When David returned after his victory over Goliath, the women sang: Saul
slew a thousand, but David slew ten thousand. For this, Saul became
suspicious of David and was his enemy all his life. Twice he threw his
javelin at David to spear him to the wall, while he stood playing before
him. David was compelled to flee, and wandered about from place to
place, for Saul was after him. When David once had hidden in a cave,
Saul came into the same cave. David would not put forth his hand against
the Lord’s anointed, but went and cut off a piece of his garment. When
Saul had left the cave, David went out also and showed him the piece.
Saul wept and said: Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast
rewarded evil with good. And Saul went to his house.--Nevertheless he
again went in pursuit of David. While he and his people slept, David
came to his bed and took away his spear and his cruse of water. When
Saul saw that David again had spared his life, he cried: Return, my son
David, for I will no more do thee harm! But David went and dwelt in the
land of the Philistines until Saul’s death.
There was a great battle with the Philistines. Saul was wounded, and
Jonathan had fallen. Saul then said to his armor-bearer: Thrust thy
sword through me. But when he dared not lay his hand on the Lord’s
anointed, he placed the sword against his own breast and fell upon it
and died. David lamented in a beautiful song the death of Saul and
Jonathan. (1 Sam. 18-31; 2 Sam. 1.)