Psalms 140:2–3

⁴He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

^4‖Hee deuiseth mischiefe vpon his bed, he setteth himselfe in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not euill.

⁶They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

⁶They gather themselues together; they hide themselues, they marke my steps when they wait for my soule.

⁵They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

⁶They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

^5‖†They incourage themselues in an euill matter: they commune of laying snares priuily; they say, Who shall see them?

^6‖†They search out iniquities, they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of euery one of them, and the heart, is deepe.

⁶For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

^6‖For they haue made ready their heart like an ouen, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night, in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

¹WOE to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

²And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

³Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

¹¶ Woe to them that deuise iniquitie, and worke euill vpon their beds: when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

^2*‖And they couet fields and take them by violence: and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, euen a man and his heritage.

³Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, against this familie doe I deuise an euill, from which ye shall not remoue your necks, neither shall ye goe haughtily: for this time is euill.

¹¹There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counseller.

¹¹There is one come out of thee, that imagineth euill against the LORD: ^†a wicked counseller.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellers of peace is joy.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine euill: but to the counsellours of peace, is ioy.

⁷I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

^7‖I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for warre.

¹⁹¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

²⁰Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.

²¹And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me.

²²Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.

²³See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

²⁴And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

¹⁹¶ Then came vp the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not Dauid hide himselfe with vs in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is ^†on the South of ^‖Ieshimon?

²⁰Now therefore, O king, come downe according to all the desire of thy soule to come downe, and our part shall be to deliuer him into the kings hand.

²¹And Saul said, Blessed be yee of the LORD, for yee haue compassion on me.

²²Goe, I pray you, prepare yet, and know, and see his place where his ^†haunt is, and who hath seene him there: for it is told mee that he dealeth very subtilly.

²³See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himselfe, and come ye againe to me with the certainty, and I will goe with you: and it shall come to passe, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Iudah.

²⁴And they arose, & went to Ziph before Saul: but Dauid and his men were in the wildernesse of Maon, in the plaine on the South of Ieshimon.

¹¹Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.

¹²The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

¹¹Moreouer my father, See, yea see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see, that there is neither euill nor transgression in mine hand, and I haue not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soule, to take it.

¹²The LORD iudge betweene me and thee, and the LORD auenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be vpon thee.

¹AND the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

²Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

³And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

⁴David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

⁵¶ And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

⁶Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

⁸Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

⁹And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?

¹⁰David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

¹¹The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

¹²So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

¹³¶ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:

¹⁴And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

¹⁵And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

¹⁶This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

¹⁷And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

¹⁸And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?

¹⁹Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.

²⁰Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

²¹¶ Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

²²And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

²³The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed.

²⁴And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

²⁵Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

¹¶ And the Ziphites came vnto Saul to Gibeah, saying, ^*Doeth not Dauid hide himselfe in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Ieshimon?

²Then Saul arose, and went downe to the wildernesse of Ziph, hauing three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seeke Dauid in the wildernesse of Ziph.

³And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Ieshimon by the way: but Dauid abode in the wildernesse, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wildernesse.

⁴Dauid therefore sent out spies, and vnderstood that Saul was come in very deed.

⁵¶ And Dauid arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and Dauid beheld the place where Saul lay, and ^*Abner the sonne of Ner the captaine of his hoste: and Saul lay in the ^‖trench, and the people pitched round about him.

⁶Then answered Dauid, and sayd to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah brother to Ioab, saying, Who will goe downe with me to Saul to the campe? And Abishai sayd, I will goe downe with thee.

⁷So Dauid and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his speare stucke in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

⁸Then said Abishai to Dauid, God hath ^†deliuered thine enemie into thine hand this day: now therefore let mee smite him, I pray thee, with the speare, euen to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

⁹And Dauid sayd to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORDs Anointed, and be guiltlesse?

¹⁰Dauid said furthermore, As the LORD liueth, the LORD shal smite him, or his day shall come to die, or hee shall descend into battell, and perish.

¹¹The LORD forbid that I should stretch foorth mine hand against the LORDs Anointed: but I pray thee, take thou now the speare that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let vs goe.

¹²So Dauid tooke the speare and the cruse of water from Sauls bolster, and they gate them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleepe, because a deepe sleepe from the LORD was fallen vpon them.

