Samuel’s Birth

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramah, a Zuphite of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 This man used to go up from his city year by year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of armies in Shiloh. Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. 4 It came to pass on one occasion that Elkanah sacrificed. Now he used to give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters, 5 but to Hannah he used to give a double portion because he loved her. But the Lord had shut up her womb. 6 Her rival used to vex her bitterly in order to make her angry, because the Lord had shut up her womb. 7 This happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to vex her; therefore she wept and would not eat. 8 But Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep and not eat, and why is your heart sad? Am not I better to you than ten sons?’

9 So Hannah rose up, after they had eaten in Shiloh, and stood before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting at his seat at the door-posts of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was greatly distressed and prayed fervently to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 She vowed a vow, saying,

‘O Lord of armies!

If you will indeed look on the affliction of your maid-servant,

remember me and not forget your maid-servant,

but will give to your maid-servant a boy

then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.

A razor will not come upon his head.’

12 While she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Now Hannah was speaking to herself. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli took her for a drunken woman. 14 So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you act like a drunken woman? Put away the effects of your wine and go from the presence of the Lord.’

15 ‘No, my lord,’ Hannah answered, ‘I am an unfortunate woman! I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but I have been pouring out my heart before the Lord. 16 Do not take your maid-servant to be a vile woman, for because of the greatness of my grief and vexation have I continued speaking until now.’

17 Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.’

18 She said, ‘Let your maid-servant find favour in your sight.’ So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

20 And Hannah conceived, and it came to pass at the coming around of the new year that she bore a son, and named him Samuel[fn], saying, ‘For I have asked him of the Lord.’

21 The man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up; for she said to her husband, ‘When the child is weaned then I will bring him and he will appear in the presence of the Lord and will live there forever.’

23 Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Do what seems good to you: wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish your word.’

So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, together with a three-year-old bullock and a bushel of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. 25 They slew the bullock and Hannah brought the lad to Eli. 26 She said, ‘Oh, sir, by your life, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying fervently to the Lord. 27 This is the lad regarding whom I was fervently praying, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of him. 28 Now, I on my part have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord.’ So she left him there before the Lord.

2 And Hannah prayed:

My heart exults in the Lord,

my strength is exalted in the Lord;

my mouth laughs at my enemies;

because I rejoice in your salvation.

2 There is none holy as the Lord,

there is none like you;

there is no rock like our God.

3 Do not talk so proudly,

let not arrogance come out of your mouth,

for the Lord is a God of knowledge,

and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken,

and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread,

and they that were hungry have ceased;

while the barren has borne seven,

she who had many children has languished.

6 The Lord kills, and makes alive;

he brings down to the grave, and brings up.

7 The Lord makes poor, and makes rich;

he brings low, he also lifts up.

8 He raises up the poor out of the dust,

he lifts up the needy from the garbage heap

to make them sit with princes,

and inherit the throne of glory.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,

and he has set the world upon them.

9 He will guard the feet of his holy ones,

but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness;

for not by strength will humans prevail.

10 They who strive with the Lord will be broken to pieces;

against them will he thunder in heaven.

The Lord will judge the ends of the earth,

he will give strength to his king

and exalt the power of his anointed.

11 So Elkanah went to Ramah. But the lad was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were base scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord, 13 nor for what was justly due to the priest from the people. Whenever a man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and would strike into the pot or the kettle or the basin or the dish. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. So they did to all the Israelites who came to sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh. 15 Moreover before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant used to come and say to the man who was making the offering, ‘Give me meat to roast for the priest; for he will not take from you boiled flesh, but raw.’ 16 Should the man, however, say to him, ‘First you should burn the fat, then take as much as you desire,’ he would reply, ‘No, you must give it at once or else I will take it by force.’ 17 The sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men had contempt for the offering of the Lord. 18 And Samuel continued ministering before the Lord – a lad girded with a linen ephod. 19 His mother used to make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, ‘The Lord repay you with offspring from this woman for the gift which she gave to the Lord.’ Then they would return to their own home. 21 And the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew up before the Lord.

22 Now Eli was very old; and whenver he heard what his sons were doing to all Israel, how they lay with the women who did service at the door of the tent of meeting, 23 he said to them, ‘Why do you do such things as these, which I hear from the mouth of all the people. 24 No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If one man sin against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who could act as mediator for him?’ Notwithstanding they did not listen to the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to slay them. 26 But the lad Samuel kept on growing larger and better in the estimation both of the Lord and of men.

27 There came a man of God to Eli and said to him, ‘This is the Lord’s message: I revealed myself to your father’s house, when they were in Egypt servants to Pharaoh’s house, 28 and I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest to go up to my altar to burn sacrifices, to bear an ephod before me, and I gave to your father’s house for food all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire. 29 Why do you look with envious eyes on my sacrifices and offerings, and honour your sons above me in fattening yourselves with the first-fruits of all the offerings which the Israelites bring me?” 30 Therefore the Lord the God of Israel says, “I had indeed thought that your house and the house of your father would walk before me forever,” but now the Lord says, “Far be it from me, for them who honour me I will honour, and they who despise me will be lightly esteemed. 31 The days are quickly coming when I Will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house. 32 You will look in affliction and enviously on all the prosperity which I will give Israel, and there will not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I do not cut off from my altar will be spared to weep out his eyes and to wear out his body, and all of your household will die by the sword of men. 34 This will be the sign to you that will come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both will die. 35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my desire, and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before my anointed forever. 36 Anyone who is left in your house will come to do him obeisance for a piece of money or a loaf of bread, and will beg to be given in one of the priests’ offices so that they may eat a morsel of bread.” ’

3 The child Samuel continued ministering before the Lord in the presence of Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there were no frequent visions. 2 Once at that time, when Eli was lying in his Samuel place – his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see – 3 and while the lamp of God was still burning, and Samuel was lying in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, 4 the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ 5 He ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ But he said, ‘I didn’t call, lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. 6 Then the Lord called yet again, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ But he answered, ‘I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.’ 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord neither had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him. 8 So when the Lord called Samuel again the third time, he arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am; for you called me.’ Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the child. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if you are called, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Then the Lord came, and stood there, and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak; for your servant is listening.’ 11 And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do such a thing in Israel, that the ears of everyone who hears it will ring. 12 In that day I will perform toward Eli all that I have spoken against his house from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the guilt which he knew, in that his sons were blaspheming God and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the guilt of Eli’s house will not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering forever.’

15 And Samuel lay there until the morning. Then he rose early in the morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to make the known the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘I am here.’ 17 He said, ‘What is the thing that the Lord has spoken to you? Hide nothing from me. May God do to you whatever he will, if you conceal from me a word of all that he spoke to you.’ 18 So Samuel told him everything; and hid nothing from him. And Eli said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.’

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel, 4 and the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Samuel the judge

Now in those days the Philistines assembled to make war against Israel. Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped at Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel, and Israel was smitten before the Philistines, and the battle was hard fought and they slew in the ranks on the field about four thousand men. 3 But when the people returned to the camp, the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring to us the ark of our God out of Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the hand of our enemies.’ 4 So they sent to Shiloh; and took from there the ark of the Lord of armies who sits enthroned above the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of God. 5 When the ark of God the Lord came to the camp, all Israel shouted such a great shout that the earth rang.

6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, ‘What does this great shouting in the Hebrew’s camp mean?’ When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 they were afraid, and said, ‘These are their gods. They have come to them to the camp. 8 Woe to Woe to us! Nothin like this has happened to us before! Who can deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with every sort of plague and pesilence. 9 Be strong, and be men, O Philistines, so that you will not become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you.’

10 So the Philistines fought and there was great slaughter. Israel was defeated and each fled to his home. There fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11 The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, perished.

12 A Benjamite ran from the ranks and came to Shiloh the same day with his garments torn and with earth on his head. 13 Just as he came, Eli was sitting upon his seat beside the gate watching the road, for his heart was trembling for the ark of God. When the man came to the city to inform it, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying he said, ‘What is this tumultuous noise?’ The man came quickly and told Eli. 15 (Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set, so that he could not see). 16 The man said to Eli, ‘I have come from the battle, for I fled today from the ranks.’ He said, ‘How went the matter, my son?’ 17 He that brought the tidings answered, ‘Israel fled before the Philistines, and there was also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.’ 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell from his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’s wife, was pregnant and near her time. When she heard the report regarding the capture of the ark of God, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and crouched down and gave birth to a child. 20 As she lay dying, the women who stood by her said to her, ‘Do not fear, for you have given birth to a son.’ But she neither answered nor heeded. 21 She named the child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory is taken away from Israel,’ meaning the capture of the ark of God, and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 ‘Glory has left Israel,’ she said, ‘because the ark of God is taken.’

