him up into the king's hand.
023:021 Saul said, Blessed be you of Yahweh; for you have had
compassion on me.
023:022 Please go 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.
023:023 See 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 happen, if he be in the land,
that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
023:024 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.
023:025 Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told,
he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon.
When Saul heard [that], he pursued after David in the
wilderness of Maon.
023:026 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.
023:027 But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste you, and come;
for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.
023:028 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went
against the Philistines: therefore they called that
place Sela Hammahlekoth.
023:029 David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds
of En Gedi.
024:001 It happened, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines,
that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness
of En Gedi.
024:002 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel,
and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
024:003 He came to the sheep pens by the way, where was a cave;
and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men
were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave.
024:004 The men of David said to him, Behold, the day of which Yahweh
said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand,
and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.
Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.
024:005 It happened afterward, that David's heart struck him,
because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
024:006 He said to his men, Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing
to my lord, Yahweh's anointed, to put forth my hand against him,
seeing he is Yahweh's anointed.
024:007 So David checked his men with these words, and didn't allow
them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of the cave,
and went on his way.
024:008 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave,
and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. When Saul
looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth,
and did obeisance.
024:009 David said to Saul, Why listen you to men's words, saying,
Behold, David seeks your hurt?
024:010 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that Yahweh
had delivered you today into my hand in the cave:
and some bade me kill you; but [my eye] spared you;
and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord;
for he is Yahweh's anointed.
024:011 Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe
in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe,
and didn't kill you, know you and see that there is neither evil
nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you,
though you hunt after my life to take it.
024:012 Yahweh judge between me and you, and Yahweh avenge me of you;
but my hand shall not be on you.
024:013 As says the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked comes
forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be on you.
024:014 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom do you
pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
024:015 Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you,
and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.
024:016 It came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking
these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice,
my son David? Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
024:017 He said to David, You are more righteous than I; for you have
rendered to me good, whereas I have rendered to you evil.
024:018 You have declared this day how that you have dealt well with me,
because when Yahweh had delivered me up into your hand,
you didn't kill me.
024:019 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed?
Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you
have done to me this day.
024:020 Now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that
the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
024:021 Swear now therefore to me by Yahweh, that you will not cut
off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name
out of my father's house.
024:022 David swore to Saul. Saul went home; but David and his men
got them up to the stronghold.
025:001 Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together,
and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah.
David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
025:002 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.
025:003 Now 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 face:
but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was
of the house of Caleb.
025:004 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
025:005 David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men,
Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
025:006 and thus shall you tell him who lives [in prosperity],
Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be
to all that you have.
025:007 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 to them, all the while they were in Carmel.
025:008 Ask your young men, and they will tell you: therefore let
the young men find favor in your eyes; for we come in a good day.
Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants,
and to your son David.
025:009 When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according
to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
025:010 Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David?
and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants who break
away from their masters these days.
025:011 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my meat that I
have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don't
know where they come from?
025:012 So David's young men turned on their way, and went back,
and came and told him according to all these words.
025:013 David said to his men, Gird you on every man his sword.
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.
025:014 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife,
saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness
to Greet our master; and he railed at them.
025:015 But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt,
neither missed we anything, as long as we went with them,
when we were in the fields:
025:016 they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we
were with them keeping the sheep.
025:017 Now 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 can't speak to him.
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 grain, and one hundred clusters of raisins,
and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.
025:019 She said to her young men, Go on before me; behold, I come after you.
But she didn't tell her husband, Nabal.
025:020 It was so, as she rode on her donkey, and came down by the covert
of the mountain, that behold, David and his men came down
toward her; and she met them.
025:021 Now 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 to him: and he has returned me evil for good.
025:022 God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave
of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much
as one who urinates on a wall.{or, male.}
025:023 When Abigail saw David, she hurried, and alighted from her donkey,
and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself
to the ground.
025:024 She fell at his feet, and said, On me, my lord, on me be
the iniquity; and please let your handmaid speak in your ears.
Hear the words of your handmaid.
025:025 Please don't let my lord 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 didn't see the young men
of my lord, whom you did send.
025:026 Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives,
seeing Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness,
and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore
let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord,
be as Nabal.
025:027 Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord,
let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
025:028 Please forgive the trespass of your handmaid: for Yahweh
will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord
fights the battles of Yahweh; and evil shall not be found
in you all your days.
025:029 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 Yahweh your God; and the souls of your enemies,
them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
025:030 It shall come to pass, when Yahweh 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,
025:031 that this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart
to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause,
or that my lord has avenged himself. When Yahweh shall
have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
025:032 David said to Abigail, Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,
who sent you this day to meet me:
025:033 and blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, that have
kept me this day from blood guiltiness, and from avenging
myself with my own hand.
025:034 For in very deed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has
withheld me from hurting you, except you had hurried
and come to meet me, surely there wouldn't have been left
to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates
on a wall.{or, male.}
025:035 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him:
and he said to her, Go up in peace to your house; behold, I have
listened to your voice, and have accepted your person.
025:036 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: therefore she told him nothing,
less or more, until the morning light.
025:037 It happened 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.
025:038 It happened about ten days after, that Yahweh struck Nabal,
so that he died.
025:039 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Yahweh,
who 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 Yahweh returned on his own head.
David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to
him as wife.
025:040 When the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel,
they spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to you, to take
you to him as wife.
025:041 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.
025:042 Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on a donkey, with five ladies
of hers who followed her; and she went after the messengers
of David, and became his wife.
025:043 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both
of them his wives.
