^9:1And there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjaminite, a mighty man of wealth. ^9:2And he had a son whose name was Saul, choice and comely; and there was not among the children of Israel a comelier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. ^9:3And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost; and Kish said to Saul his son, Take, I pray, one of the young men with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. ^9:4And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found [them] not; and they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there; and they passed through the land of Benjamin, and they found [them] not. ^9:5They had come to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come and let us return; lest my father give up the asses, and be anxious about us. ^9:6And he said to him, Behold now, a man of God is in this city, and the man is held in honour; all that he says comes surely to pass. Let us now go thither: perhaps he will shew us the way that we should go. ^9:7And Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to give to the man of God: what have we? ^9:8And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. ^9:9(In former time in Israel, when a man went to ask counsel of God, he said, Come and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was in former time called a Seer.) ^9:10And Saul said to his servant, Well said: come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. ^9:11As they went up the ascent to the city, they met maidens going forth to draw water; and they said to them, Is the seer here? ^9:12And they answered them and said, He is; behold, he is before thee: make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place. ^9:13As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people eat not until he has come, because he blesses the sacrifice; afterwards they eat that are invited. And now go up; for this very day shall ye find him. ^9:14And they went up into the city. As they were coming into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel was coming out towards them, to go up to the high place. ^9:15Now Jehovah had apprised Samuel one day before Saul came, saying, ^9:16To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him prince over my people Israel; and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. ^9:17And as Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah answered him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! this man shall rule over my people. ^9:18And Saul drew near to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. ^9:19And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer: go up before me to the high place, and ye shall eat with me to-day; and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart. ^9:20And as for the asses that thou didst lose three days ago, set not thy heart on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel [set]? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? ^9:21And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why dost thou speak such words to me? ^9:22And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited; and they were about thirty persons. ^9:23And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion that I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee. ^9:24And the cook took up the shoulder, and what was on it, and set [it] before Saul. And he said, Behold that which has been reserved! set it before thee, eat; for against the set time has it been kept for thee, since I said, I will invite the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day. ^9:25And they came down from the high place into the city, and he spoke with Saul upon the roof. ^9:26And they arose early; and when it was about the dawning of the day, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, Arise, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, into the street. ^9:27As they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still now, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.

^10:1Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah has anointed thee prince over his inheritance? ^10:2When thou goest from me to-day, thou shalt meet two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to thee, The asses are found which thou wentest to seek, and behold, thy father has dismissed the matter of the asses, and is anxious about you, saying, What shall I do for my son? ^10:3And thou shalt go on forward from thence, and shalt come to the oak of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God, to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three cakes of bread, and another carrying a flask of wine. ^10:4And they will ask after thy welfare, and give thee two loaves, which thou shalt receive of their hands. ^10:5After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where are the outposts of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou comest thither, into the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with lute and tambour and pipe and harp before them; and they themselves prophesying. ^10:6And the Spirit of Jehovah will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. ^10:7And it shall be, when these signs shall come to thee, thou shalt do as thy hand shall find; for God is with thee. ^10:8And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to thee, to offer up burnt-offerings, [and] to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou wait, until I come to thee and inform thee what thou shalt do. ^10:9And it was [so] that when he turned his back to go away from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. ^10:10And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. ^10:11And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? ^10:12And a man of that place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? ^10:13And when he had ended prophesying, he came to the high place. ^10:14And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel. ^10:15And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you. ^10:16And Saul said to his uncle, He told us for certain that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he told him not. ^10:17And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah to Mizpah. ^10:18And he said to the children of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, *I* brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you; ^10:19but *ye* have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your troubles, and have said unto him, [Nay,] but a king shalt thou set over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes, and by your thousands. ^10:20And Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. ^10:21And he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, and the family of Matri was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken. And they sought him, but he was not to be found. ^10:22Therefore they inquired of Jehovah further, Will the man yet come hither? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the baggage. ^10:23And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. ^10:24And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, May the king live. ^10:25And Samuel told the people the right of the kingdom, and wrote it in the book, and laid it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. ^10:26And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and with him went the band, whose hearts God had touched. ^10:27But the children of Belial said, How should this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he was as one deaf.

