From Saul's Fall to the Church's Rise

1. Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2. The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish. 3. Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to today?” 4. But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men? 5. Isn’t this David, of whom people sang to one another in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’” 6. Then Achish called David, and said to him, “As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don’t favor you. 7. Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8. David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9. Achish answered David, “I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10. Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.” 11. So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel. 1. When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2. and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. 3. When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were taken captive. 4. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep. 5. David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6. David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God. 7. David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8. David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you will surely overtake them, and will without fail recover all.” 9. So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor. 11. They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink. 12. They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no water for three days and three nights. 13. David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I got sick. 14. We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15. David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.” 16. When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17. David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. 18. David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. 19. There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken to them. David brought back all. 20. David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.” 21. David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22. Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.” 23. Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24. Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25. It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. 26. When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you from the plunder of Yahweh’s enemies.” 27. He sent it to those who were in Bethel, to those who were in Ramoth of the South, to those who were in Jattir, 28. to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29. to those who were in Racal, to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30. to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach, 31. to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay. 1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2. The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3. The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. 4. Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. 5. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. 6. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together. 7. When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. 8. On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9. They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people. 10. They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 11. When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12. all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burned them there. 13. They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1. The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2. until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. 4. Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5. For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6. Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7. He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” 9. When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, 11. who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” 12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 15. In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, 16. “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. 17. For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. 18. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. 19. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ 20. For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’ 21. “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22. beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23. They put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24. They prayed, and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen 25. to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.” 26. They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles. 1. Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3. Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6. When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7. They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8. How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10. Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11. Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!” 12. They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13. Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15. For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16. But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17. ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18. Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19. I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21. It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22. “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, 23. him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24. whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. 25. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; 27. because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 28. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29. “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31. he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. 32. This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 33. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. 34. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand, 35. until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38. Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40. With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. 42. They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. 43. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44. All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. 46. Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47. praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved. 1. Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2. A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple. 3. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. 4. Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” 5. He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7. He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. 8. Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. 9. All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10. They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11. As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. 12. When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? 13. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15. and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. 16. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17. “Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18. But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20. and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21. whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. 22. For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. 23. It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24. Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. 25. You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26. God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.” 1. As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, 2. being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3. They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening. 4. But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5. In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. 6. Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. 7. When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9. if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10. be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole. 11. He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’ 12. There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!” 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14. Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16. saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it. 17. But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.” 18. They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, 20. for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.” 21. When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done. 22. For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old. 23. Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24. When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 25. who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? 26. The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.’ 27. “For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28. to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen. 29. Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30. while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.” 31. When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. 32. The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33. With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. 34. For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35. and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need. 36. Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, 37. having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

1. Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction, 2. how he swore to Yahweh, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3. “Surely I will not come into the structure of my house, nor go up into my bed; 4. I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids; 5. until I find out a place for Yahweh, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6. Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar: 7. “We will go into his dwelling place. We will worship at his footstool. 8. Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place; you, and the ark of your strength. 9. Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy!” 10. For your servant David’s sake, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one. 11. Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: “I will set the fruit of your body on your throne. 12. If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forever more.” 13. For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation. 14. “This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it. 15. I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16. Her priests I will also clothe with salvation. Her saints will shout aloud for joy. 17. There I will make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed. 18. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on himself, his crown will be resplendent.”