GetPassageurn:cts:pbc:bible.parallel.eng.darby:9urn:cts:pbc:bible.parallel.eng.darby:9And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim , 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 . And he had two wives : the name of the one was Hannah , and the name of the other Peninnah ; and Peninnah had children , but Hannah had no children . And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh . And the two sons of Eli , Hophni and Phinehas , the priests of Jehovah , were there . And it came to pass on the day that Elkanah sacrificed , he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions ; but to Hannah he used to give a double portion , for he loved Hannah ; but Jehovah had shut up her womb . And her adversary provoked her much also , to make her fret , because Jehovah had shut up her womb . And [ as ] he did so year by year , as often as she went up to the house of Jehovah , she provoked her thus ; and she wept and did not eat . And Elkanah her husband said to her , Hannah , why weepest thou ? and why eatest thou not ? and why is thy heart grieved ? Am not I better to thee than ten sons ? And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh , and after they had drunk ; ( now Eli the priest sat upon the seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah ; ) and she was in bitterness of soul , and prayed to Jehovah , and wept much . And she vowed a vow , and said , O Jehovah of hosts , if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid , and remember me , and not forget thy handmaid , but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child , then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life , and there shall no razor come upon his head . And it came to pass as she continued praying before Jehovah , that Eli marked her mouth . Now Hannah spoke in her heart ; only her lips moved , but her voice was not heard ; and Eli thought she was drunken . And Eli said to her , How long wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy wine from thee . 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 Jehovah . Take not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial : for out of the abundance of my grief and provocation have I spoken hitherto . And Eli answered and said , Go in peace ; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him . And she said , Let thy bondwoman find grace in thy sight . And the woman went her way , and did eat , and her countenance was no more [ as before ] . And they rose up early in the morning and worshipped before Jehovah , and returned and came to their house at Ramah . And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife ; and Jehovah remembered her . And it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived , that she bore a son , and called his name Samuel , [ saying , ] Because I have asked him of Jehovah . And Elkanah her husband , and all his house , went up to sacrifice to Jehovah the yearly sacrifice and his vow . But Hannah did not go up , for she said to her husband , [ I will wait ] until the child is weaned ; then will I bring him , that he may appear before Jehovah , and there abide for ever . And Elkanah her husband said to her , Do what is good in thy sight : abide until thou hast weaned him ; only , may Jehovah fulfil his word . And the woman abode , and gave her son suck until she weaned him . And she took him up with her when she had weaned him , with three bullocks , and one ephah of flour , and a flask of wine , and brought him to the house of Jehovah to Shiloh ; and the boy was young . And they slaughtered the bullock , and brought the boy to Eli . And she said , Oh my lord , [ as ] thy soul liveth , my lord , I am the woman that stood by thee here to pray to Jehovah . For this boy I prayed ; and Jehovah has granted me my petition which I asked of him . And also I have lent him to Jehovah : all the days that he lives , he is lent to Jehovah . And he worshipped Jehovah there . And Hannah prayed , and said , My heart exulteth in Jehovah , my horn is lifted up in Jehovah ; my mouth is opened wide over mine enemies ; for I rejoice in thy salvation . There is none holy as Jehovah , for there is none beside thee , neither is there any rock like our God . Do not multiply your words of pride , let not vain-glory come out of your mouth ; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge , and by him actions are weighed . The bow of the mighty is broken , and they that stumbled are girded with strength . They that were full have hired themselves out for bread ; and the hungry are [ so ] no more : Even the barren beareth seven , and she that hath many children is waxed feeble . Jehovah killeth , and maketh alive ; he bringeth down to Sheol , and bringeth up . Jehovah maketh poor , and maketh rich , he bringeth low , also he lifteth up : He raiseth up the poor out of the dust ; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy , To set [ him ] among nobles ; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory ; For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's , and he hath set the world upon them . He keepeth the feet of his saints , but the wicked are silenced in darkness ; for by strength shall no man prevail . They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces ; in the heavens will he thunder upon them . Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth ; and he will give strength unto his king , and exalt the horn of his anointed . And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house . And the boy ministered to Jehovah in the presence of Eli the priest . Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial ; they knew not Jehovah . And the priests' custom with the people was , when any man sacrificed a sacrifice , the priest's servant came , when the flesh was cooked , with a flesh-hook of three prongs in his hand ; and he struck it into the pan , or kettle , or cauldron , or pot ; the priest took of it all that the flesh-hook brought up . So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there . Even before they burned the fat , the priest's servant came , and said to the man that sacrificed , Give flesh to roast for the priest , and he will not accept sodden flesh of thee , but raw . If the man said to him , They will immediately burn the fat entire , then take as thy soul desires ; he would say [ to him ] , No , but thou shalt give [ it ] now ; and if not , I will take [ it ] by force . And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah , for men despised the offering of Jehovah . And Samuel ministered before Jehovah , a boy girded with a linen ephod . And his mother made him a little coat , and brought it to him from year to year , when she came up with her husband to sacrifice the yearly sacrifice . And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife , and said , Jehovah give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to Jehovah . And they went to their own home . So Jehovah visited Hannah , and she conceived , and bore three sons and two daughters . And the boy Samuel grew before Jehovah . And Eli was very old , and heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel , and that they lay with the women that served at the entrance of the tent of meeting . And he said to them , Why do ye such things ? for I hear of your evil deeds from all this people . No , my sons , for it is no good report that I hear : ye make Jehovah's people transgress . If one man sin against another , God will judge him ; but if a man sin against Jehovah , who shall intreat for him ? But they hearkened not to the voice of their father , for Jehovah was minded to slay them . And the boy Samuel grew on , and was in favour both with Jehovah and also with men . And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him , Thus saith Jehovah : Did I plainly reveal myself to the house of thy father when they were in Egypt , in Pharaoh's house , and choose him out of all the tribes of Israel , to be my priest , to offer upon mine altar , to burn incense , to wear the ephod before me ? and I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel . Wherefore do ye trample upon my sacrifice and upon mine oblation which I have commanded [ in my ] habitation ? And thou honourest thy sons above me , to make yourselves fat with the primest of all the oblations of Israel my people . Wherefore Jehovah the God of Israel saith , I said indeed , Thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever . But now Jehovah saith , Be it far from me ; for them that honour me I will honour , and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed . Behold , days come , that I will cut off thine arm , and the arm of thy father's house , that there shall not be an old man in thy house . And thou shalt see an oppressor [ in my ] habitation , amidst all the good that shall be done to Israel ; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever . And the man of thine [ whom ] I shall not cut off from mine altar , shall be to cause thine eyes to fail and to grieve thy soul ; and all the increase of thy house shall die in their vigour . And this shall be the sign to thee , which shall come upon thy two sons , upon Hophni and Phinehas : in one day they shall die , both of them . And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest , [ who ] shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind ; and I will build him a sure house ; and he shall walk before mine anointed continually . And it shall come to pass [ that ] every one that is left of thy house shall come to crouch to him for a small piece of silver and for a cake of bread , and shall say , Put me , I pray thee , into one of the priestly offices , that I may eat a morsel of bread . And the boy Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli . And the word of Jehovah was rare in those days ; a vision was not frequent . And it came to pass at that time , when Eli lay in his place ( now his eyes began to grow dim , he could not see ) , and the lamp of God had not yet gone out , and Samuel lay in the temple of Jehovah , where the ark of God was , that Jehovah called to Samuel . And he said , Here am I . And he ran to Eli , and said , Here am I ; for thou calledst me . And he said , I did not call : lie down again . And he went and lay down . And Jehovah called again , Samuel ! And Samuel arose and went to Eli , and said , Here am I ; for thou calledst me . And he said , I did not call , my son : lie down again . Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah , neither had the word of Jehovah yet been revealed to him . And Jehovah called again the third time , Samuel ! And he arose and went to Eli , and said , Here am I ; for thou calledst me . And Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy . And Eli said to Samuel , Go , lie down ; and it shall be , if he call thee , that thou shalt say , Speak , Jehovah , for thy servant heareth . So Samuel went and lay down in his place . And Jehovah came , and stood , and called as at the other times , Samuel , Samuel ! And Samuel said , Speak , for thy servant heareth . And Jehovah said to Samuel , Behold , I do a thing in Israel , at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle . In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house ; I will begin and make an end . For I have declared to him that I will judge his house for ever , for the iniquity which he hath known : because his sons made themselves vile , and he restrained them not . And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice or oblation for ever . And Samuel lay until the morning , and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah . And Samuel feared to declare the vision to Eli . And Eli called Samuel , and said , Samuel , my son . And he said , Here am I . And he said , What is the word that he has spoken to thee ? I pray thee , keep it not back from me : God do so to thee , and more also , if thou keep back anything from me of all the word that he spoke to thee . And Samuel told him all the words , and kept nothing back from him . And he said , It is Jehovah : let him do what is good in his sight . And Samuel grew , and Jehovah was with him , and let none of his words fall to the ground . And all Israel , from Dan even to Beer-sheba , knew that Samuel was established a prophet of Jehovah . And Jehovah appeared again at Shiloh ; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of Jehovah . And what Samuel had said happened to all Israel . And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle , and encamped beside Eben-ezer ; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek . And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel ; and the battle spread , and Israel was routed before the Philistines ; and they slew in battle array in the field about four thousand men . And the people came into the camp ; and the elders of Israel said , Why has Jehovah smitten us to-day before the Philistines ? Let us fetch ourselves the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh , that it may come among us , and save us out of the hand of our enemies . So the people sent to Shiloh , and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of hosts , who sitteth between the cherubim ; and the two sons of Eli , Hophni and Phinehas , were there by the ark of the covenant of God . And it came to pass when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp , that all Israel shouted with a great shout , so that the earth shook . And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout , and said , What is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews ? And they understood that the ark of Jehovah had come into the camp . And the Philistines were afraid , for they said , God is come into the camp . And they said , Woe unto us ! for there has not been such a thing heretofore . Woe unto us ! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods ? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness . Shew yourselves valiant and be men , ye Philistines , that ye may not have to be servants to the Hebrews , as they have been servants to you : be men , and fight . And the Philistines fought , and Israel was routed , and they fled every man to his tent ; and there was a very great slaughter , and there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen . And the ark of God was taken ; and the two sons of Eli , Hophni and Phinehas , died . And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle , and came to Shiloh the same day , with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head . And when he came , behold , Eli was sitting upon the seat by the way-side watching ; for his heart trembled for the ark of God . And the man came to tell it in the city , and all the city cried out . And Eli heard the noise of the crying , and said , What is the noise of this tumult ? And the man came hastily , and told Eli . Now Eli was ninety-eight years old ; and his eyes were set , that he could not see . And the man said to Eli , I am he that came out of the battle , and I have fled to-day out of the battle . And he said , What has taken place , my son ? And the messenger answered and said , Israel has fled before the Philistines , and there has been also a great slaughter among the people , and thy two sons also , Hophni and Phinehas , are dead , and the ark of God is taken . And it came to pass , when he mentioned the ark of God , that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate , and his neck broke , and he died ; for the man was old , 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 as she was dying , the women that stood by her said , Fear not ; for thou hast borne a son . But she did not answer , neither did she take it to heart . And she named the child Ichabod , saying , The glory is 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 is departed from Israel , for the ark of God is taken . And the Philistines took the ark of God , and brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod . And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon , and set it by Dagon . And when they of Ashdod arose early the next day , behold , Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah . And they took Dagon , and set him in his place again . And when they arose early the next morning , behold , Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah ; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold ; only the fish-stump 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 . And the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod , and he laid them waste , and smote them with hemorrhoids , -- Ashdod and its borders . 