O LORD, for David’s sake remember all his strenuous effort,

耶和华啊，求你记念大卫所受的一切苦难！

耶和华啊，求你记念大卫，记念他所受的一切苦难！

耶和华啊，求你记念大卫，记念他所受的一切苦难！

耶和华啊，求你顾念大卫和他所受的一切苦难。

耶和华啊！求你记念大卫，记念他的一切苦难。（本节在《马索拉文本》包括细字标题）

耶和华啊，求你因大卫的缘故，记住他所受的一切苦待！

耶和華啊，求你記念大衛所受的一切苦難！

耶和華啊，求你記念大衛，記念他所受的一切苦難！

耶和華啊，求你記念大衛，記念他所受的一切苦難！

耶和華啊，求你顧念大衛和他所受的一切苦難。

耶和華啊！求你記念大衛，記念他的一切苦難。（本節在《馬索拉文本》包括細字標題）

永恆主啊，懷念着大衛哦！懷念他所受的一切辛苦；

耶和華啊，求你因大衛的緣故，記住他所受的一切苦待！

耶和華歟、大衛之難、尚其記憶兮、

耶和華兮、維彼大闢、屢遭患難、望爾不忘兮、

求主記念大衛所受之一切辛苦、

憶昔大維。勞心焦思。悃悃款款。主其念之。

Lord, remember David and all his self- denial.

Lord, remember David and all the times he didn’t do what he wanted.

Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured,

Lord, remember David and all that he suffered.

LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured,

Remember, Lord, in David’s behalf, All his affliction;

Lord, remember David And all his afflictions;

Jehovah, remember for David All his affliction;

Lord, remember David and all the hardships he endured,

A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David,[ and] all his afflictions:

Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,

I look up toward the hills. From where does my help come?

In my distress I cried out to the LORD and he answered me.

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over the earth and the waters receded.

When the LORD restored the well-being of Zion, we thought we were dreaming.

“ Since my youth they have often attacked me,” let Israel say.

I look up toward you, the one enthroned in heaven.

If the LORD does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain. If the LORD does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain.

How blessed is every one of the LORD’s loyal followers, each one who keeps his commands!

“ If the LORD had not been on our side”– let Israel say this!–

Remember your compassionate and faithful deeds, O LORD, for you have always acted in this manner.Do not hold against me the sins of my youth or my rebellious acts! Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O LORD!

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion; it cannot be upended and will endure forever.

Some time later Absalom managed to acquire a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him,“ What city are you from?” The person would answer,“ I, your servant, am from one of the tribes of Israel.”Absalom would then say to him,“ Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.”Absalom would then say,“ If only they would make me a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him.Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty of the citizens of Israel.After four years Absalom said to the king,“ Let me go and repay my vow that I made to the LORD while I was in Hebron.For I made this vow when I was living in Geshur in Aram:‘ If the LORD really does allow me to return to Jerusalem, I will serve the LORD.’”The king replied to him,“ Go in peace.” So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said,“ When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume that Absalom rules in Hebron.”Now two hundred men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning.While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, to come from his city, Giloh. The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom.Then a messenger came to David and reported,“ The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!”So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem,“ Come on! Let’s escape! Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.”The king’s servants replied to the king,“ We will do whatever our lord the king decides.”So the king and all the members of his royal court set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines to attend to the palace.The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing at a spot some distance away.All his servants were leaving with him, along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites– some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with the king.Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite,“ Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.It seems like you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men with you. May genuine loyal love protect you!”

O LORD, reflect on what has happened to us; consider and look at our disgrace.

From the deep water I cry out to you, O LORD.

Remember my impoverished and homeless condition, which is a bitter poison.

God heard their groaning, God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob,

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor do I have a haughty look. I do not have great aspirations, or concern myself with things that are beyond me.

When David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.Saul retained David on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house.Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life.Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear, including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants.When the men arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments.The women who were playing the music sang,“ Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!”This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought,“ They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?”So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand,and Saul threw the spear, thinking,“ I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.So Saul feared David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul.Saul removed David from his presence and made him a commanding officer. David led the army out to battle and back.Now David achieved success in all he did, for the LORD was with him.When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him.But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.Then Saul said to David,“ Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul thought,“ There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”David said to Saul,“ Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it pleased him.Saul said,“ I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David,“ Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.”Then Saul instructed his servants,“ Tell David secretly,‘ The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.”So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately to David. David replied,“ Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”When Saul’s servants reported what David had said,Saul replied,“ Here is what you should say to David:‘ There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his enemies.’”( Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)So his servants told David these things and David agreed to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expiredwhen David, along with his men, went out and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,Saul became even more afraid of him. Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on.Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.

I was glad because they said to me,“ We will go to the LORD’s temple.”