00:08:39.909 as the lord lives, and as your soul lives, since 00:08:39.909 --> 00:08:42.190 the lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed 00:08:42.190 --> 00:08:44.169 and from avenging yourself with your own hand, 00:08:44.330 --> 00:08:46.649 now then, let your enemies and those who seek 00:08:46.649 --> 00:08:50.070 harm for my lord be as Nabal. And now this present, 00:08:50.190 --> 00:08:52.090 which your maidservant has brought to my lord, 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:54.549 let it be given to the young men who follow my 00:08:54.549 --> 00:08:57.210 lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. 00:08:57.419 --> 00:08:59.639 For the Lord will certainly make for my Lord 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:02.100 an enduring house, because my Lord fights the 00:09:02.100 --> 00:09:04.500 battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in 00:09:04.500 --> 00:09:06.940 you throughout your days. Yet a man has risen 00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:09.480 to pursue you and seek your life, but the life 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:11.720 of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:13.960 living with the Lord your God, and the lives 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:16.580 of your enemies he shall sling out as from the 00:09:16.580 --> 00:09:19.100 pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, 00:09:19.220 --> 00:09:21.200 when the Lord has done for my Lord according 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:23.440 to all the good that he has spoken concerning 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:25.940 you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.860 that this will be no grief to you, nor offense 00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:31.059 of heart to my Lord, either that you have shed 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:33.960 blood without cause, or that my Lord has avenged 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:36.539 himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with 00:09:36.539 --> 00:09:39.080 my Lord, then remember your maidservant. Then 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:41.340 David said to Abigail, Blessed is the Lord God 00:09:41.340 --> 00:09:43.559 of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:45.820 And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you. 00:09:46.139 --> 00:09:48.100 because you have kept me this day from coming 00:09:48.100 --> 00:09:50.200 to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:52.960 own hand. For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.360 lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:58.480 unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.960 by morning light no males would have been left 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:04.120 to Nabal. So David received from her hand what 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:06.480 she had brought him and said to her, Go up in 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:08.399 peace to your house. See, I have heeded your 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.840 voice and respected your person. Now Abigail 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:13.519 went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:16.070 in his house like the feast of a king. and Nabal's 00:10:16.070 --> 00:10:18.710 heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. 00:10:18.970 --> 00:10:21.570 Therefore she told him nothing, little or much, 00:10:21.690 --> 00:10:23.990 until morning light. So it was in the morning, 00:10:24.110 --> 00:10:26.789 when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife 00:10:26.789 --> 00:10:28.789 had told him these things, that his heart died 00:10:28.789 --> 00:10:31.149 within him, and he became like a stone. Then 00:10:31.149 --> 00:10:33.289 it happened, after about ten days, that the Lord 00:10:33.289 --> 00:10:35.789 struck Nabal, and he died. So when David heard 00:10:35.789 --> 00:10:38.029 that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the 00:10:38.029 --> 00:10:40.129 Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:42.090 from the hand of Nabal, and has kept his servant 00:10:42.090 --> 00:10:44.549 from evil. for the Lord has returned the wickedness 00:10:44.549 --> 00:10:47.190 of Nabal on his own head. And David sent and 00:10:47.190 --> 00:10:49.490 proposed to Abigail to take her as his wife. 00:10:49.669 --> 00:10:51.830 When the servants of David had come to Abigail 00:10:51.830 --> 00:10:54.509 at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David sent 00:10:54.509 --> 00:10:57.230 us to you to ask you to become his wife. Then 00:10:57.230 --> 00:10:59.509 she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, 00:10:59.669 --> 00:11:01.889 Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the 00:11:01.889 --> 00:11:04.289 feet of the servants of my Lord. So Abigail rose 00:11:04.289 --> 00:11:07.149 in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five 00:11:07.149 --> 00:11:09.190 of her maidens, and she followed the messengers 00:11:09.190 --> 00:11:12.100 of David, and became his wife. David also took 00:11:12.100 --> 00:11:14.620 Einom of Jezreel, and so both of them were his 00:11:14.620 --> 00:11:16.919 wives. But Saul had given Michal his daughter, 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:19.639 David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:27.120 was from Galim. I hope you enjoyed today's reading 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:29.440 as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:31.480 you again tomorrow to continue on our journey. 00:11:31.659 --> 00:11:33.279 God bless you and have a great day.