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 severe upon us , and upon Dagon our god . And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them , and said , What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel ? And they said , Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath . And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about [ thither ] . And it came to pass that , after they had carried it about , the hand of Jehovah was against the city with very great panic ; and he smote the men of the city , both small and great , and hemorrhoids broke out upon them . And they sent the ark of God to Ekron . And it came to pass , when 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 kill us and our people . And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines , and said , Send away the ark of the God of Israel , and let it go again to its own place , that it kill us not , and our people . For there was deadly alarm throughout the city : the hand of God was very heavy there ; and the men that died not were smitten with the hemorrhoids ; and the cry of the city went up to heaven . And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months . And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners , saying , What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah ? tell us wherewith we shall send it to its place . And they said , If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel , send it not empty ; ye must at any rate return him a trespass-offering : then ye shall be healed , and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you . Then they said , What is the trespass-offering which we shall return to him ? And they said , Five golden hemorrhoids , and five golden mice , the number of the lords of the Philistines ; for one plague is upon them all , and upon your lords . And ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids , and images of your mice that destroy the land , and give glory to the God of Israel : perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you , and from off your gods , and from off your land . And why will ye harden your heart , as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their heart ? When he had wrought mightily among them , did they not let them go , and they departed ? And now make a new cart , and take two milch kine , on which there has come no yoke , and tie the kine to the cart , and bring their calves home from them ; and take the ark of Jehovah , and lay it upon the cart , and the golden jewels , which ye return him as a trespass-offering , put in the coffer by the side thereof ; and send it away that it may go . And see , if it go up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh , it is he who has done us this great evil ; if not , then we shall know that it is not his hand that touched us ; it was a chance [ that ] happened to us . And the men did so , and took two milch kine , and tied them to the cart , and shut up their calves at home . And they laid the ark of Jehovah upon the cart , and the coffer with the golden mice and the images of their sores . And the kine went straight forward on the way to Beth-shemesh ; they went by the one high way , lowing as they went ; and they turned not aside to the right hand or to the left ; and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh . And [ they of ] Beth-shemesh were reaping the wheat-harvest in the valley ; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark , and rejoiced to see it . And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemeshite , and stood there ; and a great stone was there . And they clave the wood of the cart , and offered up the kine as a burnt-offering to Jehovah . And the Levites took down the ark of Jehovah , and the coffer that was with it , in which were the golden jewels , and put them on the great stone ; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered up burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Jehovah . And the five lords of the Philistines saw [ it ] , and returned to Ekron the same day . And these are the golden sores which the Philistines returned as a trespass-offering to Jehovah : for Ashdod one , for Gazah one , for Ashkelon 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 fortified cities and villages of the peasantry ; [ and they brought them ] as far as the great [ stone of ] Abel , whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah , [ which ] is to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemeshite . And he smote among the men of Beth-shemesh , because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah , and smote of the people seventy men ; and the people lamented , because Jehovah had smitten the people with a great slaughter . And the men of Beth-shemesh said , Who is able to stand before Jehovah , this holy 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 again the ark of Jehovah ; come down , fetch it up to you . And the men of Kirjath-jearim came , and fetched up the ark of Jehovah , and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill , and hallowed Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah . And it came to pass , from the day that the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim , that the time was long ; for it was twenty years . And all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah . And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel , saying , If ye return to Jehovah with all your heart , put away the strange gods and the Ashtoreths from among you , and apply your hearts unto Jehovah , and serve him only ; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines . And the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths and served Jehovah only . And Samuel said , Gather all Israel to Mizpah , and I will pray Jehovah for you . And they gathered together to Mizpah , and drew water , and poured it out before Jehovah , and fasted on that day , and said there , We have sinned against Jehovah . And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah . And the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah ; and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel ; and the children of Israel heard [ it ] , and were afraid of the Philistines . And the children of Israel said to Samuel , Cease not to cry to Jehovah 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 as a whole burnt-offering to Jehovah ; and Samuel cried to Jehovah for Israel , and Jehovah answered him . And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering , the Philistines advanced to battle against Israel . And Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines , and discomfited them ; and they were routed before Israel . And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah , and pursued the Philistines , and smote them , as far as below Beth-car . And Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen , and called the name of it Eben-ezer , and said , Hitherto Jehovah has helped us . And the Philistines were subdued , and came no more into the borders of Israel ; and the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel . And the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel , from Ekron even to Gath ; and their territory did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines . And there was peace between Israel and the Amorite . And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life . And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel , and Gilgal , and Mizpah , 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 Jehovah . And it came to pass when Samuel was old , that he made his sons judges over Israel . And the name of his firstborn was Joel ; and the name of his second , Abijah ; they judged in Beer-sheba . And his sons walked not in his ways , but turned aside after lucre , and took bribes , and perverted justice . Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together , and came to Samuel to Ramah , and said to him , Behold , thou art become old , and thy sons walk not in thy ways : now appoint us a king to judge us , like all the nations . And the thing displeased Samuel , when they said , Give us a king to judge us . And Samuel prayed to Jehovah . And Jehovah said to Samuel , Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee : for they have not rejected thee , but they have rejected me , that I should not reign over them . According to all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day , in that they have forsaken me and served other gods , so do they also unto thee . And now hearken unto their voice ; only , testify solemnly unto them , and declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them . And Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah 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 , on his chariot and among his horsemen , and they shall run before his chariots ; and [ he will take them ] that he may appoint for himself captains over thousands , and captains over fifties , and that they may plough his ground , and reap his harvest , and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots . And he will take your daughters for perfumers , and cooks , and bakers . And your fields , and your vineyards , and your oliveyards , the best , will he take and give to his servants . And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards , and give to his chamberlains and to his servants . And he will take your bondmen , and your bondwomen , and your comeliest young men , and your asses , and use them for his work . He will take the tenth of your sheep . And ye shall be his servants . And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen ; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day . And the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel ; and they said , No , but there shall be a king over us , that we also may be like all the nations ; and our king shall judge us , and go out before us , and conduct our wars . And Samuel heard all the words of the people , and he repeated them in the ears of Jehovah . And Jehovah said to Samuel , Hearken unto their voice , and make them a king . And Samuel said to the men of Israel , Go ye every man to his city . And there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish , the son of Abiel , the son of Zeror , the son of Bechorath , the son of Aphiah , the son of a Benjaminite , a mighty man of wealth . And he had a son whose name was Saul , choice and comely ; and there was not among the children of Israel a comelier person than he ; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people . And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost ; and Kish said to Saul his son , Take , I pray , one of the young men with thee , and arise , go seek the asses . And he passed through mount Ephraim , and passed through the land of Shalishah , but they found [ them ] not ; and they passed through the land of Shaalim , and they were not there ; and they passed through the land of Benjamin , and they found [ them ] not . They had come to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant that was with him , Come and let us return ; lest my father give up the asses , and be anxious about us . And he said to him , Behold now , a man of God is in this city , and the man is held in honour ; all that he says comes surely to pass . Let us now go thither : perhaps he will shew us the way that we should go . And Saul said to his servant , But if we go , what shall we bring the man ? for the bread is spent in our vessels , and we have no present to give to the man of God : what have we ? And the servant answered Saul again and said , Behold , I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver ; that will I give to the man of God , to tell us our way . ( In former time in Israel , when a man went to ask counsel of God , he said , Come and let us go to the seer ; for he that is now called a Prophet was in former time called a Seer . ) And Saul said to his servant , Well said : come , let us go . So they went to the city where the man of God was . As they went up the ascent to the city , they met maidens going forth to draw water ; and they said to them , Is the seer here ? And they answered them and said , He is ; behold , he is before thee : make haste now , for he came to-day to the city ; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place . As soon as ye come into the city , ye shall straightway find him , before he goes up to the high place to eat ; for the people eat not until he has come , because he blesses the sacrifice ; afterwards they eat that are invited . And now go up ; for this very day shall ye find him . And they went up into the city . As they were coming into the midst of the city , behold , Samuel was coming out towards them , to go up to the high place . Now Jehovah had apprised Samuel one day before Saul came , saying , To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin , and thou shalt anoint him prince over my people Israel ; and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines ; for I have looked upon my people , because their cry is come unto me . And as Samuel saw Saul , Jehovah answered him , Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee ! this man shall rule over my people . And Saul drew near to Samuel in the midst of the gate , and said , Tell me , I pray thee , where the seer's house is . And Samuel answered Saul and said , I am the seer : go up before me to the high place , and ye shall eat with me to-day ; and to-morrow I will let thee go , and will tell thee all that is in thy heart . And as for the asses that thou didst lose three days ago , set not thy heart on them ; for they are found . And on whom is all the desire of Israel [ set ] ? Is it not on thee , and on all thy father's house ? And Saul answered and said , Am not I a Benjaminite , of the smallest of the tribes of Israel , and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin ? and why dost thou speak such words to me ? And Samuel took Saul and his servant , and brought them into the chamber , and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited ; and they were about thirty persons . And Samuel said to the cook , Bring the portion that I gave thee , of which I said to thee , Set it by thee . And the cook took up the shoulder , and what was on it , and set [ it ] before Saul . And he said , Behold that which has been reserved ! set it before thee , eat ; for against the set time has it been kept for thee , since I said , I will invite the people . So Saul ate with Samuel that day . And they came down from the high place into the city , and he spoke with Saul upon the roof . And they arose early ; and when it was about the dawning of the day , Samuel called to Saul on the roof , saying , Arise , that I may send thee away . And Saul arose , and they went out both of them , he and Samuel , into the street . As they were going down to the end of the city , Samuel said to Saul , Tell the