1 Samuel

Chapter 1

	Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite,
2.	And he had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other was Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3.	And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
4.	And when it was time that Elkanah offered, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters.
5.	But to Hannah he gave a woryour portion; for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.
6.	And her adversary also provoked her sorely, to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
7.	And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and didn't eat.
8.	Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why are you crying? And why aren't you eating? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
9.	So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank. Now Eli, the priest, sat on a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
10.	And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept sorely.
11.	And she vowed a vow, and said, "Oh LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a man child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12.	And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
13.	Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
14.	And Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine."
15.	And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16.	Don't count your handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken before."
17.	Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you your petition that you have asked of him."
18.	And she said, "Let your handmaid find grace in your sight." So she went her way, and ate, and her countenance was no more sad.
19.	And they rose up early in the morning, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
20.	Which is why it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him of the LORD."
21.	And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
22.	But Hannah didn't go up; for she said to her husband, "I will not go up until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide forever."
23.	And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good to you; wait until you have weaned him; only the LORD establishes his word." So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24.	And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh, and the child was young.
25.	And they killed a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26.	And she said, "Oh my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to the LORD.
27.	I prayed For this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.
28.	Therefore I have also lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD." And he worshipped the LORD there.

Chapter 2

And Hannah prayed, and said, "My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none as holy as the LORD, for there is none besides you: neither is there any rock like our God.
Have no more so exceedingly proud Talk; don't let arrogance come out of your mouth. For the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased, so that the barren has born seven; and she that has many children is waxed feebly.
The LORD kills, and makes alive. He brings down to the grave, and brings back up.
The LORD makes poverty, and makes riches. He brings low, and lifts up.
He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dungheap, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory, for the pillars of the earth are the LORD s, and he has set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed."
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they didn't know the LORD.
And the priests custom with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a meathook of three teeth in his hand;
And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot, and all that the meathook brought up, the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there.
Also, before they burned the fat, the priest s servant came and said to the man that sacrificed, "Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of you, but raw."
And if any man said to him, "Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as your soul desires," then he would answer him, "No; but you shall give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force."
This is why the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "May the LORD give you seed from this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD." And they went to their own home.
And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did to all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all these people.
No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD s people to transgress.
If one man sins against another, the judge shall judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who shall implore for him?" Notwithstanding, they didn't hearken to the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the LORD, and also with men.
And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Did I plainly appear to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh s house?
And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel, my people?'
Why the LORD God of Israel said, 'I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever,' but now the LORD says, 'Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father s house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.
And you shall see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
And the man of yours, whom I shall not cut off from my altar, shall be to consume your eyes, and to grieve your heart. And all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
And this shall be a sign to you, that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die, both of them.
And I will raise up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before my anointed for ever.'
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests offices, that I may eat a piece of bread."

Chapter 3

And the child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no open vision.
And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
And befere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
That the LORD called Samuel, and he answered, "Here I am."
And he ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you called me." And he said, "I didn't call; lie back down again." And he went and laid down.
And the LORD called yout again; "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you did call me." And he answered, "I didn't call, my son; lie down again."
Now Samuel did not yout know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yout revealed to him.
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you called me." And Eli percieved that the LORD had called the child.
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and it shall be that if he calls you, that you shall say, "Speak, LORD; for your servant hears." So Samuel went and laid down in his place.
And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel answered, "Speak; for your servant hears."
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that hears it shall tingle.
In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end.
For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows; because his sons made themselves vile, and he didn't restrain them.
Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever."
And Samuel laid until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son." And he answered, "Here I am."
And he said, "What is the thing that the LORD has said to you? I pray you, don't hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you."
And Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him."
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and didn't let any of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

Chapter 4

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined in battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew about four thousand men of the army in the field.
And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh, so that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts from there , which dwells between the cherubims. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
And the Philistines were afraid, and they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing before.
Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
Be strong, and steel yourselves like men, Oh you Philistines, that you don't become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Steel yourselves like men, and fight."
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and every man fled into his tent, and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with dirt upon his head.
And when he came, Eli sat on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What does the noise of this tumult mean?" And the man came in haveily, and told Eli.
Now Eli was ninety eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
And the man said to Eli, "I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army." And he replied, "What has been done, my son?"
And the messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken."
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died. For he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
And his daughter in law, Phinehas wife, was with child, near to be delivered. And when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said to her, "Fear not; for you have born a son." But she didn't answer, neither did she regard it.
And she named the child I-chabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken."

