1 SAMUEL 23

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David Saves the City of Keilah  23:1 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
    6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand. Saul Pursues David15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” 18 And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
    19 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 Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20 Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21 And Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23 See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24 And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
    Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

PSALM 107

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Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So107:1

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever! 2

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

whom he has redeemed from trouble 3

and gathered in from the lands,

from the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south.
4

Some wandered in desert wastes,

finding no way to a city to dwell in; 5

hungry and thirsty,

their soul fainted within them. 6

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress. 7

He led them by a straight way

till they reached a city to dwell in. 8

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 9

For he satisfies the longing soul,

and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
10

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

prisoners in affliction and in irons, 11

for they had rebelled against the words of God,

and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 12

So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;

they fell down, with none to help. 13

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress. 14

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,

and burst their bonds apart. 15

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 16

For he shatters the doors of bronze

and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17

Some were fools through their sinful ways,

and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; 18

they loathed any kind of food,

and they drew near to the gates of death. 19

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress. 20

He sent out his word and healed them,

and delivered them from their destruction. 21

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 22

And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,

and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
23

Some went down to the sea in ships,

doing business on the great waters; 24

they saw the deeds of the Lord,

his wondrous works in the deep. 25

For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,

which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26

They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;

their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27

they reeled and staggered like drunken men

and were at their wits’ end. 28

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress. 29

He made the storm be still,

and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30

Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,

and he brought them to their desired haven. 31

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 32

Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,

and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33

He turns rivers into a desert,

springs of water into thirsty ground, 34

a fruitful land into a salty waste,

because of the evil of its inhabitants. 35

He turns a desert into pools of water,

a parched land into springs of water. 36

And there he lets the hungry dwell,

and they establish a city to live in; 37

they sow fields and plant vineyards

and get a fruitful yield. 38

By his blessing they multiply greatly,

and he does not let their livestock diminish.
39

When they are diminished and brought low

through oppression, evil, and sorrow, 40

he pours contempt on princes

and makes them wander in trackless wastes; 41

but he raises up the needy out of affliction

and makes their families like flocks. 42

The upright see it and are glad,

and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;

let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

PSALM 108

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With God We Shall Do ValiantlyA Song. A Psalm of David.
108:1

My heart is steadfast, O God!

I will sing and make melody with all my being! 2

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn! 3

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations. 4

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth! 6

That your beloved ones may be delivered,

give salvation by your right hand and answer me!
7

God has promised in his holiness:

“With exultation I will divide up Shechem

and portion out the Valley of Succoth. 8

Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah my scepter. 9

Moab is my washbasin;

upon Edom I cast my shoe;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10

Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom? 11

Have you not rejected us, O God?

You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 12

Oh grant us help against the foe,

for vain is the salvation of man! 13

With God we shall do valiantly;

it is he who will tread down our foes.

PROVERBS 18

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18:1

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;

he breaks out against all sound judgment. 2

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion. 3

When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

and with dishonor comes disgrace. 4

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5

It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the righteous of justice. 6

A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating. 7

A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body. 9

Whoever is slack in his work

is a brother to him who destroys. 10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 11

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

and like a high wall in his imagination. 12

Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

but humility comes before honor. 13

If one gives an answer before he hears,

it is his folly and shame. 14

A man’s spirit will endure sickness,

but a crushed spirit who can bear? 15

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,

and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16

A man’s gift makes room for him

and brings him before the great. 17

The one who states his case first seems right,

until the other comes and examines him. 18

The lot puts an end to quarrels

and decides between powerful contenders. 19

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,

and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 20

From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;

he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. 21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits. 22

He who finds a wife finds a good thing

and obtains favor from the Lord. 23

The poor use entreaties,

but the rich answer roughly. 24

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.