^11:1And Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh-Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. ^11:2And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, On this [condition] will I treat with you, that I thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. ^11:3And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Allow us seven days, and we will send messengers into all the districts of Israel; and if there be no man to deliver us, we will come out to thee. ^11:4And the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told these words in the ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voice and wept. ^11:5And behold, Saul came after the oxen from the field; and Saul said, What [aileth] the people that they weep? And they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. ^11:6And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. ^11:7And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen! And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man. ^11:8And he numbered them in Bezek, and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. ^11:9And they said to the messengers that had come, Thus shall ye say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: To-morrow ye shall have deliverance when the sun is hot. And the messengers came and informed the men of Jabesh-Gilead; and they were glad. ^11:10And the men of Jabesh said, To-morrow we will come out to you, and ye may do with us according to all that is good in your sight. ^11:11And it came to pass the next day that Saul set the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote Ammon until the heat of the day: and it came to pass that they who remained were scattered, and not two of them were left together. ^11:12And the people said to Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. ^11:13But Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to-day Jehovah has wrought deliverance in Israel. ^11:14And Samuel said to the people, Come and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. ^11:15And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed peace-offerings before Jehovah. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly.

^12:1And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me, and have made a king over you. ^12:2And now behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and grey-headed; and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth up to this day. ^12:3Here I am: testify against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I injured? or of whose hand have I received any ransom and blinded mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you. ^12:4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, and thou hast not injured us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand. ^12:5And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand! And [the people] said, [He is] witness! ^12:6And Samuel said to the people, [It is] Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. ^12:7And now stand still, that I may plead with you before Jehovah of all the righteous acts of Jehovah which he did to you and to your fathers. ^12:8When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought your fathers forth out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. ^12:9And they forgot Jehovah their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. ^12:10And they cried to Jehovah and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths; and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. ^12:11And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about, so that ye dwelt in safety. ^12:12But when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king. ^12:13And now behold, the king whom ye have chosen, whom ye have asked for! and behold, Jehovah has set a king over you. ^12:14If ye fear Jehovah, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and rebel not against the commandment of Jehovah, then both ye and the king also that reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God. ^12:15But if ye will not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, and if ye rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then will the hand of Jehovah be against you, as against your fathers. ^12:16Now therefore stand and see this great thing which Jehovah will do before your eyes. ^12:17Is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I will call unto Jehovah, and he will send thunder and rain; and ye shall perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah in asking for yourselves a king. ^12:18And Samuel called to Jehovah; and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel. ^12:19And all the people said to Samuel, Pray to Jehovah thy God for thy servants, that we die not; for we have added to all our sins the wickedness to ask for ourselves a king. ^12:20And Samuel said to the people, Fear not: *ye* have done all this wickedness; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, and serve Jehovah with all your heart; ^12:21and turn ye not aside; for [it would be] after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. ^12:22For Jehovah will not cast away his people for his great name's sake; because it has pleased Jehovah to make you his people. ^12:23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you; and I will teach you the good and right way. ^12:24Only, fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth, with all your heart; for see how great things he has done for you. ^12:25But if ye do wickedly, ye shall perish, both ye and your king.

^13:1Saul was years old when he became king; and he reigned two years over Israel. ^13:2And Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel: there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. ^13:3And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard [of it]. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. ^13:4And all Israel heard say, Saul has smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and Israel also has become odious to the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. ^13:5And the Philistines were assembled together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Beth-Aven. ^13:6And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed); and the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in cliffs, and in strongholds, and in pits. ^13:7And the Hebrews went over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. ^13:8And he waited seven days, according to the set time that Samuel [had appointed]; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. ^13:9And Saul said, Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings. And he offered up the burnt-offering. ^13:10And it came to pass, as soon as he had ended offering up the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. ^13:11And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou didst not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash, ^13:12I said, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to Jehovah; and I forced myself, and offered up the burnt-offering. ^13:13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God which he commanded thee; for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever. ^13:14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah has sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him ruler over his people; for thou hast not kept what Jehovah commanded thee. ^13:15And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men. ^13:16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin; and the Philistines encamped in Michmash. ^13:17And the ravagers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned the way of Ophrah, into the land of Shual; ^13:18and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and the other company turned the way to the district that looks over the ravine of Zeboim toward the wilderness. ^13:19Now there was no smith found throughout the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears. ^13:20And all Israel went down to the Philistines, every man to get his ploughshare, and his hoe, and his axe, and his sickle sharpened, ^13:21when the edges of the sickles, and the hoes, and the forks, and the axes were blunted; and to set the goads. ^13:22And it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found. ^13:23And a garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