5 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it up by the side of Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next day, there was Dagon fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. They raised up Dagon and set him in his place again. 4 But when they arose early on the following morning, behold there was Dagon fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and both his hands were cut off upon the threshold, and only the body of Dagon was left. 5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day, but step over it. 6 The hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, both in Ashdod and its borders. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, ‘The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.’ 8 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, ‘What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?’ They answered, ‘Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.’ So they moved the ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But after they had brought it to Gath, the hand of the Lord was against the city – there was a very great panic – and he struck the men of the city, both young and old, so that tomors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But when the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, ‘They have brought around the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.’ 11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, ‘Send away the ark of the God of Israel, let it go back to its own place and not kill us and our people.’ For a deadly panic had seized the entire city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the cry of lamentation from the city went up to heaven.

6 The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines for seven months. 2 Then the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners, and said, ‘What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Show us how we should send it to its place.’ 3 They said, ‘If you are sending the ark of the God of Israel, you must not send it away empty. You must return to him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will be made known to you why his hand is not removed from you.’ 4 Then they were asked, ‘What should the guilt offering be which we should return to him?’ and they said, ‘Five golden tumors, and five golden rats, corresponding to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was upon you as well as upon your lords. 5 Therefore you should make images of your tumors, and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you should give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from on you and your gods and your land. 6 Why be stubborn, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh were stubborn? Remember how he made sport of them until they let Israel go?

7 So take and prepare a new cart, and two milch cows which have never been yoked, and fasten the cows to the cart. But leave their calves behind them at home. 8 Take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put the golden objects which you are returning to him as a guilt offering in a box at its side. Then send it on its way. 9 Watch; if it goes on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it was the Lord was did us this great harm, but if not, then we will know that it was not his hand that stuck us but it was an accident that happened to us.’

10 The men did all this. They took two mulch cows and fastened them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11 They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the box with the golden rats and the images of their tumors. 12 The cows took a straight course in the direction of Beth-shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn left nor right. The lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 The inhabitants of Beth-shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. They lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and came rejoicing to meet it. 14 When the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh, it stood still there, near a great stone. So they chopped up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was with it, in which were the golden objects, and placed them on the great stone. The men of Beth-shemesh offered to the Lord on that day burnt offerings and ordinary sacrifices. 16 When the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron on that day.

17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron. 18 The golden rats correspond to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages. A witness is the great stone, by which they set down the ark of the Lord. To this day it is in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

19 The descendents of Jechoniah, however, did not rejoice with the men of Beth-shemesh, when they welcomed the ark of the Lord. So he killed seventy of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with such a great slaughter. 20 The people of Beth-shemesh said, ‘Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom can we send him to be rid of him?’ 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, ‘The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord. Come and take it back with you.’

7 So the people of Kiriath-jearim came, and took the ark of the Lord, and carried it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar, his son, to guard the ark of the Lord.

2 Many years passed from the time the ark began to abide in Kiriath-jearim – twenty years. All the nation of Israel turned to the Lord, 3 and Samuel spoke to all the nation Israel, saying, ‘If with all your heart you are returning to the Lord, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you and direct your hearts towards the Lord and serve him alone, so that he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ 4 So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Astartes, and served the Lord only. 5 Then Samuel said, ‘Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede for you with the Lord.’ 6 So they assembled at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted all day and confessed, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ And Samuel judged the Israelites in Mizpah.

7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had assembled at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines marched against Israel. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines 8 and said to Samuel, ‘Don’t cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, so that he will save us out of the power of the Philistines.’ 9 Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord, and cried to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 While Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty voice on that day against the Philistines, and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 The men of Israel went forth from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them until they were below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Jeshanah and named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘This is how far the Lord has helped us.’ 13 So the Philistines were subdued and came no more within the border of Israel. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron to Gath. Israel recovered their territory from the power of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He used to go around from year to year in succession to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he used to judge Israel in all those places. 17 But he always returned to Ramah, for there was his home, and there he judged Israel. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Development of Monarchy

8 When Samuel grew old he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2 The eldest was called Joel, and his second was called Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 However his sons did not follow his ways, but turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and they said to him, ‘You have become old and your sons don’t follow your ways. Appoint for us a king to rule us like all the other nations.’ 6 But the statement displeased Samuel, when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people and all that they say to you. For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 Like all the deeds which they have done to me since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so also are they doing to you. 9 Listen to what they have to say, but solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who will reign over them.’

10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him to appoint a king. 11 He said, ‘This will be the way of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and cavalry. They will run before his chariots, 12 and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and the equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and to be cooks and to be bakers. 14 Of your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, he will take the best and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain fields and of your vineyards and give to his eunuchs and to his servants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and your donkeys, and use them for his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you will become his slaves. 18 Then you will cry out in that day against your king whom you chose for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’ 19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and said, ‘No, we must have a king over us, 20 so that we will like all other the nations, and so that our king can rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.’ 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people and repeated them to the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to their voice and make them a king.’ And Samuel said to the people of Israel, ‘Each of your return to your city.’

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a man of wealth. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a man in the prime of life and handsome. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was. He was a head taller than any of the people.

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had strayed. Kish said to Saul his son, ‘Take one of the servants with you and go out and find the donkeys.’ 4 They passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. They passed through the land of the Benjamites but did not find them.

5 When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, ‘Come, let us return, or my father will stop thinking of the donkeys and become anxious for us.’ 6 But the servant answered, ‘There is in this city a man of God, and the man is held in honour. All that he says is sure to come true. Let us go there now, and perhaps he can give us information about the mission on which we are going.’ 7 Saul said to the boy, ‘But, suppose we go, what should we take to the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is no present to take to the man of God. What do we have?’ 8 The servant answered Saul again, ‘See I have with me a quarter shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God so that he may give us information regarding our mission.’ 9 (Formerly in Israel, when someone went to inquire of God, they said, ‘Come let us go to the seer;’ because what is nowadays called a prophet was previously called a seer). 10 Then Saul said to his servant, ‘Your advice is good. Come, let us go.’ So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they were going up the ascent to the city, they met some young girls going out to draw water and said to them, ‘Is the seer here?’ 12 They answered, ‘Yes, he is there ahead of you. Hurry, he has come today to the city because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As soon as you come to the city, you will at once find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he is needed to bless the sacrifice before the guests eat. Now go up, and at this time you will meet him.’ 14 So they went up to the city. When they came within the city gate, Samuel was just coming out toward them, to go up to the high place.

15 Now the Lord had given to Samuel, a day before Saul came, the following revelation: 16 ‘At this time tomorrow I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin and you must anoint him to be a prince over my people Israel. He will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, because I have seen the suffering of my people, and their cry has reached me.’ 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord indicated to him, ‘This is the man of whom I spoke to you! He is the one who will rule over my people.’ 18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is.’ 19 And Samuel answered Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you will eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not trouble yourself about them. They have been found. To whom does all that is desirable in Israel belong? Does it not belong to you, and to your ancestral house? 21 Saul answered, ‘But I am a Benjamite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin! Why do you speak like this to me?’

22 Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and made them sit at the head of the guests (who were about thirty persons). 23 And he said to the cook, ‘Bring the portion I gave you, which I told you to put aside.’ 24 The cook took up the leg and placed it before Saul. And Samuel said, ‘See, the meat is served! Eat! It was kept for you until the appointed time, so that you might eat with those whom I have invited.’

So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 After they came down from the high place into the city, they spread a bed for Saul on the roof, and he lay down for the night. 26 At daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, ‘Get up, so that I can send you on your way.’ So Saul arose, and he and Samuel went out into the street.

27 As they were going down at the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell your servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay here so that I can make known to you the word of God.’

