against Amalek and that he should slay and destroy man, woman, and
child, ox, cow, camel and ass and sheep, and spare nothing. Then Saul
assembled his people and had two hundred thousand footmen and twenty
thousand men of the tribe of Judah, and went forth and fought against
Amalek and slew them, sauf he saved Agag the King of Amalek alive, and
all other he slew, but he spared the best flocks of sheep and of other
beasts, and also good clothes, and wethers, and all that was good he
spared, and whatsomever was foul he destroyed. And this was showed to
Samuel by our Lord, saying: Me forthinketh that I have ordained Saul
king upon Israel, for he hath forsaken me, and not fulfilled my
commandments. Samuel was sorry herefor, and wailed all the night. On the
morn he rose and came to Saul, and Saul offered sacrifice to our Lord of
the pillage that he had taken. And Samuel demanded of Saul what noise
that was he heard of sheep and beasts, and he said that they were of the
beasts that the people had brought from Amalek to offer unto our Lord,
and the residue were slain. They have spared the best and fattest for to
do sacrifice with unto thy Lord God. Then said Samuel to Saul:
Rememberest thou not that whereas thou wert least among the tribes of
Israel thou wert made upperest? And our Lord anointed thee, and made
thee king. And he said to thee: Go and slay the sinners of Amalek and
leave none alive, man ne beast; why hast thou not obeyed the commandment
of our Lord? And hast run to robbery and done evil in the sight of God?
And then said Saul to Samuel: I have taken Agag, king of the Amalekites,
and brought him with me, but I have slain Amalek. The people have taken
of the sheep and beasts of the best for to offer unto our Lord God. And
then said Samuel: Trowest thou that our Lord would rather have sacrifice
and offerings than not to obey his commandments? Better is obedience
than sacrifice, and better it is to take heed to do after thy Lord than
to offer the fat kidneys of the wethers. For it is a sin to withstand
and to repugn against his Lord like the sin of idolatry. And because
thou hast not obeyed our Lord, and cast away his word, our Lord hath
cast thee away that thou shalt not be king. Then said Saul to Samuel: I
have sinned for I have not obeyed the word of God and thy words, but
have dreaded the people and obeyed to their request, but I pray thee to
bear my sin and trespass and return with me that I may worship our
Lord. And Samuel answered, I shall not return with thee. And so Samuel
departed, and yet ere he departed, he did do slay [caused to be slain]
Agag the king. And Samuel saw never Saul after unto his death.
Then our Lord bade Samuel to go and anoint one of the sons of Isai,
otherwise called Jesse, to be king of Israel. And so he came into
Bethlehem unto Jesse and bade him bring his sons tofore him. This Jesse
had eight sons, be brought tofore Samuel seven of them, and Samuel said
there was not he that he would have. Then he said that there was no
more, save one which was youngest and yet a child, and kept sheep in the
field. And Samuel said: Send for him, for I shall eat no bread till he
come. And so he was sent for and brought. He was ruddy and fair of
visage and well favored, and Samuel arose, and took an horn with oil and
anointed him in the middle of his brethren. And forthwith the spirit of
our Lord came directly in him that same day and ever after. Then Samuel
departed and came into Ramah. And the spirit of our Lord went away from
Saul and an evil spirit oft vexed him. Then his servants said to him:
Thou oft art vexed with an evil spirit, it were good to have one that
could harp, to be with thee when the spirit vexeth thee, thou shalt bear
it the lighter. And he said to his servants: Provide ye to me such one.
And then one said: I saw one of Jesse's sons play on a harp, a fair
child and strong, wise in his talking and our Lord is with him. Then
Saul sent messages to Jesse for David, and Jesse sent David his son
with a present of bread, wine, and a kid, to Saul. And always when the
evil spirit vexed Saul, David harped tofore him and anon he was eased,
and the evil spirit went his way.
