¹And as some were speaking about the temple, that it was adorned with  ²beautiful stones and  ³consecrated offerings, He said,

As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left a stone upon a stone which will not be thrown down.

And they questioned Him, saying, Teacher, when therefore will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?

And He said, See that you are not led astray, for many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ! and, The time has drawn near! Do not go after them.

And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first; but the end does not come immediately.

Then He said to them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

And there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

But before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for the sake of My name.

It will turn out to you for a testimony.

Settle it therefore in your hearts not to take thought beforehand how to reply in defense,

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all those opposing you will not be able to resist or refute.

And you will be  ¹delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.

And you will be hated by all because of My name,

Yet a hair of your head shall by no means perish.

In your endurance you will  ¹possess your souls.

 ¹But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that her desolation has drawn near.

Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those in her midst get out, and let not those in the country enter into her,

Because these are days of vengeance, that all the things written may be fulfilled.

Woe to those who are pregnant and to those nursing babies in those days, for there will be great  ¹distress upon the land and wrath to this people.

And they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled by the  ¹Gentiles until the times of the  ¹Gentiles are fulfilled.

And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth anguish of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the billows,

Men  ¹fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming upon the  ²inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

 ¹And He told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees.

As soon as they sprout leaves, you see it and know of yourselves that the summer is already near.

So also you, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

Truly I tell you that this generation shall by no means pass away until all things happen.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall by no means pass away.

But take heed to yourselves lest perhaps your hearts be weighed down with  ¹debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day come upon you  ²suddenly as a snare.

For it will come in upon all those  ¹dwelling on the face of all the earth.

But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would  ¹prevail to  ²escape  ³all these things which are about to happen and  ⁴stand before the Son of Man.

Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan became knit with the soul of David; and Jonathan loved him like his own soul.

And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him like his own soul.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and he gave it to David, as well as his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

And David went forth; on every mission that Saul sent him he acted prudently. Therefore Saul set him over the men of battle, and it was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

But when the men came home, as David returned from striking the Philistines, the women came out of all the towns of Israel singing and dancing to meet Saul the king, with tambourines and joyful songs and stringed instruments.

And the women sang to one another as they played, and they said,
Saul has struck down his thousands;
But David, his ten thousands.

And Saul was very  ¹angry, for this saying displeased him. And he said, They ascribe ten thousands to David, but to me they ascribe only thousands. And what more can he have except the kingdom?

So Saul eyed David from that day on.

Then on the next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul; and he prophesied in the midst of the house while David played the lyre by hand, as he had day by day. And the spear was in Saul's hand.

Then Saul threw the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. But David  ¹fled from him twice.

And Saul was afraid of David, for Jehovah was with him and had departed from Saul.

So Saul removed him from being with him and made him the captain of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people.

And David acted prudently in all his campaigns, and Jehovah was with him.

And when Saul saw that he acted very prudently, he stood in awe of him.

And all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

And Saul said to David, See, my oldest daughter Merab I will give to you as wife; only be valiant for me and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be a son-in-law to the king?

But at the time when Merab the daughter of Saul was to be given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

Now Michal the daughter of Saul loved David, and it was told Saul; and the matter pleased him.

And Saul said, I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. Therefore Saul said to David, For the second time, you may be my son-in-law today.

Then Saul commanded his servants, Speak to David privately, saying, See, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. So now become the king's son-in-law.

And Saul's servants spoke these words in David's ears. And David said, Is it such a light thing in your sight for me to become a son-in-law to the king, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?

And Saul's servants told him, saying, This is what David said.

Then Saul said, Thus shall you say to David, The king has no desire for a dowry but for a hundred Philistine foreskins, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies. For Saul planned to have David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

So when his servants told David these things, David was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. And when the time had not yet expired,

David rose up and went, he and his men; and he struck down two hundred Philistine men. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.

And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David. And Michal the daughter of Saul loved him.

And Saul was even more afraid of David, and Saul was David's enemy from then on.

Then the princes of the Philistines went forth; and as often as they went forth, David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul. So his name was very highly esteemed.

And Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, took great delight in David.

And  ¹Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father is seeking to kill you. Now therefore be on guard in the morning, and stay in some secret place, and hide yourself.

And I will go out and stand by my father's side in the field where you are. And I will speak about you to my father; and if I learn anything, I will tell you.

So Jonathan spoke well about David to Saul his father and said to him, May the king not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have been very good for you.

For he risked his life when he struck down the Philistine, and Jehovah accomplished a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by having David killed without cause?

And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, As Jehovah lives, he shall not be put to death.

Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.

And there was war again. And David went out and fought against the Philistines. And he struck them with a great slaughter, and they fled from before him.

Then there came an evil spirit from Jehovah upon Saul, and he sat in his house with his spear in his hand while David played the lyre by hand.

