1 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” 2So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.

3 Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon, but David was living in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had followed him there, 4David sent out spies to verify that Saul had arrived.

5 Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp, with the troops camped around him. 6And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

“I will go with you,” answered Abishai.

7 That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.

8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”

9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?” 10David added, “As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11But the Lord forbid that I should extend my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

12 So David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

13 Then David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them. 14And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?”

“Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner replied.

15 So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? 16This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the Lord’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”

17 Then Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?”

“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said.

18 And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand? 19Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

21 Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!”

22“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of the young men come over and get it. 23May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not extend my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and rescue me from all trouble.”

25 Saul said to him, “May you be blessed, David my son. You will accomplish great things and will surely prevail.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

1 David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath. 3David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

6 That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah. 7And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

8 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) 9Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing.

Then he would return to Achish, 10who would ask him, “What have you raided today?”

And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.”

11 David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.

12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

1 Now in those days the Philistines gathered their forces for warfare against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.”

2 David replied, “Then you will come to know what your servant can do.”

“Very well,” said Achish. “I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

3 Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.

4 The Philistines gathered together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid and trembled violently. 6He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.

7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.”

“There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.

8 So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”

9 But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”

10 Then Saul swore to her by the Lord: “As surely as the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this.”

11“Whom shall I bring up for you?” the woman asked.

“Bring up Samuel,” he replied.

12 But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

13“Do not be afraid,” the king replied. “What do you see?”

“I see a god coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.

14“What does he look like?” asked Saul.

“An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.”

So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

16“Why do you consult me,” asked Samuel, “since the Lord has turned away from you and become your enemy? 17He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David. 18Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the Lord has done this to you today. 19Moreover, the Lord will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And the Lord will deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

20 Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground, terrified by the words of Samuel. And his strength was gone, because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.

21 When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me. 22Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

23 Saul refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But his servants joined the woman in urging him, and he heeded their voice. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

24 The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. 25She served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. And that night they got up and left.

1 At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.) 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”

4 When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days, 7and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

8“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world. 10But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”

11 After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.” 13They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.

14 So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

17 When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”

23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.

24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. 26And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

28 After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” 29And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.

30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. 31When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34“Where have you put him?” He asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they answered.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

37 But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”

38 Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39“Take away the stone,” Jesus said.

“Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”

40 Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”

43 After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth.

“Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.

45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him. 46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

47 Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. 48If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

49 But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

51 Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation, 52and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.

53 So from that day on they plotted to kill Him. 54As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.