10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, ‘The Lord has anointed you to be a ruler over his people Israel. You will reign over the people of the Lord and save them from the power of their enemies all around. This will be the sign that the Lord has anointed you to be a ruler over his heritage: 2 when you go from me today you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb, in the boundary of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will say to you, “The donkeys you went to seek are found, and now your father has dismissed the matter of the donkeys and is anxious for you, asking, ‘What should I do about my son?’ ” 3 Then you will go on from there and come to the oak of Tabor. There three men going up to God to Bethel will meet you, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread which you will take from their hand. 5 After that you will come to Gibeah-elohim, where the garrison of the Philistines is. When you come to the city, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lyre, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them, and they will be prophesying. 6 The spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man. 7 When these signs come to you, you will do as the occasion offers, for God is with you. 8 You must go down before me to Gilgal, and then I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what to do.’

9 As Saul turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him a change of heart, and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 On his way to Gibeah, a band of prophets met him, and the spirit of God possessed him, and he prophesied among them. 11 When everyone who knew him saw him in the act of prophesying with the prophets, the people said to one another, ‘What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?’ 12 One of the bystanders answered, ‘Who is their father?’ Therefore it became a proverb, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’ 13 When he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place. 14 Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, ‘Where did you go?’ He said, ‘To find the donkeys, and when we saw that they were not found, we went to Samuel.’ 15 And Saul’s uncle said, ‘Tell me what Samuel said to you.’ 16 And Saul said to his uncle, ‘He told us that the donkeys were found.’ But about the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken, he told him nothing.

17 Samuel called the people together to Mizpah, 18 and said to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Lord the God of Israel says: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you. 19 But today you rejected your God, who has been saving you from all your calamities and your distresses. You have said to him, “No! You must set a king over us.” Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.’

20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was picked by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their clans, and the clan of the Matrites was picked by lot. He brought near the clan of Matri man by man and Saul the son of Kish was picked, but when they searched for him, him he could not be found. 22 So they asked of the Lord further, ‘Did the man come here?’ And the Lord answered ‘See, he has hid himself among the baggage.’ 23 Someone ran and brought him from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people by a head. 24 Said Samuel to the people, ‘Have you seen this man whom the Lord has chosen? For there is no one like him among all the people.’ All the people shouted loudly, ‘Long live the king!’

25 In this way Samuel revealed to the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to their home. 26 And Saul also went to his home at Gibeah; and with him went the warriors whose hearts God had touched. 27 But there were some scoundrels who said, ‘How can this man save us?’ They despised him, and brought him no presents.

Saul the king

11 About a month later Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, ‘Make terms with us and we will serve you.’ 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, ‘On this condition will I make terms with you: that I gouge out the right eye of each of you and by this bring disgrace on all Israel.’ 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, ‘Give us seven days respite, so that we can send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then if there be no one to save us we will surrender to you.’ 4 So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and recounted the facts in the hearing of the people, and all the people wept aloud.

5 Saul was just coming from the field, driving the oxen. He said, ‘What is the trouble with the people? Why are they weeping?’ Then they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6 The spirit of the Lord rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly aroused. 7 He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, ‘Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen!’ Then a terror from the Lord fell upon the people, and they rallied as one man.

8 He mustered them in Bezek. The Israelites were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 They said to the messengers who came, ‘Say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: Tomorrow, by the time the sun becomes hot, deliverance will have come to you.’ So the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh. They rejoiced, 10 and said to Nahash, ‘Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you please.’ 11 On the following day, Saul divided the people into three divisions. They came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and massacred the Ammonites, until the heat of the day. The survivors scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12 The people said to Samuel, ‘Who is he who said, “Saul will not reign over us?” Bring the men that we may put them to death!’ 13 But Saul said, ‘Today no one will be put to death, because today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel.’

14 Then Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.’ 15 All the people went to Gilgal. There they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal, and sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel held a great celebration.

12 Samuel said to all Israel, ‘See, I have listened to you in all that you have said to me and have appointed a king over you. 2 From now on, behold the king who will lead you. As for me, I am old and grey, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth to this day. 3 Here I am! Testify against me before the Lord, and before his annointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I oppressed? Whom have I defrauded? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to turn a blind eye? Testify and I will restore it to you.’ 4 They said, ‘You have not oppressed us, nor defrauded us, nor have you taken anything from anyone’s hand.’ 5 So he said to them, ‘The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ They said, ‘He is witness.’

6 Then Samuel said to the people, ‘The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore take your stand so that I may declare to you before the Lord all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your ancestors. 8 When Jacob came to Egypt, and your ancestors cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron to bring your ancestors out of Egypt, and settled them in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab. They fought against them, 10 and cried to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Astartes. Deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samson, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies surrounding you so that you lived in safety. 12 But when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, “No, but a king must reign over us,” although the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, for the Lord has now set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God, then it will be well. 15 But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then will the hand of the Lord be against you and your king. 16 Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the Lord is about to do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. You will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking for a king.’ 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. All the people were greatly afraid of the Lord and Samuel.

19 Then all the people said to Samuel, ‘Intercede with the Lord your God in behalf of your servants so that we do not die, because we have added to all our sins the crime of asking for a king.’ 20 But Samuel said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid, you have indeed done all this evil, but do not turn aside from following the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart, 21 and do not turn aside after useless things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are useless. 22 For the Lord because of his great name will not cast away his people, for the Lord has undertaken to make you his own people. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart, for you see the great things he has done for you. 25 But if you persist in doing wrong, both you and your king will be swept away. 13 Saul was … years old when he began to reign, and he reigned … and two years over Israel.[fn]

2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and on the mountain of Bethel and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent to their homes. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the news reached the Philistines that the Hebrews were in revolt. But Saul had in the meantime caused the trumpet to be blown throughout all the land, 4 and all Israel heard the news that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had brought itself into ill odor with the Philistines. The people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 The Philistines were gathered together to fight with Israel – thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and fighters as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They came up and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6 When the Israelites saw that they were in a strait (for the fighters were hard pressed), they hid themselves in caves, in holes, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits. 7 Also many people went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 He waited seven days for the appointed time which Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people scattered away from him. 9 So Saul said, ‘Bring here to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings.’ He offered the burnt-offering. 10 Just as he had finished offering the burnt-offering, Samuel came, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 Samuel said, ‘What have you done?’ And Saul said, ‘Because I saw that the people were scattering away from me and you did not come within the appointed time, and the Philistines were gathering together at Michmash, 12 I said, “Now the Philistines will come down to me at Gilgal, and I will not have appeased the Lord.” So I felt compelled to offer the burnt-offering.’ 13 Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have acted foolishly. If you had kept the command of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, then would the Lord have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him a leader over his people, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you.’ 15 Then Samuel arose and left Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul, going from Gilgal towards Gibeah of Benjamin.

Saul counted the people who were with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul and Jonathan his son, together with the people who were with them, were staying in Gibeah of Benjamin, while the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 Raiding parties came out of the camp of the Philistines in three divisions: one division turned in the direction of Ophrah in the land of Shual, 18 and another division turned in the direction of Beth-horon, and another division turned in the direction of the hill that looks down over the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘The Hebrews must not make swords or spears,’ 20 so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each his plowshare and his sickle and his ax and his mattock. 21 The charge was two thirds of a shekel for ploughshares and mattocks, and one third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and setting the ox goads. 22 So on the day of the battle, none of the people with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

23 A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash, 14 and one day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armour, ‘Come – let’s go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.’ But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree at Mignon, and with him were about six hundred men. 3 Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord at Shiloh, was in charge of an ephod. The people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 One crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

6 Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armour, ‘Come, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised Philistines. Perhaps the Lord will act for us, for there is nothing that can prevent the Lord from saving by many or by few.’ 7 His armour-bearer said to him, ‘Do whatever your judgment dictates. I am with you, your wish is mine.’ 8 Then Jonathan said, ‘We will pass over to the men and show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, “Stand still until we can reach you,” then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, “Come up to us,” then we will go up; for the Lord has given them into our hand, and this will be the sign to us.’ 11 When both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, ‘There are Hebrews coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.’ 12 The men of the garrison cried out to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, ‘Come up to us so that we can tell you something.’ Then Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, ‘Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.’ 13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armour-bearer after him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer kept despatching them after him. 14 In the first attack Jonathan and his armour-bearer slew about twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 There was panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison, and even the raiders trembled and the earth quaked so that it produced a great panic.

