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First Samuel

1 Now there was a certain man of Ra-math-a-im--zo-phim, of the hill-country of E-phra-im, and his name was El-ka-nah, the son of Jeroham, the son of E-li-hu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an E-phra-imite: ²and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of other Pe-nin-nah: and Pe-nin-nah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, priests unto Jehovah, were there. ⁴And when the day came that El-ka-nah sacrificed, he gave to Pe-nin-nah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: ⁵but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Jehovah had shut up her womb. ⁶And her rival provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. ⁷And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. ⁸And El-ka-nah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why do you weep? and why do you not eat? and why is your heart grieved? am I not better to you than ten sons?

⁹So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah. ¹⁰And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto Jehovah, and wept greatly. ¹¹And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. ¹²And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth. ¹³Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. ¹⁴And Eli said unto her, How long will you be drunken? put away your wine from you. ¹⁵And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Jehovah. ¹⁶Count not your handmaid for a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto. ¹⁷Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him. ¹⁸And she said, Let your handmaid find favor in your sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat; and her countenance was no more sad.

¹⁹And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before Jehovah, and returned, and came to their house in Ra-mah: and El-ka-nah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her. ²⁰And it came to pass, when the time was come, that Hannah conceived, and bare a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of Jehovah. ²¹And the man El-ka-nah, and all his house, went up to offer unto Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. ²²But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned; and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and there abide for ever. ²³And El-ka-nah her husband said unto her, Do what seems good to you; tarry until you have weaned him; only Jehovah establish his word. So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him. ²⁴And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one E-phah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of Jehovah in Shiloh: and the child was young. ²⁵And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. ²⁶And she said, Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying unto Jehovah. ²⁷For this child I prayed; and Jehovah has given me my petition which I asked of him: ²⁸therefore also I have given him to Jehovah; as long as he lives he is given to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there.

2 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exults in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over my enemies; Because I rejoice in your salvation. ²There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides you, Neither is there any rock like our God. ³Talk no more so exceedingly proudly; Let not arrogance come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. ⁴The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength. ⁵They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger: yes, the barren has borne seven; And she that has many children languishes. ⁶Jehovah kills, and makes alive: He brings down to Sheol, and brings up. ⁷Jehovah makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, he also lifts up. ⁸He raised up the poor out of the dust, He lifts up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s, And he has set the world upon them. ⁹He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail. ¹⁰They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed.

¹¹And El-ka-nah went to Ra-mah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest. ¹²Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not Jehovah. ¹³And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; ¹⁴and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came there. ¹⁵Yes, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of you, but raw. ¹⁶And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as your soul desires; then he would say, No, but you shall give it to me now: and if not, I will take it by force. ¹⁷And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah. ¹⁸But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁹Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ²⁰And Eli blessed El-ka-nah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give you seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Jehovah. And they went unto their own home. ²¹And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah. ²²Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. ²³And he said unto them, Why do you such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. ²⁴No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: you make Jehovah’s people to transgress. ²⁵If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they listened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah was minded to slay them. ²⁶And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Jehovah, and also with men.

3 And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. ²And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), ³and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was; ⁴that Jehovah called Samuel; and he said, Here am I. ⁵And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. ⁶And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. *** ⁷Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him. ⁸And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child. ⁹Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call you, that you shall say, Speak, Jehovah; for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for your servant hears.

¹¹And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle. ¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. ¹³For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not. ¹⁴And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever. ¹⁵And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. ¹⁶Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I. ¹⁷And he said, What is the thing that Jehovah has spoken unto you? I pray you, hide it not from me: God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke unto you. ¹⁸And Samuel told him every detail, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah: let him do what seems him good.

¹⁹And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-She-ba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah. ²¹And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah.

4 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and camped beside Eb’en-E-zer: and the Philistines camped in A-phek. ²And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was crushed before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. ³And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, why has Jehovah crushed us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies. ⁴So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of hosts, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. ⁵And when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. ⁶And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaning is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of Jehovah was come into the camp. ⁷And 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 before. ⁸Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

¹⁰And the Philistines fought, and Israel was crushed, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. ¹¹And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, were slain.