Chapter 5

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod.
When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
And when they arose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyoud them, and smote them with hemorrhoids, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.
And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us! For his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god."
Therefore they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried to Gath." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.
And it was so, that after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction, and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had hemmotoids in their secret parts.
Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people."
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to his own place, so that it doesn't slay us, and our people." For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
And the men that didn't die were smitten with the hemmoroids, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Chapter 6

And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall send it to his place."
And they said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don't send it empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering. then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand has not been removed from you.
Then they said, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?" They answered, "Five golden hemorrhoids, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
Why you shall make images of your hemorrhoids, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Maybe he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
Why, then, do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
Now, therefore, make a new cart, and take two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them.
And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return to him for a trespass offering, in a strongbox by the side there; and send it away, that it may go.
And see if it goes up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us."
And the men did so; and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
And they laid the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the strongbox with the mice of gold and the images of their hemorrhoids.
And the cows took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn't turn aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
They of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. They lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone, and they split the wood of the cart, and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the strongbox that was with it, where the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD.
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
And these are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even to the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.
And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and seventy men. And the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
And the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall he go up from us?"
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down, and fetch it up to you."

Chapter 7

And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you do return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts to the LORD, and only serve him, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."
Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.
And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you to the LORD."
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
And the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Don't cease crying to the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines."
And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly to the LORD. And Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and named it Eben-ezer, saying, "The LORD has always helped us."
So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and the coasts there Israel delivered out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Chapter 8

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah. They were judges in Beer-sheba.
And his sons didn't walk in his ways, but turned aside after riches, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,
And said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons don't walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, where they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.
Now, therefore, hearken to their voice. However, yet protest solemnly to them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them."
And Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people that asked of him a king.
And he said, "This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to sow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your best young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants.
And you shall cry out in that day because of your king which you shall have chosen; and the LORD will not hear you in that day."
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No; but we will have a king over us;
That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Hearken to their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man, Go to your city."

Chapter 9

Now 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, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a good man; and there was not among the children of Israel a better person than him. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.
And Saul s father Kish s asses were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, "Now take none of the servants with you, and arise, and go seek the asses.
And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they didn't find them. Then they passed through the land of Shalim, and they weren't there. And he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn't find them.
And when they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, "Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us."
And he said to him, "Look, now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man. All that he says truely comes to pass. Now let us go there; maybe he can show us the way that we should go."
Then Saul said to his servant, "But, look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?"
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, "Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way."
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke, "Come, and let us go to the seer," for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
Then said Saul to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.
And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?"
And they answered them, and said, "He is; see, he is before you. Make havee now, for he came today to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place.
As soon as you be come into the city, you shall straightway find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat what is bidden. Now therefore get up; for about this time you shall find him."
And they went up into the city. And when they had come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
"Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me."
And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "Behold the man whom I spoke to you of! This same man shall reign over my people."
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray, where the seer s house is?"
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place; for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.
And as for your asses that were lost three days ago, don't set your mind on them; for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you, and on all your father s house?"
And Saul answered and said, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why, then, do you speak so to me?"
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Set it by you'."
And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold that which is left! Set it before yourself, and eat, for to this time has it been kept for you since I said, 'I have invited the people'." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
And when they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
And they arose early, and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." And Saul arose, and they went out, both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the servant to pass on before us," (and he passed on,) "but stand still a while, that I may show you the word of God."

Chapter 10

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "Is it not because the LORD has anointed you to be captain over his inheritance?
When you have departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The asses which you went to seek are found; and, lo, your father has left the care of the asses, and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?'
Then you shall go on forward from there, and you shall come to the plain of Tabor, and there you shall meet you three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.
And they will salute you, and give you two loaves of bread; which you shall receive of their hands.
After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. And it shall come to pass, when you have come to the city, that you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy.
And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.
And let it be, when these signs are come to you, that you do as occasion serves you; for God is with you.
And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. You shall tarry for seven days, 'til I come to you, and show you what you shall do."
And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all those signs came to pass that day.
And when they came to the hill, look! ...a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said to one another, "What is this that hss come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
And one from the same place answered and said, "But who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
And Saul s uncle said to him and to his servant, "where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the asses. And when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel."
And Saul s uncle said, "Tell me, I pray you, what Samuel said to you."
And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the asses were found." But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn't tell him.
And Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpeh;
And said to the children of Israel, "Thus says the LORD 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 kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you.
And you have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations, and you have said to him, 'No, but set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands."
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken; and when they sought him, he could not be found.
Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, if the man should yout come there. And the LORD answered, "Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff."
And they ran and fetched him there: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
And Samuel said to all the people, "You see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?" And all the people shouted, and said, "God save the king."
Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and a band of men went with him there, whose hearts God had touched.
But the children of Belial said, "How shall this man save us?" And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