servant to pass on before us ( and he passed on ) , but stand thou still now , that I may cause thee to hear the word of God . Then Samuel took the vial of oil , and poured it upon his head , and kissed him , and said , Is it not because Jehovah has anointed thee prince over his inheritance ? When thou goest from me to-day , thou shalt meet two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah ; and they will say to thee , The asses are found which thou wentest to seek , and behold , thy father has dismissed the matter of the asses , and is anxious about you , saying , What shall I do for my son ? And thou shalt go on forward from thence , and shalt come to the oak of Tabor , and there shall meet thee three men going up to God , to Bethel , one carrying three kids , and another carrying three cakes of bread , and another carrying a flask of wine . And they will ask after thy welfare , and give thee two loaves , which thou shalt receive of their hands . After that thou shalt come to the hill of God , where are the outposts of the Philistines ; and it shall come to pass , when thou comest thither , into the city , that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with lute and tambour and pipe and harp before them ; and they themselves prophesying . And the Spirit of Jehovah will come upon thee , and thou shalt prophesy with them , and shalt be turned into another man . And it shall be , when these signs shall come to thee , thou shalt do as thy hand shall find ; for God is with thee . And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal ; and behold , I will come down to thee , to offer up burnt-offerings , [ and ] to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings : seven days shalt thou wait , until I come to thee and inform thee what thou shalt do . And it was [ so ] that when he turned his back to go away from Samuel , God gave him another heart ; and all those signs came to pass that day . And when they came thither to the hill , behold , a company of prophets met him ; and the Spirit of God came upon him , and he prophesied among them . And it came to pass , when all that knew him before saw that , behold , he prophesied among the prophets , then the people said one to another , What is this that has happened to the son of Kish ? Is Saul also among the prophets ? And a man of that place answered and said , But who is their father ? Therefore it became a proverb , Is Saul also among the prophets ? And when he had ended prophesying , he came to the high place . And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant , Whither went ye ? And he said , To seek the asses ; and when we saw that they were nowhere , we went to Samuel . And Saul's uncle said , Tell me , I pray thee , what Samuel said to you . And Saul said to his uncle , He told us for certain that the asses were found . But of the matter of the kingdom , of which Samuel had spoken , he told him not . And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah to Mizpah . And he said to the children of Israel , Thus saith Jehovah , the God of Israel , * I * brought up Israel out of Egypt , and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians , and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you ; but * ye * have this day rejected your God , who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your troubles , and have said unto him , [ Nay , ] but a king shalt thou set over us . Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes , and by your thousands . And Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near , and the tribe of Benjamin was taken . And he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families , and the family of Matri was taken ; and Saul the son of Kish was taken . And they sought him , but he was not to be found . Therefore they inquired of Jehovah further , Will the man yet come hither ? And Jehovah answered , Behold , he hath hid himself among the baggage . And they ran and fetched him thence ; and when he stood among the people , he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward . And Samuel said to all the people , See ye him whom Jehovah has chosen , that there is none like him among all the people ? And all the people shouted and said , May the king live . And Samuel told the people the right of the kingdom , and wrote it in the book , and laid it before Jehovah . And Samuel sent all the people away , every man to his house . And Saul also went home to Gibeah ; and with him went the band , whose hearts God had touched . But the children of Belial said , How should this man save us ? And they despised him , and brought him no gifts . But he was as one deaf . And Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh-Gilead . And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash , Make a covenant with us , and we will serve thee . And Nahash the Ammonite said to them , On this [ condition ] will I treat with you , that I thrust out all your right eyes , and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel . And the elders of Jabesh said to him , Allow us seven days , and we will send messengers into all the districts of Israel ; and if there be no man to deliver us , we will come out to thee . And the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told these words in the ears of the people . And all the people lifted up their voice and wept . And behold , Saul came after the oxen from the field ; and Saul said , What [ aileth ] the people that they weep ? And they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh . And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those words , and his anger was kindled greatly . And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces , and sent throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers , saying , Whoever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel , so shall it be done to his oxen ! And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people , and they came out as one man . And he numbered them in Bezek , and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand , and the men of Judah thirty thousand . And they said to the messengers that had come , Thus shall ye say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead : To-morrow ye shall have deliverance when the sun is hot . And the messengers came and informed the men of Jabesh-Gilead ; and they were glad . And the men of Jabesh said , To-morrow we will come out to you , and ye may do with us according to all that is good in your sight . And it came to pass the next day that Saul set the people in three companies ; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch , and smote Ammon until the heat of the day : and it came to pass that they who remained were scattered , and not two of them were left together . 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 . But Saul said , There shall not a man be put to death this day ; for to-day Jehovah has wrought deliverance in Israel . And 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 Jehovah in Gilgal ; and there they sacrificed peace-offerings before Jehovah . And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly . And Samuel said to all Israel , Behold , I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me , and have made a king over you . And now behold , the king walks before you ; and I am old and grey-headed ; and behold , my sons are with you ; and I have walked before you from my youth up to this day . Here I am : testify against me before Jehovah , and before his anointed . Whose ox have I taken ? or whose ass have I taken ? or whom have I defrauded ? whom have I injured ? or of whose hand have I received any ransom and blinded mine eyes therewith ? and I will restore it to you . And they said , Thou hast not defrauded us , and thou hast not injured us , neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand . And he said to them , Jehovah is witness against you , and his anointed is witness this day , that ye have not found aught in my hand ! And [ the people ] said , [ He is ] witness ! And Samuel said to the people , [ It is ] Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron , and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt . And now stand still , that I may plead with you before Jehovah of all the righteous acts of Jehovah which he did to you and to your fathers . When Jacob had come into Egypt , and your fathers cried to Jehovah , then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron , and they brought your fathers forth out of Egypt , and made them dwell in this place . And they forgot Jehovah their God , and he sold them into the hand of Sisera , captain of the host of Hazor , and into the hand of the Philistines , and into the hand of the king of Moab , and they fought against them . And they cried to Jehovah and said , We have sinned , because we have forsaken Jehovah , and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths ; and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies , and we will serve thee . And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel , and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about , so that ye dwelt in safety . But when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you , ye said to me , Nay , but a king shall reign over us ; when Jehovah your God was your king . And now behold , the king whom ye have chosen , whom ye have asked for ! and behold , Jehovah has set a king over you . If ye fear Jehovah , and serve him , and hearken to his voice , and rebel not against the commandment of Jehovah , then both ye and the king also that reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God . But if ye will not hearken to the voice of Jehovah , and if ye rebel against the commandment of Jehovah , then will the hand of Jehovah be against you , as against your fathers . Now therefore stand and see this great thing which Jehovah will do before your eyes . Is it not wheat-harvest to-day ? I will call unto Jehovah , and he will send thunder and rain ; and ye shall perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah in asking for yourselves a king . And Samuel called to Jehovah ; and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day . And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel . And all the people said to Samuel , Pray to Jehovah thy God for thy servants , that we die not ; for we have added to all our sins the wickedness to ask for ourselves a king . And Samuel said to the people , Fear not : * ye * have done all this wickedness ; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah , and serve Jehovah with all your heart ; and turn ye not aside ; for [ it would be ] after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver ; for they are vain . For Jehovah will not cast away his people for his great name's sake ; because it has pleased Jehovah to make you his people . Moreover , as for me , far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you ; and I will teach you the good and right way . Only , fear Jehovah , and serve him in truth , with all your heart ; for see how great things he has done for you . But if ye do wickedly , ye shall perish , both ye and your king . Saul was . . . years old when he became king ; and he reigned two years over Israel . And Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel : there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and in mount Bethel , and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin ; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent . And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was in Geba , and the Philistines heard [ of it ] . And Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land , saying , Let the Hebrews hear . And all Israel heard say , Saul has smitten the garrison of the Philistines , and Israel also has become odious to the Philistines . And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal . And the Philistines were assembled together to fight with Israel , thirty thousand chariots , and six thousand horsemen , and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude ; and they came up , and encamped in Michmash , eastward from Beth-Aven . And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait ( for the people were distressed ) ; and the people hid themselves in caves , and in thickets , and in cliffs , and in strongholds , and in pits . And the Hebrews went over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead . And Saul was yet in Gilgal , and all the people followed him trembling . And he waited seven days , according to the set time that Samuel [ had appointed ] ; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal ; and the people were scattered from him . And Saul said , Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings . And he offered up the burnt-offering . And it came to pass , as soon as he had ended offering up the burnt-offering , behold , Samuel came ; and Saul went out to meet him , that he might salute him . And Samuel said , What hast thou done ? And Saul said , Because I saw that the people were scattered from me , and that thou didst not come within the days appointed , and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash , I said , The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal , and I have not made supplication to Jehovah ; and I forced myself , and offered up the burnt-offering . And Samuel said to Saul , Thou hast done foolishly : thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God which he commanded thee ; for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever . But now thy kingdom shall not continue : Jehovah has sought him a man after his own heart , and Jehovah has appointed him ruler over his people ; for thou hast not kept what Jehovah commanded thee . And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin . And Saul numbered the people that were found with him , about six hundred men . And Saul , and Jonathan his son , and the people that were found with them , abode in Geba of Benjamin ; and the Philistines encamped in Michmash . And the ravagers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies : one company turned the way of Ophrah , into the land of Shual ; and another company turned the way to Beth-horon ; and the other company turned the way to the district that looks over the ravine of Zeboim toward the wilderness . Now there was no smith found throughout the land of Israel ; for the Philistines said , Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears . And all Israel went down to the Philistines , every man to get his ploughshare , and his hoe , and his axe , and his sickle sharpened , when the edges of the sickles , and the hoes , and the forks , and the axes were blunted ; and to set the goads . And it came to pass in the day of battle , that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan ; but with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found . And a garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash . Now it came to pass one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour , Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison which is on the other side . But he did not tell his father . And Saul abode at the extreme end of Gibeah under the pomegranate-tree which [ was ] in Migron ; and the people that were with him were about six hundred men . ( And Ahijah the son of Ahitub , Ichabod's brother , the son of Phinehas , the son of Eli , Jehovah's priest in Shiloh , wore the ephod . ) And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone . Now between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side ; and the name of the one [ was ] Bozez , and the name of the other Seneh . The one crag [ formed ] a pillar on the north opposite to Michmash , and the other on the south opposite to Geba . And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour , Come , and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised : perhaps Jehovah will work for us ; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few . And his armour-bearer said to him , Do all that is in thy heart ; turn thee ; behold , I am with thee according to thy heart . Then said Jonathan , Behold , we will pass over to the men , and we will shew ourselves to them . If they say thus to us , Stand still until we come to you , then we will stay in our place , and will not go up to them . And if they say thus , Come up to us , then we will go up ; for Jehovah has given them into our hand ; and this shall be the sign to us . And both of them shewed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines ; and the Philistines said , Behold , the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves . And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer and said , Come up to us , and we will shew you something . And Jonathan said to his armour-bearer , Come up after me ; for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel . And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet , and his armour-bearer after him ; and they fell before Jonathan ; and his armour-bearer slew after him . And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer wrought was about twenty men , as it were on the half-furrow of an acre of land . And there was trembling in the camp , in the field , and among all the people ; the garrison , and the ravagers , they also trembled , and the earth quaked ; for it was a trembling [ from ] God . And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked , and behold , the multitude melted away , and they went on slaying one another . Then said Saul to the people that were with him , Muster now , and see who is gone from us . And they mustered , and behold , Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there . And Saul said to Ahijah , Bring hither the ark of God . 