^14:1Now it came to pass one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison which is on the other side. But he did not tell his father. ^14:2And Saul abode at the extreme end of Gibeah under the pomegranate-tree which [was] in Migron; and the people that were with him were about six hundred men. ^14:3(And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, Jehovah's priest in Shiloh, wore the ephod.) And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone. ^14:4Now between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one [was] Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. ^14:5The one crag [formed] a pillar on the north opposite to Michmash, and the other on the south opposite to Geba. ^14:6And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: perhaps Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few. ^14:7And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that is in thy heart; turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. ^14:8Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will shew ourselves to them. ^14:9If they say thus to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stay in our place, and will not go up to them. ^14:10And if they say thus, Come up to us, then we will go up; for Jehovah has given them into our hand; and this shall be the sign to us. ^14:11And both of them shewed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. ^14:12And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you something. And Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel. ^14:13And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew after him. ^14:14And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer wrought was about twenty men, as it were on the half-furrow of an acre of land. ^14:15And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the ravagers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked; for it was a trembling [from] God. ^14:16And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on slaying one another. ^14:17Then said Saul to the people that were with him, Muster now, and see who is gone from us. And they mustered, and behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there. ^14:18And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. ^14:19And it came to pass while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hand. ^14:20And Saul and all the people that were with him were called together, and they came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, a very great confusion. ^14:21And there were Hebrews with the Philistines before that time, who had gone up with them into the camp round about; and they also [turned] to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. ^14:22And all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines fled, and they also followed hard after them in the battle. ^14:23And Jehovah saved Israel that day; and the battle passed over beyond Beth-Aven. ^14:24But the men of Israel were distressed that day. Now Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food until evening, and [until] I am avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food. ^14:25And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey on the ground. ^14:26And the people had come into the wood, and behold, the honey flowed; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. ^14:27But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he put forth the end of his staff which was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. ^14:28Then answered one of the people and said, Thy father strictly adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food this day; and the people are faint. ^14:29And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, that mine eyes are bright, because I tasted a little of this honey. ^14:30How much more, if the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for would there not now have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? ^14:31And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ajalon; and the people were very faint. ^14:32And the people fell on the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate [them] with the blood. ^14:33And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Jehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have acted perversely: roll me now a great stone. ^14:34And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring near to me every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slaughtered [them] there. ^14:35And Saul built an altar to Jehovah: this was the first altar he built to Jehovah. ^14:36And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever is good in thy sight. Then said the priest, Let us come near hither to God. ^14:37And Saul inquired of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. ^14:38And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the heads of the people; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day. ^14:39For, [as] Jehovah liveth, who has saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall certainly die. And no one answered him among all the people. ^14:40Then said he to all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what is good in thy sight. ^14:41And Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel, Give a perfect [testimony]! And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped. ^14:42And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. ^14:43And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him and said, With the end of the staff which is in my hand I tasted a little honey, [and] behold, I must die! ^14:44And Saul said, God do so [to me] and more also; thou shalt certainly die, Jonathan. ^14:45And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! [as] Jehovah liveth, there shall not a hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not. ^14:46And Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. ^14:47And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he discomfited [them]. ^14:48And he did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of their spoilers. ^14:49And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Jishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. ^14:50And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. ^14:51And Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel. ^14:52And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to himself.

^15:1And Samuel said to Saul, Jehovah sent *me* to anoint thee king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah. ^15:2Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I have considered what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. ^15:3Now go and smite Amalek, and destroy utterly all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. ^15:4And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. ^15:5And Saul came to the city of the Amalekites, and set an ambush in the valley. ^15:6And Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, and go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. And the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. ^15:7And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah as thou comest to Shur, which is opposite to Egypt. ^15:8And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ^15:9And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and oxen, and beasts of the second bearing, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not devote them to destruction; but everything that was mean and weak, that they destroyed utterly. ^15:10And the word of Jehovah came to Samuel, saying, ^15:11It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned away from following me, and hath not fulfilled my words. And Samuel was much grieved; and he cried to Jehovah all night. ^15:12And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a monument, and has turned about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. ^15:13And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, Blessed art thou of Jehovah: I have fulfilled the word of Jehovah. ^15:14And Samuel said, What [means] then this bleating of sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear? ^15:15And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites, because the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. ^15:16And Samuel said to Saul, Stay, that I may tell thee what Jehovah has said to me this night. And he said to him, Say on. ^15:17And Samuel said, Was it not when thou wast little in thine eyes that thou [becamest] the head of the tribes of Israel, and Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel? ^15:18And Jehovah sent thee on a way and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. ^15:19Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, but didst fall upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of Jehovah? ^15:20And Saul said to Samuel, I have indeed hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. ^15:21But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal. ^15:22And Samuel said, Has Jehovah delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, As in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, Attention than the fat of rams. ^15:23For rebellion is [as] the sin of divination, And selfwill is [as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He hath also rejected thee from being king. ^15:24And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and thy words; for I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice. ^15:25And now, I pray thee, forgive my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah. ^15:26And Samuel said to Saul, I will not turn again with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected thee from being king over Israel. ^15:27And as Samuel turned to go away, [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. ^15:28Then Samuel said to him, Jehovah has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and has given it to thy neighbour, who is better than thou. ^15:29And also the Hope of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent. ^15:30And he said, I have sinned; honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah thy God. ^15:31So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped Jehovah. ^15:32And Samuel said, Bring ye near to me Agag the king of Amalek. And Agag came to him gaily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. ^15:33And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless above women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal. ^15:34And Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. ^15:35And Samuel saw Saul no more until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned over Saul; and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