16 The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and saw the army surging hither and thither. 17 Saul said to the people who were with him, ‘Investigate now and see who is gone from us.’ When they had investigated they found that Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there. 18 And Saul said to Ahijah, ‘Bring the ephod here,’ for at that time he had charge of the ephod before Israel. 19 While Saul was speaking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines kept on increasing. So Saul said to the priest, ‘Draw back your hand.’ 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him responded to the call, and came to the battle, and every man’s sword was turned upon his fellow and there was very great confusion. 21 The Hebrews who had gone over to the Philistines and joined their the camp, turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the Israelites who were in hiding in the hill-country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines were fleeing, pursued close after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed on beyond Beth-aven.

24 Then Saul committed a great act of folly that day, for he laid an oath on the people, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening and until I avenge myself on my enemies.’ So none of the people tasted food. 25 Now there was honeycomb in that country, 26 and when the people came to the honeycomb, the bees had just flown away, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people. He put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were lightened. 28 Then one of the fighters spoke up, ‘Your father charged the people saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food this day.” So the men are exhausted.’ 29 Then said Jonathan, ‘My father has brought disaster on the land. See how I have been refreshed, because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 If only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found, how much greater would have been the slaughter of the Philistines!’

31 But they struck at the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint, 32 and they rushed upon the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood. 33 When Saul was told that the people were sinning against the Lord in eating with the blood, he said to those who told him, ‘Treason! Roll a great stone to me.’ 34 And Saul said, ‘Go out among the people and say to them, “Let each man bring to me his ox and his sheep, and slay it here and eat; but do not sin against the Lord in eating the flesh together with the blood.” ’ All the people brought their oxen that night and slew them there. 35 So Saul built an altar to the Lord. That was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

36 Then Saul said, ‘Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder among them until daybreak, and let us not spare a single man.’ They said, ‘Do whatever you think best,’ but the priest said, ‘Let us first consut God.’ 37 So Saul asked of God, ‘Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?’ But there was no answer that day. 38 And Saul said, ‘Come here, all you chiefs of the people and know and see in whom is this guilt today. 39 For as the Lord lives, who delivered Israel, even if it be in Jonathan my son, that man will surely die.’ But no one of all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, ‘You will on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.’ The people said to Saul, ‘Do what seems good to you.’ 41 Therefore Saul asked the Lord, God of Israel, ‘Why have you not answered your servant this day? If the guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, the Lord, God of Israel, give Urim, but if the guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.’ And the lot indicated Jonathan and Saul, and the people were cleared. 42 And Saul said, ‘Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son. He whom the Lord indicates, must die.’ The people said to Saul, ‘It must not be so!’ But Saul overruled the people and they cast the lot between him and Jonathan his son. And Jonathan was indicated.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, ‘Tell me what you have done.’ And Jonathan told him, saying, ‘I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand, and here I am! I am ready to die.’ 44 And Saul said, ‘May God do to me whatever he pleases, you must surely die, Jonathan!’ 45 But the people said to Saul, ‘Should Jonathan die who has wrought this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.’ So the people redeemed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul broke off from pursuing the Philistines and the Philistines went to their own country.

47 When Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side: against Moab and the Ammonites and Edom and the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned he was victorious. 48 He did mighty deeds and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of its plunderers.

49 Now the sons of Saul were: Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were: the eldest, Merab, the youngest, Michal. 50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner the son Saul’s uncle Ner. 51 Kish the father of Saul and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel.

52 The war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul. Whenever Saul saw any valiant or efficient man, he would take him into his service.

15 Samuel said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you to be king over his people Israel. Now listen to the words of the Lord. 2 This says the Lord of armies: “I have determined to punish the Amalekites for wha they did to Israel, in opposing them as they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have. Spare no one but slay both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” ’

4 So Saul summoned the people and mustered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. 5 When Saul came to the city of Amalek, he lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, ‘Go away, withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.’ So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He took Agag the king of Amalek alive and completely destroyed all the people with the sword. 9 But Saul and his army spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fat beasts, the lambs, and all that was good, and would not completely destroy them. But everything that was worthless and despised they completely destroyed.

10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel saying, 11 ‘I repent of making Saul king, because he has turned from following me and has not carried out my commands.’ And Samuel was angry and cried to the Lord all night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel rose to meet Saul. Then Samuel was told, ‘Saul came to Carmel and has just set up a monument to himself and has turned and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.’ 13 When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, ‘Blessed be you of the Lord! I have fulfilled the command of the Lord.’ 14 And Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear?’ 15 And Saul said, ‘They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best off the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have completely destroyed.’ 16 Then Samuel said to ‘Saul, Stop! and let me tell you what the Lord has said to me this night.’ He said to him, ‘Speak.’

17 Samuel said, ‘Though you are little in your own sight, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18 and the Lord sent you on an expedition and said, “Go, and completely destroy the sinners of Amalek and fight against them until they are consumed.” 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord and why did you swoop upon the spoil and displease the Lord?’ 20 And Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone on the expedition which the Lord sent me on and have brought back Agag the king of the Amalekites and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which were placed under the ban, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.’ 22 And Samuel said, ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as bad as the sin of divination, and obstinacy as idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you from being king.’ 24 And Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, for I have transgressed the command of the Lord and your words because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25 Now therefore pardon for my sin and turn back with me, that I may worship the Lord.’ 26 But Samuel said to Saul, ‘I will not turn back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.’ 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, but it tore. 28 Then Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has today torn the kingdom of Israel from you and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29 Moreover the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a mortal that he should change his mind.’ 30 Then Saul said, ‘I have sinned, yet honour me now at least before the elders of my people and before Israel, and turn back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.’ 31 So Samuel turned back and followed Saul, while Saul worshipped the Lord.

32 Then Samuel said, ‘Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.’ And Agag came to him trembling and said, ‘Surely death is bitter.’ 33 Samuel said, ‘As your sword has bereaved women, so will your mother be the most bereaved of women.’ Then Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, for Samuel grieved over Saul. Now the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

David at the court of Saul

16 The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, when I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen for myself a king among his sons.’ 2 And Samuel said, ‘How can I go, since Saul will hear of it and kill me?’ But the Lord said, ‘Take a calf with you and say you have come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do, and anoint the man whom I name.’ 4 So Samuel did that which the Lord had commanded. When he came to Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, ‘Do you come in peace?’ 5 He said ‘Yes, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and rejoiced with me in the sacrifice.’ He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came and he saw Eliab, he said, ‘Surely the Lord’s annointed is now in presence.’ 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Pay no attention to his appearance or to the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. The Lord does not see as humans see, for they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. But he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 9 Then Jesse brought forward Shammah. But he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this one. 10 Then Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are these all your sons?’ He said, ‘There is still the youngest, but he is a shepherd with the flock.’ So Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he is brought here.’ 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was handsome, a youth with beautiful eyes and ruddy cheeks. And the Lord said, ‘Get up, anoint him, for this is the man.’ 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. The spirit of the Lord came with power upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

14 Now the spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, ‘See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Command your servants who are before and they will seek for our lord a man skilful in playing the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit comes upon you he will play with his hand, and you will be better.’ 17 So Saul said to his servants, ‘Provide me now someone who plays well, and bring him to me.’ 18 One of the young men answered, ‘I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilful in playing and a valiant man, a good fighter, judicious in speech, a man of good appearance, and the Lord is with him.’ 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, ‘Send me David your son, who is with the flock.’ 20 And Jesse took ten loaves of bread, and a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them to Saul with David his son. 21 So David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul loved him so much that he became one of his armour-bearers, 22 and sent a message to Jesse, saying, ‘Let David enter my service, for he has found favour in my sight.’ 23 Whenever the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the lyre and play with his hand and Saul would breathe freely and would feel better and the evil spirit would depart from him.

