that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of
Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or
sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against
me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
09:022:009 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the
servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to
Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
09:022:010 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals,
and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
09:022:011 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of
Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in
Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
09:022:012 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered,
Here I am, my lord.
09:022:013 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou
and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a
sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise
against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
09:022:014 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so
faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's
son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in
thine house?
09:022:015 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me:
let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all
the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all
this, less or more.
09:022:016 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and
all thy father's house.
09:022:017 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn,
and slay the priests of the LORD: because their hand also is
with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not
shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put
forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
09:022:018 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the
priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the
priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that
did wear a linen ephod.
09:022:019 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote 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.
09:022:020 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named
Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
09:022:021 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD's
priests.
09:022:022 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg
the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have
occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.
09:022:023 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life
seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
09:023:001 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight
against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
09:023:002 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and
smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and
smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
09:023:003 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in
Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the
armies of the Philistines?
09:023:004 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD
answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will
deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
09:023:005 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the
Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them
with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of
Keilah.
09:023:006 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled
to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his
hand.
09:023:007 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul
said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut
in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
09:023:008 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to
Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
09:023:009 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against
him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the
ephod.
09:023:010 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath
certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to
destroy the city for my sake.
09:023:011 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul
come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I
beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will
come down.
09:023:012 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men
into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver
thee up.
09:023:013 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose
and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could
go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah;
and he forbare to go forth.
09:023:014 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and
remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul
sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
09:023:015 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and
David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
09:023:016 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the
wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
09:023:017 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father
shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I
shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
09:023:018 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode
in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
09:023:019 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not
David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the
hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
09:023:020 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire
of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him
into the king's hand.
09:023:021 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have
compassion on me.
09:023:022 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where
his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me
that he dealeth very subtilly.
09:023:023 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places
where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the
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 throughout
all the thousands of Judah.
09:023:024 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and
his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the
south of Jeshimon.
09:023:025 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David;
wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the
wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after
David in the wilderness of Maon.
09:023:026 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his
men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get
away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David
and his men round about to take them.
09:023:027 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and
come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
09:023:028 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went
against the Philistines: therefore they called that place
Selahammahlekoth.
09:023:029 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at
Engedi.
09:024:001 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 Engedi.
09:024:002 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel,
and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild
goats.
09:024:003 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave;
and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men
remained in the sides of the cave.
09:024:004 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which
the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy
into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem
good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of
Saul's robe privily.
09:024:005 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him,
because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
09:024:006 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do
this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch
forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the
LORD.
09:024:007 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered
them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the
cave, and went on his way.
09:024:008 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and
cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul
looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth,
and bowed himself.
09:024:009 And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words,
saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
09:024:010 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had
delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some
bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I
will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the
LORD's anointed.
09:024:011 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my
hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed
thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor
transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against
thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
09:024:012 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of
thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
09:024:013 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth
from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
09:024:014 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost
thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
09:024:015 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee,
and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
09:024:016 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking
these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my
son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
09:024:017 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou
hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
09:024:018 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well
with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into
thine hand, thou killedst me not.
09:024:019 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?
wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done
unto me this day.
09:024:020 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king,
and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine
hand.
09:024:021 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not
cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my
name out of my father's house.
09:024:022 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and
his men gat them up unto the hold.
09:025:001 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered
together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at
Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of
Paran.
09:025:002 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel;
and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep,
and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
09:025:003 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife
Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a
beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in
his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
09:025:004 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his
sheep.
09:025:005 And David sent out 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:
09:025:006 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace
be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be
unto all that thou hast.
09:025:007 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy
shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was
there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in
Carmel.
09:025:008 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the
young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good
day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto
thy servants, and to thy son David.
09:025:009 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according
to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
09:025:010 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David?
and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days
that break away every man from his master.
09:025:011 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I
have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know
not whence they be?
09:025:012 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and
came and told him all those sayings.
09:025:013 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword.
And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded
on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred
men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
09:025:014 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying,
Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute
our master; and he railed on them.
09:025:015 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt,
neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant
with them, when we were in the fields:
09:025:016 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while
we were with them keeping the sheep.
09:025:017 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is
determined against our master, and against all his household:
for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to
him.
09:025:018 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two
bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five
measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins,
and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
09:025:019 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I
come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
09:025:020 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by
the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came
down against her; and she met them.
09:025:021 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this
fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of
all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for
good.
09:025:022 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave
of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that
pisseth against the wall.
09:025:023 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the
ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to
the ground,
09:025:024 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let
this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak
in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
09:025:025 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even
Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and
folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men
of my lord, whom thou didst send.
09:025:026 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul
liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to
shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now
let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as
Nabal.
09:025:027 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto
my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow
my lord.
09:025:028 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the
LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord
fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found
in thee all thy days.
09:025:029 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but
the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with
the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall
he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
09:025:030 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my
lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning
thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;
09:025:031 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart
unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or
that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall
have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
09:025:032 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel,
which sent thee this day to meet me:
09:025:033 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast
kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging
myself with mine own hand.
09:025:034 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath
kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and
come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by
the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
09:025:035 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him,
and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have
hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
09:025:036 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his
house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry
within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him
nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
09:025:037 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out
of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his
heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
09:025:038 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote
Nabal, that he died.
09:025:039 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be
the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the
hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the
LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head.
And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him
to wife.
09:025:040 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel,
they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take
thee to him to wife.
09:025:041 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and
said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet
of the servants of my lord.
09:025:042 And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an ass, with five
damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the
messengers of David, and became his wife.
09:025:043 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of
them his wives.
09:025:044 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to
Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
09:026:001 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not
David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before
Jeshimon?
09:026:002 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph,
having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek
David in the wilderness of Ziph.
09:026:003 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before
Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and
he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
09:026:004 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was
come in very deed.
09:026:005 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched:
and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son
of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench,
and the people pitched round about him.
09:026:006 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to
Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will
go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will
go down with thee.
09:026:007 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold,
Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in
the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round
about him.
09:026:008 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy
into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I
pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I
will not smite him the second time.
09:026:009 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can
stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be
guiltless?
09:026:010 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall
smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend
into battle, and perish.
09:026:011 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against
the LORD's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear
that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
09:026:012 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's
bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew
it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep
sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
09:026:013 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top
of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
09:026:014 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner,
saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and
said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
09:026:015 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who
is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept
thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to
destroy the king thy lord.
09:026:016 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD
liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your
master, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's
spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
09:026:017 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my
son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
09:026:018 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his
servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
09:026:019 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the
words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against
me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of
men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me
out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD,
saying, Go, serve other gods.
09:026:020 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the
face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a
flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
09:026:021 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I
will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in
thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have
erred exceedingly.
09:026:022 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let
one of the young men come over and fetch it.
09:026:023 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his
faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day,
but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's
anointed.
09:026:024 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine
eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD,
and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.
09:026:025 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou
shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So
David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
09:027:001 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the
hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I
should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and
Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of
Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
09:027:002 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men
that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of
Gath.
09:027:003 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man
with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
09:027:004 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he
sought no more again for him.
09:027:005 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine
eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country,
that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in
the royal city with thee?
09:027:006 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag
pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
09:027:007 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the
Philistines was a full year and four months.