^16:1And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. ^16:2And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. ^16:3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. ^16:4And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably? ^16:5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. ^16:6And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him. ^16:7But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart. ^16:8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one. ^16:9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one. ^16:10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these. ^16:11And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither. ^16:12And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. ^16:13And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. ^16:14And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. ^16:15And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee. ^16:16Let our lord now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. ^16:17And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. ^16:18And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him. ^16:19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep. ^16:20And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son to Saul. ^16:21And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer. ^16:22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight. ^16:23And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

^17:1And the Philistines assembled their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. ^17:2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of terebinths, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. ^17:3And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side; and the ravine was between them. ^17:4And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ^17:5And he had a helmet of bronze upon his head, and he was clothed with a corselet of scales; and the weight of the corselet was five thousand shekels of bronze. ^17:6And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders. ^17:7And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and the shield-bearer went before him. ^17:8And he stood and cried to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I the Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me. ^17:9If he be able to fight with me, and to smite me, then will we be your servants; but if I overcome and smite him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us. ^17:10And the Philistine said, I have defied the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. ^17:11And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed and greatly afraid. ^17:12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was old in the days of Saul, advanced [in years] among men. ^17:13And the three eldest of the sons of Jesse had gone and followed Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ^17:14And David was the youngest; and the three eldest had followed Saul. ^17:15But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. ^17:16And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. ^17:17And Jesse said to David his son, Take, I pray, for thy brethren, this ephah of parched [corn] and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to thy brethren; ^17:18and carry these ten cheeses to the captain of the thousand, and visit thy brethren to see how they are, and take a pledge of them. ^17:19Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel [were] in the valley of terebinths, fighting against the Philistines. ^17:20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took his charge and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the wagon-defence; and the host which was going forth to the battle-array shouted for the fight. ^17:21And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, rank against rank. ^17:22And David left the things he was carrying in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran into the ranks, and came and saluted his brethren. ^17:23And as he talked with them, behold there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard [them]. ^17:24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were greatly afraid. ^17:25And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that comes up? for to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who smites him, him will the king enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. ^17:26And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that smites this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? ^17:27And the people told him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that smites him. ^17:28And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard while he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. ^17:29And David said, What have I now done? Was it not laid upon me? ^17:30And he turned from him to another, and spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him again after the former manner. ^17:31And the words were heard which David spoke, and they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. ^17:32And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him: thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. ^17:33And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. ^17:34And David said to Saul, Thy servant fed his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and also a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. ^17:35And I went after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I seized him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. ^17:36Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ^17:37And David said, Jehovah who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and Jehovah be with thee. ^17:38And Saul clothed David with his dress, and put a helmet of bronze upon his head, and clothed him with a corselet. ^17:39And David girded his sword upon his dress, and endeavoured to go; for he had not yet tried [it]. And David said to Saul, I cannot go in these; for I have never tried [them]. And David put them off him. ^17:40And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag that he had, into the pocket; and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. ^17:41And the Philistine came on and approached David; and the man that bore the shield was before him. ^17:42And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was a youth, and ruddy, and besides of a beautiful countenance. ^17:43And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ^17:44And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the heavens and to the beasts of the field. ^17:45And David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin; but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. ^17:46This day will Jehovah deliver thee up into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the camp of the Philistines this day to the fowl of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth. And all the earth shall know that Israel has a God; ^17:47and all this congregation shall know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hands. ^17:48And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and advanced to meet David, that David hasted, and ran towards the ranks to meet the Philistine. ^17:49And David put his hand into the bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead; and he fell on his face to the earth. ^17:50So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine and killed him; and there was no sword in the hand of David. ^17:51And David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him completely, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled. ^17:52And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to the ravine and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down on the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron. ^17:53And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they pillaged their camps. ^17:54And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. ^17:55And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. ^17:56And the king said, Inquire thou whose son this youth is. ^17:57And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. ^17:58And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, young man? And David said, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.