17 Now the Philistines mustered together their forces for war. They were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and encamped in the valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle-array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the mountain on the one side, and the Israelites were standing on the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them. 4 A champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath of Gath and he was over nine feet in height. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was clad with a bronze breastplate of scales, the weight of which was about two hundred pounds. 6 He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his iron spear weighed twenty-four pounds. His shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and cried out to the ranks of Israel, ‘Why have you come out to draw up the line of battle? Am not I a Philistine and you Saul’s servants? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.’ 10 The Philistine said, ‘I have insulted the ranks of Israel today! Give me a man that we may fight together.’ 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were terrified and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse. Jesse had eight sons. The man was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13 The three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the war. Their names were Eliab, the eldest, his second Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest had followed Saul, 15 while David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16 The Philistine drew near morning and evening and took his stand for forty days. 17 One day Jesse said to David his son, ‘Take now for your brothers a bushel of this parched grain and these ten loaves and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 But bring these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand and look after your brothers’ welfare and bring back some token of assurance from them.

19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.’

20 So David rose up early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampments just as the army was going forth to the battle-array, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up the line of battle, army confronting army. 22 David left his vessels in the charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the line of battle and came and asked for the welfare of his brothers. 23 Just as he was talking with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before, and David heard them.

24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25 ‘Have you seen this man who has come up?’ they said, ‘Surely he has come up to insult Israel. Whoever kills him, the king will greatly enrich and will give him his daughter and will make his father’s house free in Israel.’ 26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, ‘What should be done for the man who strikes that Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to insult the armies of the living God?’ 27 The people answered him in the words just given, ‘This is what will be done to the man who kills him.’

28 Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, ‘Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know you well and the wickedness of your heart. You have come down to see the battle.’ 29 David said, ‘What have I done now? It was only a question.’ 30 Turning away from him to another, he spoke as before, and the people answered him again as at the first time.

31 When the words were heard which David spoke, they reported them to Saul. They took him and brought him before Saul. 32 David said to Saul, ‘Let not my lord’s courage fail him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ 33 Saul answered, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. You are only a youth and he has been a warrior from his youth.’ 34 But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant was a shepherd with his father’s flock, and when a lion or a bear would come and take a lamb out of the flock, 35 I would go out after him and kill him and rescue the lamb from his mouth. If he rose up against me, I would seize him by his jaw and slay him with a blow. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear. Now this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has insulted the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion, and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may the Lord be with you.’

38 Saul clothed David with his armour, and put a helmet of bronze on his head and clad him with a coat of mail. 39 David girded his sword over his coat and made a vain attempt to go, for he had not tried them. Then David said to Saul, I cannot go with these because I am not used to them. And he took them off. 40 He took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his bag, and took his sling in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 The Philistine kept coming nearer to David, and the man who was bearing the shield went before him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he had nothing but disdain for him, because he was only a youth with ruddy cheeks, a young man of attractive appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog that you come to me with a stick?’ The Philistine cursed David by his gods, 44 and said, ‘Come to me so that I may give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field.’ 45 Then David answered the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, and the God of the ranks of Israel whom you have insulted. 46 Today the Lord will deliver you into my hands, that I may strike you and cut off your head. I will this day give the dead of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the world may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 so that all this assembly may know that not with the sword and spear does the Lord save, for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.’

48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David quickly ran toward the line of battle to meet the Philistine. 49 David put his hand in his bag and took from it a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and struck down the Philistine, killing him, although there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, drawing it out of its sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head with it.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 The men of Israel and Judah arose and raised the battle cry and pursued the Philistines to the entrance to Gath and to the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded of the Philistines fell down on the way from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from pursuing the Philistines, they plundered their camp, 54 but David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; and he put his armour in his tent.

55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, ‘Abner, whose son is this lad?’ And Abner said, ‘As you live, O king, I cannot tell.’ 56 The king said, ‘Inquire whose son the young man is.’ 57 When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, ‘Whose son are you, my lad?’ And David answered, ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.’ 18 Now when David had finished speaking with Saul, the lives of Jonathan and David became bound together, and Jonathon loved him as his own life, 2 and so Saul took David that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own life. 4 He stripped himself of the cloak which he had on and gave it to David and his military coat, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle. 5 And David went out. On every task which Saul sent him, he acted wisely and with success, so that Saul appointed him over the warriors. He was beloved alike by all the people and by the servants of Saul.

6 At the return home of the army and David’s return from slaying the Philistine, the women came out dancing from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with tambourines, with cries of rejoicing, and with cymbals. 7 The women sang to each other as they danced, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands.’ 8 It made Saul very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, ‘They ascribed to David ten thousands, while to me they ascribed but thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?’ 9 And Saul kept his eye on David from that day forward.

10 The next day an evil spirit from God came powerfully on Saul, and he prophesied within his house. David played the lyre to him, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand, 11 and cast it, thinking, ‘I will pin David to the wall.’ But twice David dodged it.

12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him and had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander over a thousand. David went out and came in at the head of his men, 14 and he acted wisely and prospered in all his ways, for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw that David acted wisely and prospered, he stood in dread of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in at the head of the army.

17 Then Saul said to David, ‘See my oldest daughter, Merab. I will give her to you as wife, only be a valiant champion and fight the Lord’s battles.’ For Saul said to himself, ‘I must not raise my hand against him, but let the hand of the Philistines deal with him.’ 18 And David replied to Saul, ‘Who am I, and what is my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?’ 19 But when the time came that Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was instead given as wife to Adriel the Meholathite.

20 Michal, Saul’s daughter, fell in love with David. When they told Saul, he was pleased. 21 He thought, ‘I will give her to him, so that she becomes a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.’ Therefore Saul said to David a second time, ‘You will this day be my son-in-law.’ 22 Saul commanded his servants, ‘Communicate with David secretly and tell him that the king is pleased with him and all the servants love him, therefore become the king’s son-in-law.’ 23 And Saul’s servants spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, ‘Is it an easy thing in your opinion to become the king’s son-in-law, when I am a poor man and of no reputation?’ 24 The servants of Saul reported back what David had said. 25 And Saul said, ‘Tell David: The king desires no bride-price, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, in order to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased with the prospect of being the king’s son-in-law. Before the appointed time, 27 he arose and went together with his men and slew a hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and gave them in full to the king, in order to become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. 28 When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and his daughter Michal loved him, 29 Saul feared David still more, and from that time was David’s enemy.

30 The Philistine commanders continued to come out to battle, and as often as they came out, David acted more wisely and with greater success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was held in high repute.

David flees Saul

19 Saul commanded Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, was very fond of David, 2 and told David, ‘Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now, I beg you, take care in the morning and stay in concealment and hide yourself. 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you, and whatever I discover I will tell you.’ 4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, ‘Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you and because his conduct toward you has been exceedingly good. 5 He took his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance for Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, in slaying David without a cause?’ 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and gave an oath, ‘As the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.’ 7 And Jonathan called David, and told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, so that he was again in his presence as before.

8 But when there was war again, David went out and fought against the Philistines, and slew great numbers of them, so that they fled before him. 9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing on the lyre. 10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that Saul hurled the spear into the wall, and David fled and escaped.

11 That night Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, so as to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, ‘If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be slain.’ 12 Michal let David down through the window; he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took the household god and laid it in the bed, and put a cloth of goat’s hair for its head and covered it with the garment. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, ‘He is sick.’ 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, ‘Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may put him to death.’ 16 When the messengers came in, there the household god was in the bed, with the cloth of goat’s hair for its pillow. 17 And Saul said to Michal, ‘Why have you deceived me like this, and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?’ And Michal answered Saul, ‘He said to me: Let me go, why should I kill you?’

