May 20th

And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house.

Then Jonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even his sword and his bow and his belt.

So David went out wherever Saul sent him and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of Saul’s servants.

And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with gladness, and with musical instruments.

And the women sang as they were merry and said,

Then Saul became very angry, for this saying was displeasing in his eyes; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?”

So Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

Now it happened on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house. Now David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand.

Then Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.

And Saul was afraid of David, for Yahweh was with him but had turned away from Saul.

Therefore Saul turned him away from his presence and appointed him as his commander of one thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

And David was prospering in all his ways, and Yahweh was with him.

Then Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, so he dreaded him.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be a man of valor for me and fight Yahweh’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”

So it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. So they told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.

And Saul said, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.”

Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; so now, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

So Saul’s servants spoke these words in David’s hearing. But David said, “Is it trivial in your eyes to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”

And the servants of Saul told to him according to these words which David spoke.

Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Then his servants told David these words, and it was right in the eyes of David to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the days had expired,

David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

Then Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,

so Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more insightfully than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.

Then Saul spoke with Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.

So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. So now, please be careful in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; what I perceive, I will tell you.”

Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his works have been very good for you.

For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh brought about a great salvation for all Israel; you saw it and were glad. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?”

And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.”

Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly.

Then there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great slaughter, so that they fled before him.

Now there was an evil spirit from Yahweh on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand.

And Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to keep watch over him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not make an escape for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.”

So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped.

Then Michal took the household idol and laid it on the bed and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with clothes.

Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but she said, “He is sick.”

So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed, that I may put him to death.”

The messengers came, and behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head.

So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I put you to death?’ ”

Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

And it was told to Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”

Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them. And the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.

This was told to Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.

Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”

So he went there, to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.

But the witness I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

He was the lamp that was burning and shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

But the witness I have is greater than the witness of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

And the Father who sent Me, He has borne witness about Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.

And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness about Me;

and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

I do not receive glory from men;

but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the only God?

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).

Now a large crowd was following Him, because they were seeing the signs which He was doing on those who were sick.

Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He was sitting down with His disciples.

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, “Where should we buy bread, so that these people may eat?”

And this He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him,

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted.

And when they were filled, He *said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.”

So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had done, they were saying, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”