Chapter 11

Then 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 you."
And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel."
And the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days respite, that we may send messengers to all the coasts of Israel. And then, if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you."
Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, "What ails the people that they weep?" And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whoever doesn't come forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
And when he counted them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
And they said to the messengers that came, "This you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help'." And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you."
And it was so on the next day that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
And 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."
And Saul said, "There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the LORD has wrought salvation in Israel.
Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there."
And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Chapter 12

And Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and have made a king over you.
And now, see, the king walks before you. I am old and grayheaded; and, look, my sons are with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.
Behold, here I am; witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes with? And I will restore it you."
And they said, "You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man s hand."
And he said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." And they answered, "He is witness."
And Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
Now, therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.
When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
And when they forgot the LORD their God, 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.
And they cried to the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.
And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you dwelled safely.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No; but a king shall reign over us,' when the LORD your God was your king.
Now, therefore, look at the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have desired! And, see here, the LORD has set a king over you.
If you will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king that reigns over you shall continue following the LORD your God.
But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD shall be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Now, therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for a king."
So Samuel called to the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we don't die, for we have added this evil to all our sins, to ask for a king."
And Samuel said to the people, "Fear not: you have done all this wickedness; yet don't turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;
And don't turn aside; for then, should you go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.
For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you his people.
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way.
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart. For consider how great the things he has done for you are.
But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king."

Chapter 13

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and he sent the rest of the people, every man, to his tent.
And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."
And all Israel heard it said that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was seen as an abomination by the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude, and they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a trouble, (for the people were distressed,) then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed, but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
And Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering to me here, and peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering.
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn't come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
'Therefore', I said, 'The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.' I forced myself, therefore, and offered a burnt offering."
And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom upon Israel forever.
But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be captain over his people, because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you.
And Samuel arose, and got up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul counted the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
And the looters came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual,
And another company turned the way to Beth-horon, and another company turned to the way of the border that looks to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears."
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, every man to sharpen his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
So 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 Jonathan, his son. was found there.
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

Chapter 14

Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the Philistines garrison that is on the other side." But he didn't tell his father.
And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron, and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, I-chabod s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people didn't know that Jonathan was gone.
And between the passages, 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.
The forefront of the one was situated northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us. For there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few."
And his armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Look, I am with you according to your heart."
Then Jonathan said, "See, we will pass over to these men, and we will discover ourselves to them.
If they say this to us, 'Tarry until we come to you' then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.
But if they say this, 'Come up to us' then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign to us."
And both of them showed 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."
And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel."
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and feet, and his armor bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer slew after him.
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison, and the looters, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and saw the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
Then Saul said to the people that were with him, "Count now, and see who is gone from us." And when they had counted, saw that Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.
And Saul said to Ahiah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased, and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle. And, behold, every man s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
So the LORD saved Israel that day. And the battle passed over to Beth-aven.
And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed is the man that eats any food until evening, that I may be avenged on my enemies." So none of the people tasted any food.
And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey on the ground.
And when the people had come into the wood, they saw the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.
But Jonathan didn't hear when his father charged the people with the oath, which is why he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
Then one of the people answered, and said, "Your father directly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man that eats any food this day'." And the people were faint.
Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
How much more, if by chance the people had eaten freely today of the loot of their enemies which they found? For wouldn't there now have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint.
And the people flew upon the loot, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood.
Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "You have transgressed. Roll a great stone to me this day."
And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and don't sin against the LORD in eating with the blood." And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
And Saul built an altar to the LORD. It was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and loot them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatsoever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."
And Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But he didn't answer him that day.
And Saul said, "Draw all the chiefs of the people near here, and know and see where this sin has been this day.
For, as the LORD lives, which saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Then he said to all Israel, "Be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."
Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
And Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him "I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and, lo, I must die."
And Saul answered, "God does so and more also. For you shall surely die, Jonathan."
And the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn't die.
Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he vexed them.
And he gathered a host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that looted them.
Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua, and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
And 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.
And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

