The End of Saul and the Call to Light

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. That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life 2. (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); 3. that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4. And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled. 5. This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. 7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1. My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 2. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. 3. This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. 4. One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. 5. But whoever keeps his word, God’s love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him: 6. he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked. 7. Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8. Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shines. 9. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now. 10. He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. 11. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, little children, because you know the Father. 14. I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15. Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever. 18. Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. 19. They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. 20. You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23. Whoever denies the Son, the same doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24. Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. 25. This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life. 26. These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. 27. As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him. 28. Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. 1. See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. 3. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. 4. Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. 5. You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. 6. Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him. 7. Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9. Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. 10. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. 11. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12. unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13. Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. 15. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16. By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? 18. My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. 19. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, 20. because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21. Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; 22. and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23. This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. 24. He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

1. God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. 2. “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah. 3. “Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4. Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” 5. They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6. I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High. 7. Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.” 8. Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.