After this the Philistines gathered them into great hosts to make war
against Saul and the children of Israel, and Saul gathered the children
of Israel together and came against them in the vale of Terebinthe. The
Philistines stood upon the hill on that other part, and the valley was
between them. And there came out of the host of the Philistines a great
giant named Goliath of Gath; he was six cubits high and a palm, and a
helmet of brass on his head, and was clad in a habergeon. The weight of
his habergeon was of five thousand shekels of weight of metal. He had
boots of brass on his calves, and his shoulders were covered with plates
of brass. His glaive was as a great colestaff, and there was thereon six
shekels of iron, and his squire went tofore him and cried against them
of Israel, and said they should choose a man to fight a singular battle
against Goliath, and if he were overcome the Philistines should be
servants to Israel, and if he prevailed and overcame his enemy, they of
Israel should serve the Philistines, and thus he did cry forty days
long. Saul and the children of Israel were sore afraid. David was at
this time in Bethlehem with his father, and kept sheep, and three of his
brethren were in the host with Saul. To whom Jesse said: David, take
this pottage, ten loaves of bread, and ten cheeses, and go run unto the
host to thy brethren, and see how they do, and learn how they be
arrayed. David delivered his sheep to one to keep them, and bare these
things unto the host. And when he came thither he heard a great cry, and
he demanded after his brethren. And that same time came forth that giant
Goliath and said, as he had done tofore, and David heard him speak. All
they of Israel fled for fear of him, and David demanded what he was, and
it was told him that he was come to destroy Israel, and also that what
man that might slay him, the king should enrich him with great riches,
and should give to him his daughter, and shall make the house of his
father without tribute. And David said: What is this uncircumcised that
hath despised the host of the God of Israel? And what reward shall he
have that shall slay him? And the people said as afore is said. And when
his oldest brother heard him speak to the people he was wroth with him,
and said: Wherefore art thou come hither and hast left the few sheep in
desert. I know well thy pride, thou art come for to see the battle. And
David said: What have I done? Is it not as the people said? I dare fight
well with this giant; and declined from his brother to other of the
people. And all this was showed to Saul, and David was brought to him,
and said to Saul: I, thy servant, shall fight against this giant if thou
wilt. And Saul said to him: Thou mayst not withstand this Philistine nor
fight against him, for thou art but a child; this giant hath been a
fighter from his childhood. David said to Saul: I thy servant kept my
father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took away a wether
from the middle of my flock, and I pursued after, and took it again from
their mouths, and they arose and would have devoured me, and I caught
them by the jaws and slew them. I thy servant slew the lion and the
bear, therefore this Philistine uncircumcised shall be as one of them. I
shall now go and deliver Israel from this opprobrium and shame. How is
this Philistine uncircumcised so hardy as to curse the host of the
living God? And yet said David: The Lord that kept me from the might of
the lion and from the strength of the bear, he will deliver me from the
power of the Philistine. Saul said then to David: Go, and our Lord be
with thee.
Saul did do arm him with his armor, and girded his sword about him. And
when he was armed, David said: I may not ne cannot fight thus, for I am
not accustomed ne used, and unarmed him, and took his staff that he had
in his hand, and chose to him five good round stones from the brook and
put them in his bag, and took a sling in his hand, and went forth
against the giant. And when Goliath saw him come, he despised him and
said: Weenest thou that I am a hound that comest with thy staff to me?
And he cursed David by his gods, and said to David: Come hither and I
shall give thy flesh to the fowls of heaven and to the beasts of the
earth. David said unto Goliath: Thou comest to me with thy sword and
glaive, and I come to thee in the name of the Lord God of the host of
Israel which thou hast this day despised; and that Lord shall give thee
in my hand, and I shall slay thee and smite off thy head. And I shall
give this day the bodies of the men of war of the Philistines to the
fowls of heaven, and to the beasts of the earth. Then Goliath rose and
hied toward David, and David on that other side hied, and took a stone
and laid it in his sling, and threw it at the giant, and smote him in
the forehead in such wise that the stone was fixed there, in that he
fell down on his visage. Thus prevailed David against the Philistine
with his sling and stone, and smote him and slew him. And he had no
sword but he went and took Goliath's own sword and therewith smote off
his head. And then the Philistines seeing this giant thus slain, fled,
and the Israelites after followed, and slew many of them, and returned
again and came into the tents, pavilions and lodgings of the
Philistines, and took all the pillage.