Chapter 15

Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken to the voice of the words of the LORD.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don't spare them; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass'."
And Saul gathered the people together, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
And Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them, but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyoud utterly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
I repent that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments." And it grieved Samuel; and he cried to the LORD all night.
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told to Samuel, that Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and has gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD."
And Samuel said, "Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears mean, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."
Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stay, and I will tell you what the LORD has said to me this night." And he said to him, "Say on."
And Samuel said, "When you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed you king over Israel?
And the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.'
Why, then, did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but flew upon the loot, and did evil in the sight of the LORD?"
And Saul said to Samuel, "yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
But the people took of the loot, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Look, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."
And Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. For I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
Now therefore, I pray you, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel."
And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, that is better than you.
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man, that he should repent."
Then he said, "I have sinned. Yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."
So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me." And Agag came to him delicately. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death has past."
And Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Chapter 16

And the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go, I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided a king among his sons.
And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he Will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do, and you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you."
And Samuel did that which the LORD said, then came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, "Do you come peacefully?"
And he said, "Peacefully. I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified for Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
And it came to pass, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, "Surely the LORD s anointed is before him."
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't Look at his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him, for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The LORD hasn't chosen this."
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, "The LORD hasn't chosen this."
Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."
And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all your children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but look, he keeps the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down 'til he comes here."
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and also of a beautiful countenance, and good to look to. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
And Saul s servants said to him, Look, now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.
Let our lord now command your servants, which are before you, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp, and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well."
And Saul said to his servants, "Provide a man to me that can play well, and bring him to me."
Then one of the servants answered, and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him."
And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
And David came to Saul, and stood before him, and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.
And Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight."
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand. so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Chapter 17

Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
And he had shin guards of brass on his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver s beam; and his spear s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. One bearing a shield went before him.
And he stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
If he is able to fight with me, and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you shall be our servants, and serve us."
And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and Jesse had eight sons. The man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle, and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul.
But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father s sheep at Bethlehem.
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
And Jesse said to David his son, "Now Take an ephah of this parched corn for your brethren, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brethren;
And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and look how your brethren fare, and take their pledge."
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words. And David heard them.
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sorely afraid.
And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man that has come up? Surely to defy Israel he has come up. It shall be that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father s house free in Israel."
And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man that kills 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?"
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, "So shall it be done to the man that kills him."
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle."
And David said, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?"
And he turned from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner. And the people answered him again after the former manner.
And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
And David said to Saul, "Let no man s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."
And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth."
And David said to Saul, "Your servant kept his father s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock.
And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
Your servant slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."
David said moreover, "The LORD that 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 the LORD be with you."
And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; he also armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them." And David put them off him.
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
And the Philistine came on and drew near to David; and the man that bore the shield went before him.
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him. For he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with staves?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field."
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saves not with a sword and a spear, for the battle is the LORD s, and he will give you into our hands."
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand in his bag, and took a stone from there, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they looted their tents.
And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.
And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell."
And the king said, "Inquire whose son the stripling is."
And 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.
And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

Chapter 18

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father s house.
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely. 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
And it came to pass as they came, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom?"
And Saul kept his eye on David from that day forward.
And it came to pass on the next day that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, and David played his hrp, as at other times, and there was a javelin in Saul s hand.
And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, "I will nail David to the wall with it." And David avoided it out of his presence twice.
And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul.
Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
And Saul said to David, "Look at my elder daughter Merab, I will give her you to marry, only you must be valiant for me, and fight the LORD s battles." For Saul said, "Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him."
And 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?"
But 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 to marry.
And Michal Saul s daughter loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
And Saul said, "I will give him to her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.: This is why Saul said to David, "You shall this day be my son in law in the one of the two."
And Saul commanded his servants, saying, "Commune with David secretly, and say, 'Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Therefore now be the king s son in law'."
And Saul s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, "It seems to you a light thing to be a king s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?"
And the servants of Saul told him, saying, "On this manner David spoke."
And Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, The king desires not 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.
And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king s son in law, and the days were not expired.
Which is why David arose and went, he and his men, and slew two hundred of the Philistines men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to marry.
And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul s daughter loved him.
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David s enemy continually.
Then the princes of the Philistines went forth. And it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

