Study Desk

Saul's servants said to him, "Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.

Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well."

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

David asked the men who were standing with him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."

But David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,

he sent messengers to capture him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul's messengers also began to prophesy.

So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

and Jonathan said, "By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me."

And Saul asked him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today."

Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father's household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair-not in part or in whole."

When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars."

And David said, "O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account.

Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant." "He will," said the LORD.

And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.

And Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,

May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of his men survive until morning."