^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.

^29:1And the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and Israel encamped by the spring that is in Jizreel. ^29:2And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish. ^29:3And the princes of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found nothing in him since the day of his falling away [to me] to this day? ^29:4But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go again to his place where thou hast appointed him, that he go not down with us to the battle, that in the battle he be not an adversary to us; for wherewith should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? ^29:5Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul smote his thousands, and David his ten thousands? ^29:6And Achish called David, and said to him, [As] Jehovah liveth, thou art upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is acceptable to me; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to this day; but thou art not acceptable to the lords. ^29:7And now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines. ^29:8And David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee to this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? ^29:9And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art acceptable to me, as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. ^29:10And now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee; and rise ye early in the morning, and when ye have daylight, depart. ^29:11And David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jizreel.

^30:1And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the south, and upon Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire; ^30:2and had taken the women captives that were in it; both great and small: they had put none to death, but had carried them off, and went on their way. ^30:3And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burnt with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives. ^30:4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ^30:5And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ^30:6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him; for the soul of all the people was embittered, every man because of his sons and because of his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God. ^30:7And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Bring near to me, I pray thee, the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod near to David. ^30:8And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he said to him, Pursue; for thou shalt assuredly overtake [them] and shalt certainly recover. ^30:9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor; and those that were left stayed behind. ^30:10And David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to go over the torrent Besor. ^30:11And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink, ^30:12and gave him a piece of fig-cake and two raisin-cakes, and he ate, and his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, for three days and three nights. ^30:13And David said to him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. ^30:14We made a raid against the south of the Cherethites, and against what [belongs] to Judah, and against the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. ^30:15And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou wilt neither put me to death nor deliver me up into the hand of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop. ^30:16And he brought him down, and behold, they were spread over the whole land, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. ^30:17And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day; and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels, and fled. ^30:18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken: and David recovered his two wives. ^30:19And there was nothing missed by them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil nor anything that they had taken: David brought all back. ^30:20And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drove before the other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil. ^30:21And David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and whom they had left behind at the torrent Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him; and David drew near to the people and saluted them. ^30:22And all the wicked men, and [men] of Belial, of those that had gone with David, answered and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them [aught] of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away and depart. ^30:23Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah has given us, who has preserved us, and given the troop that came against us into our hand. ^30:24And who will hearken to you in this matter? For as his share is that goes down to the battle, so shall his share be that abides by the baggage: they shall share alike. ^30:25And it was [so] from that day forward; and he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. ^30:26And David came to Ziklag, and he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah: ^30:27to those in Bethel, and to those in south Ramoth, and to those in Jattir, ^30:28and to those in Aroer, and to those in Siphmoth, and to those in Eshtemoa, ^30:29and to those in Rachal, and to those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those in the cities of the Kenites, ^30:30and to those in Hormah, and to those in Chor-ashan, and to those in Athach, ^30:31and to those in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men went about.

^31:1And the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on mount Gilboa. ^31:2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. ^31:3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers came up with him; and he was much terrified by the archers. ^31:4Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ^31:5And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him. ^31:6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together. ^31:7And when the men of Israel that were on this side of the valley, and [they] that were on this side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. ^31:8And it came to pass the next day, that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on mount Gilboa. ^31:9And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent [them] into the land of the Philistines round about, to announce the glad tidings in the houses of their idols, and to the people. ^31:10And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. ^31:11And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul, ^31:12all the valiant men arose and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burned them there. ^31:13And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

