Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today, the readings are from 1 Samuel
26 -30. Chapter 26 Now the Ziphites came to Saul
at Gibeah, saying, Is David not hiding in the
hill of Hakeilah opposite Jeshimon? Then Saul
arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph,
having three thousand chosen men of Israel with
him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
And Saul encamped in the hill of Achela, which
is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David
stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul
came after him into the wilderness. David therefore
sent out spies and understood that Saul had come
indeed. So David arose and came to the place
where Saul had encamped, and David saw the place
where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the
commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the
camp with the people encamped all around him.
Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the
Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother
of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to
Saul in the camp? And Abishai said, I will go
down with you. So David and Abishai came to the
people by night, and there Saul lay sleeping
within the camp with his spear stuck in the ground
by his head. And Abner and the people lay all
around him. Then Abishai said to David, God has
delivered your enemy into your hand this day.
Now therefore please let me strike him at once
with the spear right to the earth, and I will
not have to strike him a second time. But David
said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who
can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed
and be guiltless? David said furthermore, As
the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or
his day shall come to die, or he shall go out
to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I
should stretch out my hand against the Lord's
anointed. But please take now the spear and the
jug of water that are by his head, and let us
go. So David took the spear and the jug of water
by Saul's head, and they got away. And no man
saw or knew it or awoke, for they were all asleep,
because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen
on them. Now David went over to the other side
and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great
distance being between them. And David called
out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner,
saying, Do you not answer Abner? Then Abner answered
and said, Who are you calling out to the king?
So David said to Abner, Are you not a man? Or
who is like you in Israel? Why then have you
not guarded your lord the king? For one of the
people came in to destroy your lord the king.
This thing that you have done is not good. As
the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you
have not guarded your master, the Lord's anointed.
And now see where the king's spear is, and the
jug of water that was by his head. Then Saul
knew David's voice and said, Is that your voice,
my son David? David said, It is my voice, my
lord, O king. And he said, Why does my lord thus
pursue his servant? For what have I done, or
what evil is in my hand? Now therefore, please,
let my lord the king hear the words of his servant.
If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let
him accept an offering. But if it is the children
of men, may they be cursed before the Lord. For
they have driven me out this day from sharing
in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go serve
other gods. So now do not let my blood fall to
the earth before the face of the Lord. For the
king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as
when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.
Then Saul said, I have sinned. Return my son
David, for I will harm you no more, because my
life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed,
I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.
And David answered and said, Here is the king's
spear. Let one of the young men come over and
get it. May the Lord repay every man for his
righteousness and his faithfulness. For the Lord
delivered you into my hand this day, but I would
not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed.
And indeed, as your life was valued much this
day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much
in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver
me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to
David, May you be blessed, my son David. You
shall both do great things and also still prevail.
So David went on his way, and Saul returned to
his place. Chapter 27 so I shall escape out of
his hand. Then David arose and went over with
the six hundred men who were with him to Achish
the son of Maok, king of Gath. So David dwelt
with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man
with his household, and David with his two wives,
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess,
Nabal's widow. And it was told Saul that David
had fled to Gath, so he sought him no more. Then
David said to Achish, If I have now found favor
in your eyes, let them give me a place in some
town in the country, that I may dwell there.
For why should your servant dwell in the royal
city with you? So Achish gave him Ziklag that
day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings
of Judah to this day. Now the time that David
dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one
full year and four months. And David and his
men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gerzites,
and the Amalekites. For those nations were the
inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go
to shore, even as far as the land of Egypt. When
David attacked the land, he left neither man
nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the
oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel,
and returned and came to Achish. Then Achish
would say, Where have you made the raid today?
And David would say, Against the southern area
of Judah. or against the southern area of the
Jeramalites, or against the southern area of
the Kenites. David would save neither man nor
woman alive to bring news to Gath, saying, Lest
they should inform on us, saying, Thus David
did. And thus was his behavior all the time he
dwelt in the country of the Philistines. So Achish
believed David, saying, He has made his people
Israel utterly abhor him. Therefore he will be
my servant forever. Chapter 28 Now it happened
in those days that the Philistines gathered their
armies together for war to fight with Israel.
And Achish said to David, You assuredly know
that you will go out with me to battle, you and
your men. So David said to Achish, Surely you
know what your servant can do. And Achish said
to David, Therefore I will make you one of my
chief guardians forever. Now Samuel had died,
and all Israel had lamented for him and buried
him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put
the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.
Then the Philistines gathered together and came
and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all
Israel together and they encamped at Gilboa.
When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he
was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And
when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did
not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim,
or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants,
Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go
to her and inquire of her. And his servants said
to him, In fact, there is a woman who is a medium
at Ein Dor. So Saul disguised himself and put
on other clothes, and he went, and two men with
him. And they came to the woman by night, and
he said, Please conduct a seance for me. and
bring up for me the one I shall name to you.
Then the woman said to him, Look, you know what
Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums
and the spiritists from the land. Why then do
you lay a snare for my life to cause me to die?
And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As
the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon
you for this thing. Then the woman said, Whom
shall I bring up for you? And he said, Bring
up Samuel for me. When the woman saw Samuel,
she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman
spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived
me? For you are Saul. And the king said to her,
Do not be afraid. What do you see? And a woman
said to Saul, I saw a spirit ascending out of
the earth. So he said to her, What is his form?
And she said, An old man is coming up, and he
is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived
that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face
to the ground and bowed down. Now Samuel said
to Saul, Why have you disturbed me? by bringing
me up? And Saul answered, I am deeply distressed,
for the Philistines make war against me, and
God has departed from me, and does not answer
me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams.
Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal
to me what I should do. Then Samuel said, So
why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed
from you, and has become your enemy? And the
Lord has done for himself as he spoke by me.