¹²And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. ¹³And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. ¹⁴And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaning is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried, and came and told Eli. ¹⁵Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see. ¹⁶And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. And he said, How went the matter, my son? ¹⁷And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. ¹⁸And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹And his daughter-in-law, Phin-e-has’ 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 brought forth; for her pains came upon her. ²⁰And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for you have brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. ²¹And 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. ²²And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.

5 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-E-zer unto Ashdod. ²And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. ³And when they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. ⁴And when they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. ⁵Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.

⁶But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof. ⁷And 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 greatly upon us, and upon Dagon our god. ⁸They sent therefore 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 answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel there. ⁹And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors brake out upon them. ¹⁰So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. ¹¹They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that is slay us not, and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. ¹²And the men that died not were smitten with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

6 And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months. ²And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? show us wherewith we shall sent it to its place. ³And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but by all means return him a trespass-offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. ⁴Then they said, What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. ⁵Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory unto the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. ⁶why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? ⁷Now therefore take and prepare a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them; ⁸and take the ark of Jehovah, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. ⁹And see; if it go up by the way of its own border to Beth-she-mesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us.

¹⁰And the men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home; ¹¹and they put the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. ¹²And the cows took the straight way by the way to Beth-she-mesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-she-mesh. ¹³And they of Beth-she-mesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. ¹⁴And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. ¹⁵And the Levites took down the ark of Jehovah, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-she-mesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto Jehovah. ¹⁶And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. ¹⁷And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering unto Jehovah: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; ¹⁸and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, which stone remains unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

¹⁹And he struck of the men of Beth-she-mesh, because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah, he struck of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand men; and the people mourned, because Jehovah had smitten the people with a great slaughter. ²⁰And the men of Beth-she-mesh said, Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us? ²¹And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kir-jath-je’a-rim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Jehovah; come down, and bring it up to you.

7 And the men of Kir-jath-je’a-rim came, and brought up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of A-bin-a-dab in the hill, and sanctified El-e-a-zar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah. ²And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kir-jath-je’a-rim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah.

³And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If you do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ash-ta-roth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁴Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ash-ta-roth, and served Jehovah only. ⁵And Samuel said, gather all Israel to Miz-pah, and I will pray for you unto Jehovah. ⁶And they gathered together to Miz-pah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Miz-pah.

⁷And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Miz-pah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto Jehovah our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁹And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering unto Jehovah: and Samuel cried unto Jehovah for Israel; and Jehovah answered him. ¹⁰And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and confused them; and they were crushed down before Israel. ¹¹And the men of Israel went out of Miz-pah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth-car. ¹²Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Miz-pah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-E-zer, saying, Hitherto has Jehovah helped us.

¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel: and the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the border thereof did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Am-or-ites. ¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el and Gil-gal, and Miz-pah; and he judged Israel in all those places. ¹⁷And his return was to Ra-mah, for his house was there; and there he judged Israel: and he built there an altar unto Jehovah.

8 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. ²Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, A-bi-ah: they were judges in Beer-She-ba. ³And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ra-mah; ⁵and they said unto him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. ⁶But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah. ⁷And Jehovah said unto Samuel, listen unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them. ⁸According to all the works which 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 you. ⁹Now therefore listen unto their voice: howbeit you shall protest solemnly unto them, and shall show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. ¹⁰And Samuel told all the words of Jehovah unto the people that asked of him a king. ¹¹And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots; ¹²and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will set some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots. ¹³And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. ¹⁴And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. ¹⁶And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your finest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. ¹⁷He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants. ¹⁸And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day. ¹⁹But the people refused to listen unto the voice of Samuel; and they said, no: but we will have a king over us, ²⁰that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. ²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Jehovah. ²²And Jehovah said to Samuel, listen unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go every man unto his city.

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of A-bi-el, the son of Ze-ror, the son of Be-cho-rath, the son of A-phi-ah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. ²And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young and a goodly man: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

³And the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take one of the servants with you, and arise, go seek the asses. ⁴And he passed through the hill-country of E-phra-im, and passed through the land of Shal-i-sha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Sha-lim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. ⁵When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, unless my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us. ⁶And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he says comes surely to pass: now let us go there; perhaps he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go. ⁷Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? ⁸And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. ⁹(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) ¹⁰Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

¹¹As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? ¹²And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: hurry now, for he is come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place: ¹³as soon as you are come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he does bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore go up; for at this time you shall find him. ¹⁴And they went up to the city; and as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place. ¹⁵Now Jehovah had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, ¹⁶To-morrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. ¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said unto him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people.

¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray you, where the seer’s house is. ¹⁹And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for you shall eat with me today: and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart. ²⁰And as for your asses that were lost three days ago, set not your mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father’s house? ²¹And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? why then do you speak to me after this manner? ²²And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons. ²³And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said unto you, Set it aside. ²⁴And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold, that which has been reserved! set it before you and eat; because unto the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. ²⁵And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop. ²⁶And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Arise, that I may send you away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. ²⁷As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but you stand still, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.

10 Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that Jehovah has anointed you to be prince over his inheritance? ²When you are departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre, in the border of Benjamin at Zel-zah; and they will say unto you, The asses which you went to seek are found; and, lo, your father has left off caring for the asses, and is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? ³Then shall you go on forward from there, and you shall come to the oak of Ta-bor; and there you shall meet three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: ⁴and they will salute you, and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive of their hand. ⁵After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is: and it shall come to pass, when you are come to the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying: ⁶and the Spirit of Jehovah will come mightily upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man. ⁷And let it be, when these signs are come unto you, that you do as the occasion shall serve you; for God is with you. ⁸And you shall go down before me to Gil-gal; and, behold, I will come down unto you, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shall you tarry, till I come unto you, and show you what you shall do.

⁹And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. ¹⁰And when they came to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. ¹¹And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? ¹²And one of the same place answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? ¹³And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. ¹⁴And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, where did you go? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel. ¹⁵And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray you, what Samuel said unto you. ¹⁶And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not.

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together unto Jehovah to Miz-pah; ¹⁸and he said unto the children of Israel, This says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you: ¹⁹but you have this day rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said unto him, no, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes, and by your thousands. ²⁰So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. ²¹And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Mat-rites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken: but when they sought him, he could not be found. ²²Therefore they asked of Jehovah further, Is there yet a man to come? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the baggage. ²³And they ran and brought him there; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. ²⁴And Samuel said to all the people, You see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him along all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king. ²⁵Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. ²⁶And Saul also went to his house in Gib-e-ah; and there went with him the host, whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷But certain worthless fellows said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

11 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and camped against Ja-besh-gil-e-ad: and all the men of Ja-besh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you. ²And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. ³And the elders of Ja-besh said unto him, Give us seven days’ relief, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel; and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to you. ⁴Then came the messengers to Gib-e-ah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

⁵And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Ja-besh. ⁶And the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. ⁷And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, whoeverever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the dread of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man. ⁸And he numbered them in Be-zek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. ⁹And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall you say unto the men of Ja-besh-gil-e-ad, To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and told the men of Ja-besh; and they were glad. ¹⁰Therefore the men of Ja-besh said, To-morrow we will come out unto you, and you shall do with us all that seems good unto you. ¹¹And it was so on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that not two of them were left together.

¹²And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. ¹³And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day; for today Jehovah has worked deliverance in Israel. ¹⁴Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gil-gal, and renew the kingdom there. ¹⁵And all the people went to Gil-gal; and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gil-gal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

12 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said unto me, and have made a king over you. ²And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth unto this day. ³Here I am: witness 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 oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you. ⁴And they said, you have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man’s hand. ⁵And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they said, He is witness.

⁶And Samuel said unto the people, It is Jehovah that appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. ⁷Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers. ⁸When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. ⁹But they forgot Jehovah their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sis-e-ra, captain of the host of Ha-zor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. ¹⁰And they cried unto Jehovah, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ash-ta-roth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you. ¹¹And Jehovah sent Jer-ub-ba-al, and Be-dan, and Jeph-thah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. ¹²And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said unto me, no, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king. ¹³Now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and, behold, Jehovah has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and listen unto his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, and both you and also the king that reigns over you be followers of Jehovah your God, well: ¹⁵but if you will not listen unto the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then will the hand of Jehovah be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking for a king. ¹⁸So Samuel called unto Jehovah; and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel. ¹⁹And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for your servants unto Jehovah your God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask for a king. ²⁰And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not; *** you have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart: ²¹and turn not aside; for then would you go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. ²²For Jehovah will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Jehovah to make you a people unto himself. ²³Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way. ²⁴Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king.