025:044 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife,
to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
026:001 The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doesn't David hide
himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?
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.
026:003 Saul encamped 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.
026:004 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was
come of a certainty.
026:005 David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped;
and David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner,
the captain of his army: and Saul lay within the place
of the wagons, and the people were encamped round about him.
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?
Abishai said, I will go down with you.
026:007 So 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.
026:008 Then said Abishai to David, God has delivered up your enemy
into your hand this day: now therefore please let me strike
him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will
not strike him the second time.
026:009 David said to Abishai, Don't destroy him; for who can put forth
his hand against Yahweh's anointed, and be guiltless?
026:010 David said, As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day
shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.
026:011 Yahweh forbid that I should put forth my hand against
Yahweh's anointed: but now please take the spear that is at
his head, and the jar of water, and let us go.
026:012 So David took the spear and the jar 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 Yahweh was fallen on them.
026:013 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top
of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;
026:014 and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner,
saying, Don't you answer, Abner? Then Abner answered,
Who are you who cries to the king?
026:015 David said to Abner, Aren't you a [valiant] man? and who is like
you in Israel? why then have you not kept watch over your lord,
the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy
the king your lord.
026:016 This thing isn't good that you have done. As Yahweh lives,
you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over
your lord, Yahweh's anointed. Now see where the king's spear is,
and the jar of water that was at his head.
026:017 Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this your voice,
my son David? David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
026:018 He said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? for what
have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
026:019 Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words
of his servant. If it be Yahweh that has stirred you
up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it
be the children of men, cursed be they before Yahweh:
for they have driven me out this day that I shouldn't cling
to Yahweh's inheritance, saying, Go, serve other gods.
026:020 Now therefore, don't let my blood fall to the earth away
from the presence of Yahweh: for the king of Israel is
come out to seek a flea, as when one does hunt a partridge
in the mountains.
026:021 Then 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.
026:022 David answered, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of
the young men come over and get it.
026:023 Yahweh will render to every man his righteousness and
his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today,
and I wouldn't put forth my hand against Yahweh's anointed.
026:024 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 Yahweh, and let
him deliver me out of all oppression.
026:025 Then 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.
027:001 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.
027:002 David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men
who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
027:003 David lived 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.
027:004 It was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought
no more again for him.
027:005 David said to 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?
027:006 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertains
to the kings of Judah to this day.
027:007 The number of the days that David lived in the country
of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
027:008 David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites,
and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those [nations] were
the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur,
even to the land of Egypt.
027:009 David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive,
and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys,
and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned,
and came to Achish.
027:010 Achish said, Against whom have you made a raid today?
David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South
of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.
027:011 David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath,
saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David,
and so has been his manner all the while he has lived
in the country of the Philistines.
027:012 Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel
utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever.
028:001 It happened in those days, that the Philistines gathered
their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel.
Achish said to David, Know you assuredly, that you shall go
out with me in the army, you and your men.
028:002 David said to Achish, Therefore you shall know what your servant
will do. Achish said to David, Therefore will I make you
keeper of my head for ever.
028:003 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him,
and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had
put away those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards,
out of the land.
028:004 The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and
encamped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together,
and they encamped in Gilboa.
028:005 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid,
and his heart trembled greatly.
028:006 When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn't answer him,
neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
028:007 Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman who has
a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.
His servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has
a familiar spirit at Endor.
028:008 Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothing, and went,
he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night:
and he said, Please divine to me by the familiar spirit,
and bring me up whoever I shall name to you.
028:009 The woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done,
how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards,
out of the land: why then lay you a snare for my life,
to cause me to die?
028:010 Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, As Yahweh lives,
there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.
028:011 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to you?
He said, Bring me up Samuel.
028:012 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice;
and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived
me? for you are Saul.
028:013 The king said to her, Don't be afraid: for what do you see?
The woman said to Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.
028:014 He said to her, What form is he of? She said, An old man
comes up; and he is covered with a robe. Saul perceived
that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground,
and did obeisance.
028:015 Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up?
Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines
make war against me, and God is departed from me,
and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams:
therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me
what I shall do.
028:016 Samuel said, Why then do you ask of me, seeing Yahweh is departed
from you, and is become your adversary?
028:017 Yahweh has done to you, as he spoke by me: and Yahweh has torn
the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor,
even to David.
028:018 Because you didn't obey the voice of Yahweh, and didn't execute
his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore has Yahweh done this
thing to you this day.
028:019 Moreover Yahweh will deliver Israel also with you into the hand
of the Philistines; and tomorrow shall you and your sons be with me:
Yahweh will deliver the army of Israel also into the hand
of the Philistines.
028:020 Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth,
and was sore 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.
028:021 The woman came to Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled,
and said to him, Behold, your handmaid has listened to your voice,
and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your
words which you spoke to me.
028:022 Now therefore, please listen also to 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.
028:023 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants,
together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened
to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed.
028:024 The woman had a fattened calf in the house; and she hurried,
and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did
bake unleavened bread of it:
028:025 and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants;
and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
029:001 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek:
and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel.
029:002 The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands;
and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.
029:003 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What [do]
these Hebrews [here]? Achish said to the princes of
the Philistines, Isn't 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 [to me] to this day?
029:004 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him;
and the princes of the Philistines said to 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, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us:
for with what should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his
lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?
029:005 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances,
saying, Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?
029:006 Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Yahweh lives,
you have been upright, and your going out and your coming
in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found
evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day:
nevertheless the lords don't favor you.