1 SAMUEL 29

« 1 Samuel 28 | 1 Samuel 29 | 1 Samuel 30 »

The Philistines Mistrust David  29:1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men? 5 Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands’?”

    6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords. 7 Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 But Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then arise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have arisen early in the morning and have light, depart.” 11 So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

PSALM 109

« Psalm 108 | Psalm 109 | Psalm 110 »

Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
109:1 O God of my praise,

Do not be silent!

2 For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me;

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me without cause.

4 In return for my love they act as my accusers;

But I am in prayer.

5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good

And hatred for my love.

6 Appoint a wicked man over him,

And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty,

And let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few;

Let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless

And his wife a widow.

10 Let his children wander about and beg;

And let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes.

11 Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder the product of his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend lovingkindness to him,

Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off;

In a following generation let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,

And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the LORD continually,

That He may cut off their memory from the earth;

16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,

But persecuted the afflicted and needy man,

And the despondent in heart, to put them to death.

17 He also loved cursing, so it came to him;

And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

18 But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

And it entered into his body like water

And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself,

And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.

20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,

And of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;

22 For I am afflicted and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like the locust.

24 My knees are weak from fasting,

And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

25 I also have become a reproach to them;

When they see me, they wag their head.

26 Help me, O LORD my God;

Save me according to Your lovingkindness.

27 And let them know that this is Your hand;

You, LORD, have done it.

28 Let them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, they shall be ashamed,

But Your servant shall be glad.

29 Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor,

And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD;

And in the midst of many I will praise Him.

31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy,

To save him from those who judge his soul.

PROVERBS 24

« Proverbs 23 | Proverbs 24 | Proverbs 25 »

Precepts and Warnings24:1 Do not be envious of evil men,

Nor desire to be with them;

2 For their minds devise violence,

And their lips talk of trouble.

3 By wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 A wise man is strong,

And a man of knowledge increases power.

6 For by wise guidance you will wage war,

And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,

He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8 One who plans to do evil,

Men will call a schemer.

9 The devising of folly is sin,

And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you are slack in the day of distress,

Your strength is limited.

11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death,

And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.

12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”

Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?

And does He not know it who keeps your soul?

And will He not render to man according to his work?

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,

Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;

14 Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;

If you find it, then there will be a future,

And your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;

Do not destroy his resting place;

16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,

But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,

And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

18 Or the LORD will see it and be displeased,

And turn His anger away from him.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers

Or be envious of the wicked;

20 For there will be no future for the evil man;

The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the LORD and the king;

Do not associate with those who are given to change,

22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,

And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

23 These also are sayings of the wise.

To show partiality in judgment is not good.

24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”

Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;

25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,

And a good blessing will come upon them.

26 He kisses the lips

Who gives a right answer.

27 Prepare your work outside

And make it ready for yourself in the field;

Afterwards, then, build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,

And do not deceive with your lips.

29 Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;

I will render to the man according to his work.”

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard

And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,

31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;

Its surface was covered with nettles,

And its stone wall was broken down.

32 When I saw, I reflected upon it;

I looked, and received instruction.

33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest,”

34 Then your poverty will come as a robber

And your want like an armed man.