^18:1And it came to pass, when he had ended speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ^18:2And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father's house. ^18:3And Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ^18:4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his dress, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. ^18:5And David went forth; whithersoever Saul sent him he prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. ^18:6And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambours, with joy, and with triangles. ^18:7And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath smitten his thousands, And David his ten thousands. ^18:8And Saul was very wroth, and that saying was evil in his sight; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed the thousands; and [what] is there more for him but the kingdom? ^18:9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. ^18:10And it came to pass the next day that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, but David played with his hand, as on other days; and the spear was in Saul's hand. ^18:11And Saul cast the spear, and thought, I will smite David and the wall. But David turned away from him twice. ^18:12And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and had departed from Saul. ^18:13And Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. ^18:14And David prospered in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him. ^18:15And Saul saw that he prospered well, and he stood in awe of him. ^18:16But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. ^18:17And Saul said to David, Behold my eldest daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah's battles. But Saul thought, My hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him. ^18:18And David said to Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? ^18:19And it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife. ^18:20And Michal Saul's daughter loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing was right in his sight. ^18:21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law a second time. ^18:22And Saul commanded his servants, Speak with David secretly, saying, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son-in-law. ^18:23And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? ^18:24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner did David speak. ^18:25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David: The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ^18:26And his servants told David these words; and the thing was right in David's sight to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired, ^18:27when David arose and went, he and his men, and smote of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they delivered them in full to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. ^18:28And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal Saul's daughter loved him. ^18:29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually. ^18:30And the princes of the Philistines went forth; and it came to pass, whenever they went forth, that David succeeded better than all the servants of Saul; and his name was much esteemed.

^19:1And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David. ^19:2But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill thee; and now, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place and hide thyself; ^19:3and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and will speak of thee with my father: and see what it is, and tell thee. ^19:4And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against thee; for also what he did was very advantageous to thee; ^19:5for he put his life in hand, and smote the Philistine, and Jehovah wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou didst see [it], and didst rejoice; why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, in slaying David without cause? ^19:6And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, [As] Jehovah liveth, he shall not be put to death! ^19:7Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan declared to him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as previously. ^19:8And there was war again; and David went forth and fought with the Philistines, and smote them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. ^19:9And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul. And he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David played with his hand. ^19:10And Saul sought to smite David and the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night. ^19:11And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning; and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be put to death. ^19:12And Michal let David down through a window; and he went, and fled and escaped. ^19:13And Michal took the image, and laid it in the bed, and put the net of goats' [hair] at its head, and covered it with the coverlet. ^19:14And Saul sent messengers to take David, and she said, He is sick. ^19:15And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may put him to death. ^19:16And the messengers came in, and behold, the image was in the bed, and the net of goats' [hair] at its head. ^19:17Then Saul said to Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal said to Saul, He said to me, Let me go; why should I slay thee? ^19:18And David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. ^19:19And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth by Ramah. ^19:20Then Saul sent messengers to take David; and they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as president over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. ^19:21And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. ^19:22Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Sechu; and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, at Naioth by Ramah. ^19:23And he went thither to Naioth by Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth by Ramah. ^19:24And he himself also stripped off his clothes, and prophesied, himself also, before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