13 Saul was forty years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, ²Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Mich-mash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib-e-ah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. ³And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. ⁴And all Israel heard say that Saul had crushed the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gil-gal. ⁵And the Philistines assembled themselves 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 camped in Mich-mash, eastward of Beth-aven. ⁶When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits. ⁷Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gil-e-ad; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gil-gal, and all the people followed him trembling.

⁸And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gil-gal; and the people were scattered from him. ⁹And Saul said, Bring the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering. ¹⁰And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. ¹¹And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you came not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Mich-mash; ¹²therefore I said, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gil-gal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. ¹³And Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which he commanded you: for now would Jehovah have established your kingdom upon Israel for ever. ¹⁴But now your kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah has sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Jehovah commanded you.

14 Now it fell upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on yonder side. But he told not his father. ²And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gib-e-ah under the pomegranate-tree which is in Mig-ron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; ³and A-hi-ah, the son of A-hi-tub, I-cha-bod’s brother, the son of Phin-e-has, the son of Eli, the priest of Jehovah in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. ⁴And between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bo-zez, and the name of the other Sen-eh. ⁵The one crag rose up on the north in front of Mich-mash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. ⁶And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few. ⁷And his armor-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in your heart: turn, behold, I am with you according to your heart. ⁸Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them. ⁹If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. ¹⁰But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for Jehovah has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us. ¹¹And both of them disclosed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. ¹²And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armor-bearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel. ¹³And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor-bearer slew them after him. ¹⁴And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. ¹⁵And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

¹⁶And the watchmen of Saul in Gib-e-ah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and there. ¹⁷Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. ¹⁸And Saul said unto A-hi-ah, Bring the ark of God here. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel. ¹⁹And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw your hand. ²⁰And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. ²¹Now the Hebrews that were with the Philistines as beforetime, and that went up with them into the camp, from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. ²²Likewise all the men of Israel that had hid themselves in the hill-country of E-phra-im, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. ²³So Jehovah saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth-aven.

²⁴And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had charged the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food. ²⁵And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground. ²⁶And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. ²⁷But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: why he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. ²⁸Then answered one of the people, and said, your father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats food this day. And the people were faint. ²⁹Then said Jonathan, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines. ³¹And they struck of the Philistines that day from Mich-mash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint; ³²and the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people did eat them with the blood. ³³Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Jehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, you have dealt treacherously: roll a great stone unto me this day. ³⁴And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay 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 slew them there. ³⁵And Saul built an altar unto Jehovah: the same was the first altar that he built unto Jehovah.

³⁶And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seems good unto you. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. ³⁷And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. ³⁸And Saul said, Draw near hither, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day. ³⁹For, as Jehovah lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. ⁴⁰Then said he unto all Israel, Be you on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seems good unto you. ⁴¹Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped. ⁴²And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. ⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die. ⁴⁴And Saul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan. ⁴⁵And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Jehovah lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. ⁴⁶Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against E-dom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and wherever he turned himself, he put them to the worse. ⁴⁸And he did valiantly, and struck the A-mal-ek-ites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. ⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: ⁵⁰and the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. ⁵¹And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of A-bi-el. ⁵²And there was greatly war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

15 And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore listen you unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. ²Thus says Jehovah of hosts, I have marked that which Am-a-lek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. ³Now go and strike Am-a-lek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. ⁴And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. ⁵And Saul came to the city of Am-a-lek, and laid wait in the valley. ⁶And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the A-mal-ek-ites, unless I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the A-mal-ek-ites. ⁷And Saul struck the A-mal-ek-ites, from Hav-i-lah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt. ⁸And he took Agag the king of the A-mal-ek-ites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰Then came the word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, ¹¹It repents me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and have not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry; and he cried unto Jehovah all night. ¹²And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gil-gal. ¹³And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be you of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. ¹⁴And Samuel said, What then does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear mean? ¹⁵And Saul said, They have brought them from the A-mal-ek-ites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. ¹⁶Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell you what Jehovah has said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. ¹⁷And Samuel said, Though you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed you king over Israel; ¹⁸and Jehovah sent you on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the A-mal-ek-ites, and fight against them until they be consumed. ¹⁹why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah, but did fly upon the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah? ²⁰And Saul said unto Samuel, yes, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Am-a-lek, and have utterly destroyed the A-mal-ek-ites. ²¹But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah your God in Gil-gal. ²²And Samuel said, has Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. ²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and images. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he has also rejected you from being king.