18 Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel to Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. 19 When Saul was told thqt David was there at Naioth in Ramah, 20 he sent messengers to take David. But when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying with Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, so that they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then Saul himself went to Ramah. When he came to the great cistern in Secu, he asked, ‘Where are Samuel and David?’ Someone answered, ‘They are at Naioth in Ramah.’ 23 But on his journey to Naioth in Ramah, the spirit of God also came upon him, and he went along prophesying, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He too stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel, and lay naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’

20 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and said, ‘What have I done? What is my guilt? What is my sin against your father, that he is seeking my life?’ 2 He replied to him, ‘Far from it! You will not die. See, my father does nothing great or small, but that he discloses it to than me; and why should my father hide this from me? It can’t be true!’ 3 David answered, ‘Your father well knows that I have found favour in your eyes, and he is saying to himself, “Let not Jonathan know this or he will be pained.” Nevertheless as surely as the Lord lives, and as you live, there is but a step between me and death.’ 4 Then Jonathan said to David, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ 5 And David answered Jonathan, ‘Tomorrow is the new moon and I should not fail to sit at the table with the king. Therefore let me go and I will hide myself in the field until evening. 6 If your father misses me, then say, “David urgently asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city; for the yearly sacrifice is there for all the family.” 7 If he says “Good,” then it is well with your servant, but if it arouses his anger, then know that he intends evil on me. 8 Now deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a sacred covenant with you. If there is guilt in me, slay me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?’ 9 And Jonathan said, ‘No! For if I should learn that my father had determined that evil should come upon you, I would tell you.’ 10 Then David said to Jonathan, ‘Who will tell me, if your father answers you harshly?’ 11 And Jonathan replied to David, ‘Come, and let us go out into the field.’ So the two of them went out into the field. 12 And Jonathan said to David, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness that I will sound my father about this time tomorrow or the next day, and if is well disposed toward David, then I will send and disclose it to you. 13 May God do to Jonathan whatever he will, should my father be disposed to do you evil, and I disclose it not to you and send you away that you may go in peace. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am yet alive, show me the kindness of the Lord! But if I should die, 15 continue your kindness to my household forever, even if the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.’ 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘May the Lord seek out the enemies of David.’ 17 Jonathan took an oath again with David, because of his love to him. With all his heart he loved him. 18 Then Jonathan said to him, ‘Tomorrow is the new moon and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 On the third day you will be greatly missed. Then you should go to the place where you hid yourself the other time, and sit down there beside the heap of stones. 20 I will shoot three arrows on one side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21 Then I will send the boy, saying, “Go, find the arrows.” If I say to the boy, “See, the arrows are on this side of you, pick them up!” – then come; for it is safe for you, and, as the Lord lives, there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the boy, “See, the arrows are beyond you,”, go, for then the Lord sends you away. 23 As to the word which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.

24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down at the table to eat. 25 The king sat upon his seat as usual, on the seat by the wall, with Jonathan opposite, and Abner sat by Saul’s side; but David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “It is an accident, he is not ceremonially clean, for he has not been cleansed.” 27 But when on the day following the new moon, David’s place was empty, Saul said to Jonathan his son, ‘Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?’ 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, ‘David urgently asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, 29 for he said, “Let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brothers have commanded me. Now if I have found favour in your sight, let me slip away and see my brothers.” Hence he has not come to the king’s table.’

30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, ‘Son of a depraved woman! Don’t I know that you are associated with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he is doomed to die.’ 32 Then Jonathan answered Saul his father ‘Why should he be put to death? What has he done?’ 33 But Saul lifted up his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father had determined to put David to death. 34 Jonathan rose from the table in hot anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father reviled him.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him. 36 He said to his boy, ‘Run, find and the arrows which I shoot.’ As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where the arrow which Jonathan had shot lay, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, ‘Isn’t the arrow beyond you?’ 38 Jonathan cried after the boy, ‘Hurry, quick, do not stop!’ So Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and brought them to his master. 39 But the boy had no knowledge of anything. Only Jonathan and David understood what this meant. 40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, ‘Go, carry them to the city.’ 41 As soon as the lad had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap, and fell on his face to the ground and prostrated himself three times, and they kissed each other and wept at length with each other. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace! As to what we two have sworn in the name of the Lord – the Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’ Then David rose and departed and Jonathan went into the city.

21 David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, ‘Why are you alone and no one with you?’ 2 David answered Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king has entrusted me with a matter and has said to me, “Let no one know anything about the matter upon which I am sending you and which I have commanded you.” I have directed the young men to meet me at a certain place. 3 Now if you have five loaves of bread at hand, or whatever can be found, give it to me.’ 4 The priest answered David, ‘There is no ordinary bread at hand. There is holy bread, but only if the young men have kept themselves from women.’ 5 David answered the priest, ‘Women have been kept from us, as always when I set out on an expedition. The weapons of the young men were consecrated even on an ordinary journey; how much more then today will their weapons be holy!’ 6 So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presense, that was taken from before the Lord in order to put hot bread there the day it was taken away.

7 (Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.) 8 David said to Ahimelech, ‘Have you not here at hand a spear or sword? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter required haste.’ 9 The priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah, is here, wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish to take that, take it, for there is no other except that here.’ And David said, ‘There is none like that, give it to me.’ 10 Then David rose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, ‘Isn’t this David the king of the land? Was it not of him that they used to sing to each other in the dances, saying,

Saul has slain his thousands,

But David his ten thousands?’

12 David took these words to his heart and was greatly afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 He pretended to be insane before them, and raved in their hands and drummed on the doors and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, ‘You see plainly that the man is mad; why do you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen that you have brought this fellow to act the madman in my presence? Should this one come into my house?’

22 So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s clan heard of it, they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was embittered gathered about him, and he became their leader. There were about four hundred men with him. 3 David went from there to Mizpeh in Moab. He said to the king of Moab, ‘Let my father and my mother shelter with you, until I know what God will do for me.’ 4 He left them in the presences of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. 5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not remain in the stronghold. Depart and go to the land of Judah.’ So David left and went into the forest of Hereth.

6 When Saul heard that David and the men with him were discovered, he was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the high place, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him. 7 Saul said to his servants who were standing before him, ‘Listen Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give you all fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why all of you have conspired against me, and no one discloses to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and none of you has pity on me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant to be an enemy against me, as is now the case?’ 9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, answered, ‘I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.’

11 Then the king summoned Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob, and they came all of them to the king. 12 Saul said, ‘Listen, son of Ahitub!’ He answered, ‘Here am I, my lord!’ 13 And Saul said to him, ‘Why have you conspired against me with the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he should rise against me as an enemy, as is now the case?’ 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, ‘But who among all your servants is like David, trusted and the king’s son-in-law and captain over your retainers and honoured in your household? 15 Is this the first time I have inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king impute anything to his servant nor to any one of my clan, for your servant did not know the slightest thing about all this.’ 16 But the king said, ‘You will surely die, Ahimelech, together with all your clan.’ 17 The king said to the runners who stood before him, ‘Turn about and slay the priests of the Lord, for their hand also was with David, and, although they knew that he was fleeing, they did not disclose it to me.’ But the servants of the king would not put forth their hands to strike down the priests of the Lord. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, ‘Turn and strike down the priests.’ And Doeg the Edomite turned and himself struck down the priests. So he slew on that day eighty-five men who wore the ephod. 19 The priestly city Nob he put to the sword, both men and women, children and infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep.

20 One of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord. 22 David said to Abiathar, ‘I knew that day, because Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I myself am guilty of all the lives of your clan. 23 Remain with me, fear not; for whoever seeks your life must also seek mine. You will be safe with me.’

23 David was told that Philistines were fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors. 2 David inquired of the Lord, ‘Should I go and attack these Philistines?’ And the Lord said to David, ‘Go, attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.’ 3 But David’s men said to him, ‘Behold we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?’ 4 Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him, ‘Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.’ 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines and drove away their cattle, inflicting heavy losses on them. In this way David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with the ephod in his hand. 7 When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, ‘God has sold him into my hand, for he has entrapped himself in entering into a town that has doors and bars.’ 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 When David knew that Saul was devising evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, ‘Bring here the ephod.’ 10 And David said, ‘Lord, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah, to destroy the city because of me. 11 Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant.’ And the Lord said, ‘He will come down.’ 12 Then David said, ‘Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?’ And the Lord said, ‘They will deliver you up.’ 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and moving from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he abandoned his expedition. 14 So David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds and remained in the hill-country in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him continually, but the Lord did not deliver him into his hand.

15 Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. At that time, he was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesha. 16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, came to David in Horesha and strengthened his hand in God. 17 He said to him, ‘Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you. This Saul my father well knows.’ 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord, and David stayed in Horesha, and Jonathan returned home.

19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, ‘Is not David hiding himself with us in the strongholds in Horesha, in the hill of Hachilah, which is to the south of Jeshimon? 20 Now therefore, O king, according to all your heart’s desire, come down, and it will be our part to deliver him into the king’s hand.’ 21 Then Saul said, ‘Blessed may you be of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray, make yet more sure, and know and see the place where his haunt is and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is very cunning. 23 See therefore, and gain knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides, and return to me, with sure information, and I will go with you, and, if he be in the land, I will search him out of all the thousands of Judah.’