^20:1And David fled from Naioth by Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity, and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life? ^20:2And he said to him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, and not apprise me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. ^20:3And David swore again and again, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found favour in thy sight: and he has thought, Jonathan shall not know this, lest he be grieved; but truly [as] Jehovah liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. ^20:4And Jonathan said to David, What thy soul may say, I will even do it for thee. ^20:5And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening. ^20:6If thy father should actually miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. ^20:7If he say thus, It is well, thy servant shall have peace; but if he be very wroth, be sure that evil is determined by him. ^20:8Deal kindly then with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee; but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? ^20:9And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee; for, if I knew with certainty that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, would I not tell it thee? ^20:10Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly? ^20:11And Jonathan said to David, Come and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. ^20:12And Jonathan said to David, Jehovah, God of Israel, when I sound my father about this time to-morrow, [or] the next day, and behold, there be good toward David, and I then send not to thee, and apprise thee of it, ^20:13Jehovah do so and much more to Jonathan. Should it please my father [to do] thee evil, then I will apprise thee of it, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace; and Jehovah be with thee, as he has been with my father. ^20:14And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of Jehovah, that I die not, ^20:15but thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever, no, not when Jehovah cuts off the enemies of David, every one from the face of the earth. ^20:16And Jonathan made [a covenant] with the house of David, [saying,] Let Jehovah even require [it] at the hand of David's enemies! ^20:17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, by the love he had for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ^20:18And Jonathan said to him, To-morrow is the new moon; and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty; ^20:19but on the third day thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the business, and abide by the stone Ezel. ^20:20And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. ^20:21And behold, I will send the lad, [saying,] Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come, for there is peace for thee, and it is nothing; [as] Jehovah liveth. ^20:22But if I say thus to the youth: Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, go thy way; for Jehovah sends thee away. ^20:23And as to the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between me and thee for ever. ^20:24And David hid himself in the field; and it was the new moon, and the king sat at table to eat. ^20:25And the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. ^20:26And Saul said nothing that day; for he thought, Something has befallen [him], that he is not clean: surely he is not clean. ^20:27And it came to pass the next day after the new moon, the second [day of the month], as David's place was empty, that Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to table, neither yesterday nor to-day? ^20:28And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me [to go] to Bethlehem, ^20:29and said, Let me go, I pray thee; for we have a family sacrifice in the city; and my brother himself has commanded me [to be there]; and now, if I have found favour in thy sight, let me go away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. He has therefore not come to the king's table. ^20:30And Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, Son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame and to the shame of thy mother's nakedness? ^20:31For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. And now send and fetch him to me, for he must die. ^20:32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why should he be put to death? what has he done? ^20:33Then Saul cast the spear at him to smite him; and Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death. ^20:34And Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no meat the second day of the new moon; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. ^20:35And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field, to the place agreed on with David, and a little lad with him. ^20:36And he said to his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. The lad ran, and he shot the arrow beyond him. ^20:37And when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad and said, Is not the arrow away beyond thee? ^20:38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not! And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. ^20:39And the lad knew nothing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. ^20:40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city. ^20:41The lad went, and David arose from the side of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. ^20:42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have both of us sworn in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever! And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

^21:1And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech trembled at meeting David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? ^21:2And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business whereon I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and I have directed the young men to such and such a place. ^21:3And now what is under thy hand? give me five loaves in my hand, or what may be found. ^21:4And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. ^21:5And David answered the priest and said to him, Yes indeed, women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the [bread] is in a manner common, and the more so, because to-day [new] is hallowed in the vessels. ^21:6And the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the shew-loaves that were taken from before Jehovah, to put on hot bread in the day when they were taken away. ^21:7(Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg, the Edomite, chief of the shepherds that [belonged] to Saul.) ^21:8And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, for the king's business was urgent. ^21:9And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of terebinths, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that: give it me. ^21:10And David arose, and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. ^21:11And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands? ^21:12And David took to heart these words, and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ^21:13And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard. ^21:14And Achish said to his servants, Behold, ye see the man is mad: why did ye bring him to me? ^21:15have I lack of madmen, that ye have brought this one to rave in my presence? shall this [man] come into my house?

^22:1And David departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], and they went down thither to him. ^22:2And every one in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one of embittered spirit collected round him; and he became a captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men. ^22:3And David went thence to Mizpeh in Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth amongst you, till I know what God will do for me. ^22:4And he brought them before the king of Moab; and they abode with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. ^22:5And the prophet Gad said to David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth. ^22:6And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk upon the height, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing by him. ^22:7Then Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye Benjaminites: will the son of Jesse give every one of you also fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, ^22:8that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that informs me when my son has made [a covenant] with the son of Jesse; and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or informs me that my son has stirred up my servant as a lier-in-wait against me, as at this day? ^22:9Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ^22:10And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. ^22:11Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob; and they came all of them to the king. ^22:12And Saul said, Hear now, son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. ^22:13And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me as a lier-in-wait, as at this day? ^22:14And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and has access to thy secret council, and is honourable in thy house? ^22:15Was it to-day that I began to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king charge anything to his servant, [nor] to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. ^22:16And the king said, Thou shalt certainly die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. ^22:17And the king said to the couriers that stood about him, Turn and put the priests of Jehovah to death; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not inform me. But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah. ^22:18And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and fell on the priests, and put to death that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. ^22:19And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, infants and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. ^22:20And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. ^22:21And Abiathar informed David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests. ^22:22And David said to Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul: I am accountable for all the lives of thy father's house. ^22:23Abide with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks thy life; for with me thou art in safe keeping.

^23:1And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. ^23:2And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. ^23:3But David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? ^23:4And David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into thy hand. ^23:5And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. ^23:6And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. ^23:7And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Then Saul said, God has cast him off into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a city that has gates and bars. ^23:8And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. ^23:9And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod. ^23:10Then said David, Jehovah, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. ^23:11Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down. ^23:12And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver [thee] up. ^23:13Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, and he forbore to go forth. ^23:14And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand. ^23:15And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. ^23:16And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. ^23:17And he said to him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; and that also Saul my father knows. ^23:18And they two made a covenant before Jehovah; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. ^23:19And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the waste? ^23:20And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and it will be for us to deliver him up into the king's hand. ^23:21And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have compassion upon me. ^23:22Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his track is, who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtilly. ^23:23And see, and ascertain all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me with sure information, that I may go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout the thousands of Judah. ^23:24And 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 the waste. ^23:25And Saul and his men went to seek [him]. And they told David; and he came down from the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard [that], and he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. ^23:26And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from Saul; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them. ^23:27But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee and come; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land. ^23:28And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth. ^23:29And David went up from thence, and abode in the strongholds of Engedi.