²⁴And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. ²⁵Now therefore, I pray you, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah. ²⁶And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel. ²⁷And as Samuel turned about to go away, Saul laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. ²⁸And Samuel said unto him, Jehovah has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of your, that is better than you. ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent. ³⁰Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah your God. ³¹So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped Jehovah.

³²Then said Samuel, Bring you hither to me Agag the king of the A-mal-ek-ites. And Agag came unto him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. ³³And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gil-gal. ³⁴Then Samuel went to Ra-mah; and Saul went up to his house to Gib-e-ah of Saul. ³⁵And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16 And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. ²And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. ³And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint unto me him whom I name unto you. ⁴And Samuel did that which Jehovah spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, come you peaceably? ⁵And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah’s anointed is before him. ⁷But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart. ⁸Then Jesse called A-bin-a-dab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this. ⁹Then Jesse made Sham-mah to pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this. ¹⁰And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Jehovah have not chosen these. ¹¹And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all your children? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and bring him; for we will not sit down till he come hither. ¹²And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. ¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ra-mah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. ¹⁵And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. ¹⁶Let our lord now command your servants, that are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well. ¹⁷And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. ¹⁸Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him. ¹⁹why Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep. ²⁰And Jesse took an ass loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. ²¹And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer. ²²And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight. ²³And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

17 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. ²And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and camped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. ³And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. ⁴And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. ⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. ⁷And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him. ⁸And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. ⁹If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us. ¹⁰And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. ¹¹And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

¹²Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men. ¹³And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and next unto him A-bin-a-dab, and the third Sham-mah. ¹⁴And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul. ¹⁵Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem. ¹⁶And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. ¹⁷And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for your brethren an E-phah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brethren; ¹⁸and bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how your brethren fare, and take their pledge. ¹⁹Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. ²⁰And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle. ²¹And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. ²²And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and saluted his brethren. ²³And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them. ²⁴And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid. ²⁵And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. ²⁶And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? ²⁷And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that kills him. ²⁸And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why are you come down? and with whom has you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you are come down that you might see the battle. ²⁹And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? ³⁰And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

³¹And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. ³²And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. ³³And Saul said to David, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. ³⁴And David said unto Saul, your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and slew him. ³⁶Thy servant struck both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷And David said, Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with you. ³⁸And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. ³⁹And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he appraiseed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

⁴⁰And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. ⁴¹And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. ⁴²And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance. ⁴³And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that you come to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field. ⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶This day will Jehovah deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from off you; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand.

⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹And David put his hand in his bag, and took there a stone, and slang it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. ⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. ⁵¹Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵²And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. ⁵³And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. ⁵⁴And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent. ⁵⁵And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell. ⁵⁶And the king said, Inquire you whose son the stripling is. ⁵⁷And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. ⁵⁸And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, you young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.

18 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ²And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. ³Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. ⁵And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

⁶And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music. ⁷And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. ⁸And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ⁹And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. ¹⁰And it came to pass on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; ¹¹and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

¹²And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. ¹³Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him. ¹⁵And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. ¹⁷And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give you to wife: only be you valiant for me, and fight Jehovah’s battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. ¹⁸And David said unto 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? ¹⁹But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. ²⁰And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. why Saul said to David, you shall this day be my son-in-law a second time. ²²And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king’s son-in-law. ²³And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, seems it to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? ²⁴And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spoke David. ²⁵And Saul said, Thus shall you say to David, The king desires not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. And the days were not expired; ²⁷and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. ²⁸And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. ²⁹And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually. ³⁰Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

19 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. ²And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to slay you: now therefore, I pray you, take heed to yourself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide yourself: ³and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will commune with my father of you; and if I see anything, I will tell you. ⁴And Jonathan spoke good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he have not sinned against you, and because his works have been to you-ward very good: ⁵for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Jehovah worked a great victory for all Israel: you saw it, and did rejoice; why then will you sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? ⁶And Saul listened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As Jehovah lives, he shall not be put to death. ⁷And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as beforetime.

⁸And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. ⁹And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand. ¹⁰And Saul sought to strike David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he struck the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

¹¹And Saul sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, If you save not your life to-night, to-morrow you will be slain. ¹²So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. ¹³And Michal took the images, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes. ¹⁴And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. ¹⁵And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. ¹⁶And when the messengers came in, behold, the images was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at the head thereof. ¹⁷And Saul said unto Michal, Why has you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill you?