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 which was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased ; and Saul said to the priest , Withdraw thy hand . And Saul and all the people that were with him were called together , and they came to the battle ; and behold , every man's sword was against his fellow , a very great confusion . And there were Hebrews with the Philistines before that time , who had gone up with them into the camp round about ; and they also [ turned ] to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan . And all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines fled , and they also followed hard after them in the battle . And Jehovah saved Israel that day ; and the battle passed over beyond Beth-Aven . But the men of Israel were distressed that day . Now Saul had adjured the people , saying , Cursed be the man that eateth food until evening , and [ until ] I am avenged on mine enemies . So none of the people tasted food . And all they of the land came to a wood ; and there was honey on the ground . And the people had come into the wood , and behold , the honey flowed ; but no man put his hand to his mouth , for the people feared the oath . But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people ; and he put forth the end of his staff which was in his hand , and dipped it in the honeycomb , and put his hand to his mouth , and his eyes became bright . Then answered one of the people and said , Thy father strictly adjured the people , saying , Cursed be the man that eateth food this day ; and the people are faint . And Jonathan said , My father has troubled the land : see , I pray you , that mine eyes are bright , because I tasted a little of this honey . How much more , if the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found ? for would there not now have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines ? And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ajalon ; and the people were very faint . And the people fell on the spoil , and took sheep , and oxen , and calves , and slaughtered them on the ground ; and the people ate [ them ] with the blood . And they told Saul , saying , Behold , the people sin against Jehovah , in that they eat with the blood . And he said , Ye have acted perversely : roll me now a great stone . And Saul said , Disperse yourselves among the people , and say to them , Bring near to me every man his ox , and every man his sheep , and slaughter them here , and eat ; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood . And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night , and slaughtered [ them ] there . And Saul built an altar to Jehovah : this was the first altar he built to Jehovah . And Saul said , Let us go down after the Philistines by night , and plunder them until the morning light , and let us not leave a man of them . And they said , Do whatsoever is good in thy sight . Then said the priest , Let us come near hither to God . And Saul inquired of God , Shall I go down after the Philistines ? wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel ? But he did not answer him that day . And Saul said , Draw ye near hither , all the heads of the people ; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day . For , [ as ] Jehovah liveth , who has saved Israel , though it be in Jonathan my son , he shall certainly die . And no one answered him among all the people . Then said he to all Israel , Be ye on one side , and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side . And the people said to Saul , Do what is good in thy sight . And Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel , Give a perfect [ testimony ] ! And Jonathan and Saul were taken , and the people escaped . And Saul said , Cast [ lots ] between me and Jonathan my son . And Jonathan was taken . And Saul said to Jonathan , Tell me what thou hast done . And Jonathan told him and said , With the end of the staff which is in my hand I tasted a little honey , [ and ] behold , I must die ! And Saul said , God do so [ to me ] and more also ; thou shalt certainly die , Jonathan . And the people said to Saul , Shall Jonathan die , who has wrought this great salvation in Israel ? Far be it ! [ as ] Jehovah liveth , there shall not a hair of his head fall to the ground ; for he has wrought with God this day . So the people delivered Jonathan , that he died not . And Saul went up from following the Philistines ; and the Philistines went to their own place . And Saul took the kingdom over Israel , and fought against all his enemies round about , against Moab , and against the children of Ammon , and against Edom , and against the kings of Zobah , and against the Philistines ; and whithersoever he turned himself , he discomfited [ them ] . And he did valiantly , and smote the Amalekites , and delivered Israel out of the hands of their spoilers . And the sons of Saul were Jonathan , and Jishvi , and Malchi-shua . And the names of his two daughters : the name of the firstborn Merab , and the name of the younger Michal . 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 the father of Saul , and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel . And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul ; and when Saul saw any mighty man , or any valiant man , he took him to himself . And Samuel said to Saul , Jehovah sent * me * to anoint thee king over his people , over Israel : now therefore hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah . Thus saith Jehovah of hosts : I have considered what Amalek did to Israel , how he set himself against him in the way , when he came up from Egypt . Now go and smite Amalek , and destroy utterly all that they have , and spare them not , but slay both man and woman , infant and suckling , ox and sheep , camel and ass . And Saul summoned the people , and numbered them in Telaim , two hundred thousand footmen , and ten thousand men of Judah . And Saul came to the city of the Amalekites , and set an ambush in the valley . And Saul said to the Kenites , Go , depart , and go down from among the Amalekites , lest I destroy you with them ; for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt . And the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites . And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah as thou comest to Shur , which is opposite to Egypt . And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive , and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword . And Saul and the people spared Agag , and the best of the sheep and oxen , and beasts of the second bearing , and the lambs , and all that was good , and would not devote them to destruction ; but everything that was mean and weak , that they destroyed utterly . And the word of Jehovah came to Samuel , saying , It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king ; for he is turned away from following me , and hath not fulfilled my words . And Samuel was much grieved ; and he cried to Jehovah all night . And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning . And it was told Samuel , saying , Saul came to Carmel , and behold , he set him up a monument , and has turned about , and passed on , and gone down to Gilgal . And Samuel came to Saul ; and Saul said to him , Blessed art thou of Jehovah : I have fulfilled the word of Jehovah . And Samuel said , What [ means ] then this bleating of sheep in mine ears , and the lowing of oxen which I hear ? And Saul said , They have brought them from the Amalekites , because the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen , to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God ; and the rest we have utterly destroyed . And Samuel said to Saul , Stay , that I may tell thee what Jehovah has said to me this night . And he said to him , Say on . And Samuel said , Was it not when thou wast little in thine eyes that thou [ becamest ] the head of the tribes of Israel , and Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel ? And Jehovah sent thee on a way and said , Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites , and fight against them until they be consumed . Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of Jehovah , but didst fall upon the spoil , and didst evil in the sight of Jehovah ? And Saul said to Samuel , I have indeed hearkened to the voice of Jehovah , and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me , and have brought Agag the king of Amalek , and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites . But the people took of the spoil , sheep and oxen , the choicest of the devoted things , to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal . And Samuel said , Has Jehovah delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices , As in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah ? Behold , obedience is better than sacrifice , Attention than the fat of rams . For rebellion is [ as ] the sin of divination , And selfwill is [ as ] iniquity and idolatry . Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah , He hath also rejected thee from being king . And Saul said to Samuel , I have sinned , for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah , and thy words ; for I feared the people , and hearkened to their voice . And now , I pray thee , forgive my sin , and turn again with me , that I may worship Jehovah . And Samuel said to Saul , I will not turn again with thee ; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah , and Jehovah has rejected thee from being king over Israel . And as Samuel turned to go away , [ Saul ] laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle , and it rent . Then Samuel said to him , Jehovah has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day , and has given it to thy neighbour , who is better than thou . And also the Hope of Israel will not lie nor repent ; for he is not a man , that he should repent . And he said , I have sinned ; honour me now , I pray thee , before the elders of my people , and before Israel , and turn again with me , that I may worship Jehovah thy God . So Samuel turned again after Saul ; and Saul worshipped Jehovah . And Samuel said , Bring ye near to me Agag the king of Amalek . And Agag came to him gaily . And Agag said , Surely the bitterness of death is past . And Samuel said , As thy sword has made women childless , so shall thy mother be childless above women . And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal . And Samuel went to Ramah ; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul . And Samuel saw Saul no more until the day of his death ; for Samuel mourned over Saul ; and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel . And Jehovah said to Samuel , How long wilt thou mourn for Saul , seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel ? fill thy horn with oil , and go , I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite ; for I have provided me a king among his sons . And Samuel said , How shall I go ? if Saul hear [ it ] , he will kill me . And Jehovah said , Take a heifer with thee , and say , I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah . And call Jesse to the sacrifice , and I will tell thee what thou shalt do ; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee . And Samuel did what Jehovah said , and came to Bethlehem . And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him , and said , Dost thou come peaceably ? And he said , Peaceably : I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah . Hallow yourselves , and come with me to the sacrifice . And he hallowed Jesse and his sons , and called them to the sacrifice . And it came to pass when they were come , that he looked on Eliab , and said , Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him . But Jehovah said to Samuel , Look not on his countenance , or on the height of his stature ; because I have rejected him ; for it is not as man seeth ; for man looketh upon the outward appearance , but Jehovah looketh upon the heart . Then Jesse called Abinadab , and made him pass before Samuel . And he said , Neither has Jehovah chosen this one . Then Jesse made Shammah pass by . And he said , Neither has Jehovah chosen this one . And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel . And Samuel said to Jesse , Jehovah has not chosen these . And Samuel said to Jesse , Are these all the young men ? And he said , There is yet the youngest remaining , and behold , he is feeding the sheep . And Samuel said to Jesse , Send and fetch him ; for we will not sit at table till he come hither . And he sent and brought him in . And he was ruddy , and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance . And Jehovah said , Arise , anoint him ; for this is he . And Samuel took the horn of oil , and anointed him in the midst of his brethren . And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward . And Samuel rose up , and went to Ramah . And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul , and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him . And Saul's servants said to him , Behold now , an evil spirit from God troubles thee . Let our lord now speak ; thy servants are before thee : they shall seek out a man , a skilful player on a harp ; and it shall come to pass , when the evil spirit from God is upon thee , that he shall play with his hand , and thou shalt be well . And Saul said to his servants , Provide me now a man that can play well , and bring him to me . And one of the young men answered and said , Behold , I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite , who is skilled in playing , and he is a valiant man and a man of war , and skilled in speech , and of good presence , and Jehovah is with him . Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said , Send me David thy son , who is with the sheep . And Jesse took an ass with bread , and a flask 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 armour-bearer . And Saul sent to Jesse , saying , Let David , I pray thee , 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 the harp , and played with his hand ; and Saul was refreshed , and was well , and the evil spirit departed from him . And the Philistines assembled their armies to battle , and were gathered together at Sochoh , which belongs to Judah , and encamped between Sochoh and Azekah , in Ephesdammim . And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together , and encamped in the valley of terebinths , and set the battle in array against the Philistines . And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side , and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side ; and the ravine was between them . And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines , named Goliath , of Gath , whose height was six cubits and a span . And he had a helmet of bronze upon his head , and he was clothed with a corselet of scales ; and the weight of the corselet was five thousand shekels of bronze . And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs , and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders . And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam ; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron ; and the shield-bearer went before him . And he stood and cried to the ranks of Israel , and said to them , Why are ye come out to set your battle in array ? am not I the Philistine , and ye servants of Saul ? choose for yourselves a man , and let him come down to me . If he be able to fight with me , and to smite me , then will we be your servants ; but if I overcome and smite him , then shall ye be our servants and serve us . And the Philistine said , I have defied the ranks of Israel this day ; give me a man , that we may fight together . And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine , and they were dismayed and greatly afraid . Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah whose name was Jesse ; and he had eight sons ; and the man was old in the days of Saul , advanced [ in years ] among men . And the three eldest of the sons of Jesse had gone and followed Saul to the battle ; and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn , and the second to him Abinadab , and the third Shammah . And David was the youngest ; and the three eldest had 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 , Take , I pray , for thy brethren , this ephah of parched [ corn ] and these ten loaves , and carry them quickly to the camp to thy brethren ; and carry these ten cheeses to the captain of the thousand , and visit thy brethren to see how they are , and take a pledge of them . Now Saul , and they , and all the men of Israel [ were ] in the valley of terebinths , fighting against the Philistines . And David rose up early in the morning , and left the sheep with a keeper , and took his charge and went , as Jesse had commanded him . And he came to the wagon-defence ; and the host which was going forth to the battle-array shouted for the fight . And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array , rank against rank . And David left the things he was carrying in the hand of the keeper of the baggage , and ran into the ranks , and came and saluted his brethren . And as he talked with them , behold there came up the champion , the Philistine of Gath , Goliath by name , out of the ranks of the Philistines , and spoke according to the same words ; and David heard [ them ] . And all the men of Israel , when they saw the man , fled from him and were greatly afraid . And the men of Israel said , Have ye seen this man that comes up ? for to defy Israel is he come up : and it shall be , that the man who smites him , him will the king enrich with great riches , and will give him his daughter , and make his father's house free in Israel . And David spoke to the men that stood by him , saying , What shall be done to the man that smites this Philistine , and takes away the reproach from Israel ? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that he should defy the armies of the living God ? And the people told him after this manner , saying , So shall it be done to the man that smites him . And Eliab , his eldest brother , heard while he spoke to the men ; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David , and he said , Why art thou come down ? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness ? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart ; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle . And David said , What have I now done ? Was it not laid upon me ? And he turned from him to another , and spoke after the same manner ; and the people answered him again after the former manner . And the words were heard which David spoke , and they rehearsed them before Saul ; and he sent for him . And David said to Saul , Let no man's heart fail because of him : thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine . And Saul said to David , Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him ; for thou art but a youth , and he a man of war from his youth . And David said to Saul , Thy servant fed his father's sheep , and there came a lion , and also a bear , and took a lamb out of the flock . And I went after him , and smote him , and delivered it out of his mouth ; and when he arose against me , I seized him by his beard , and smote him , and slew him . Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear ; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them , because he has defied the armies of the living God . And David said , Jehovah who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear , he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine . And Saul said to David , Go , and Jehovah be with thee . And Saul clothed David with his dress , and put a helmet of bronze upon his head , and clothed him with a corselet . And David girded his sword upon his dress , and endeavoured to go ; for he had not yet tried [ it ] . And David said to Saul , I cannot go in these ; for I have never tried [ them ] . And David put them off him . And he took his staff in his hand , and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook , and put them in the shepherd's bag that he had , into the pocket ; and his sling was in his hand . And he drew near to the Philistine . And the Philistine came on and approached David ; and the man that bore the shield was before him . And when the Philistine looked about and saw David , he disdained him ; for he was a youth , and ruddy , and besides of a beautiful countenance . And the Philistine said to David , Am I a dog , that thou comest 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 thy flesh to the fowls of the heavens and to the beasts of the field . And David said to the Philistine , Thou comest to me with sword , and with spear , and with javelin ; but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts , the God of the armies of Israel , whom thou hast defied . This day will Jehovah deliver thee up into my hand ; and I will smite thee , and take thy head from thee ; and I will give the carcases of the camp of the Philistines this day to the fowl of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth . And all the earth shall know that Israel has a God ; and all this congregation shall know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear ; for the battle is Jehovah's , and he will give you into our hands . And it came to pass , when the Philistine arose , and came and advanced to meet David , that David hasted , and ran towards the ranks to meet the Philistine . And David put his hand into the bag , and took thence a stone , and slang it , and smote the Philistine in his forehead , and the stone sank into his forehead ; and he fell on his face to the earth . So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and a stone , and smote the Philistine and killed him ; and there was no sword in the hand of David . And David ran , and stood upon the Philistine , and took his sword , and drew it out of its sheath , and killed him completely , and cut off his head with it . And when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead , they fled . And the men of Israel and of Judah arose , and shouted , and pursued the Philistines , until thou comest to the ravine and to the gates of Ekron . And the wounded of the Philistines fell down on the way to Shaaraim , even to Gath , and to Ekron . And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines , and they pillaged their camps . And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem ; but he put his armour 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 young man ? And Abner said , As thy soul liveth , O king , I cannot tell . And the king said , Inquire thou whose son this youth 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 art thou , young man ? And David said , I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite . And it came to pass , when he had ended speaking to Saul , that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David , and Jonathan loved him as his own soul . And Saul took him that day , and would not let him return to his father's house . And 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 dress , even to his sword , and to his bow , and to his girdle . And David went forth ; whithersoever Saul sent him he prospered ; and Saul set him over the men of war , and he was accepted in the sight of all the people , and also in the sight of Saul's servants . And it came to pass as they came , when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine , that the women came out of all the cities of Israel , singing and dancing , to meet king Saul , with tambours , with joy , and with triangles . And the women answered [ one another ] as they played , and said , Saul hath smitten his thousands , And David his ten thousands . And Saul was very wroth , and that saying was evil in his sight ; and he said , They have ascribed to David ten thousands , but to me they have ascribed the thousands ; and [ what ] is there more for him but the kingdom ? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward . And it came to pass the next day that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul , and he prophesied in the midst of the house , but David played with his hand , as on other days ; and the spear was in Saul's hand . And Saul cast the spear , and thought , I will smite David and the wall . But David turned away from him twice . And Saul was afraid of David , because Jehovah was with him , and had departed from Saul . And 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 prospered in all his ways ; and Jehovah was with him . And Saul saw that he prospered well , and he stood in awe of him . But all Israel and Judah loved David , for he went out and came in before them . And Saul said to David , Behold my eldest daughter Merab , her will I give thee to wife ; only be thou valiant for me , and fight Jehovah's battles . But Saul thought , My hand shall not be upon him , but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him . 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 ? And it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David , that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife . And Michal Saul's daughter loved David ; and they told Saul , and the thing was right in his sight . And Saul said , I will give him her , that she may be a snare to him , and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him . And Saul said to David , Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law a second time . And Saul commanded his servants , Speak with David secretly , saying , Behold , the king has delight in thee , and all his servants love thee : now therefore be the king's son-in-law . And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David . And David said , Is it a light thing in your eyes to be the king's son-in-law , seeing that I am a poor man , and lightly esteemed ? And the servants of Saul told him , saying , On this manner did David speak . And Saul said , Thus shall ye say to David : The king does not desire any dowry , but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines , to be avenged of the king's enemies . But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines . And his servants told David these words ; and the thing was right in David's sight to be the king's son-in-law . And the days were not expired , when David arose and went , he and his men , and smote of the Philistines two hundred men ; and David brought their foreskins , and they delivered them in full to the king , that he might be the king's son-in-law . And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife . And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David ; and Michal Saul's daughter loved him . And Saul was yet the more afraid of David ; and Saul was David's enemy continually . And the princes of the Philistines went forth ; and it came to pass , whenever they went forth , that David succeeded better than all the servants of Saul ; and his name was much esteemed . And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son , and to all his servants , that they should slay David . But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David . And Jonathan told David , saying , Saul my father seeks to kill thee ; and now , I pray thee , take heed to thyself in the morning , and abide in a secret place and hide thyself ; and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art , and will speak of thee with my father : and see what it is , and tell thee . And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father , and said to him , Let not the king sin against his servant , against David , because he has not sinned against thee ; for also what he did was very advantageous to thee ; for he put his life in hand , and smote the Philistine , and Jehovah wrought a great salvation for all Israel : thou didst see [ it ] , and didst rejoice ; why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood , in slaying David without cause ? And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan , and Saul swore , [ As ] Jehovah liveth , he shall not be put to death ! Then Jonathan called David , and Jonathan declared to him all those things . And Jonathan brought David to Saul , and he was in his presence as previously . And there was war again ; and David went forth and fought with the Philistines , and smote them with a great slaughter ; and they fled before him . And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul . And he sat in his house with his spear in his hand ; and David played with his hand . And Saul sought to smite David and the wall with the spear ; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence , and he smote the spear into the wall . And David fled , and escaped that night . And Saul sent messengers to David's house , to watch him , and to slay him in the morning ; and Michal David's wife told him , saying , If thou save not thy life to-night , to-morrow thou wilt be put to death . And Michal let David down through a window ; and he went , and fled and escaped . And Michal took the image , and laid it in the bed , and put the net of goats' [ hair ] at its head , and covered it with the coverlet . And Saul sent messengers to take David , and she said , He is sick . And Saul sent the messengers to see David , saying , Bring him up to me in the bed , that I may put him to death . And the messengers came in , and behold , the image was in the bed , and the net of goats' [ hair ] at its head . Then Saul said to Michal , Why hast thou deceived me