^24:1And it came to pass when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. ^24:2And Saul took three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. ^24:3And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet; and David and his men were abiding in the recesses of the cave. ^24:4And David's men said to him, Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee, Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly. ^24:5And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. ^24:6And he said to his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my master, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, for he is the anointed of Jehovah. ^24:7And David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on [his] way. ^24:8David also arose afterwards, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance. ^24:9And David said to Saul, Why dost thou listen to words of men, saying, Behold, David seeks thy hurt? ^24:10Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had given thee this day into my hand in the cave; and they bade me kill thee; but [mine eye] spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Jehovah. ^24:11And see, my father, yes, 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 and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it. ^24:12Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee. ^24:13As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; but my hand shall not be upon thee. ^24:14After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea. ^24:15Jehovah therefore shall be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and do me justice [in delivering me] out of thy hand. ^24:16And as soon as David had ended speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. ^24:17And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. ^24:18And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me, forasmuch as when Jehovah had delivered me up into thy hand, thou didst not kill me. ^24:19For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that thou hast done to me this day. ^24:20And now behold, I know that thou shalt certainly be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand. ^24:21Swear now therefore to me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. ^24:22And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home; and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

^25:1And Samuel died; and all Israel were gathered together, and lamented him; and they buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. ^25:2And there was a man at Maon, whose business was at Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep at Carmel. ^25:3And the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was a Calebite. ^25:4And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. ^25:5Then David sent out ten young men; and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. ^25:6And thus shall ye say: Long life [to thee]! and peace be to thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be to all that thou hast! ^25:7And now I have heard that thou hast shearers; now thy shepherds who were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missed by them, all the while they were in Carmel. ^25:8Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee. Therefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, what thy hand may find to thy servants, and to thy son David. ^25:9And David's young men came, and spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. ^25:10And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master. ^25:11And shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers, and give [it] to men whom I know not whence they are? ^25:12And David's young men turned their way, and went back, and came and reported to him according to all those words. ^25:13And David said to his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage. ^25:14And one of [Nabal's] young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our master; and he has insulted them. ^25:15And the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we companied with them, when we were in the fields. ^25:16They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the while we were with them feeding the sheep. ^25:17And now know and consider what thou wilt do, for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household; and he is such a son of Belial, that one cannot speak to him. ^25:18And Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two skin-bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched [corn], and a hundred raisin-cakes, and two hundred fig-cakes, and laid them on asses. ^25:19And she said to her young men, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. ^25:20And as she was riding on the ass, and coming down by the covert of the hill, behold, David and his men came down opposite to her; and she met them. ^25:21Now David had said, Surely, in vain have I kept all that this [man] had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his; and he has requited me evil for good. ^25:22So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that is his by the morning light any male. ^25:23And when Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, ^25:24and fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, [upon] me let the iniquity be; but let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear the words of thy handmaid. ^25:25Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; and I thy handmaid did not see the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. ^25:26And now, my lord, [as] Jehovah liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah has restrained thee from coming with bloodshed, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. ^25:27And now this blessing which thy bondmaid has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men that follow my lord. ^25:28I pray thee, forgive the transgression of thy handmaid: for Jehovah will certainly make my lord a lasting house; because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah, and evil has not been found in thee all thy days. ^25:29And if a man is risen up to pursue thee and to seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Jehovah thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out from the hollow of the sling. ^25:30And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah shall do to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning thee, and shall appoint thee ruler over Israel, ^25:31that this shall be no stumbling-block to thee, nor offence of heart for my lord, either that thou hast shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. And when Jehovah shall deal well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid. ^25:32And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me. ^25:33And blessed be thy discernment, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming with bloodshed, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. ^25:34But indeed, as Jehovah the God of Israel liveth, who has restrained me from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any male. ^25:35So David received of her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. ^25:36And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was drunken to excess; so she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. ^25:37And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things; and his heart died within him, and he became [as] a stone. ^25:38And it came to pass in about ten days that Jehovah smote Nabal, and he died. ^25:39And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Jehovah, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil; but Jehovah has returned Nabal's evil upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her as his wife. ^25:40And the servants of David came to Abigail to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to thee, to take thee as his wife. ^25:41And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thy handmaid be a bondwoman to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. ^25:42And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. ^25:43David had also taken Ahinoam of Jizreel; and they became, even both of them, his wives. ^25:44But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