¹³¶ Then Dauid went ouer to the other side, and stood on the toppe of an hill afarre off (a great space being betweene them:)

¹⁴And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and sayd, Who art thou that cryest to the King?

¹⁵And Dauid said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? Wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in, to destroy the king thy lord.

¹⁶This thing is not good that thou hast done: as the LORD liueth, ye are ^†worthy to die, because yee haue not kept your master the LORDs Anointed: and now see where the Kings speare is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

¹⁷And Saul knew Dauids voyce, and said, Is this thy voice, my sonne Dauid? And Dauid saide, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

¹⁸And he said, Wherefore doeth my lord thus pursue after his seruant? for what haue I done? or what euill is in mine hand?

¹⁹Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king heare the words of his seruant: If the LORD haue stirred thee vp against mee, let him ^†accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD: for they haue driuen me out this day from ^†abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Goe serue other gods.

²⁰Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seeke a flea, as when one doeth hunt a partridge in the mountaines.

²¹¶ Then said Saul, I haue sinned: Returne, my sonne Dauid, for I will no more doe thee harme, because my soule was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I haue played the foole, and haue erred exceedingly.

²²And Dauid answered, and sayd, Behold the kings speare, and let one of the yong men come ouer and fetch it.

²³The LORD render to euery man his righteousnesse, and his faithfulnesse: for the LORD deliuered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch foorth mine hand against the LORDs Anointed.

²⁴And behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes: so let my life bee much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliuer me out of all tribulation.

²⁵Then Saul said to Dauid, Blessed be thou, my sonne Dauid: thou shalt both doe great things, and also shalt still preuaile. So Dauid went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

¹WHY do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

¹¶ Why ^*do the heathen ^‖rage, and the people ^†imagine a vaine thing?

²The Kings of the earth set themselues, and the rulers take counsell together, against the LORD, and against his Anoynted, saying,

¹¹For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

¹¹For they intended euill against thee: they imagined a mischieuous deuice, which they are not able to performe.

¹²They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

¹²They also that seeke after my life, lay snares for me: and they that seeke my hurt, speake mischieuous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

³How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

³How long wil ye imagine mischiefe against a man? ye shall be slaine all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

⁴Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

^4†‖Their poison is like the poyson of a serpent; they are like the deafe adder that stoppeth her eare:

³But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

³But I feare lest by any meanes, as the Serpent beguiled Eue through his subtilty, so your mindes should bee corrupted from the simplicitie that is in Christ.

¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they haue vsed deceit, the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes:

¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse:

³²At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

^32‖At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

³For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

⁴None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

⁵They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

^3*For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquitie, your lippes haue spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered peruersnesse.

^4*None calleth for iustice, nor any pleadeth for trueth: they trust in vanity and speake lies; they conceiue mischiefe, and bring forth iniquitie.

^5‖‖They hatch cockatrice egges, and weaue the spiders web: he that eateth of their egges dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

⁶And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

⁷For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

⁸But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

⁶And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquitie: so is the tongue amongst our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell.

⁷For euery ^†kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of ^†mankind.

⁸But the tongue can no man tame, it is an vnruly euill, ful of deadly poyson.

³And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.

³And they bend their tongue like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the trueth vpon the earth: for they proceed from euil to euill, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

⁵And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

^5‖And they will deceiue euery one his neighbour, and will not speake the trueth, they haue taught their tongue to speake lies, and weary themselues to commit iniquity.

³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being euil, speake good things? ^*For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

⁴My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁴My soule is among lyons, and I lie euen among them that are set on fire: euen the sonnes of men, whose teeth are speares and arrowes, and their tongue a sharpe sword.

¹³And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

¹³And the LORD God said vnto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.

¹³In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

¹³In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and reuolt, conceiuing and vttering from the heart words of falshood.

¹⁸There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

^18*There is that speaketh like the pearcings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

²Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

³Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

²Thy tongue deuiseth mischiefes: like a sharpe rasor, working deceitfully.

³Thou louest euill more then good; and lying rather then to speake righteousnesse. Selah.

³Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

⁴That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

^3*Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bowes to shoote their arrowes, euen bitter words:

⁴That they may shoote in secret at the perfect: suddenly doe they shoote at him, and feare not.

⁷Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

^7*Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lippes; for who, say they, doeth heare?