And Saul sought to strike David even to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence. And  ¹Saul struck the wall with his spear, but David fled and escaped that night.

Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him and kill him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If you do not save your life tonight, in the morning you will be killed.

So Michal let David down through the window, and he went away and fled and escaped.

Then Michal took the teraphim and laid it in the bed. And she put a net of goats' hair on its head and covered it with clothing.

And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me on his bed that I may kill him.

And when the messengers went in, there was the teraphim in the bed with a net of goats' hair on its head.

Then Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go so that he has slipped away? And Michal said to Saul, He said to me, Let me go; why should I kill you?

So David fled and slipped away and came to Samuel at Ramah, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt at Naioth.

Then it was told Saul, saying, David is now at Naioth in Ramah.

So Saul sent messengers to seize David; and when they saw the company of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, and they also prophesied.

And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul again sent messengers the third time, and they also prophesied.

Then he himself went to Ramah. And he came to the great well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And someone said, They are now at Naioth in Ramah.

So he went there, toward Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

And he also stripped off his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel, and he lay naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity, or what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?

And he said to him, Far from it! You shall not die. My father does nothing great or small that he does not disclose to me. So why should my father hide this matter from me? Such would not happen.

Then David swore again and said, Your father fully knows that I have found favor in your sight; so he says, Do not let Jonathan know about this; otherwise, he will be grieved. But truly as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

And Jonathan said to David, Whatever you say, I will do for you.

And David said to Jonathan, It is the new moon tomorrow, and I am to sit with the king at the meal. But let me go, and I will hide myself in the field until the following evening.

If your father misses me at all, you shall say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all his family.

If he says in this way, Fine; then your servant will have peace. But if he becomes angry at all, know that evil has been determined by him.

Deal kindly then with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, you kill me. Why then should you bring me to your father?

And Jonathan said, Far be it from you! For if I knew at all that evil has been determined by my father to come upon you, would I not tell it to you?

Then David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me whether or not your father has responded to you harshly?

And Jonathan said to David, Come and let us go out into the field. And they both went out into the field.

And Jonathan said to David, By Jehovah, the God of Israel: When I search out my father about this time tomorrow, or on the following day, and if he is good toward David, I will surely send word to you and disclose it to you.

May Jehovah do so to Jonathan, and even more, if it pleases my father to do you evil, and I do not disclose it to you and send you away to go in peace. And may Jehovah be with you as He was with my father.

And while I am still alive, do show me the lovingkindness of Jehovah, that I may not die;

And never cut off your lovingkindness from my house, not even when Jehovah has cut off David's enemies to the man from the face of the earth.

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies.

And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon; and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty.

And when you have waited three days, you shall go far down and come to the place where you hid yourself while all this was happening; and you shall remain at the stone Ezel.

And I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though I were shooting at a mark.

And just then I will send a boy, saying, Go; find the arrows. If I say to the boy, The arrows are there to this side of you; gather them; then come, for you have peace and there is no problem, as Jehovah lives.

But if I speak in this way to the young man, The arrows are there beyond you; then go, for Jehovah has sent you away.

And concerning this matter that I and you have spoken of, it is Jehovah who is between me and you forever.

So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat at the meal to eat.

And the king sat on his seat as at other times, on his seat near the wall; and Jonathan rose up, and Abner sat down beside Saul, but David's place was empty.

But Saul said nothing that day about it, for he thought, Something has happened to him; he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

And on the day after the new moon, the second day, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse come neither yesterday nor today to the meal?

And Jonathan answered Saul, David asked leave of me earnestly to go to Bethlehem.

And he said, Let me go, I beg you; for our family has a sacrifice in that city, and my brother commanded me to be there. So now if I have found favor in your sight, let me slip away to see my brothers. Therefore he has not come to the king's table.

And Saul's anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

For as long as the son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. Now therefore send someone and bring him to me, for he is as good as dead.

And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, Why must he be put to death? What has he done?

But Saul threw his spear at him in order to strike him down. So Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death.

And Jonathan rose up from the table in burning anger and did not eat any food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved about David because his father had shamed him.

Then in the morning Jonathan went forth to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.

And he said to his boy, Run and find the arrows that I am shooting. While the boy was running, he shot the arrow beyond him.

And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called out after the boy and said, The arrow is there beyond you.

And Jonathan called out to the boy, Hurry up quickly; do not stay there. And Jonathan's boy gathered the arrows and came to his master.

And the boy knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

Then Jonathan gave his equipment to his boy and said to him, Go; bring them to the city.

And when the boy went, David rose up from his hiding place toward the south and fell on his face to the ground; and he bowed himself three times. And they kissed each other; and they wept for each other, but David more greatly.

And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, because both of us have sworn in the name of Jehovah, saying, May Jehovah be between me and you and between my seed and your seed forever. Then  ¹David rose up and left, and Jonathan went into the city.