Now they told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting in Keilah and they are raiding the threshing floors." So David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And Yahweh 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 to the battle lines of the Philistines?" So David again inquired of Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him and said, "Get up, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand." So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. They drove off their livestock and dealt them a heavy blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he went down with an ephod in his hand. When it was told to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, because he has shut himself in by going into a city with two barred gates. Saul then summoned all of the army for the battle, to go down to Keilah to lay a siege against David and his men. When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." And David said, "O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant!" And Yahweh said, "He will come down." Then David said, "Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And Yahweh said, "They will deliver you." So David and his men got up, about six hundred men, and went out from Keilah and wandered wherever they could go. When it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he stopped his pursuit.

David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually, but God did not give him into his hand. When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him through God. He said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. My father Saul knows this also." Then the two of them made a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon? So then, O king, whenever you want to come down, come down, and it will be for us to deliver him into the hand of the king." And Saul said to them, "May you be blessed by Yahweh, for you have shown me compassion! Go, please, make certain again! Find out and see exactly where he is and who has seen him there! For they have said to me, ‘He is very cunning.’ Look, find out all of the hiding places where he hides. Then return to me with dependable information, and I will go with you. And then if he is there in the land, then I will seek him among all the thousands of Judah." Then they got up and went to Ziph before Saul.

Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah, to the south of Jeshimon. And Saul and his men went to seek him, and they told David, so he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this, he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, because the Philistines have made a raid on the land!" So Saul returned from pursuing David, and he went to confront the Philistines. Therefore, they called that place the Rock of Division. David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.

When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, "Look, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi." So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and he and his men went to search for David in the direction of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats. He came to the sheep pens beside the road, and a cave was there. Then Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave. And David’s men said to him, "Look, today is the day about which Yahweh said to you, ‘See, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems good to you.’" So David got up and secretly cut the hem of Saul’s robe. And then afterward David felt guilty, because he had cut the hem of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, "Far be it from me in Yahweh, that I do this thing to my lord, to Yahweh’s anointed one, by stretching out my hand against him! For he is the anointed one of Yahweh." So David rebuked his men with the words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave, and he went on his way.

Then David got up afterward and went out of the cave and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked after him, David knelt down with his face to the ground and bowed down. Then David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of people who say: ‘Look, David is seeking to do you harm’? Look, this day your eyes have seen that Yahweh gave you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you. But I took pity on you and said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, because he is Yahweh’s anointed one.’ Now, my father, see, yes, see, the hem of your robe in my hand! For when I cut the hem of your robe I did not kill you. Know and realize that there is no evil or rebellion in my hand. I did not sin against you, but you are hunting down my life to take it. May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me on you, but my hand will not be against you! Just as the ancient proverb says, ‘From the wicked, wickedness goes out,’ but my hand will not be against you! After whom did the king of Israel go out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After one flea? May Yahweh be the judge, and let him judge between me and you, and may he see and plead my case. May he vindicate me against you!"

When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. Then he said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me the good, but I have repaid you the evil. You have explained to me today that you have dealt well with me, how Yahweh delivered me into your hand but you did not kill me. For a man has found his enemy but sent him on his way safely. Now may Yahweh reward you with good in return for this day, for what you have done for me. So now then, look, I know that you will certainly be king and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. So then, swear to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not wipe out my name from my father’s house." So David swore this on oath to Saul, and Saul went to his house, 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 fathered Phinehas; Phinehas fathered Abishua; Abishua fathered Bukki; Bukki fathered Uzzi; Uzzi fathered Zerahiah; Zerahiah fathered Meraioth; Meraioth fathered Amariah; Amariah fathered Ahitub; Ahitub fathered Zadok; Zadok fathered Ahimaaz; Ahimaaz fathered Azariah; Azariah fathered Johanan; and Johanan fathered Azariah. It was he who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem. And Azariah fathered Amariah; Amariah fathered Ahitub; Ahitub fathered Zadok; Zadok fathered Shallum; Shallum fathered Hilkiah; Hilkiah fathered Azariah; Azariah fathered Seraiah; Seraiah fathered Jehozadak. And Jehozadak went into exile when Yahweh sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. Now 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. Now these are the families of the Levites according to their ancestors. Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. The sons 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 sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn and Abijah the second. The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

Now these are the men whom David appointed for control of singing in the house of Yahweh where the ark rested. They were ministering with song before the tabernacle of the tent of assembly until Solomon built the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem. And they stood according to their order with respect to their duty. Now these are those who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, son of Samuel, son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel; and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malkijah, son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi. On the left were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi. And their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

Now these are the sons 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, Ahimaaz his son. And these are their dwellings according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the clans of Kohathites, for the first lot was theirs, and they gave to them Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-Shemesh with its pasturelands. And from the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities were thirteen cities throughout their clans. To the Kohathites who remained from the family of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, were given by lot ten cities. To the Gershomites according to their clans thirteen cities were allotted out of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. To the Merarites twelve cities were allotted according to their clans out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. So the Israelites gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands. And they gave by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin these cities that are mentioned by name. And of the clans of the sons of Kohath were cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. And they gave them the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-Horon with its pasturelands, Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-Rimmon with its pasturelands. And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands for the remaining the clans of the Kohathites. To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. To the remainder of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands. And beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.

For the music director, with stringed instruments.

A maskil of David,

when the Ziphites went and said to Saul,

"Is not David hiding himself among us?"

And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day.

And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And when they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women assembled there. And a certain woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged us, saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us and was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out immediately.

But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing and gave orders to beat them with rods. And after they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And after the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, beginning to tremble, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his household. And he brought them up into his house and set a meal before them, and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household.

And when it was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent an order that you should be released. So come out now and go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process—men who are Roman citizens—and threw us into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves and bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came and apologized to them, and after they brought them out they asked them to depart from the city. And when they came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and when they saw them, they encouraged the brothers and departed.