¹⁸Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ra-mah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. ¹⁹And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ra-mah. ²⁰And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. ²¹And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. ²²Then went he also to Ra-mah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ra-mah. ²³And he went there to Naioth in Ra-mah: and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ra-mah. ²⁴And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. why they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

20 And David fled from Naioth in Ra-mah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is my iniquity? and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life? ²And he said unto him, Far from it; you shall not die: behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. ³And David sware moreover, and said, your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, unless he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death. ⁴Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever your soul desires, I will even do it for you. ⁵And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. ⁶If your father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family. ⁷If he say thus, It is well; your servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, then know that evil is determined by him. ⁸Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?

⁹And Jonathan said, Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon you, then would not I tell it you? ¹⁰Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance your father answer you roughly? ¹¹And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. ¹²And Jonathan said unto David, Jehovah, the God of Israel, be witness: when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto you, and disclose it unto you? ¹³Jehovah do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I disclose it not unto you, and send you away, that you may go in peace: and Jehovah be with you, as he has been with my father. ¹⁴And you shall not only while yet I live show me the lovingkindness of Jehovah, that I die not; ¹⁵but also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house for ever; no, not when Jehovah has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. ¹⁶So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David’s enemies. ¹⁷And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ¹⁸Then Jonathan said unto him, To-morrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹And when you have stayed three days, you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you did hide yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel. ²⁰And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. ²¹And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you; take them, and come; for there is peace to you and no hurt, as Jehovah lives. ²²But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond you; go your way; for Jehovah has sent you away. ²³And as touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between you and me for ever.

²⁴So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food. ²⁵And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side: but David’s place was empty. ²⁶Nevertheless Saul spoke not anything that day: for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. ²⁷And it came to pass on the next day after the new moon, which was the second day, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, why comes not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today? ²⁸And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: ²⁹and he said, Let me go, I pray you; for our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he has commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, I pray you, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king’s table. ³⁰Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, you son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and unto the shame of your mother’s nakedness? ³¹For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. why now send and bring him unto me, for he shall surely die. ³²And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, why should he be put to death? what has he done? ³³And Saul cast his spear at him to strike him; whereby Jonathan knew that is was determined of his father to put David to death. ³⁴So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

³⁵And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. ³⁶And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond you? ³⁸And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, hurry, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. ³⁹But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. ⁴⁰And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. ⁴¹And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. ⁴²And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

21 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why are you alone, and no man with you? ²And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send you, and what I have commanded you: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place. ³Now therefore what is under your hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatsoever there is present. ⁴And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women. ⁵And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then today shall their vessels be holy? ⁶So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. ⁷Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul. ⁸And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required hurry. ⁹And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

22 David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. ²And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. ³And David went there to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me. ⁴And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. ⁵And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get you into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.

⁶And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him: now Saul was sitting in Gib-e-ah, under the Ta-marisk-tree in Ra-mah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. ⁷And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, ⁸that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or discloses unto me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? ⁹Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of A-hi-tub. ¹⁰And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him goods, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. ¹¹Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of A-hi-tub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. ¹²And Saul said, Hear now, you son of A-hi-tub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. ¹³And Saul said unto him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and has inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? ¹⁴Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into your council, and is honorable in your house? ¹⁵Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more. ¹⁶And the king said, you shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father’s house. ¹⁷And the king said unto the guard that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of Jehovah; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of Jehovah. ¹⁸And the king said to Doeg, Turn you, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. ¹⁹And Nob, the city of the priests, struck he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

²⁰And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of A-hi-tub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. ²¹And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah’s priests. ²²And David said unto Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. ²³Abide you with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life: for with me you shall be in safeguard.

23 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors. ²Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said unto David, Go, and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah. ³And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? ⁴Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. ⁵And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David save the inhabitants of Keilah. ⁶And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars. ⁸And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. ⁹And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. ¹⁰Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. ¹¹Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down. ¹²Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver you up. ¹³Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

¹⁴And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. ¹⁵And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood. ¹⁶And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto you; and that also Saul my father knows. ¹⁸And they two made a covenant before Jehovah: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

¹⁹Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gib-e-ah, saying, does not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? ²⁰Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king’s hand. ²¹And Saul said, Blessed be you of Jehovah; for you have had compassion on me. ²²Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtly. ²³See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come you again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. ²⁴And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert. ²⁵And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: why he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. ²⁶And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made hurry to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. ²⁷But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, hurry you, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land. ²⁸So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth. ²⁹And David went up from there, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.