24 So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, David found out and he went down to the rock which is in the Wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard, he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on the one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was anxiously trying to escape from Saul, for Saul and his men were about to surround David and his men, to seize them, 27 when a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Come quickly, for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.’ 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. This is why they call that place the Rock of Divisions. 29 David went up from there, and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

24 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, ‘David is in the Wilderness of En-gedi.’ 2 So Saul took three thousand men chosen from all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the Wild Goats’ Crags. 3 He came to the sheepfolds by the way, and there was a cave. And Saul went in to relieve himself, while David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave. 4 The men of David said to him, ‘See this is the day of which the Lord said to you, “Behold, I give your enemy into your hand and you will do to him as you please.” ’ Then David arose, and secretly cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe. 5 But afterward David was seized with remorse because he had cut off Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 7 So David upbraided his men with these words, and did not permit them to attack Saul. When Saul rose from the cave and went on his way, 8 David also rose after him and went from the cave and cried after Saul, saying, ‘My lord the king.’ When Saul looked behind him, David bowed his face to the earth, and did obeisance. 9 And David said to Saul, ‘Why did you listen to the words of the men who said, “See, David seeks to harm you?” 10 Today your eyes see that the Lord gave you into my hand in the cave, but I refused to kill you and had pity on you, and I said, “I will not lift my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.” 11 Moreover, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor guilt on my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are aiming to take my life. 12 May the Lord judge between me and you, but my hand will not be against you. 13 As runs the proverb of the ancients,

Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness.

But my hand will not be raised against you. 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After a flea? 15 The Lord therefore be judge and decide between me and you and see and plead my cause and obtain justice for me from you.’

16 Now when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, ‘Is this not your voice, my son David?’ Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, ‘You are more righteous than I, for you have done to me that which is good, while I have done to you that which is evil. 18 You have done great good to me in that today, when the Lord had shut me up in your hand, you did not kill me. 19 For when a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way safe and sound? Therefore may the Lord reward you richly for what you have done to me this day. 20 Now see, I know that you will surely be king, and that through you the kingdom of Israel will be established. 21 Swear now therefore to me by the Lord, that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.’ 22 So David took oath to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

25 Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah.

Then David arose and went into the Wilderness of Maon. 2 There was a man in Maon, whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. The woman was sensible and beautiful, but the man was rough and ill-mannered. He was a Calebite. 4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men, saying, ‘Go up to Carmel and enter Nabal’s house and greet him in my name, 6 and say to him and to his clan, “Peace be to you and your house and all that you have. 7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not jeer at them, and nothing of theirs was missing all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favour in your eyes, for we have come on a feast day. Give, therefore, whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.” ’

9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal in the name of David and waited as directed. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants, ‘Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? Many are the slaves these days who break away, each from his master! 11 Should I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have butchered for my shearers, and give it to men of whom I know not where they came from?’ 12 So David’s young men turned back on their way, and came and reported all these words to him. 13 And David said to his men, ‘Let every man buckle on his sword.’ Each man buckled on his sword. And David also buckeled on his sword, and there went up after David about four hundred men while two hundred remained with the baggage.

14 But one of the young men had told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, ‘David has just sent messengers from the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them. 15 But the men have been very good to us and we have not been jeered at nor have we missed anything, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall about us both by night and by day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 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 base scoundrel that no one speak to him.’

18 Then Abigail quickly took two hundred loaves of bread and two skins of wine and five roasted sheep and five mesures of parched grain and a hundred bunches of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs and laid them on donkeys. 19 She said to her young men, ‘Go on before me, I am coming after you.’ But she said nothing about it to her husband Nabal. 20 Just as she was riding on the donkey and coming down under cover of the mountain, David and his men were also coming down toward her, so that she met them. 21 Now David had said, ‘Surely for nothing did I guard all that belongs to this fellow in the wilderness, so that nothing of all that belongs to him was missing, for he has returned me evil for good. 22 God do whatever he will to David, if I leave by daybreak of all who belong to him as much as a single man.’

23 When Abigail saw David, she alighted quickly from her donkey and fell on her face before David and bowed to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, ‘Upon me, my lord, upon me be the guilt. Only let your maid-servant speak in your ears, and heed the words of your servant. 25 Let not my lord pay any attention to that base scoundrel, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he, “Reckless Fool,” is his name and folly is his master, but your maid-servant didn’t see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.

26 Now my lord, as the Lord lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from committing an act of bloodshed and from delivering yourself by your own hand – and may your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal – 27 let this present, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the young men who follow my lord 28 Forgive, I pray the trespass of your servant, for the Lord will certainly make for my lord a secure house, for my lord is fighting the wars of the Lord, and no evil will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Should a man rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord will be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies will he sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30 When the Lord has done to my lord all the good that he has promised you and has made you prince over Israel, 31 then this will not be a qualm or a burden on the conscience of my lord, that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has delivered himself by his own hand. When the Lord gives prosperity to my lord, then remember your servant.’

32 David said to Abigail, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, 33 and blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you yourself, who have kept me this day from committing an act of bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. 34 For as sure as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from doing you harm, except you had quickly come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal by daybreak so much as one man.’ 35 So David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and to her he said, ‘Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your advice, and granted your request.’

36 But when Abigail came to Nabal, he was just having a banquet in his house, like a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk, so that she did not tell him anything at all until day break. 37 But then in the morning when the effects of the wine were gone from Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him and he became a stone. 38 At the end of about ten days the Lord struck Nabal, so that he died.

39 Now when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the case of my insult at the hand of Nabal and has kept back his servant from evil. The evil-doing of Nabal the Lord brought back upon his own head.’ Then David sent and wooed Abigail to take her to him to be his wife.

40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, ‘David has sent us to you to take you to him to be his wife,’ 41 She rose and bowed with her face to the earth and said, ‘See, your slave is willing to be a servant to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.’ 42 Abigail quickly arose and mounted an donkey, and five maids followed as servants. So she accompanied the messengers of David and became his wife.

43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. 44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish to Gallim.

26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, ‘David is hiding in the hill of Hachilah, which is east of the desert.’ 2 Accordingly Saul arose, and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, with three thousand men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul encamped beside the road on the hill of Hachilah overlooking Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul was pursuing him into the wilderness, 4 David sent out spies and learned that Saul had come there after him, 5 so he arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul lay within the barricade, and the people were encamped around about him.

6 Then David spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, ‘Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?’ And Abishai said, ‘I will go down with you.’ 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. Saul was lying there asleep within the barricade, with his spear stuck into the earth at his head, with Abner and the people lying around about him. 8 Abishai said to David, ‘God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore let me strike him with his spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not need to strike him twice!’ 9 But David said to Abishai, ‘Do not destroy him, for who can lay his hand upon the Lord’s anointed and be innocent?’ 10 David said, ‘As the Lord lives, either the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and be destroyed. 11 The Lord forbid that I should lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed, but now take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water and let us go.’ 12 So David took the spear and the jug of water from Saul’s head and they departed. No man saw it of knew it neither did any awake, for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.

13 Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a mountain at a distance, a great space being between them. 14 And David cried to the army and to Abner, the son of Ner, ‘Do you make no answer Abner?’ Then Abner answered, ‘Who are you that calls to the king?’ 15 And David said to Abner, ‘Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept guard over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy your lord. 16 This that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you are deserving death, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is and the jug of water that was at his head.’ 17 Then Saul recognised David’s voice and said, ‘Is this your voice, my son David?’ And David said, ‘It is my voice, my lord the king.’ 18 He said, ‘Why is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or of what kind of evil have I been guilty? 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering, but if it was men, cursed be they before the Lord, for they have driven me out today, so that I have no part in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, “Go serve other gods.” 20 Now therefore, may my blood not fall to the earth far away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, as one hunts a partridge on the mountains.’

21 Then Saul said, ‘I have done wrong. Return, my son David, for I will do you no more harm, because my life was regarded as sacred by you today. I have acted foolishly and have erred exceedingly.’ 22 And David answered, ‘There is the king’s spear! Let one of the young men come over and take it. 23 And the Lord will reward each man’s righteousness and fidelity, for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord’a anointed. 24 Just as your life was today of great value in my sight, so may my life be of great value in the Lord’s sight, and let him deliver me out of all affliction.’ 25 Then Saul said to David, ‘Be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and will surely succeed!’ So David went his way, but Saul returned to his place.

