1 Samuel 20:1

He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Yahweh will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?

Then David ran, stood over the Philistine, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”

He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?

Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; 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 no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”

For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.

Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,

The local governors, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies. The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their pants weren’t changed, the smell of fire wasn’t even on them.

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves.

For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.

Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”

David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand.

See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

So David checked his men with these words, and didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights Yahweh’s battles. Evil will not be found in you all your days.

Though men may rise up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies, as from the hollow of a sling.

When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So he struck him with it in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.

But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to him.

For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh.

I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart.

An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.

But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;

We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.

that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.

Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.

“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.

For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.

“Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh.

He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and lived in the cave in Etam’s rock.

David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.

When he saw that, he arose, and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

His servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’ ”

But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now I have seen with joy your people, who are present here, offer willingly to you.

“Remember, now, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?

My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned away.

Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me.

He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.

that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.

They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but an aching heart breaks the spirit.

Yahweh has made everything for its own end— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.

A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.

Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.

though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness,” says the Lord Yahweh.

“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days.

Yahweh is a jealous God and avenges. Yahweh avenges and is full of wrath. Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he maintains wrath against his enemies.

But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”

In this I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.

I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

In all things be showing yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, be showing integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility,

let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,

Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.

having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world.

Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.

then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found,

If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died,

Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you?’

Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it.

He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.

They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! Yahweh has avenged my lord the king today of Saul, and of his offspring.”

Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.