24 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. ²Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. ³And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave. ⁴And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which Jehovah said unto you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good unto you. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly. ⁵And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. ⁶And he said unto his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, Jehovah’s anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is Jehovah’s anointed. ⁷So 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. ⁸David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.

⁹And David said to Saul, why do you listen to men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeks your hurt? ¹⁰Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that Jehovah had delivered you today into my hand in the cave: and some said me kill you; but my eye spared you; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Jehovah’s anointed. ¹¹Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and killed you not, know you and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt after my life to take it. ¹²Jehovah judge between me and you, and Jehovah avenge me of you; but my hand shall not be upon you. ¹³As says the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be upon you. ¹⁴After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. ¹⁵Jehovah therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.

¹⁶And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹⁷And he said to David, you are more righteous than I; for you have rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto you evil. ¹⁸And you have declared this day how that you have dealt well with me, forasmuch as when Jehovah had delivered me up into your hand, you killed me not. ¹⁹For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? why Jehovah reward you good for that which you have done unto me this day. ²⁰And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. ²¹Swear now therefore unto me by Jehovah, that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house. ²²And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men got them up unto the stronghold.

25 And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ra-mah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Par-an.

²And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. ³Now 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 of the house of Caleb. ⁴And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. ⁵And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: ⁶and thus shall you say to him that lives in prosperity, Peace be unto you, and peace be to your house, and peace be unto all that you have. ⁷And now I have heard that you have shearers: your shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there anything missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. ⁸Ask your young men, and they will tell you: why let the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray you, whatsoever comes to your hand, unto your servants, and to your son David. ⁹And when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. ¹⁰And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master. ¹¹Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not where they are?

¹²So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words. ¹³And David said unto his men, Gird you on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage. ¹⁴But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them. ¹⁵But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields: ¹⁶they were a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. ¹⁷Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house: for he is such a worthless fellow, that one cannot speak to him.

¹⁸Then Abigail made hurry, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. ¹⁹And she said unto her young men, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. ²⁰And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them. ²¹Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he has returned me evil for good. ²²God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one man-child. ²³And when Abigail saw David, she hurried, and dismounted from her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. ²⁴And she fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity; and let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your ears, and hear you the words of your handmaid. ²⁵Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom you did send. ²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, seeing Jehovah has withheld you from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. ²⁷And now this present which your servant has brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men that follow my lord. ²⁸Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid: for Jehovah will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah; and evil shall not be found in you all your days. ²⁹And though men be risen up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling. ³⁰And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you prince over Israel, ³¹that this shall be no grief unto you, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. And when Jehovah shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.

³²And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me: ³³and blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, that has kept me this day from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand. ³⁴For in very deed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting you, except you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one man-child. ³⁵So David received of her hand that which she had brought him: and he said unto her, Go up in peace to your house; see, I have listened to your voice, and have accepted your person.

³⁶And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: why she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. ³⁷And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. ³⁸And it came to pass about ten days after, that Jehovah struck Nabal, so that he died. ³⁹And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Jehovah, that has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil: and the evil-doing of Nabal has Jehovah returned upon his own head. And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife. ⁴⁰And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying, David has sent us unto you, to take you to him to wife. ⁴¹And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. ⁴²And Abigail hurried, 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. ⁴³David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives. ⁴⁴Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

26 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gib-e-ah, saying, does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert? ²Then 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. ³And Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. ⁴David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a certainty. ⁵And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had camped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were camped round about him.

⁶Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. ⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him. ⁸Then said Abishai to David, God has delivered up your enemy into your hand this day: now therefore let me strike him, I pray you, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time. ⁹And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah’s anointed, and be guiltless? ¹⁰And David said, As Jehovah lives, Jehovah will strike him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish. ¹¹Jehovah forbid that I should put forth my hand against Jehovah’s anointed: but now take, I pray you, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go. ¹²So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s head; and they got them away: and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.