David took the head of Goliath and brought it into Jerusalem, and his
arms he brought into his tabernacle. And Abner brought David, having the
head of Goliath in his hand, tofore Saul. And Saul demanded of him of
what kindred that he was, and he said that he was son of Jesse of
Bethlehem, and forthwith that same time Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved
David as his own soul. Saul then would not give him license to return to
his father, and Jonathan and he were confederate and swore each of them
to be true to other, for Jonathan gave his coat that he was clad withal,
and all his other garments, unto his sword and spear, unto David. And
David did all that ever Saul bade him do wisely and prudently. And when
he returned from the battle, and Goliath was slain, the women came out
from every town singing with choirs and timpanes against the coming of
Saul with great joy and gladness, saying: Saul hath slain a thousand and
David hath slain ten thousand. And this saying displeased much to Saul,
which said: They have given to David ten thousand and to me one
thousand; what may he more have save the realm, and to be king? For this
cause Saul never loved David after that day, ne never looked on him
friendly but ever sought means afterward to destroy David, for he
dreaded that David should be lord with him, and put him from him. And
David was wise and kept him well from him. And after this he wedded
Michal, daughter of Saul, and Jonathan made oft times peace between Saul
and David, yet Saul kept no promise, but ever lay in wait to slay David.
And Jonathan warned David thereof. And David gat him a company of men of
war to the number of four hundred, and kept him in the mountains.
And on a time David was at home with his wife Michal, and Saul sent
thither men of war to slay him in his house in the morning; and when
Michal heard thereof, she said to David: But if thou save thyself this
night, to-morn thou shalt die, and she let him out by a window by which
he escaped and saved himself. Michal took an image and laid in his bed,
and a rough skin of a goat on the head of the image, and covered it with
clothes. And on the morn Saul sent spies for David, and it was answered
to them that he lay sick in his bed. Then after this sent Saul
messengers for to see David, and said to them: Bring him to me in his
bed that he may be slain. And when the messengers came they found a
simulachre or an image in his bed, and goats' skins on the head. Then
said Saul to Michal his daughter: Why hast thou mocked me so, and hast
suffered mine enemy to flee? And Michal answered to Saul and said: He
said to me: Let me go or I shall slay thee.
David went to Samuel in Rama and told him all that Saul had done to him.
And it was told to Saul that David was with Samuel, and he sent thither
messengers to take him. And when they came they found them with the
company of prophets, and they sat and prophesied with them. And he sent
more. And they did also so. And the third time he sent more messengers.
And they also prophesied. And then Saul being wroth asked where Samuel
and David were, and went to them, and he prophesied when he came also,
and took off his clothes and was naked all that day and night before
Samuel. David then fled from thence and came to Jonathan and complained
to him saying: What have I offended that thy father seeketh to slay me?
Jonathan was sorry therefore, for he loved well David. After this Saul
ever sought for to slay David. And on a time Saul went into a cave, and
David was within the cave, to whom his squire said: Now hath God brought
thine enemy into thine hand; now go and slay him. And David said: God
forbid that I should lay any hand on him, he is anointed. I shall never
hurt ne grieve him, let God do his pleasure. And he went to Saul and cut
off a gobet [a small piece] of his mantle and kept it. And when Saul was
gone out, soon after issued David out and cried to Saul saying: Lo!
Saul, God hath brought thee into my hands. I might have slain thee if I
had would, but God forbade that I should lay hand on thee, my lord
anointed of God. And what have I offended that thou seekest to slay me?