For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your
hand and given it to your neighbor David. Because
you did not obey the voice of the Lord, nor execute
his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord
has done this thing to you this day. Moreover,
the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into
the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you
and your sons will be with me. The Lord will
also deliver the army of Israel into the hand
of the Philistines. immediately Saul fell full
length on the ground and was dreadfully afraid
because of the words of Samuel and there was
no strength in him for he had eaten no food all
day or all night and a woman came to Saul and
saw that he was severely troubled and said to
him look your maidservant has obeyed your voice
and I have put my life in my hands and heeded
the words which you spoke to me now therefore
please heed also the voice of your maidservant
and let me set a piece of bread before you and
eat that you may have strength when you go on
your way but he refused and said I will not eat
so his servants together with the woman urged
him and he heeded their voice then he arose from
the ground and sat on the bed now the woman had
a fatted calf in the house and she hastened to
kill it and she took flour and kneaded it and
baked unleavened bread from it so she brought
it before Saul and his servants and they ate
then they arose and went away that night chapter
29 then the Philistines gathered together all
their armies at Aphek and the Israelites encamped
by a fountain which is in Jezreel And the lords
of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds
and by thousands. But David and his men passed
in review at the rear with Achish. Then the princes
of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews
doing here? And Achish said to the princes of
the Philistines, Is this not David, the servant
of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me
these days or these years? And to this day I
have found no fault in him, since he defected
to me. But the princes of the Philistines were
angry with him. So the princes of the Philistines
said to him, Make this fellow return, that he
may go back to the place which you have appointed
for him. And do not let him go down with us to
battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary.
For with what could he reconcile himself to his
master, if not with the heads of these men? Is
this not David, of whom they sang to one another
in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands? Then Achish called
David and said to him, Surely as the Lord lives,
you have been upright, and your going out and
your coming in with me in the army is good in
my sight. For to this day I have not found evil
in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless,
the Lord's do not favor you. Therefore return
now and go in peace, that you may not displease
the lords of the Philistines. So David said to
Akish, But what have I done? And to this day
what have you found in your servant as long as
I have been with you, that I may not go and fight
against the enemies of my lord the king? Then
Akish answered and said to David, I know that
you are as good in my sight as an angel of God.
Nevertheless, the princes of the Philistines
have said, He shall not go up with us to the
battle. Now therefore rise early in the morning
with your master's servants who have come with
you, and as soon as you are up early in the morning
and have light, depart. So David and his men
rose early to depart in the morning to return
to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines
went up to Jezreel. Chapter 30 Now it happened
when David and his men came to Ziklag on the
third day that the Amalekites had invaded the
south and Ziklag. attacked Ziklag, and burned
it with fire, and had taken captive the women
and those who were there, from small to great.
They did not kill anyone, but carried them away
and went their way. So David and his men came
to the city, and there it was, burned with fire,
and their wives, their sons, and their daughters
had been taken captive. Then David and the people
who were with him lifted up their voices and
wept, until they had no more power to weep. And
David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and
Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had
been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed,
for the people spoke of stoning him, because
the soul of all the people was grieved, every
man for his sons and his daughters. But David
strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then
David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's
son, please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar
brought the ephod to David. So David inquired
of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop?
Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue,
for you shall surely overtake them, and without
fail recover all. So David went, he and six hundred
men who were with him, and came to the brook
Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.
But David pursued he and four hundred men, for
two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary
that they could not cross the brook Besor. Then
they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought
him to David. And they gave him bread, and he
ate. And they let him drink water. And they gave
him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters
of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength
came back to him, for he had eaten no bread nor
drunk water for three days and three nights.
Then David said to him, To whom do you belong,
and where are you from? And he said, I am a young
man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite. And
my servant left me behind, because three days
ago I fell sick. We made an invasion of the southern
area of the Karatites, in a territory which belongs
to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb,
and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said
to him, Can you take me down to this troop? So
he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither
kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master,
and I will take you down to this troop. And when
he had brought him down, there they were, spread
out over all the land, eating and drinking and
dancing, because of all the great spoil which
they had taken from the land of the Philistines
and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked
them from twilight until the evening of the next
day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred
young men who rode on camels and fled. So David
recovered all that the Amalekites had carried
away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing
of theirs was lacking, either small or great,
sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they
had taken from them. David recovered all. Then
David took all the flocks and herds they had
driven before those other livestock and said,
This is David's spoil. Now David came to the
two hundred men who had been so weary that they
could not follow David, whom they also had made
to stay at the brook Besor. So they went out
to meet David and to meet the people who were
with him. And when David came near the people,
he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless
men of those who went with David answered and
said, Because they did not go with us, we will
not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered,
except for every man's wife and children, that
they may lead them away and depart. But David
said, My brethren, you shall not do so with what
the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and
delivered into our hand the troop that came against
us. For who will heed you in this matter? But
as his part is he who goes down to the battle,
so shall his part be who stays by the supplies.
They shall share alike. So it was from that day
forward he made it a statute and an ordinance
for Israel to this day. Now when David came to
Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders
of Judah, to his friends, saying, Here is a present
for you from the spoil of the enemies of the
Lord. To those who were in Bethel, those who
were in Ramoth of the south, those who were in
Jatir, those who were in Erewar, those who were
in Sifmot, those who were in Ishtimoah, those
who were in Rakal, those who were in the cities
of the Jeromelites, those who were in the cities
of the Kenites, those who were in Hormah, those
who were in Koreshan, those who were in Atak,
those who were in Hebron. and to all the places
where David himself and his men were accustomed
to rove. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as
much as I did and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey. God
bless you and have a great day.