David among the Philistines

27 Then David said to himself, ‘I will be destroyed some day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.’ 2 So David set out, together with the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 David stayed with Achish at Gath, together with his men, each with his household and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. 4 When Saul was informed that David had fled to Gath, he sought him no more.

5 David Said to Achish, ‘If now I have found favour in your sight, let a place in one of the towns in the open country be given me, that I may live there, for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?’ 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag at that time, therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 The length of the time that David lived in the open country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

8 David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these tribes live in the land which extends from Telem as far as Shur, all the way down to Egypt. 9 As often as David struck the land, he did not leave alive man or woman, but taking the sheep, the oxen, the asses, the camels, and the clothing, he returned and came to Achish. 10 When Achish said, ‘Where have you made a raid today?’ David answered, ‘Against the Negreb of Judah’, or ‘against the Negreb of the Jerahmeelites’, or ‘against the Negreb of the Kenites.’ 11 But David never left alive man or woman, to bring them to Gath, for he thought, ‘They might give information against us and say, “David has done this, or that.” ’ Such was his custom all the while he lived in the open country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, ‘He has brought himself into ill odour with his people Israel, therefore he will be my servant forever.’

28 Now in those days the Philistines assembled their forces to make a campaign against Israel. Achish said to David, ‘You know thqt you must, together with your men, go with me along with the forces.’ 2 David said to Achish, ‘Good, you will now know what your servant can do.’ And Achish said to David, ‘I will make you my bodyguard from this time on.’

3 Now Samuel had died and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had banished the mediums and magicians out of the land. 4 When the Philistines assembled and came and encamped in Shunem, Saul assembled all Israel, and they encamped in Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart was filled with apprehension. 6 Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Find for me a woman who is a medium so that I may go to her and inquire through her.’ His servants said to him, ‘Behold, there is a medium at Endor.’

8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went, taking two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. He said, ‘Tell my future by consulting the dead, call up for me the one whom I name to you.’ 9 The woman said to him, Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has banished the mediums and the magicians from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life, to put me to death?’ 10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, ‘As the Lord lives, no guilt will come upon you for this.’ 11 Then the woman said, ‘Whom should I bring up to you?’ He said, ‘Bring up Samuel.’ 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. The woman said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me, for you are Saul?’ 13 The king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid! What do you see?’ The woman said to Saul, ‘I see a god coming up out of the earth.’ 14 He said to her, ‘What is his appearance?’ She said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.’ Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the earth in respect.

15 Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’ And Saul answered, ‘I am in great trouble, for the Philistines are making war against me and God has turned from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; so I have called you to tell me what I should do.’ 16 And Samuel said, ‘Why do you ask of me when the Lord has turned from you and become your adversary? 17 The Lord has done to you as he declared by me, and the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, David. 18 Because you did not heed the voice of the Lord, and did not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, the Lord has done this thing to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver Israel into the power of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the Lord will deliver the army of Israel into the power of the Philistines.’

20 Then Saul fell at once at full length upon the earth and was greatly afraid, because of the words of Samuel, and he had no strength in him, for he had not eaten bread during all the day and all the night. 21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly troubled, she said to him, ‘Your servant has heeded your voice, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, listen also to the advice of your servant and let me set before you a morsel of meat, and eat that you may have strength when you go on your way.’ 23 But he refused, and said, ‘I will not eat.’ But his servants, together with the woman urged him, until he listened to their advice. So he rose from the earth and sat upon the couch. 24 The woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and took flour and kneaded it and baked from it unleavened bread. 25 She set it before Saul and his servants and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

29 The Philistines had assembled their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain in Jezreel. 2 The lords of the Philistines were marching past, with hundreds and with thousands, and David and his men marched in the rear guard with Achish. 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, ‘What are these Hebrews doing here?’ And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, ‘This is David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has now been with me two years, and I have found no fault in him from the time that he came over to me to the present.’ 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were enraged against him, and said, ‘Send back the man so that he may return to the place where you have stationed him. Don’t let him go down with us to battle – he might become an adversary to us. How could this fellow better ingratiate himself with his master than with the heads of our men? 5 Is this not the David of whom they sang responsively in the dances, saying,

Saul has slain his thousands,

But David his ten thousands?’

6 Then Achish called to David and said to him, ‘As the Lord lives, you are upright, and it is my desire that you should go out and fight with me, for I have found no evil in you from the time that you came to me to the present, but you are not regarded favourably by the lords. 7 Therefore now return and go in peace, so that you do nothing to displease the lords of the Philistines.’ 8 David said to Achish, ‘But what have I done? What have you found in your servant fromt the day that I entered into your service to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?’ 9 And Achish answered David, ‘I know that you are as good in my sight as a Messenger of God, but the commanders of the Philistines have said, “He must not go up with us to the battle.” 10 Therefore now rise early in the morning, with the servants of your lord who came with you, and go to the place where I have stationed you, and do not entertain any evil design in your heart, for you are good in my sight, but rise early in the morning and as soon as it is light, depart.’ 11 So David rose early, together with his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David returns

30 Now when David and his men on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South Country and on Ziklag, and had attacked Ziklag and burnt it down, 2 and had carried away captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They did not kill anyone, but carried them off and went on their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down, and their wives and their sons and their daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him wept aloud until they were no longer able to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been take captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 David was in great trouble, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the spirit of all the people was embittered, each for his sons and for his daughters.

David strengthened himself in reliance on the Lord his God, 7 and said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, ‘Bring here to me the ephod.’ And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of the Lord, saying,

Should I pursue this marauding band?

Should I overtake them?’

He answered him,

‘Pursue,

For you will surely overtake,

You will surely rescue.’

9 So David went, together with the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Wadi Besor, where those who were left behind remained. 10 But David pursued together with four hundred men, while two hundred remained behind, who were too faint to cross the Wadi Besor.

11 They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him food to eat and water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of fig cake, and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had eaten no bread and drunk no water for three days and nights. 13 David said to him, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you from?’ He said ‘I am an Egyptian lad, an Amalekite’s servant, and my master abandoned me because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made a raid upon the South Country of the Cherethites and on that which belongs to Judah and upon the South Country of Caleb, and Ziklag we burned down.’ 15 And David said to him, ‘Will you bring me down to this band?’ He said, ‘Swear to me by God, that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.’

16 When he had brought him down, there they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, on account of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them from twilight to the following evening in order to destroy them completely. None escaped except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. 18 David recovered all the people whom the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 There was nothing missing, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken to themselves – David brought it all back. 20 He took all the flocks and the herds and drove those animals before the people, and they said, ‘This is David’s spoil.’

21 Now when David came to the two hundred men, who had been too faint to follow him, so that he had to leave them behind at the Wadi Besor, they went out to meet David, and the people who were with him. When they came near to the people, he saluted them. 22 Then all the wicked and base scoundrels among the men who went with David began to say, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to each, his wife and his children, that he may take them away and depart.’ 23 But David said, No! My brothers, you must not do this with that which the Lord has given us – after he has preserved us and delivered the marauding band that came against us into our hand. 24 Who will give heed to you in this matter? For:

As is the share of him who goes down into battle,

So is the share of him who remains with the baggage.

They must share alike.’

25 From that time on he made it a statute and precedent in Israel to this day.

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, ‘See! a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord, 27 to them who were in Bethel, in Ramoth in the South Country, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, and to them who were in Eshtemoa, 29 in Carmel, in the cities of Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, and to those in all the places where David and his men had stayed.

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the Israelites fled from before the Philistines and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines followed close after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 They pressed hard upon Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through with it, lest these uncircumcised Philistines come and make sport of me.’ But his armourbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 When his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armourbearer died together on the same day. 7 When the Israelites who were in the cities of the valley and in the cities of the Jordan saw that the Israelites had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they also left the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and occupied them.

8 When on the following day the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armour and sent throughout the land of the Philistines to bring the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armour in the temple of Ashtarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Beth-shan. 11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and marched all night and took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beths-han. They returned to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.