Who art thou? said Saul. Art thou not David my son? Yes, said David, I
am thy servant, and kneeled down and worshipped him. Then said Saul: I
have sinned, and wept and also said: Thou art rightfuller than I am,
thou hast done to me good, and I have done to thee evil. And thou hast
well showed to me this day that God had brought me into thine hand, and
thou hast not slain me. God reward thee for this, that thou hast done to
me; now know I well that thou shalt reign in Israel. I pray thee to be
friendly to my seed, and destroy not my house, and swear and promise me
that thou take not away my name from the house of my father; and David
sware and promised to Saul. And then Saul departed and went home, and
David and his people went in to surer places.
Anon after this Samuel died, and was buried in his house in Rama. And
all Israel bewailed him greatly. Then there was a rich man in the mount
of Carmel that hight Nabal, and on a time he sheared and clipped his
sheep, to whom David sent certain men, and bade them say that David
greeted him well, and whereas aforetimes his shepherds kept his sheep
in desert, he never was grevious to them, ne they lost not much as a
sheep as long as they were with us, and that he might ask his servants
for they could tell, and that he would now in their need send them what
it pleased him. Nabal answered to the children of David: Who is that
David? Trow ye that I shall send the meat that I have made ready for
them that shear my sheep and send it to men that I know not? The men
returned and told to David all that he had said. Then said David to his
men: Let every man take his sword and gird him withal, and David took
his sword and girt him. And David went and four hundred men followed
him, and he left two hundred behind him. One of the servants of Nabal
told to Abigail, Nabal's wife, how that David had sent messengers from
the desert unto his lord, and how wroth and wayward he was, and also he
said that those men were good enough to them when they were in desert,
ne never perished beast of yours as long as they were there. They were a
wall and a shield for us both day and night all the time that we kept
our flocks there, wherefore consider what is to be done. They purpose to
do harm to him and to his house, for he is the son of Belial in such
wise that no man may speak with him. Then Abigail hied her and took two
hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bottles of wine, five wethers
sodden, and five measures of pottage, and one hundred bonds of grapes
dried, and two hundred masses of caricares, and laid all this upon
asses, and said to her servants: Go ye tofore, and I shall follow
after. She told hereof nothing to her husband Nabal.
Then she took an ass and rode after, and when she came to the foot of
the hill, David and his men descended; to whom she ran, and David said:
I have for naught saved all the beasts of this Nabal in desert, and
there perished nothing of his that pertained to him, and he hath yielded
evil for good. By the living God I shall not leave as much as his alive
as one man. As soon as Abigail saw David she descended from her ass, and
fell down tofore David, upon her visage and worshipped him on the earth,
and fell down to his feet and said: In me, said she, my lord, be this
wickedness, I beseech thee that I thine handmaiden may speak to thine
ears, and that thou wilt hear the words of me thy servant. I pray and
require thee my lord, let not thy heart be set against this wicked man
Nabal, for according to his name he is a fool, and folly is with him. I
thine handmaid saw not thy children that thou sendedst. Now, therefore,
my lord, for the love of God and of thy soul, suffer not thy hand to
shed no blood, and I beseech God that thine enemies may be like Nabal
and they that would thee harm; and I beseech thee to receive this
blessing and present which I thine handmaid have brought to thee, my
lord, and give it to thy men that follow thee, my lord. Take away the
wickedness from me thy servant, and I beseech God to make to thee, my
lord, a house of truth, for thou, my lord, shall fight the battles of
our Lord God; and let no malice be found in thee, never in all the days
of thy life. If ever any man arise against thee or would pursue or would
hurt thee, I beseech God to keep thee. And when our Lord God hath
accomplished to thee, my lord, all that he hath spoken good of thee, and
hath constituted thee duke upon Israel, let this not be in thy thought,
ne scruple in thy heart that thou shouldest shed blood not guilty, ne be
thou not now avenged. And when our Lord God hath done well to thee, my
lord, have thou remembrance on me thine handmaid, and do well to me.