^26:1And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, facing the waste? ^26:2And 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. ^26:3And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which faces the waste, by the way side. And David abode in the wilderness; and when he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, ^26:4David sent out spies, and learned that Saul was certainly come. ^26:5And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay within the wagon-defence, and the people were encamped round about him. ^26:6And David spake and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. ^26:7And David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the wagon-defence, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him. ^26:8And Abishai said to David, God has delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day; and now let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the ground once, and I will not do it the second time. ^26:9And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless? ^26:10And David said, [As] Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will surely smite him; either his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish. ^26:11Jehovah forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed! But now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go. ^26:12And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they went away, and no man saw [it], and none knew [it], and none awaked, for they were all asleep; for a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen upon them. ^26:13And David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space [being] between them. ^26:14And 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? ^26:15And David said to Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like to thee in Israel? and why hast thou not guarded thy lord the king? for one of the people came in to destroy the king thy lord. ^26:16This thing is not good which thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not guarded your master, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head. ^26:17And 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. ^26:18And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand? ^26:19And now, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If Jehovah have moved thee against me, let him accept an oblation; but if the sons of men, cursed be they before Jehovah; for they have driven me out this day from adhering to the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods. ^26:20And now, let not my blood fall to the earth far from the face of Jehovah; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when they hunt a partridge on the mountains. ^26:21And Saul said, I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have acted foolishly, and have erred exceedingly. ^26:22And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear, and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. ^26:23And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for Jehovah gave thee into [my] hand this day, and I would not stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. ^26:24And behold, as thy life was highly esteemed this day in mine eyes, so let my life be highly esteemed in the eyes of Jehovah, that he may deliver me out of all distress. ^26:25And Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt certainly do [great things], and shalt certainly prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

^27:1And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me to seek me any more within all the limits of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand. ^27:2And David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ^27:3And David abode with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household; David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. ^27:4And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; and he sought no more for him. ^27:5And David said to Achish, If now I have found favour in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some country-town, that I may abide there; for why should thy servant abide in the royal city with thee? ^27:6And Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. ^27:7And the time that David abode in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. ^27:8And David and his men went up and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Gerzites, and the Amalekites: for those were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, and as far as the land of Egypt. ^27:9And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. ^27:10So Achish said, Have ye not made a raid to-day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. ^27:11And David left neither man nor woman alive, to bring [them] to Gath, for he said, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David. And such was his custom as long as he abode in the country of the Philistines. ^27:12And Achish trusted David, saying, He has made himself utterly odious among his people Israel; and he shall be my servant for ever.

^28:1And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered together their armies for warfare to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to the camp, thou and thy men. ^28:2And David said to Achish, Thereby thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my person for ever. ^28:3(Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and they had buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land.) ^28:4And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. ^28:5And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. ^28:6And Saul inquired of Jehovah; but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. ^28:7Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman that has a spirit of Python, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a spirit of Python at En-dor. ^28:8And Saul disguised himself, and put on other garments, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine to me by the spirit of Python, and bring me [him] up whom I shall name to thee. ^28:9And the woman said to him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul has done, how he has cut off the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land; and why layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? ^28:10And Saul swore unto her by Jehovah, saying, [As] Jehovah liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. ^28:11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. ^28:12And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? Even thou art Saul. ^28:13And the king said to her, Be not afraid; but what didst thou see? And the woman said to Saul, I saw a god ascending out of the earth. ^28:14And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. ^28:15And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul said, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do. ^28:16And Samuel said, Why then dost thou inquire of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? ^28:17And Jehovah has done for himself as he spoke by me; and Jehovah has rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbour, to David. ^28:18Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, and didst not execute his fierce anger upon Amalek, therefore has Jehovah done this thing to thee this day. ^28:19And Jehovah will also give Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the army of Israel also will Jehovah give into the hand of the Philistines. ^28:20And Saul fell straightway his full length on the earth, and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night. ^28:21And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said to him, Behold, thy bondmaid has hearkened to thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened to thy words which thou spokest to me. ^28:22And now, I pray thee, hearken thou also to the voice of thy bondmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way. ^28:23But he refused and said, I will not eat. Then his servants, and the woman also, compelled him, and he hearkened to their voice; and he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. ^28:24And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread thereof; ^28:25and she brought it near before Saul, and before his servants, and they ate. And they rose up and went away that night.