The Berean Pursuit
Now it was reported to David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors."
So David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go and attack these Philistines?"
And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."
But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: "Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."
Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah.
(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars."
Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."
And David said, "O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant."
"He will," said the LORD.
So David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?"
"They will," said the LORD.
Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.
And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.
While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, saying, "Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true."
So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand."
"May you be blessed by the LORD," replied Saul, "for you have had compassion on me. Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah."
So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.
Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!" So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the wilderness of En-gedi." So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave. So David's men said to him, "This is the day about which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.'"
Then David crept up secretly and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
Afterward, David's conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul's robe. So he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD's anointed."
With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.
After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!"
When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence and said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Look, David intends to harm you'? Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, 'I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD's anointed.'
See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. See and know that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.
May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you. As the old proverb says, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.' But my hand will never be against you.
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand."
When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, "Is that your voice, David my son?"
Then Saul wept aloud and said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how well you have dealt with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.
Now I know for sure that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's house."
So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
The sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
The children of Amram:
Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
The sons of Aaron:
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Eleazar was the father of Phinehas,
Phinehas was the father of Abishua,
Abishua was the father of Bukki,
Bukki was the father of Uzzi,
Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah,
Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth,
Meraioth was the father of Amariah,
Amariah was the father of Ahitub,
Ahitub was the father of Zadok,
Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz,
Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Johanan,
Johanan was the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem,
Azariah was the father of Amariah,
Amariah was the father of Ahitub,
Ahitub was the father of Zadok,
Zadok was the father of Shallum,
Shallum was the father of Hilkiah,
Hilkiah was the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Seraiah,
and Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak.
Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
The sons of Levi:
Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
These are the names of the sons of Gershom:
Libni and Shimei.
The sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
The sons of Merari:
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:
Of Gershom:
Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son.
The descendants of Kohath:
Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.
The descendants of Elkanah:
Amasai, Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son.
The sons of Samuel:
Joel his firstborn and Abijah his second son.
The descendants of Merari:
Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.
These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. And they performed their duties according to the regulations given them. These are the men who served, together with their sons.
From the Kohathites:
Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
Heman's kinsman was Asaph, who served at his right hand:
Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari:
Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
Their fellow Levites were assigned to every kind of service of the tabernacle, the house of God. But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
These were the descendants of Aaron:
Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.
Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them:
They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands. But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands.
And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families.
To the rest of the Kohathites, ten cities were allotted from the half-tribe of Manasseh.
The Gershomites , according to their clans, were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan.
The Merarites, according to their families, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
So the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities and their pasturelands. They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
And some of the clans of the Kohathites were given cities from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:
They were given Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth-horon, Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, together with their pasturelands.
And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the remaining clans of the Kohathites were given Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands.
The Gershomites received the following:
From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Asher they were given Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands.
And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands.
The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following:
From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Reuben east of the Jordan opposite Jericho they were given Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands.
And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, "Is David not hiding among us?"
Save me, O God, by Your name,
and vindicate me by Your might!
Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
For strangers rise up against me,
and ruthless men seek my life-
men with no regard for God.
Selah
Surely God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
He will reward my enemies with evil.
In Your faithfulness, destroy them.
Freely I will sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
For He has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eyes have stared down my foes.
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father. The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis. From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.
Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!"
She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" And the spirit left her at that very moment.
When the girl's owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace. They brought them to the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice."
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods. And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself! We are all here!"
Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household." Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized. Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: "Release those men."
The jailer informed Paul: "The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace."
But Paul said to the officers, "They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!"
So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.