1 Samuel 24 Cross References - ISV

¹ David Spares Saul’s LifeWhen Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “Look, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.” ² Saul took 3,000 of his best troops from all over Israel, and he went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³ He came to the sheepfolds beside the road. There was a cave there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.
⁴ David’s men told him, “Look, today is the day about which the LORD spoke to you when he said, ‘I’ll give your enemy into your hand.’ Do to him whatever you want!”
David rose and stealthily cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. ⁵ Afterwards, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. ⁶ He told his men, “God forbid that I should do this thing to your majesty, the LORD’s anointed, by stretching out my hand against him, since he’s the LORD’s anointed.” ⁷ David restrained his men with his words and did not allow them to rebel against Saul. Saul got up from the cave and started off.
⁸ David Rebukes SaulThen David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul: “Your majesty!” Saul looked behind him, and David bowed down with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. ⁹ Then David told Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of those who say, ‘Look, David is trying to harm you?’ ¹⁰ Look, this very day you saw with your own eyes that the LORD gave you into my control in the cave, and one of my men told me to kill you, but I had pity on you and responded, ‘I won’t lift my hand against his majesty because he’s the LORD’s anointed.’ ¹¹ Looke, my father, look! The corner of your robe is in my hand. Indeed, by my cutting off the corner of your robe and not killing you, you may know and understand that I have no evil intent or transgression—I haven’t wronged you, even though you are hunting me to take my life. ¹² May the LORD judge between me and you, and may he take vengeance on you for me, but I won’t be attacking you. ¹³ Just like the ancient proverb says, ‘From wicked people comes wickedness,’ but I’m not against you. ¹⁴ After whom is the king of Israel going out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog or a single flea? ¹⁵ May the LORD act as judge, and may he decide between me and you. May he see, may he plead my case, and may he vindicate me in this dispute against you.”
¹⁶ Saul’s Apparent RepentanceWhen David had finished saying these things to Saul, Saul asked, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul cried loudly ¹⁷ to David, “You are more righteous than I am, because you have treated me well even though I’ve treated you poorly. ¹⁸ You have explained how you treated me well, in that the LORD delivered me into your hand but you didn’t kill me. ¹⁹ For who would find his enemy and then send him away safely? May the LORD repay you for what you have done for me today. ²⁰ Now I know for certain that you will be king, and that the kingdom will be established under your authority. ²¹ Now swear to me by the LORD that you will never eliminate my descendants after me, and that you won’t erase my name from my father’s family.” ²² David made this vow to Saul, and then Saul went home, while David and his men went up to the stronghold.

¹⁹ The People of Ziph Betray DavidPeople from Ziph came up to Saul at Gibeah and informed him, “David is hiding with us in the strongholds in Horesh and on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon, isn’t he?

²⁸ So Saul turned around from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore, they call that place the Rock of Escape. ²⁹ David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

⁵ Purge the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

¹² When a ruler is listening to lies, all of his officials tend to become wicked.

⁹ Slanderous men live among you, intent on shedding blood. They’ve eaten at the top of mountain shrines. They’ve crafted plans to do evil things among you.

³ They please the king with their evil, and the princes with their dishonesty.

² Saul chose for himself 3,000 men from Israel. There were 2,000 with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He had sent the rest of the people home.

² So Saul rose and went down with 3,000 select men of Israel to the Wilderness of Ziph, to look for David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

³² The wicked stalks the righteous person, seeking to kill him,

¹² Those who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek to do me harm brag all day long about their wicked planning.

¹⁸ The high mountains are for wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badger.

⁶ When their judges are thrown off the cliff, the people will hear my words, for they are appropriate.

²⁴ After he left, Eglon’s attendants came to look, but the doors to the cool chamber were locked! So they said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner part of the cool chamber.”