Chapter 19

And Saul said to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
But Jonathan, Saul s son delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul, my father, seeks to kill you. Now, therefore, I pray that you take heed to yourself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide yourself.
And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will commune with my father of you; and what I see, that I will tell you.
And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Don't let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good to toward you.
For he took his life in his hands, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why, then, will you sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?"
And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be slain."
And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
And there was war again. And David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand, and David played his harp.
And Saul sought to smite David evenly to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall, and David fled, and escaped that night.
Saul also 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 you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you shall be slain."
So Michal let David down through a window, and he went, and fled, and escaped.
And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him."
And when the messengers had come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats hair for his bolster.
And Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me so, and sent away my enemy, that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, Let me go; why should I kill you?"
So 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."
And it was told Saul, saying, "Look, David is at Naioth in Ramah."
And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
Then he also went to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."
And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Which is why they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Chapter 20

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"
And he said to him, "God forbid; you shall not die. Look, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it to me. Why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so."
And David swore, moreover, and said, your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes; and he says, Don't let Jonathan know this, lest he will be grieved, but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul desires, I will do it for you."
And David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the 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 to the third day at evening.
If your father misses me at all, 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.
If he says this, It is well; 'your servant shall have peace', but if he is very angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Notwithstanding, if there is in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?"
And Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I knew for certain that evil were determined by my father to come upon you, then wouldn't I tell it you?"
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly?"
And Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." And they went out both of them into the field.
And Jonathan said to David, "Oh, LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and, look, if there is good toward David, and I will not then send to you, and show it you;
The LORD will do so and much more to Jonathan, but if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will show it you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. And may the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father."
And not only while yet I live you shall show me the kindness of the LORD, that I don't die,
But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David, every one, from the face of the earth.
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David s enemies."
And Jonathan made David to swear again, because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty.
And when you have stayed three days, then you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel.
And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
And, see, I will send a lad, saying, 'Go and find the arrows.' If I expressly say to the lad, look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them; then come, for there is peace with you, and no harm; as the LORD lives.
But if I say this to the young man, 'look, the arrows are beyond you; go your way' for the LORD has sent you away.
And as touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, look, the LORD is between you and me forever."
So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat.
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul s side, and David s place was empty.
Nevertheless, Saul didn't say anything that day. For he thought, "Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean."
And it came to pass on the next morning, which was the second day of the month, that David s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, why hasn't the son of Jesse come to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?"
And Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
And he said, 'Let me go, I pray you; for our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he has commanded me to be there, and now, if I have found favour in your eyes, let me get away, I pray you, and see my brethren." Therefore he hasn't come to the king s table."
Then Saul s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion, and to the confusion of your mother s nakedness?
For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Why, now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die."
And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, "Why shall he be slain? what has he done?"
And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him, and Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
And he said to his lad, "Run, now find the arrows which I shoot." And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?"
And Jonathan cried after the lad, "Make speed, leave, don't stay. And Jonathan s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
And Jonathan gave his artillery to his lad, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."
And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward 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 wept the most.
And Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is between me and you, and between my seed and your seed forever'." And he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

Chapter 21

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no man with you?"
And David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send you, and what I have commanded you, and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Now therefore what is under your hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or what there is present.
And the priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have at least kept themselves from women."
And David answered the priest, and said to him, "Of a truth 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, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel."
So the priest gave him hallowed bread, for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.
And David said to Ahimelech, "And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king s business required haste."
And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah, look, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is no other except that one here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it me."
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?"
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
Then Achish said to his servants, "Lo, you see the man is mad. Why, then, have you brought him to me?
Have I need of mad men, that you have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

Chapter 22

David therefore left there, and escaped to the cave Adullam. When his brethren and all his father s house heard it, they went down there to him.
And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became a captain over them, and there were about four hundred men with him.
And David went to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, "Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come forth, and be with you, 'til I know what God will do for me."
And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
And the prophet Gad said to David, "Don't Abide in the hold; depart, and get into the land of Judah." Then David departed, and came to the forest of Hareth.
When Saul heard that David had been discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
Then Saul said to his servants that stood about him, "Hear now, you Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that shows me that my son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or shows to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"
Then Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
Then 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.
And Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord."
And Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"
Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, which is the king s son in law, and goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?"
Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Don't let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father, for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more."
And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father s house."
And the king said to the footmen that stood about him, "Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me." But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
And the king said to Doeg, "Turn, and fall upon the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day eighty five persons that wore a linen ephod.
And Nob, the city of the priests, smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD s priests.
And David said to Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father s house.
Abide with me, fear not, for he that seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safeguarded.

