18 Καὶ ἀπώλετο νῖκός μου, καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ Κυρίου.
Ποῦ οὖν μου ἔτι ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλπὶς, ἢ τὰ ἀγαθά μου ὄψομαι;
Τίς γάρ μου ἡ ἰσχύς, ὅτι ὑπομένω; τίς μου ὁ χρόνος, ὅτι ἀνέχεταί μου ἡ ψυχή;
Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς μὲ, λέγων, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, τὰ ὀστᾶ ταῦτα πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραήλ ἐστι, καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγουσι, ξηρὰ γέγονε τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν, ἀπόλωλεν ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν, διαπεφωνήκαμεν.
Καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, λέγων, νῦν προστεθήσομαι ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ εἰς χεῖρας Σαούλ· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι μοι ἀγαθὸν ἐὰν μὴ σωθῶ εἰς γῆν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἀνῇ ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ Σαοὺλ τοῦ ζητεῖν με εἰς πᾶν ὅριον Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ σωθήσομαι ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ.