¹ To the Director: A special Davidic psalm to the tune of “Do Not Destroy,” when he fled from Saul into a cave.
A Prayer for Deliverance Have mercy on me, God, have mercy, for in you I have placed my trust. Even in the shadow of your wings will I find my refuge until this calamity passes. ² I call upon the God Most High; to the God who completes what he began in me. ³ He will send help from heaven to deliver me from those who harass and despise me. Interlude God will send his gracious love and truth. ⁴ I am surrounded by lions. I lie down with those who burn with fire— that is, with people whose teeth are like spears and arrows— whose tongues are like sharp swords. ⁵ Be exalted above the heavens, God! May your glory cover the earth! ⁶ They have set a snare for my feet, which makes me depressed. They dug a pit in front of me, but they are the ones who fell into it! Interlude ⁷ My heart is committed, God, my heart is committed, so I will sing and play music. ⁸ Wake up, my soul, wake up, lyre and harp! I will awaken at dawn. ⁹ I will exalt you among the peoples, Lord. I will play music among the nations. ¹⁰ For your gracious love is great, extending even to the heavens, and your truth even to the skies. ¹¹ Be exalted above the heavens, God! May your glory cover the earth!

¹ A Davidic Song, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
A Call to God for Help My voice cries out to the LORD; my voice pleads for mercy to the LORD. ² I pour out my complaint to him, telling him all of my troubles. ³ Though my spirit grows faint within me, you are aware of my path. Wherever I go, they have hidden a trap for me. ⁴ I look to my right and observe— no one is concerned about me. There is nowhere I can go for refuge, and no one cares for me. ⁵ So I cry to you, Lord, declaring, “You are my refuge, my only possession while I am on this earth.” ⁶ Pay attention to my cry, for I have been brought very low. Deliver me from my tormentors, for they are far too strong for me. ⁷ Break me out of this prison, so I can give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal generously with me.

⁷ It was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah, and Saul said, “The LORD has delivered him into my hand because he has shut himself in by going into a town with double gates and bars.”

¹⁷ Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid. My father Saul won’t find you, and you will be king over Israel. I’ll be your second-in-command. My father Saul also knows this.”

¹⁰ Look, this very day you saw with your own eyes that the LORD gave you into my control in the cave, and one of my men told me to kill you, but I had pity on you and responded, ‘I won’t lift my hand against his majesty because he’s the LORD’s anointed.’

¹⁸ You have explained how you treated me well, in that the LORD delivered me into your hand but you didn’t kill me.

²⁸ Please forgive the offense of your servant. For the LORD will certainly make a strong dynasty for your majesty, for your majesty is fighting the LORD’s battles. May evil not be found in you for all of your life. ²⁹ If anyone should arise to pursue you and seek your life, may the life of your majesty be bound up with the LORD your God in a bundle of the living, and may he sling out the lives of your enemies from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ When the LORD does for your majesty all the good that he promised concerning you and appoints you Commander-in-Chief over Israel,

⁸ Abishai told David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Let me run the spear through him into the ground with a single blow. I won’t need to strike him twice!”
⁹ David told Abishai, “Don’t destroy him. Who can raise his hand to strike the LORD’s anointed and remain innocent? ¹⁰ As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him down, or his time will come to die, or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹ The LORD forbid that I should raise my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Now take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let’s go.”

²³ The LORD repays a person for his righteousness and his faithfulness. The LORD gave you into my control today, but I refused to raise my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

⁸ David Punishes the Killers of Ish-boshethThey brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and told the king, “Look! Here’s the head of your enemy Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, who sought your life. Today the LORD has given your majesty the king vengeance on Saul and his descendants.”

³¹ People in my household have said, ‘We cannot find anyone who has not been satisfied with his meat,’ haven’t they?

⁹ “‘Why did you despise what the LORD has promised by doing what is detestable in his sight?
“‘You struck down Uriah the Hittite with a battle sword.
“‘You took his wife to be your own.
“‘You killed him with the sword of the Ammonite army.

¹⁰ Discipline for David’s Sin
Later, David’s conscience bothered him after he had numbered the army, so David told the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by what I did. But now I am asking you, please remove the guilt of your servant, since I have acted very foolishly.”

¹⁹ because your heart was sensitive, and you humbled yourself in the LORD’s presence when you heard what I had to say against this place and against its inhabitants—that they would become a desolation and a curse—and you have torn your clothes and cried out before me, be assured that I have truly heard you,’ declares the LORD.

²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God.

¹⁴ At this David asked him, “How is it that you weren’t afraid to raise your hand to strike the LORD’s anointed?”

