him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him
to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that
which the LORD commanded thee.
09:013:015 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of
Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with
him, about six hundred men.
09:013:016 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were
present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the
Philistines encamped in Michmash.
09:013:017 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in
three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth
to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
09:013:018 And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another
company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the
valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
09:013:019 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of
Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them
swords or spears:
09:013:020 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to
sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and
his mattock.
09:013:021 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters,
and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
09:013:022 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was
neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people
that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with
Jonathan his son was there found.
09:013:023 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of
Michmash.
09:014:001 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul
said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us
go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other
side. But he told not his father.
09:014:002 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a
pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were
with him were about six hundred men;
09:014:003 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of
Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing
an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
09:014:004 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over
unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the
one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of
the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
09:014:005 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against
Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
09:014:006 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come,
and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised:
it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no
restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
09:014:007 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine
heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy
heart.
09:014:008 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men,
and we will discover ourselves unto them.
09:014:009 If 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.
09:014:010 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for
the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be
a sign unto us.
09:014:011 And both of them discovered 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.
09:014:012 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his
armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a
thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after
me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
09:014:013 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and
his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and
his armourbearer slew after him.
09:014:014 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer
made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of
land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
09:014:015 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among
all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also
trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great
trembling.
09:014:016 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and,
behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating
down one another.
09:014:017 Then 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 armourbearer were not there.
09:014:018 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the
ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
09:014:019 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that
the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and
increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
09:014:020 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled
themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every
man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great
discomfiture.
09:014:021 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before
that time, which went up with them into the camp from the
country round about, even they also turned to be with the
Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
09:014:022 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in
mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even
they also followed hard after them in the battle.
09:014:023 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over
unto Bethaven.
09:014:024 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had
adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any
food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So
none of the people tasted any food.
09:014:025 And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey
upon the ground.
09:014:026 And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey
dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people
feared the oath.
09:014:027 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with
the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was
in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand
to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
09:014:028 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly
charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man
that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.
09:014:029 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I
pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I
tasted a little of this honey.
09:014:030 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of
the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not
been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
09:014:031 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to
Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
09:014:032 And 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.
09:014:033 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against
the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye
have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.
09:014:034 And 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 the
LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought
every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
09:014:035 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first
altar that he built unto the LORD.
09:014:036 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night,
and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a
man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto
thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
09:014:037 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the
Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?
But he answered him not that day.
09:014:038 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the
people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
09:014:039 For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth 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.
09:014:040 Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and
Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said
unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
09:014:041 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a
perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people
escaped.
09:014:042 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And
Jonathan was taken.
09:014:043 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And
Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey
with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must
die.
09:014:044 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt
surely die, Jonathan.
09:014:045 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath
wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the
LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the
ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people
rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
09:014:046 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the
Philistines went to their own place.
09:014:047 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all
his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the
children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of
Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he
turned himself, he vexed them.
09:014:048 And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and
delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
09:014:049 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua:
and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the
firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
09:014:050 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of
Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner,
the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
09:014:051 And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner
was the son of Abiel.
09:014:052 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of
Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he
took him unto him.
09:015:001 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to
be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken
thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
09:015:002 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did
to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came
up from Egypt.
09:015:003 Now go and smite Amalek, 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.
09:015:004 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in
Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of
Judah.
09:015:005 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the
valley.
09:015:006 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from
among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye
shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came
up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the
Amalekites.
09:015:007 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest
to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
09:015:008 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly
destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
09:015:009 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the
sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs,
and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but
every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed
utterly.
09:015:010 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
09:015:011 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is
turned back from following me, and hath not performed my
commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the
LORD all night.
09:015:012 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was
told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set
him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone
down to Gilgal.
09:015:013 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be
thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the
LORD.
09:015:014 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep
in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
09:015:015 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for
the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to
sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly
destroyed.
09:015:016 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what
the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say
on.
09:015:017 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight,
wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the
LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
09:015:018 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly
destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them
until they be consumed.
09:015:019 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but
didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the
LORD?
09:015:020 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the
LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have
brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed
the Amalekites.
09:015:021 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of
the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to
sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
09:015:022 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams.
09:015:023 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is
as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word
of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
09:015:024 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have
transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words:
because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
09:015:025 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with
me, that I may worship the LORD.
09:015:026 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for
thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath
rejected thee from being king over Israel.
09:015:027 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the
skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
09:015:028 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of
Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of
thine, that is better than thou.
09:015:029 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for
he is not a man, that he should repent.
09:015:030 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee,
before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn
again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.
09:015:031 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the
LORD.
09:015:032 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the
Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said,
Surely the bitterness of death is past.
09:015:033 And Samuel said, As the sword hath made women childless, so
shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed
Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
09:015:034 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to
Gibeah of Saul.
09:015:035 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his
death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD
repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
09:016:001 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for
Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?
fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse
the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his
sons.
09:016:002 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill
me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am
come to sacrifice to the LORD.
09:016:003 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what
thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name
unto thee.
09:016:004 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to
Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming,
and said, Comest thou peaceably?
09:016:005 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD:
sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he
sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the
sacrifice.
09:016:006 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on
Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.
09:016:007 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or
on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for
the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
09:016:008 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel.
And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
09:016:009 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath
the LORD chosen this.
09:016:010 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And
Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
09:016:011 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he
said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he
keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch
him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
09:016:012 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal
of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the
LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
09:016:013 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the
midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon
David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to
Ramah.
09:016:014 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil
spirit from the LORD troubled him.
09:016:015 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit
from God troubleth thee.
09:016:016 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee,
to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it
shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon
thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be
well.
09:016:017 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can
play well, and bring him to me.
09:016:018 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have
seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in
playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and
prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with
him.
09:016:019 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me
David thy son, which is with the sheep.
09:016:020 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine,
and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
09:016:021 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him
greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
09:016:022 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand
before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
09:016:023 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon
Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so
Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed
from him.
09:017:001 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle,
and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to
Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
09:017:002 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and
pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array
against the Philistines.
09:017:003 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and
Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a
valley between them.
09:017:004 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the
Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six
cubits and a span.
09:017:005 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed
with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five
thousand shekels of brass.
09:017:006 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of
brass between his shoulders.
09:017:007 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his
spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one
bearing a shield went before him.
09:017:008 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said
unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am
not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man
for you, and let him come down to me.
09:017:009 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we
be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him,
then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
09:017:010 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day;
give me a man, that we may fight together.
09:017:011 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine,
they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
09:017:012 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah,
whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went
among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
09:017:013 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to
the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the
battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab,
and the third Shammah.
09:017:014 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed
Saul.
09:017:015 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's
sheep at Bethlehem.
09:017:016 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and
presented himself forty days.
09:017:017 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren
an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run
to the camp of thy brethren;
09:017:018 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their
thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their
pledge.
09:017:019 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the
valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
09:017:020 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep
with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him;
and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the
fight, and shouted for the battle.
09:017:021 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array,
army against army.
09:017:022 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the
carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his
brethren.
09:017:023 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the
champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the
armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same
words: and David heard them.
09:017:024 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from
him, and were sore afraid.
09:017:025 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come
up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that
the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great
riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's
house free in Israel.
09:017:026 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What
shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and
taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this
uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of
the living God?
09:017:027 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So
shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
09:017:028 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men;
and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why
camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those
few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the
naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou
mightest see the battle.
09:017:029 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
09:017:030 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the
same manner: and the people answered him again after the
former manner.