2 Samuel

^1:1And it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David abode two days in Ziklag. ^1:2And it came to pass on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his garments rent, and earth upon his head; and as soon as he came to David, he fell to the earth and did obeisance. ^1:3And David said to him, Whence comest thou? And he said to him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. ^1:4And David said to him, What has taken place? I pray thee, tell me. And he said that the people had fled from the battle, and many of the people also had fallen and died, and that Saul and Jonathan his son were dead also. ^1:5And David said to the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? ^1:6And the young man that told him said, I happened by chance to be upon mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul leaned on his spear; and behold, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ^1:7And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called to me. And I said, Here am I. ^1:8And he said to me, Who art thou? And I said to him, I am an Amalekite. ^1:9He said to me again, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay me; for anguish has seized me; for my life is yet whole in me. ^1:10So I stood over him, and put him to death, for I knew that he would not live after his fall; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither to my lord. ^1:11Then David took hold of his garments and rent them; and all the men that were with him [did] likewise. ^1:12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Jehovah, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. ^1:13And David said to the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he said, I am the son of an Amalekite stranger. ^1:14And David said to him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed? ^1:15Then David called one of the young men and said, Draw near, [and] fall on him. And he smote him that he died. ^1:16And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed. ^1:17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son; ^1:18and he bade them teach the children of Judah [the song of] the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jasher: ^1:19The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! ^1:20Tell [it] not in Gath, carry not the tidings in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. ^1:21Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, no rain upon you, nor fields of heave-offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, [as] not anointed with oil. ^1:22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty. ^1:23Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their lives, Even in their death were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. ^1:24Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with splendour, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. ^1:25How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain upon thy high places. ^1:26I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant wast thou unto me; Thy love to me was wonderful, passing women's love. ^1:27How are the mighty fallen, and the instruments of war perished!

^2:1And it came to pass after this that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. ^2:2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ^2:3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. ^2:4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, It is the men of Jabesh-Gilead that have buried Saul. ^2:5And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of Jehovah, that ye have shewn this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him! ^2:6And now Jehovah shew kindness and faithfulness to you; and I also will requite you this good, because ye have done this thing. ^2:7And now let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. ^2:8And Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; ^2:9and made him king over Gilead, and over the Asshurites, and over Jizreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. ^2:10Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. However, the house of Judah followed David. ^2:11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. ^2:12And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ^2:13And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out. And they met together by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, these on the one side of the pool, and those on the other side of the pool. ^2:14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and make sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. ^2:15And they arose and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin, and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. ^2:16And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side, and they fell down together. And that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is by Gibeon. ^2:17And the battle that day was very severe; and Abner and the men of Israel were routed before the servants of David. ^2:18And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift of foot, as one of the gazelles that are in the field. ^2:19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from behind Abner. ^2:20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he said, I am. ^2:21And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside, to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold of one of the young men, and take for thyself his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. ^2:22And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: why should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? ^2:23But he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the belly, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. ^2:24And Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner; and the sun went down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. ^2:25And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of a hill. ^2:26And Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? and how long shall it be ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? ^2:27And Joab said, [As] God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother. ^2:28And Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither did they fight any more. ^2:29And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. ^2:30And Joab returned from following Abner, and gathered all the people together; and there lacked of David's servants nineteen men, and Asahel. ^2:31And the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, three hundred and sixty men, who had died. ^2:32And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

^3:1And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker. ^3:2And to David were sons born in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jizreelitess; ^3:3and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maachah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; ^3:4and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ^3:5and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. ^3:6And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul. ^3:7And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And [Ishbosheth] said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's concubine? ^3:8Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, I who against Judah do shew kindness this day to the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou reproachest me this day with the fault of this woman? ^3:9So do God to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah has sworn to David, I do not so to him; ^3:10to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba! ^3:11And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him. ^3:12And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying [also], Make thy covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee, to turn all Israel to thee. ^3:13And he said, Well, I will make a covenant with thee; only I require one thing of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face. ^3:14And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. ^3:15And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from [her] husband, from Phaltiel the son of Laish. ^3:16And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner to him, Go, return. And he returned. ^3:17Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David aforetime to be king over you; ^3:18and now do [it], for Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By my servant David will I save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies. ^3:19And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin. ^3:20So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a repast. ^3:21And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy heart desires. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace. ^3:22And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from an expedition, and brought in a great spoil with them; but Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ^3:23And Joab and all the host that was with him came; and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away; and he is gone in peace. ^3:24Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came to thee; why is it [that] thou hast sent him away, and he is gone? ^3:25Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest. ^3:26And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. ^3:27And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him secretly, and smote him there in the belly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. ^3:28And afterwards David heard [it], and he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner: ^3:29let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread! ^3:30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. ^3:31And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier. ^3:32And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. ^3:33And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth? ^3:34Thy hands were not bound, Nor thy feet put into fetters; As a man falleth before wicked men, Fellest thou! And all the people wept again over him. ^3:35And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or aught else till the sun be down! ^3:36And all the people remarked it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people. ^3:37And all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. ^3:38And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? ^3:39And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness!