³ But Naboth replied to Ahab, “No way! The LORD prohibits the sale to you of the inheritance of my ancestors!”

²⁹ No Rejoicing over the Plight of Adversary“Have I rejoiced in the destruction of those who hate me, or have I been happy that evil caught up with him? ³⁰ No, I haven’t allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.

⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. Keep on blessing them, and never curse them.

¹⁵ Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Instead, always pursue what is good for each other and for everyone else.

³³ Blessed be your good judgment, and blessed be you, who today stopped me from shedding blood and delivering myself by my own actions.

⁴ if I have rewarded those who did me good with evil, if I have plundered my enemy without justification,

¹⁷ Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.” ²⁰ But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

³ Then Abram fell to the ground as God continued speaking to him.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.ו

⁴¹ The servant went. Then David came out from the south side of the rock, fell on his face, and bowed down three times. The men kissed each other, and both of them cried, but David even more.

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from the donkey and fell on her face before David, prostrating herself on the ground. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and pleaded, “Your majesty, let the guilt be on me alone, and please let your servant speak to you. Listen to the words of your servant.

¹⁷ Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?”
David replied, “It is my voice, your majesty.”

⁷ Pay everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.

¹⁷ Honor everyone. Keep on loving the community of believers, fearing God, and honoring the king.

¹⁶ Social Responsibility“You are not to go around slandering your people.
“You are not to stand idle when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the LORD.

¹⁹ Now let your majesty listen to the words of his servant. If the LORD incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the LORD’s presence, because they have driven me out today from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD by saying, ‘Go serve other gods.’

⁵ I will destroy the one who secretly slanders a friend. I will not allow the proud and haughty to prevail.

²⁸ A deceitful man stirs dissension, and anyone who gossips separates friends.

⁴ Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech, and the liar listens to malicious talk.

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels as they descend to the innermost parts of the body.

²³ The north wind brings rain, and a backbiting tongue an angry look.

²⁰ On Gossip and BackbitingWithout wood, the fire goes out. Without a gossip, contention stops. ²¹ Charcoal is to hot coals as wood is to fire; so also a quarrelsome man fuels strife. ²² The words of a gossip are like delicate morsels; they sink down deep within.

²⁸ A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

²¹ Don’t listen to everything that is spoken— you may hear your servant cursing you, ²² since you also know how often you have cursed others.

⁶ The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. Placed among the parts of our bodies, the tongue contaminates the whole body and sets on fire the course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁴ David’s men told him, “Look, today is the day about which the LORD spoke to you when he said, ‘I’ll give your enemy into your hand.’ Do to him whatever you want!”
David rose and stealthily cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁸ Abishai told David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Let me run the spear through him into the ground with a single blow. I won’t need to strike him twice!”
⁹ David told Abishai, “Don’t destroy him. Who can raise his hand to strike the LORD’s anointed and remain innocent?

¹⁵ “Don’t touch my anointed or hurt my prophets!”

²⁷ David got up, went out with his men, and struck down 200 Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and gave them all to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.

¹⁴ Jonathan Visits DavidDavid stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and he lived in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not let David slip into Saul’s control.

²³ Investigate and find out all the hiding places there where he hides, and return to me with reliable information. Then I’ll go down with you, and if he’s in the land, I’ll search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

¹⁸ David said, “Why is your majesty pursuing his servant? For what have I done, and what evil do I bear toward you?

²⁰ Now, don’t let my blood fall to the ground away from the LORD’s presence. Indeed, the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, like someone hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

¹³ But then his servants approached him and spoke with him. They said, “My father, had the prophet only asked of you something great, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? Yet he told you, ‘Bathe, and be clean…!’”

¹⁶ But if I do lift up my head, you will hunt me like a lion! You will perform miracles in order to fight against me.

³ LORD, my God, if I have done this thing, if there is injustice on my hands, ⁴ if I have rewarded those who did me good with evil, if I have plundered my enemy without justification,

⁷ Without justification they laid a snare for me; without justification they dug a pit to trap me.

¹¹ Let not the slanderer become established in the land. May evil quickly hunt down the violent man.

¹ How to Live Wisely A gentle response diverts anger, but a harsh statement incites fury.

¹⁸ Our steps were closely stalked, so we couldn’t travel on our own streets. Our end is near, our days are over; indeed, our end has come.