Chapter 23

Then they told David, saying, "Look, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors."
Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and smite these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah."
And David s men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more, then, if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
Then David inquired of the LORD yout again. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."
So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars."
And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here."
Then David said, O LORD God of Israel, your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Oh, LORD God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."
Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will deliver you up."
Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he refrained from going forth.
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
And Jonathan Saul s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
And he said to him, "Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that Saul my father also knows."
And they two made a covenant before the LORD. And David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king s hand."
And Saul said, "Blessed are you of the LORD; for you have compassion on me.
Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals very subtily.
Therefore look and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah."
And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
Saul and his men also went to seek him. And they told David, which is why he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
And 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 for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men round about to take them.
But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, "hurry and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land."
Which is why Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
And David went up from there, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.

Chapter 24

And it came to pass, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told to him, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi."
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet, and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
And the men of David said to him, "Look back at the day of which the LORD said to you, "See, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you." Then David arose, and secretly cut off the skirt of Saul s robe.
And it came to pass afterward, that David s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul s skirt.
And he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD s anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD."
So David stayed his servants with these words, and didn't allow them to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord the king." And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to men s words, saying, 'Behold, David seeks your hurt?'
Look, this day your eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered you to day into my hand in the cave, and some bade me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD s anointed.
Moreover, my father, you see, look at the skirt of your robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and didn't kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you; yet you hunt my soul to take it.
The LORD judges between me and you, and may the LORD avenge me of you, but my hand shall not be upon you.
As the proverb of the ancients say, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked', but my hand shall not be upon you.
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea.
The LORD therefore is judge, and judge between me and you, and sees, and pleads my cause, and delivers me out of your hand."
And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
And he said to David, "You are more righteous than I. For you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
And you have showed this day how that you have dealt well with me. For as much as when the LORD had delivered me into your hand, you didn't kill me
For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go well away? Why, the LORD may reward you good for that you have done to me this day.
And now, behold, I know well that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
Swear now, therefore, to me by the LORD, that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father s house."
And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men got up to the hold.

Chapter 25

And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and mourned him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance, but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal sheared his sheep.
And David sent out ten young men, and David said to the young men, "Get up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
And this you shall say to him that lives in prosperity, 'Peace be both to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
And now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds which were with us, we didn't hurt them, neither was there anything missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.
Ask your young men, and they will show you. why, let the young men find favour in your eyes, for we come in a good day. Give, I pray you, whatsoever comes to your hand to your servants, and to your son David'."
And when David s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
And 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.
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men, whom I know not where they are?"
So David s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
And David said to his men, "Gird you, 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 stuff.
But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal s wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, we missed nothing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields.
They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
Now, therefore, know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household, for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him."
Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
And she said to her servants, "Go on before me; see, I come after you." But she didn't tell her husband Nabal.
And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him, and he has requited me evil for good.
So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertains to him by the morning light any that pisses against the wall.
And when Abigail saw David, she hastened, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
And fell at his feet, and said, "Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of your handmaid.
Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal. For as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your handmaid, didn't see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.
Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, seeing the LORD has withholden you from coming to shed blood, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men that follow my lord.
I pray you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid, for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil has not been found in you all your days.
Yet a man has risen to pursue you, and to seek your soul; but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you ruler over Israel;
That this shall be no grief to you, nor offence of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood causeless, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid."
And David said to Abigail, "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, which sent you this day to meet me.
And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you, who have kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand.
For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, except you had hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light anyone who pisses against the wall."
So David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, "Go up in peace to your house; see, I have hearkened to your voice, and have accepted your person."
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, saw that he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken. This is why she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed is the LORD, that has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept his servant from evil. For the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head." And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to marry.
And when the servants of David were had to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David sent us to you to take you to him to marry."
And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, "Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."
And Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