so , and sent away mine enemy , that he is escaped ? And Michal said to Saul , He said to me , Let me go ; why should I slay thee ? And 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 , Behold , David is at Naioth by Ramah . Then Saul sent messengers to take David ; and they saw a company of prophets prophesying , and Samuel standing as president over them ; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul , and they also prophesied . And it was told Saul , and he sent other messengers , and they also prophesied . And Saul sent messengers again the third time , and they also prophesied . Then went he also to Ramah , and came to the great well that is in Sechu ; and he asked and said , Where are Samuel and David ? And one said , Behold , at Naioth by Ramah . And he went thither to Naioth by Ramah ; and the Spirit of God came upon him also , and he went on , and prophesied , until he came to Naioth by Ramah . And he himself also stripped off his clothes , and prophesied , himself also , before Samuel , and lay down naked all that day and all that night . Wherefore they say , Is Saul also among the prophets ? And David fled from Naioth by Ramah , and came and said before Jonathan , What have I done ? what is mine iniquity , and what is my sin before thy father , that he seeks my life ? And he said to him , God forbid ; thou shalt not die : behold , my father will do nothing either great or small , and not apprise me ; and why should my father hide this thing from me ? it is not so . And David swore again and again , and said , Thy father certainly knows that I have found favour in thy sight : and he has thought , Jonathan shall not know this , lest he be grieved ; but truly [ as ] Jehovah liveth , and [ as ] thy soul liveth , there is but a step between me and death . And Jonathan said to David , What thy soul may say , I will even do it for thee . And David said to Jonathan , Behold , to-morrow is new moon , and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat ; but let me go , that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening . If thy father should actually miss me , then say , David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city ; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family . If he say thus , It is well , -- thy servant shall have peace ; but if he be very wroth , be sure that evil is determined by him . Deal kindly then with thy servant ; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee ; but if there be in me iniquity , slay me thyself ; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father ? And Jonathan said , Far be it from thee ; for , if I knew with certainty that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee , would I not tell it thee ? Then said David to Jonathan , Who shall tell me ? or what if thy father answer thee 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 , Jehovah , God of Israel , when I sound my father about this time to-morrow , [ or ] the next day , and behold , there be good toward David , and I then send not to thee , and apprise thee of it , Jehovah do so and much more to Jonathan . Should it please my father [ to do ] thee evil , then I will apprise thee of it , and send thee away , that thou mayest go in peace ; and Jehovah be with thee , as he has been with my father . And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of Jehovah , that I die not , but thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever , no , not when Jehovah cuts off the enemies of David , every one from the face of the earth . And Jonathan made [ a covenant ] with the house of David , [ saying , ] Let Jehovah even require [ it ] at the hand of David's enemies ! And Jonathan caused David to swear again , by the love he had for him , for he loved him as he loved his own soul . And Jonathan said to him , To-morrow is the new moon ; and thou wilt be missed , for thy seat will be empty ; but on the third day thou shalt go down quickly , and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the business , and abide by the stone Ezel . And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it , as though I shot at a mark . And behold , I will send the lad , [ saying , ] Go , find the arrows . If I expressly say to the lad , Behold , the arrows are on this side of thee , take them ; then come , for there is peace for thee , and it is nothing ; [ as ] Jehovah liveth . But if I say thus to the youth : Behold , the arrows are beyond thee , -- go thy way ; for Jehovah sends thee away . And as to the matter which thou and I have spoken of , behold , Jehovah is between me and thee for ever . And David hid himself in the field ; and it was the new moon , and the king sat at table to eat . And the king sat on his seat , as at other times , on the seat by the wall ; and Jonathan arose , and Abner sat by Saul's side , and David's place was empty . And Saul said nothing that day ; for he thought , Something has befallen [ him ] , that he is not clean : surely he is not clean . And it came to pass the next day after the new moon , the second [ day of the month ] , as David's place was empty , that Saul said to Jonathan his son , Why has not the son of Jesse come to table , neither yesterday nor to-day ? And Jonathan answered Saul , David earnestly asked leave of me [ to go ] to Bethlehem , and said , Let me go , I pray thee ; for we have a family sacrifice in the city ; and my brother himself has commanded me [ to be there ] ; and now , if I have found favour in thy sight , let me go away , I pray thee , and see my brethren . He has therefore not come to the king's table . And Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan , and he said to him , Son of the perverse rebellious woman , do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame and to the shame of thy mother's nakedness ? For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon earth , thou shalt not be established , nor thy kingdom . And now send and fetch him to me , for he must die . And Jonathan answered Saul his father , and said to him , Why should he be put to death ? what has he done ? Then Saul cast the spear at him to smite him ; and Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death . And Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger , and ate no meat the second day of the new moon ; for he was grieved for David , because his father had done him shame . And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field , to the place agreed on with David , and a little lad with him . And he said to his lad , Run , find now the arrows which I shoot . The lad ran , and he shot the arrow beyond him . And when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot , Jonathan cried after the lad and said , Is not the arrow away beyond thee ? And Jonathan cried after the lad , Make speed , haste , stay not ! And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows , and came to his master . And the lad knew nothing : only Jonathan and David knew the matter . And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad , and said to him , Go , carry them to the city . The lad went , and David arose from the side of the south , and fell on his face to the ground , and bowed himself three times ; and they kissed one another , and wept one with another , until David exceeded . And Jonathan said to David , Go in peace , forasmuch as we have both of us sworn in the name of Jehovah , saying , Jehovah be between me and thee , and between my seed and thy seed for ever ! And he arose and departed ; and Jonathan went into the city . And David came to Nob , to Ahimelech the priest ; and Ahimelech trembled at meeting David , and said to him , Why art thou alone , and no man with thee ? And David said to Ahimelech the priest , The king has commanded me a business , and has said to me , Let no man know anything of the business whereon I send thee , and what I have commanded thee ; and I have directed the young men to such and such a place . And now what is under thy hand ? give me five loaves in my hand , or what may be found . And the priest answered David and said , There is no common bread under my hand , but there is holy bread ; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women . And David answered the priest and said to him , Yes indeed , women have been kept from us about these three days , since I came out , and the vessels of the young men are holy , and the [ bread ] is in a manner common , and the more so , because to-day [ new ] is hallowed in the vessels . And the priest gave him holy [ bread ] ; for there was no bread there but the shew-loaves that were taken from before Jehovah , to put on hot bread in the day when they were taken away . ( Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day , detained before Jehovah ; and his name was Doeg , the Edomite , chief of the shepherds that [ belonged ] to Saul . ) And David said to Ahimelech , And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword ? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me , for the king's business was urgent . And the priest said , The sword of Goliath the Philistine , whom thou slewest in the valley of terebinths , behold , it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod ; if thou wilt take that , take it ; for there is no other save that here . And David said , There is none like that : give it me . And David arose , and fled that day from before 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 one to another of him in dances , saying , Saul has smitten his thousands , and David his ten thousands ? And David took to heart these words , and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath . And he changed his behaviour before them , and feigned himself mad in their hands , and scratched on the doors of the gate , and let his spittle fall down on his beard . And Achish said to his servants , Behold , ye see the man is mad : why did ye bring him to me ? have I lack of madmen , that ye have brought this one to rave in my presence ? shall this [ man ] come into my house ? And David departed thence , and escaped to the cave of Adullam . And his brethren and all his father's house heard [ it ] , and they went down thither to him . And every one in distress , and every one that was in debt , and every one of embittered spirit collected round him ; and he became a captain over them ; and there were with him about four hundred men . And David went thence to Mizpeh in Moab , and said to the king of Moab , Let my father and my mother , I pray thee , come forth amongst you , till I know what God will do for me . And he brought them before the king of Moab ; and they abode with him all the while that David was in the stronghold . And the prophet Gad said to David , Abide not in the stronghold ; depart , and go into the land of Judah . Then David departed , and came into the forest of Hareth . And Saul heard that David was discovered , and the men that were with him . Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk upon the height , having his spear in his hand , and all his servants were standing by him . Then Saul said to his servants that stood by him , Hear now , ye Benjaminites : will the son of Jesse give every one of you also fields and vineyards ? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds , that all of you have conspired against me , and there is none that informs me when my son has made [ a covenant ] with the son of Jesse ; and there is none of you that is sorry for me , or informs me that my son has stirred up my servant as a lier-in-wait against me , as at this day ? Then answered Doeg the Edomite , who was set over the servants of Saul , and said , I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob , to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub . And he inquired of Jehovah 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 , son of Ahitub . And he answered , Here I am , my lord . And Saul said to him , Why have ye conspired against me , thou and the son of Jesse , in that thou hast given him bread , and a sword , and hast inquired of God for him , that he should rise against me as a lier-in-wait , as at this day ? And Ahimelech answered the king and said , And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David , who is the king's son-in-law , and has access to thy secret council , and is honourable in thy house ? Was it to-day that I began to inquire of God for him ? be it far from me : let not the king charge anything to his servant , [ nor ] to all the house of my father ; for thy servant knew nothing of all this , less or more . And the king said , Thou shalt certainly die , Ahimelech , thou , and all thy father's house . And the king said to the couriers that stood about him , Turn and put the priests of Jehovah to death ; because their hand also is with David , and because they knew when he fled , and did not inform me . But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah . And the king said to Doeg , Turn thou , and fall on the priests . And Doeg the Edomite turned , and fell on the priests , and put to death that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod . And Nob , the city of the priests , he smote with the edge of the sword , both men and women , infants and sucklings , and oxen , and asses , and sheep , with the edge of the sword . And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub , named Abiathar , escaped , and fled after David . And Abiathar informed David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests . And David said to Abiathar , I knew it that day , when Doeg the Edomite was there , that he would certainly tell Saul : I am accountable for all the lives of thy father's house . Abide with me , fear not ; for he that seeks my life seeks thy life ; for with me thou art in safe keeping . And they told David , saying , Behold , the Philistines fight against Keilah , and they rob the threshing-floors . And David inquired of Jehovah , saying , Shall I go and smite these Philistines ? And Jehovah said to David , Go and smite the Philistines , and save Keilah . But David's men said to him , Behold , we are afraid here in Judah ; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines ? And David inquired of Jehovah yet again . And Jehovah answered him and said , Arise , go down to Keilah ; for I will give the Philistines into thy hand . And David and his men went to Keilah , and fought against the Philistines , and brought away their cattle , and smote them with a great slaughter . So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah . And it came to pass , when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah , he came down with an ephod in his hand . And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah . Then Saul said , God has cast him off into my hand ; for he is shut in , by entering into a city that has gates and bars . And Saul summoned all the people to war , to go down to Keilah , to besiege David and his men . And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him , he said to Abiathar the priest , Bring the ephod . Then said David , Jehovah , God of Israel , thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah , to destroy the city for my sake . Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand ? will Saul come down , as thy servant hath heard ? Jehovah , God of Israel , I beseech thee , tell thy servant . And Jehovah said , He will come down . And David said , Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul ? And Jehovah said , They will deliver [ thee ] up . Then David and his men , about six hundred , arose and departed out of Keilah , and went whithersoever they could go . And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah , and he forbore to go forth . And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds , and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph . And Saul sought him every day , but God did not give him into his hand . 