And David said to Abigail: Blessed be God of Israel that sent thee this
day to meet me, and blessed be thy speech, and blessed be thou that hast
withdrawn me from bloodshedding, and that I avenged me not on mine enemy
with mine hand, else by the living God of Israel, if thou hadst not come
unto me, there should not have blyven [been left] unto Nabal to-morn in
the morning one man. Then David received all that she brought and said
to her: Go peaceably into thine house, lo! I have heard thy voice and I
have honored thy visage; and so Abigail came unto Nabal, and David
returned into the place he came from. Nabal made a great feast in his
house, like the feast of a king, and the heart of Nabal was jocund; he
was drunken, and Abigail his wife told to him no word till on the morn,
little ne much. On the morn when Nabal had digested the wine, his wife
told him all these words. And his heart was mortified within him, and he
was dead like a stone, for the tenth day after, our Lord smote him and
he died. And when David heard that he was dead, he said: Blessed be the
good Lord that hath judged the cause of mine opprobrium from the hand of
Nabal, and hath kept me his servant from harm, and our Lord hath yielded
the malice of Nabal on his own head. Then David sent to Abigail for to
have her to his wife, and she humbled herself and said she his handmaid
was ready to wash the feet of his servants. And she arose and took with
her five maidens which went afoot by her, and she rode upon an ass, and
followed the messengers, and was made wife to David. And David also took
another wife called Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both two were his wives.
After this Saul always sought David for to slay him. And the people
called Zyphites told to Saul that David was hid in the hill of Hachilah
which was on the after part of the wilderness, and Saul took with him
three thousand chosen men and followed and sought David. David when he
heard of the coming of Saul went into the place whereas Saul was, and
when he was asleep he took one with him and went into the tent where
Saul slept, and Abner with him and all his people. Then said Abishai to
David: God hath put thine enemy this day in thine hands, now I shall go
and smite him through with my spear, and then after that we shall have
no need to dread him. And David said to Abishai: Slay him not; who may
extend his hand into the anointed king of God and be innocent? And David
said yet more: By the living God, but if God smite him or the days come
that he shall die or perish in battle, God be merciful to me, as I
shall not lay my hand on him that is anointed of our Lord. Now take the
spear that standeth at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go.
David took the spear and the cup and departed thence and there was not
one that saw them ne awaked, for they slept all. Then when David was on
the hill far from them, David cried to the people and to Abner, saying:
Abner, shalt not thou answer? And Abner answered: Who art thou that
cryest and wakest the king? And David said to Abner: Art thou not a man
and there is none like thee in Israel? why hast thou not therefore kept
thy lord the king? There is one of the people gone in to slay the king
thy lord; by the living Lord it is not good that ye do, but be ye worthy
to die because ye have not kept your lord anointed of our Lord. Now look
and see where the king's spear is, and the cup of water that stood at
his head. Saul knew the voice of David and said: Is not this thy voice,
my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord king. For what
cause dost thou, my lord, pursue me thy servant? what thing have I done
and what evil have I committed with my hand? Thou seest well I might
have slain thee if I would; God judge between thee and me. And Saul
said: I have sinned, return, my son; I shall never hereafter do thee
harm ne evil, for thy soul is precious in my sight this day. It
appeareth now that I have done follily, and am ignorant in many things.
Then said David: Lo! here is the spear of the king, let a child come
fetch it, our Lord shall reward to every man after his justice and
faith. Our Lord hath this day brought thee into my hands, and yet I
would not lay mine hand on him that is anointed of our Lord. And like as
thy soul is magnified this day in my sight, so be my soul magnified in
the sight of God and deliver me from all anguish. Saul said then to
David: Blessed be thou, my son David. And David went then his way, and
Saul returned home again.
And David said in his heart: Sometime it might hap to me to fall and
come into the hands of Saul, it is better I flee from him and save me in
the land of the Philistines. And he went thence with six hundred men and
came to Achish king of Gath and dwelled there. And when Saul understood
that he was with Achish he ceased to seek him. And Achish delivered to
David a town to dwell in named Ziklag.