¹³Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them; ¹⁴and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, answer you not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who are you that cry to the king? ¹⁵And David said to Abner, are not you a valiant man? and who is like to you in Israel? why then has you not kept watch over your lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord. ¹⁶This thing is not good that you have done. As Jehovah lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, Jehovah’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head. ¹⁷And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. ¹⁸And he said, why does my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand? ¹⁹Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Jehovah that has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah: for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods. ²⁰Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Jehovah: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one does hunt a partridge in the mountains.

²¹Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. ²²And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the young men come over and bring it. ²³And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as Jehovah delivered you into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against Jehovah’s anointed. ²⁴And, behold, as your life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Jehovah, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. ²⁵Then Saul said to David, Blessed be you, my son David: you shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

27 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. ²And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. ⁴And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. ⁵And David said unto Achish, If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you? ⁶Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. ⁷And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

⁸And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the A-mal-ek-ites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. ⁹And David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel; and he returned, and came to Achish. ¹⁰And Achish said, Against whom have you made a raid today? And David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites. ¹¹And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, unless they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so has been his manner all the while he has dwelt in the country of the Philistines. ¹²And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

28 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know you assuredly, that you shall go out with me in the host, you and your men. ²And David said to Achish, Therefore you shall know what your servant will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever. ³Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ra-mah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. ⁴And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and camped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in Gilboa. ⁵And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

⁷Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that has a familiar spirit at En-dor. ⁸And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, Divine unto me, I pray you, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto you. ⁹And the woman said unto him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die? ¹⁰And Saul swore to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing. ¹¹Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto you? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. ¹²And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why has you deceived me? for you are Saul. ¹³And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what see you? And the woman said unto Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth. ¹⁴And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.

¹⁵And Samuel said to Saul, Why has you disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answered me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may make known unto me what I shall do. ¹⁶And Samuel said, why then do you ask of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from you, and is become your adversary? ¹⁷And Jehovah has done unto you, as he spoke by me: and Jehovah has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David. ¹⁸Because you obeyed not the voice of Jehovah, and did not execute his fierce wrath upon Am-a-lek, therefore has Jehovah done this thing unto you this day. ¹⁹Moreover Jehovah will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shall you and your sons be with me: Jehovah will deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.

²⁰Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was greatly 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. ²¹And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was greatly troubled, and said unto him, Behold, your handmaid has listened unto your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened unto your words which you spoke unto me. ²²Now therefore, I pray you, listen you also unto the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way. ²³But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. ²⁴And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hurried, and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: ²⁵and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

29 Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to A-phek: and the Israelites camped by the fountain which is in Jezreel. ²And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish. ³Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto 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 rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day? ⁴But he princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, unless in the battle he become an adversary to us: for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men? ⁵Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?

⁶Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As Jehovah lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor you not. ⁷why now return, and go in peace, that you displease not the lords of the Philistines. ⁸And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what has you found in your servant so long as I have been before you unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? ⁹And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. ¹⁰why now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord that are come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart. ¹¹So 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 Jezreel.

30 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the A-mal-ek-ites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had crushed Ziklag, and burned it with fire, ²and had taken captive the women and all that were therein, both small and great: they slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way. ³And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive. ⁴Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ⁵And David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ⁶And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God.

⁷And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray you, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought there the ephod to David. ⁸And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all. ⁹So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. ¹⁰But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. ¹¹And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink. ¹²And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. ¹³And David said unto him, To whom do you belong? and where are you? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. ¹⁴We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongs to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. ¹⁵And David said to him, will you bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop. ¹⁶And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, 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. ¹⁷And David struck them from the twilight even unto 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. ¹⁸And David recovered all that the A-mal-ek-ites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. ¹⁹And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them: David brought back all. ²⁰And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.

²¹And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. ²²Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart. ²³Then said David, you shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah has given unto us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. ²⁴And who will listen unto you in this matter? for as his share is that go down to the battle, so shall his share be that tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike. ²⁵And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. ²⁶And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah: ²⁷To them that were in Beth-el, and to them that were in Ramoth of the South, and to them that were in Jattir, ²⁸and to them that were in Aroer, and to them that were in Siphmoth, and to them that were in Eshtemoa, ²⁹and to them that were in Racal, and to them that were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them that were in the cities of the Kenites, ³⁰and to them that were in Hormah, and to them that were in Bor-ashan, and to them that were in Athach, ³¹and to them that were in He-bron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were known to haunt.