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 will not find thee ; and thou shalt be king over Israel , and I shall be next to thee ; and that also Saul my father knows . And they two made a covenant before Jehovah ; and David abode in the wood , and Jonathan went to his house . And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah , saying , Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood , on the hill of Hachilah , which is on the south of the waste ? And now , O king , come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down ; and it will be for us to deliver him up into the king's hand . And Saul said , Blessed be ye of Jehovah ; for ye have compassion upon me . Go , I pray you , make yet more sure , and know and see his place where his track is , who has seen him there ; for it is told me that he deals very subtilly . And see , and ascertain all the lurking-places where he hides himself , and come ye again to me with sure information , that I may go with you ; and it shall come to pass , if he be in the land , that I will search him out throughout the thousands of Judah . 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 the waste . And Saul and his men went to seek [ him ] . And they told David ; and he came down from the rock , and abode in the wilderness of Maon . And Saul heard [ that ] , and he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon . 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 from Saul ; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them . But there came a messenger to Saul , saying , Haste thee and come ; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land . And Saul returned from pursuing after David , and went against the Philistines ; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth . And David went up from thence , and abode in the strongholds of Engedi . And it came to pass when Saul had returned from following the Philistines , that it was told him , saying , Behold , David is in the wilderness of Engedi . And Saul took three thousand men , chosen out of all Israel , and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats . And he came to the sheepfolds by the way , where was a cave ; and Saul went in to cover his feet ; and David and his men were abiding in the recesses of the cave . And David's men said to him , Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee , Behold , I will give thine enemy into thy hand , that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee . And David arose , and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly . And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smote him , because he had cut off Saul's skirt . And he said to his men , Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my master , Jehovah's anointed , to stretch forth my hand against him , for he is the anointed of Jehovah . And David checked his men with these words , and suffered them not to rise against Saul . And Saul rose up out of the cave , and went on [ his ] way . David also arose afterwards , and went out of the cave , and cried after Saul , saying , My lord the king ! And when Saul looked behind him , David bowed with his face to the earth , and did obeisance . And David said to Saul , Why dost thou listen to words of men , saying , Behold , David seeks thy hurt ? Behold , this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had given thee this day into my hand in the cave ; and they bade me kill thee ; but [ mine eye ] spared thee ; and I said , I will not put forth my hand against my lord , for he is the anointed of Jehovah . And see , my father , yes , see the skirt of thy robe in my hand . For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe , and killed thee not , know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand , and I have not sinned against thee ; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it . Jehovah judge between me and thee , and Jehovah avenge me of thee ; but my hand shall not be upon thee . As saith the proverb of the ancients , Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked ; but my hand shall not be upon thee . After whom is the king of Israel come out ? after whom dost thou pursue ? after a dead dog , after a single flea . Jehovah therefore shall be judge , and judge between me and thee , and see , and plead my cause , and do me justice [ in delivering me ] out of thy hand . And as soon as David had ended speaking these words to Saul , Saul said , Is this thy voice , my son David ? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept . And he said to David , Thou art more righteous than I ; for thou hast rewarded me good , whereas I have rewarded thee evil . And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me , forasmuch as when Jehovah had delivered me up into thy hand , thou didst not kill me . For if a man find his enemy , will he let him go well away ? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that thou hast done to me this day . And now behold , I know that thou shalt certainly be king , and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand . Swear now therefore to me by Jehovah , that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me , and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house . And David swore to Saul . And Saul went home ; and David and his men went up to the stronghold . And Samuel died ; and all Israel were gathered together , and lamented him ; and they buried him in his house at Ramah . And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran . And there was a man at Maon , whose business was at Carmel ; and the man was very great , and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats ; and he was shearing his sheep at Carmel . And the name of the man was Nabal , and the name of his wife Abigail ; and the woman was of good understanding , and of a beautiful countenance ; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings ; and he was a Calebite . And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep . Then David sent out ten young men ; and David said to the young men , Go up to Carmel , and go to Nabal , and greet him in my name . And thus shall ye say : Long life [ to thee ] ! and peace be to thee , and peace be to thy house , and peace be to all that thou hast ! And now I have heard that thou hast shearers ; now thy shepherds who were with us , we hurt them not , neither was there aught missed by them , all the while they were in Carmel . Ask thy young men , and they will tell thee . Therefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes ; for we come in a good day : give , I pray thee , what thy hand may find to thy servants , and to thy son David . And David's young men came , and 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 . And shall I take my bread , and my water , and my flesh which I have killed for my shearers , and give [ it ] to men whom I know not whence they are ? And David's young men turned their way , and went back , and came and reported to him according to all those words . And David said to his men , Gird ye on every man his sword . And they girded on every man his sword ; and David also girded on his sword ; and there went up after David about four hundred men ; and two hundred abode by the baggage . And one of [ Nabal's ] young men told Abigail , Nabal's wife , saying , Behold , David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our master ; and he has insulted them . And the men were very good to us , and we were not hurt , neither missed we anything , as long as we companied with them , when we were in the fields . They were a wall to us both by night and day , all the while we were with them feeding the sheep . And now know and consider what thou wilt do , for evil is determined against our master , and against all his household ; and he is such a son of Belial , that one cannot speak to him . And Abigail made haste , and took two hundred loaves , and two skin-bottles of wine , and five sheep ready dressed , and five measures of parched [ corn ] , and a hundred raisin-cakes , and two hundred fig-cakes , and laid them on asses . And she said to her young men , Go on before me ; behold , I come after you . But she did not tell her husband Nabal . And as she was riding on the ass , and coming down by the covert of the hill , behold , David and his men came down opposite to her ; and she met them . Now David had said , Surely , in vain have I kept all that this [ man ] had in the wilderness , so that nothing was missed of all that was his ; and he has requited me evil for good . So and more also do God to the enemies of David , if I leave of all that is his by the morning light any male . And when Abigail saw David , she hasted 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 the iniquity be ; but let thy handmaid , I pray thee , speak in thine ears , and hear the words of thy handmaid . Let not my lord , I pray thee , regard this man of Belial , Nabal ; for as his name is , so is he : Nabal is his name , and folly is with him ; and I thy handmaid did not see the young men of my lord , whom thou didst send . And now , my lord , [ as ] Jehovah liveth , and [ as ] thy soul liveth , seeing Jehovah has restrained thee from coming with bloodshed , and from avenging thyself with thine own hand , now let thine enemies , and they that seek evil to my lord , be as Nabal . And now this blessing which thy bondmaid has brought to my lord , let it be given to the young men that follow my lord . I pray thee , forgive the transgression of thy handmaid : for Jehovah will certainly make my lord a lasting house ; because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah , and evil has not been found in thee all thy days . And if a man is risen up to pursue thee and to seek thy life , the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Jehovah thy God ; and the souls of thine enemies , them shall he sling out from the hollow of the sling . And it shall come to pass , when Jehovah shall do to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning thee , and shall appoint thee ruler over Israel , that this shall be no stumbling-block to thee , nor offence of heart for my lord , either that thou hast shed blood without cause , or that my lord has avenged himself . And when Jehovah shall deal well with my lord , then remember thy handmaid . And David said to Abigail , Blessed be Jehovah , the God of Israel , who sent thee this day to meet me . And blessed be thy discernment , and blessed be thou , who hast kept me this day from coming with bloodshed , and from avenging myself with mine own hand . But indeed , as Jehovah the God of Israel liveth , who has restrained me from hurting thee , except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me , there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any male . So David received of her hand what she had brought him , and said to her , Go up in peace to thy house ; see , I have hearkened to thy voice , and have accepted thy person . And Abigail came to Nabal ; and behold , he held a feast in his house , like the feast of a king ; and Nabal's heart was merry within him , for he was drunken to excess ; so she told him nothing , less or more , until the morning light . And it came to pass in the morning , when the wine was gone out of Nabal , that his wife told him these things ; and his heart died within him , and he became [ as ] a stone . And it came to pass in about ten days that Jehovah smote Nabal , and he died . And when David heard that Nabal was dead , he said , Blessed be Jehovah , who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal , and has kept back his servant from evil ; but Jehovah has returned Nabal's evil upon his own head . And David sent and communed with Abigail , to take her as his wife . And the servants of David came to Abigail to Carmel , and spoke to her , saying , David has sent us to thee , to take thee as his wife . And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth , and said , Behold , let thy handmaid be a bondwoman to wash the feet of the servants of my lord . And Abigail hasted , and arose , and rode upon an ass , with five damsels of hers that followed her ; and she went after the messengers of David , and became his wife . David had also taken Ahinoam of Jizreel ; and they became , even 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 . And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah , saying , Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah , facing the waste ? And 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 encamped in the hill of Hachilah , which faces the waste , by the way side . And David abode in the wilderness ; and when he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness , David sent out spies , and learned that Saul was certainly come . And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped ; and David beheld the place where Saul lay , and Abner the son of Ner , the captain of his host ; and Saul lay within the wagon-defence , and the people were encamped round about him . And David spake and said to Ahimelech the Hittite , and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah , Joab's brother , saying , Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp ? And Abishai said , I will go down with thee . And David and Abishai came to the people by night , and behold , Saul lay sleeping within the wagon-defence , and his spear stuck in the ground at his head ; and Abner and the people lay round about him . And Abishai said to David , God has delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day ; and now let me smite him , I pray thee , with the spear , even to the ground once , and I will not do it the second time . And David said to Abishai , Destroy him not ; for who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed , and be guiltless ? And David said , [ As ] Jehovah liveth , Jehovah will surely smite him ; either his day shall come to die , or he shall descend into battle and perish . Jehovah forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed ! But now take , I pray thee , the spear that is at his head , and the cruse of water , and let us go . And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head ; and they went away , and no man saw [ it ] , and none knew [ it ] , and none awaked , for they were all asleep ; for a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen upon them . And David went over to the other side , and stood on the top of a hill afar off ; a great space [ being ] between them . And David cried to the people , and to Abner the son of Ner , saying , Answerest thou not , Abner ? Then Abner answered and said , Who art thou that criest to the king ? And David said to Abner , Art not thou a man ? and who is like to thee in Israel ? and why hast thou not guarded thy lord the king ? for one of the people came in to destroy the king thy lord . This thing is not good which thou hast done . As Jehovah liveth , ye are worthy to die , because ye have not guarded your master , Jehovah's anointed . And now see where the king's spear is , and the cruse of water that was at his head . And Saul knew David's voice , and said , Is this thy voice , my son David ? And David said , It is my voice , my lord , O king . And he said , Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant ? for what have I done ? or what evil is in my hand ? And now , I pray thee , let my lord the king hear the words of his servant . If Jehovah have moved thee against me , let him accept an oblation ; but if the sons of men , cursed be they before Jehovah ; for they have driven me out this day from adhering to the inheritance of Jehovah , saying , Go , serve other gods . And now , let not my blood fall to the earth far from the face of Jehovah ; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea , as when they hunt a partridge on the mountains . And Saul said , I have sinned : return , my son David ; for I will no more do thee harm , because my life was precious in thine eyes this day : behold , I have acted foolishly , and have erred exceedingly . And David answered and said , Behold the king's spear , and let one of the young men come over and fetch it . And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness ; for Jehovah gave thee into [ my ] hand this day , and I would not stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed . And behold , as thy life was highly esteemed this day in mine eyes , so let my life be highly esteemed in the eyes of Jehovah , that he may deliver me out of all distress . And Saul said to David , Blessed be thou , my son David : thou shalt certainly do [ great things ] , and shalt certainly prevail . And David went on his way , and Saul returned to his place . 