1 Samuel 27; 1 Samuel 28; 1 Samuel 29; Luke 13:1-22

1 But David thought to himself, "Saul will catch me someday. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then he will give up looking for me in Israel, and I can get away from him."

2 So David and his six hundred men left Israel and went to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 David, his men, and their families made their home in Gath with Achish. David had his two wives with him -- Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

4 When Saul heard that David had run away to Gath, he stopped looking for him.

5 Then David said to Achish, "If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of the country towns where I can live. I don't need to live in the royal city with you."

6 That day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag, and Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

7 David lived in the Philistine land a year and four months.

8 David and his men raided the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek. (These people had lived for a long time in the land that reached to Shur and Egypt.)

9 When David fought them, he killed all the men and women and took their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

10 Achish would ask David, "Where did you go raiding today?" And David would tell him that he had gone to the southern part of Judah, or Jerahmeel, or to the land of the Kenites.

11 David never brought a man or woman alive to Gath. He thought, "If we bring people alive, they may tell Achish, 'This is what David really did.'" David did this all the time he lived in the Philistine land.

12 So Achish trusted David and said to himself, "David's own people, the Israelites, now hate him very much. He will serve me forever."

1 Later, the Philistines gathered their armies to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You understand that you and your men must join my army."

2 David answered, "You will see for yourself what I, your servant, can do!" Achish said, "Fine, I'll make you my permanent bodyguard."

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all the Israelites had shown their sadness for him. They had buried Samuel in his hometown of Ramah. And Saul had forced out the mediums and fortune-tellers from the land.

4 The Philistines came together and made camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all the Israelites and made camp at Gilboa.

5 When he saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and his heart pounded with fear.

6 He prayed to the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him through dreams, Urim, or prophets.

7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium so I may go and ask her what will happen." His servants answered, "There is a medium in Endor."

8 Then Saul put on other clothes to disguise himself, and at night he and two of his men went to see the woman. Saul said to her, "Talk to a spirit for me. Bring up the person I name."

9 But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has forced the mediums and fortune-tellers from the land. You are trying to trap me and get me killed."

10 Saul made a promise to the woman in the name of the Lord. He said, "As surely as the Lord lives, you won't be punished for this."

11 The woman asked, "Whom do you want me to bring up?" He answered, "Bring up Samuel."

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, "Why have you tricked me? You are Saul!"

13 The king said to the woman, "Don't be afraid! What do you see?" The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the ground."

14 Saul asked, "What does he look like?" The woman answered, "An old man wearing a coat is coming up." Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown on the ground.

15 Samuel asked Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul said, "I am greatly troubled. The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has left me. He won't answer me anymore, either by prophets or in dreams. That's why I called for you. Tell me what to do."

16 Samuel said, "The Lord has left you and has become your enemy. So why do you call on me?

17 He has done what he said he would do -- the things he said through me. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors, David.

18 You did not obey the Lord; you did not show the Amalekites how angry he was with them. That's why he has done this to you today.

19 The Lord will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."

20 Saul quickly fell flat on the ground and was afraid of what Samuel had said. He was also very weak because he had eaten nothing all that day and night.

21 Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was really frightened. She said, "Look, I, your servant, have obeyed you. I have risked my life and done what you told me to do.

22 Now please listen to me. Let me give you some food so you may eat and have enough strength to go on your way."

23 But Saul refused, saying, "I won't eat." His servants joined the woman in asking him to eat, and he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

24 At the house the woman had a fat calf, which she quickly killed. She took some flour and mixed dough with her hands. Then she baked some bread without yeast.

25 She put the food before them, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

1 The Philistines gathered all their soldiers at Aphek. Israel camped by the spring at Jezreel.

2 The Philistine kings were marching with their groups of a hundred and a thousand men. David and his men were marching behind Achish.

3 The Philistine commanders asked, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish told them, "This is David. He served Saul king of Israel, but he has been with me for over a year now. I have found nothing wrong in David since the time he left Saul."

4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, "Send David back to the city you gave him. He cannot go with us into battle. If he does, we'll have an enemy in our own camp. He could please his king by killing our own men.

5 David is the one the Israelites dance and sing about, saying: 'Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands.'"

6 So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the Lord lives, you are loyal. I would be pleased to have you serve in my army. Since the day you came to me, I have found no wrong in you. But the other kings don't trust you.

7 Go back in peace. Don't do anything to displease the Philistine kings."

8 David asked, "What wrong have I done? What evil have you found in me from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go fight your enemies, my lord and king?"

9 Achish answered, "I know you are as good as an angel from God. But the Philistine commanders have said, 'David must not go with us into battle.'

10 Early in the morning you and your master's servants should leave. Get up as soon as it is light and go."

11 So David and his men got up early in the morning and went back to the country of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

1 At that time some people were there who told Jesus that Pilaten had killed some people from Galilee while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing to God.

2 Jesus answered, "Do you think this happened to them because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee?

3 No, I tell you. But unless you change your hearts and lives, you will be destroyed as they were!

4 What about those eighteen people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more sinful than all the others who live in Jerusalem?

5 No, I tell you. But unless you change your hearts and lives, you will all be destroyed too!"

6 Jesus told this story: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none.

7 So the man said to his gardener, 'I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down. Why should it waste the ground?'

8 But the servant answered, 'Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer.

9 If the tree produces fruit next year, good. But if not, you can cut it down.'"

10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day.

11 A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had an evil spirit in her that made her crippled. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight.

12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are free from your sickness."

13 Jesus put his hands on her, and immediately she was able to stand up straight and began praising God.

14 The synagogue leader was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, "There are six days when one has to work. So come to be healed on one of those days, and not on the Sabbath day."

15 The Lord answered, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you untie your work animals and lead them to drink water every day -- even on the Sabbath day?

16 This woman that I healed, a daughter of Abraham, has been held by Satan for eighteen years. Surely it is not wrong for her to be freed from her sickness on a Sabbath day!"

17 When Jesus said this, all of those who were criticizing him were ashamed, but the entire crowd rejoiced at all the wonderful things Jesus was doing.

18 Then Jesus said, "What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it with?

19 It is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the wild birds build nests in its branches."

20 Jesus said again, "What can I compare God's kingdom with?

21 It is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise."

22 Jesus was teaching in every town and village as he traveled toward Jerusalem.