¹⁸ Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says, “How terrible it will be for those women who sew magical bracelets on all their wrists and make one-size-fits all headbands, in order to entrap their souls. Will you hunt for the souls of my people and remain alive?

² The faithful have died off, and there is not one upright human being in the land. They all stalk one another with lethal intent, a man will even hunt his own brother with a net.

²⁵ But this happened so that what has been written in their Law might be fulfilled: ‘They hated me for no reason.’

⁵ Then Sarai told Abram, “My suffering is your fault! I gave you my servant so you could have sex with her, and when she discovered that she was pregnant, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”

⁵³ May Abraham’s God and Nahor’s god judge between us.”
So Jacob made an oath by his father’s Fear,

²⁷ I haven’t sinned against you, but you are acting wrongly against me by declaring war on me. May the LORD, the Judge, sit in judgment today between the Israelis and the Ammonites.’”

⁸ God Can be Trusted in Adversity“Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you; I would commit my case to God.

⁸ For the LORD will judge the peoples. Judge me according to my righteousness, LORD, and according to my integrity, Exalted One. ⁹ Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. For you are the righteous God who discerns the inner thoughts.

¹ Davidic
A Prayer for Deliverance Argue my case, LORD, against those who argue against me. Fight against those who fight against me.

¹ God is my Hope during Times of Trouble You be my judge, God, and plead my case against an unholy nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man.

¹ God Avenges His Own God of vengeance, LORD God of vengeance, display your splendor!

¹⁹ Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.”

²³ When he was insulted, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he did not threaten. It was his habit to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly.

¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice, “Holy and true Sovereign, how long will it be before you judge and take revenge on those living on the earth who shed our blood?”

¹⁶ You will know them by their fruit. Grapes aren’t gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit.

²⁰ So by their fruit you will know them.”

³³ A Tree is Known by Its Fruit
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, because a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? The mouth speaks about what overflows from the heart.

¹⁹ It is out of the heart that evil thoughts come, as well as murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, false testimony, and slander.

¹ Gideon Assuages the Anger of EphraimLater on, the descendants of Ephraim spoke to Gideon. They argued vehemently, “What are you doing to us? You never called us! But you went out to fight Midian!”
² “What have I accomplished compared to you?” he responded. “Isn’t what’s left from Ephraim’s harvest better than the best vintage of Abiezer? ³ God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the leaders of Midian, into your control. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he said this, their anger calmed down.

⁴³ The Philistine asked David, “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his own gods and

⁸ What Ish-bosheth said made Abner furious, so he replied, “A dog’s head for Judah—is that what I am? Up until today I’ve kept on showing loyalty to your father Saul’s dynasty, to his relatives and friends, and I haven’t turned you over to David, but you’re charging me today with moral guilt regarding this woman!

²⁰ When David returned to bless his household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him and called out, “How the king of Israel honored himself today by undressing himself right in front of his women staff members, just like any pervert would dare to expose himself!”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed low again and asked, “Who am I, your servant, that you would pay attention to a dead dog like me?”

⁹ At this point, Zeruiah’s son Abishai asked the king, “Why should this dead dog be cursing your majesty the king? May I have permission to go over and cut off his head?”

⁷ “Aren’t you the reigning king of Israel,” his wife Jezebel replied. “Get up, have a meal, and get ready to be happy. I’ll go get you the vineyard that Naboth the Jezreelite owns.”

¹² May the LORD judge between me and you, and may he take vengeance on you for me, but I won’t be attacking you.

⁴ David sent out spies and found out for certain that Saul had arrived.

²² This is how King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him: he killed his son. As he lay dying, Zechariah cried out, “May the LORD watch this and avenge.”

¹⁵⁴ Defend my case and redeem me; revive me according to your promise.

² “Listen, people! All of you! Earth! Pay attention, and all you inhabitants of it! May the Lord GOD be a witness against you— the Lord from his holy Temple.

⁹ I will endure the LORD’s anger— since I have sinned against him— until he takes over my defense, administers justice on my behalf, and brings me out to the light, where I will gaze on his righteousness.

⁴ Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him. Then he fell on his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

²⁵ The truth can be painful, but what has your argument proven?