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 will despair of me to seek me any more within all the limits of Israel , and I shall escape out of his hand . And David arose and passed over , he and the six hundred men that were with him , to Achish , the son of Maoch , king of Gath . And David abode with Achish at Gath , he and his men , every man with his household ; David with his two wives , Ahinoam the Jizreelitess , and Abigail the Carmelitess , Nabal's wife . And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath ; and he sought no more for him . And David said to Achish , If now I have found favour in thine eyes , let them give me a place in some country-town , that I may abide there ; for why should thy servant abide in the royal city with thee ? And Achish gave him Ziklag that day ; therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day . And the time that David abode in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months . And David and his men went up and made a raid upon the Geshurites , and the Gerzites , and the Amalekites : for those were of old the inhabitants of the land , as thou goest to Shur , and as far as the land of Egypt . 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 . So Achish said , Have ye not made a raid to-day ? And David said , Against the south of Judah , and against the south of the Jerahmeelites , and against the south of the Kenites . And David left neither man nor woman alive , to bring [ them ] to Gath , for he said , Lest they should tell of us , saying , So did David . And such was his custom as long as he abode in the country of the Philistines . And Achish trusted David , saying , He has made himself utterly odious among his people Israel ; and he shall be my servant for ever . And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered together their armies for warfare to fight against Israel . And Achish said to David , Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to the camp , thou and thy men . And David said to Achish , Thereby thou shalt know what thy servant can do . And Achish said to David , Therefore will I make thee keeper of my person for ever . ( Now Samuel was dead , and all Israel had lamented him , and they had buried him in Ramah , even in his own city . And Saul had put away the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land . ) And the Philistines gathered themselves together , and came and encamped in Shunem ; and Saul gathered all Israel together , and they encamped in Gilboa . And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines , he was afraid , and his heart greatly trembled . And Saul inquired of Jehovah ; but Jehovah did not answer him , either by dreams , or by Urim , or by prophets . Then said Saul to his servants , Seek me a woman that has a spirit of Python , that I may go to her and inquire of her . And his servants said to him , Behold , there is a woman who has a spirit of Python at En-dor . And Saul disguised himself , and put on other garments , and he went , and two men with him , and they came to the woman by night ; and he said , I pray thee , divine to me by the spirit of Python , and bring me [ him ] up whom I shall name to thee . And the woman said to him , Behold , thou knowest what Saul has done , how he has cut off the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land ; and why layest thou a snare for my life , to cause me to die ? And Saul swore unto her by Jehovah , saying , [ As ] Jehovah liveth , there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing . Then said the woman , Whom shall I bring up to thee ? And he said , Bring me up Samuel . And when the woman saw Samuel , she cried out with a loud voice ; and the woman spoke to Saul , saying , Why hast thou deceived me ? Even thou art Saul . And the king said to her , Be not afraid ; but what didst thou see ? And the woman said to Saul , I saw a god ascending out of the earth . And he said to her , What is his form ? And she said , An old man comes up ; and he is covered with a mantle . And Saul knew that it was Samuel , and he stooped with his face to the ground , and bowed himself . And Samuel said to Saul , Why hast thou disquieted me , to bring me up ? And Saul said , I am sore distressed ; for the Philistines make war against me , and God is departed from me , and answers me no more , neither by prophets nor by dreams ; therefore I have called thee , that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do . And Samuel said , Why then dost thou inquire of me , seeing Jehovah is departed from thee , and is become thine enemy ? And Jehovah has done for himself as he spoke by me ; and Jehovah has rent the kingdom out of thy hand , and given it to thy neighbour , to David . Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of Jehovah , and didst not execute his fierce anger upon Amalek , therefore has Jehovah done this thing to thee this day . And Jehovah will also give Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines ; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me ; the army of Israel also will Jehovah give into the hand of the Philistines . And Saul fell straightway his full length on the earth , and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel ; and there was no strength in him , for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night . And the woman came to Saul , and saw that he was sore troubled , and said to him , Behold , thy bondmaid has hearkened to thy voice , and I have put my life in my hand , and have hearkened to thy words which thou spokest to me . And now , I pray thee , hearken thou also to the voice of thy bondmaid , and let me set a morsel of bread before thee ; and eat , that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way . But he refused and said , I will not eat . Then his servants , and the woman also , compelled him , and he hearkened to their voice ; and he arose from the earth and sat on the bed . And the woman had a fat calf in the house ; and she hasted and killed it , and took flour , and kneaded it , and baked unleavened bread thereof ; and she brought it near before Saul , and before his servants , and they ate . And they rose up and went away that night . And the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek ; and Israel encamped by the spring that is in Jizreel . And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands ; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish . And the princes of the Philistines said , What are these Hebrews ? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines , Is not this David , the servant of Saul the king of Israel , who has been with me these days , or these years , and I have found nothing in him since the day of his falling away [ to me ] to this day ? But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him ; and the princes of the Philistines said to him , Make the man return , that he may go again to his place where thou hast appointed him , that he go not down with us to the battle , that in the battle he be not an adversary to us ; for wherewith should this [ fellow ] reconcile himself to his master ? should it not be with the heads of these men ? Is not this David , of whom they sang one to another in dances , saying , Saul smote his thousands , and David his ten thousands ? And Achish called David , and said to him , [ As ] Jehovah liveth , thou art upright , and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is acceptable to me ; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to this day ; but thou art not acceptable to the lords . And now return , and go in peace , that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines . And David said to Achish , But what have I done ? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee to this day , that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king ? And Achish answered and said to David , I know that thou art acceptable to me , as an angel of God ; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said , He shall not go up with us to the battle . And now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee ; and rise ye early in the morning , and when ye have daylight , depart . And David rose up early , he and his men , to depart in the morning , to return into the land of the Philistines . And the Philistines went up to Jizreel . And it came to pass , when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day , that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the south , and upon Ziklag , and smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire ; and had taken the women captives that were in it ; both great and small : they had put none to death , but had carried them off , and went on their way . And David and his men came to the city , and behold , it was burnt with fire ; and their wives , and their sons , and their daughters were taken captives . 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 captives , Ahinoam the Jizreelitess , and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite . And David was greatly distressed ; for the people spoke of stoning him ; for the soul of all the people was embittered , every man because of his sons and because of his daughters ; but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God . And David said to Abiathar the priest , Ahimelech's son , Bring near to me , I pray thee , the ephod . And Abiathar brought the ephod near to David . And David inquired of Jehovah , saying , Shall I pursue after this troop ? shall I overtake them ? And he said to him , Pursue ; for thou shalt assuredly overtake [ them ] and shalt certainly recover . So David went , he and the six hundred men that were with him , and they came to the torrent Besor ; and those that were left stayed behind . And David pursued , he and four hundred men ; for two hundred stayed behind , who were too exhausted to go over the torrent Besor . And they found an Egyptian in the field , and brought him to David , and gave him bread , and he ate ; and they gave him water to drink , and gave him a piece of fig-cake and two raisin-cakes , and he ate , and his spirit came again to him ; for he had eaten no bread , nor drunk any water , for three days and three nights . And David said to him , To whom belongest thou ? and whence art thou ? And he said , I am a young man of Egypt , servant of an Amalekite ; and my master left me , because three days ago I fell sick . We made a raid against the south of the Cherethites , and against what [ belongs ] to Judah , and against the south of Caleb ; and we burned Ziklag with fire . And David said to him , Canst thou bring me down to this troop ? And he said , Swear to me by God , that thou wilt neither put me to death nor deliver me up into the hand of my master , and I will bring thee down to this troop . And he brought him down , and behold , they were spread over the whole land , eating and drinking , and dancing , because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines , and out of the land of Judah . 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 taken : and David recovered his two wives . And there was nothing missed by them , neither small nor great , neither sons nor daughters , neither spoil nor anything that they had taken : David brought all back . And David took all the flocks and the herds , [ which ] they drove before the other cattle , and said , This is David's spoil . And David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David , and whom they had left behind at the torrent Besor ; and they went forth to meet David , and to meet the people that were with him ; and David drew near to the people and saluted them . And all the wicked men , and [ men ] of Belial , of those that had gone with David , answered and said , Because they went not with us , we will not give them [ aught ] of the spoil that we have recovered , save to every man his wife and his children , that they may lead [ them ] away and depart . Then said David , Ye shall not do so , my brethren , with that which Jehovah has given us , who has preserved us , and given the troop that came against us into our hand . And who will hearken to you in this matter ? For as his share is that goes down to the battle , so shall his share be that abides by the baggage : they shall share alike . And it was [ so ] from that day forward ; and he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day . And David came to Ziklag , and he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah , to his friends , saying , Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah : to those in Bethel , and to those in south Ramoth , and to those in Jattir , and to those in Aroer , and to those in Siphmoth , and to those in Eshtemoa , and to those in Rachal , and to those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites , and to those in the cities of the Kenites , and to those in Hormah , and to those in Chor-ashan , and to those in Athach , and to those in Hebron , and to all the places where David himself and his men went about . And the Philistines fought against Israel ; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines , and fell down slain on mount Gilboa . And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons ; and the Philistines smote Jonathan , and Abinadab , and Malchishua , Saul's sons . And the battle went sore against Saul , and the archers came up with him ; and he was much terrified by the archers . Then said Saul to his armour-bearer , Draw thy sword , and thrust me through with it ; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through , and abuse me . But his armour-bearer would not ; for he was much afraid . So Saul took the sword and fell on it . And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead , he fell likewise on his sword , and died with him . So Saul died , and his three sons , and his armour-bearer , and all his men , that same day together . And when the men of Israel that were on this side of the valley , and [ they ] that were on this side of the Jordan , saw that the men of Israel fled , and that Saul and his sons were dead , they forsook the cities and fled ; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them . And it came to pass the next day , that the Philistines came to strip the slain , and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on mount Gilboa . And they cut off his head , and stripped off his armour , and sent [ them ] into the land of the Philistines round about , to announce the glad tidings in the houses of their idols , and to the people . And they put his armour 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 what 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 the tamarisk at Jabesh , and fasted seven days .