Chapter 26

And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?"
Then 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.
And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host. And Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."
So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and saw Saul laying asleep within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster, but Abner and the people lay round about him.
Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time."
And David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him, for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD s anointed, and be guiltless?"
David said furthermore, "As the LORD lives, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the LORD s anointed. But, I pray you, take the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let's go."
So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul s bolster; and they got away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awoke, for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.
Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill far off; a great space being between them.
And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Answer you not, Abner?" Then Abner answered and said, "Who are you that cries to the king?"
And David said to Abner, "Are you not a valiant man? And who is like to you in Israel? Why, then, have you not kept your lord the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king, your lord.
This thing is not good that you have done. As the LORD lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept your master, the LORD s anointed. And now see where the king s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster."
And Saul knew David s voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, Oh king."
And he said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant like this? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?
Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if they are the children of men, cursed are they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'
Now therefore, don't let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my soul was precious in your eyes this day. Look, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly."
And David answered and said, "See the king s spear! And let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
The LORD renders to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the LORD s anointed.
And, behold, as your life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation."
Then Saul said to David, "Blessed are you, my son David. You shall both do great things, and also shall still prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Chapter 27

And 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 shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel, so shall I escape out of his hand."
And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal s wife.
And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he sought for him no more.
And David said to Achish, "If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?"
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day, which is why Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day.
And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.
And 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.
And Achish said, "Where have you made a road today?" And David said, "Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites."
And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell on us, saying, 'So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines'."
And Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever."

Chapter 28

And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, "You assuredly Know that you shall go out with me to battle, you and your men."
And David said to Achish, "Surely you shall know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Therefore I will make you keeper of my head forever."
Now, Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek a woman that has a familiar spirit for me, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman that has a familiar spirit at Endor."
And Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothing, and he went with two men, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, "I pray, divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name to you."
And the woman said to him, "Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Then why do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?"
And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing."
Then said the woman, "Whom shall I bring up to you?" And he said, "Bring me up Samuel."
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul."
And the king said to her, "Be not afraid, for what did you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I saw gods ascending out of the earth."
And he said to her, "What form is he of?" And she said, "An old man comes up, and he is covered with a mantle." And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
And Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up?" And Saul answered, "I am sorely distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore, I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do."
Then said Samuel, "Then why do you ask of me, seeing the LORD has departed from you, and has become your enemy?
And the LORD has done to him, as he spoke by me, for the LORD has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, even to David.
Because you didn't obey the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore has the LORD done this thing to you this day.
Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."
Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sorely 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.
And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was sorely troubled, and said to him, "Look, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened to your words which you spoke to me.
Now, therefore, I pray you, hearken also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way."
But he refused, and said, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hurried and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread there.
And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

Chapter 29

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands, but David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.
Then the princes of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, "Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell to me to this day?"
And the princes of the Philistines were furious with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, "Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he is an adversary to us, for how should he reconcile himself to his master? Should it not be with the heads of these men?
Is this not David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"
Then Achish called David, and said to him, "Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the host is good in my sight, for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not favor you.
Why, now, return, and go in peace, that you don't displease the lords of the Philistines."
And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant so long as I have been with you to this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
And Achish answered and said to David, "I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding, the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.'
Why do you rise up early in the morning now with your master s servants that have come with you? As soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart."
So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Chapter 30

And it came to pass, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
And had taken the women that were there captive. They slew none, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
So David and his men came to the city, and saw that it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.
Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
And David s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
And David said to Abiathar the priest, "Ahimelech s son, I pray you, bring me the ephod." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
And David inquired at the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And he answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all."
So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred abode behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they made him drink water;
And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
And David said to him, "To whom do you belong? and where are you?" And he said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongs to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire."
And David said to him, "Can you bring me down to this company?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company."
And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great loot that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
And 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.
And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives.
And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither loot, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered it all.
And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said, "This is David s loot."
And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor, and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him. And when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, "Because they didn't go with us, we will not give them any of the loot that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart."
Then David said, "You shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD has given us, who has preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
For who will hearken to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarries by the stuff. They shall part alike."
And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the loot to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, "Behold a present for you of the loot of the enemies of the LORD;
To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach,
And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt."

Chapter 31

Now, the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul s sons.
And the battle went sorely against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sorely wounded by the archers.
Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not; for he was sorely afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armorbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side 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.
And it came to pass on the next morning, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent it into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul,
All 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.
And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

Ruth

Index

2 Samuel