^4:1And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were enfeebled, and all Israel was troubled. ^4:2And Saul's son had two men, captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin; for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin. ^4:3And the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day. ^4:4And Jonathan Saul's son had a son that was lame of [his] feet. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jizreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. ^4:5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in about the heat of the day into the house of Ishbosheth, who was taking his noonday rest. ^4:6And they came thither into the midst of the house, [as though] they would fetch wheat; and they smote him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ^4:7They came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him; and they took his head, and went by the way of the plain all night. ^4:8And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, thine enemy who sought thy life; and Jehovah has given to my lord the king to be avenged this day of Saul and of his seed. ^4:9Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, [As] Jehovah liveth, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress, ^4:10when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead! and he was in his own sight a messenger of good, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag to whom forsooth I should give a reward for his good tidings: ^4:11how much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? and should I not now demand his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? ^4:12And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged [them] up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

^5:1Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. ^5:2Even aforetime, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and Jehovah said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel. ^5:3And all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel. ^5:4David was thirty years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years. ^5:5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. ^5:6And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they spoke to David, saying, Thou shalt not come in hither, but the blind and the lame will drive thee back; as much as to say, David will not come in hither. ^5:7But David took the stronghold of Zion, which is the city of David. ^5:8And David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites and gets up to the watercourse, and the lame and the blind hated of David's soul ! Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. ^5:9So David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from the Millo and inward. ^5:10And David became continually greater; and Jehovah the God of hosts was with him. ^5:11And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. ^5:12And David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom because of his people Israel. ^5:13And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David. ^5:14And these are the names of those that were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, ^5:15and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia, ^5:16and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet. ^5:17And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard [of it], and went down to the stronghold. ^5:18And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. ^5:19And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou give them into my hand? And Jehovah said to David, Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into thy hand. ^5:20And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Jehovah has broken in upon mine enemies before me, as the breaking forth of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim. ^5:21And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away. ^5:22And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. ^5:23And David inquired of Jehovah; and he said, Thou shalt not go up; turn round behind them and come upon them opposite the mulberry-trees. ^5:24And it shall be, when thou hearest a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then will Jehovah have gone forth before thee, to smite the army of the Philistines. ^5:25And David did so, as Jehovah had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou comest to Gezer.

^6:1And David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ^6:2And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baale-Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God which is called by the name, the name of Jehovah of hosts who sitteth between the cherubim. ^6:3And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was upon the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. ^6:4And they brought it with the ark of God out of the house of Abinadab which was upon the hill; and Ahio went before the ark. ^6:5And David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah on all manner of [instruments made of] cypress wood, with harps, and with lutes, and with tambours, and with sistra, and with cymbals. ^6:6And when they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, Uzzah reached after the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen had stumbled. ^6:7And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. ^6:8And David was indignant, because Jehovah had made a breach upon Uzzah; and he called that place Perez-Uzzah to this day. ^6:9And David was afraid of Jehovah that day, and said, How shall the ark of Jehovah come to me? ^6:10So David would not bring the ark of Jehovah home unto himself into the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. ^6:11And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months; and Jehovah blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. ^6:12And it was told king David, saying, Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that is his, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with joy. ^6:13And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted beast. ^6:14And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. ^6:15And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. ^6:16And as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart. ^6:17And they brought in the ark of Jehovah, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had spread for it. And David offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah. ^6:18And when David had ended offering up the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah of hosts. ^6:19And he dealt to all the people, to the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a measure [of wine], and a raisin-cake. And all the people departed every one to his house. ^6:20And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the lewd fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! ^6:21And David said to Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel; and I played before Jehovah. ^6:22And I will make myself yet more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and of the handmaids that thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. ^6:23And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.