¹¹ Like golden apples set in silver is a word spoken at the right time.

¹⁵ because I will give you the ability to speak, along with wisdom, that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

¹⁰ But they could neither refute the wisdom nor withstand the Spirit by which he kept speaking.

²⁶ When Judah recognized them, he admitted, “She is more upright than I, because I never did give her my son Shelah.” And he never had sex with her again.

²⁷ Pharaoh sent word and called for Moses and Aaron. “I’ve sinned this time,” he told them. “The LORD is righteous, but I and my people are wicked.

²¹ Saul Apologizes AgainThen Saul said, “I’ve wronged you. Return, my son David, for I won’t harm you again because my life was precious to you today. Look, I’ve acted foolishly and have made a very great mistake.”

⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as a light, and your justice as the noonday sun.

⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
But they replied, “What do we care? Attend to that yourself.”

¹² Then David said, “Will the people of Keilah hand me over to Saul?”
The LORD said, “They’ll hand you over.”

⁸ Abishai told David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Let me run the spear through him into the ground with a single blow. I won’t need to strike him twice!”

⁸ You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy, but you have set my feet in a sturdy place.

² He told his mother, “Do you remember those 1,100 silver coins that were stolen from you and about which you uttered a curse when I could hear it? Well, I have the silver. I took it.”
So she replied, “May my son be blessed by the LORD.”

²¹ Saul said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, because you have been gracious to me.

²⁵ Saul told David, “Blessed are you, my son David. In whatever you do you will surely succeed.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

²⁰ God’s Reward to the RighteousThe LORD will reward me because I am righteous; because my hands are clean he will restore me;

²¹ If your enemy hungers, give him food to eat; and if he thirsts, give him water to drink. ²² For you’ll be piling burning coals of shame on his head and the LORD will reward you.

¹⁴ but now your kingdom won’t be established. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as Commander-in-Chief over his people because you didn’t obey that which the LORD commanded you.”

³⁰ Saul’s Anger toward JonathanSaul flew into a rage and told Jonathan, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have chosen Jesse’s son to your shame and to the shame of your mother who bore you? ³¹ As long as Jesse’s son lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established! Now send someone and bring David to me. He’s a dead man!”

¹⁷ David’s Dynasty is StrengthenedLater, Abner had a talk with the elders of Israel. He said, “In the past you were looking to see David made king over you. ¹⁸ So do it, then! Because the LORD has said this about David: ‘Through my servant David I will save my people Israel from the control of the Philistines and from all of their enemies.’”

²⁵ “For he has raised his fist against God, defying the Almighty.

³ When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, as was all of Jerusalem. ⁴ He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because that is what was written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

¹³ The Escape to EgyptAfter they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,” he said. “Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.”

¹⁶ The Massacre of the InfantsHerod flew into a rage when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, so he ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions, who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had determined from the wise men.

²³ Therefore swear an oath here by God that you won’t deal falsely with me, my sons, or my descendants. Just as I’ve dealt graciously with you, won’t you do so with me and with the land in which you live as a foreigner?”

⁴⁸ Then Laban said, “This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today.” That’s how the place came to be named Galeed.

¹⁴ If I remain alive, don’t fail to show me the LORD’s gracious love so that I don’t die. ¹⁵ And don’t stop showing your gracious love to my family forever, not even when the LORD eliminates each of David’s enemies from the surface of the earth.” ¹⁶ Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David: “May the LORD punish any violation of this covenant by the hand of David’s enemies.” ¹⁷ Jonathan made David vow again out of his love for him, because he loved him as himself.

⁶ is to have seven of his sons turned over to us. We will hang them in the presence of the LORD at Gibeah, which belonged to Saul, whom the LORD chose.”
So the king answered, “I will give them.” ⁷ The king exempted Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the promise to the LORD that existed between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.
⁸ Instead, the king arrested Aiah’s daughter Rizpah’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Barzillai the Meholathite’s son Adriel.

¹⁶ For people swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all argument.

²⁹ David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

²⁴ Someone who hates hides behind his words, harboring deceit within himself. ²⁵ Though he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart.

¹⁶ Future Persecutions
“Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Watch out for people who will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues.

²⁴ Jesus, however, did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people