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1ST
SAMUEL
CHAPTER
1
1
¶ Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim–zophim, 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 and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the
other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to
sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, priests unto the LORD, were there.
4 And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife,
and to all her sons and her daughters portions:
5 but unto Hannah he gave a double portion: for he loved Hannah, but the LORD
had shut up her womb.
6 And her rival provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had
shut up her womb.
7 And [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so
she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why
eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten
sons?
9 ¶ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.
Now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door post of the temple of the LORD.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on
the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine
handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him
unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his
head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli
marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was
not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from
thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful
spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul
before the LORD.
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance
of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thy
petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thy servant find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her
way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more [sad].
19 ¶ And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and
returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife;
and the LORD remembered her.
20 And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and
bare a son; and she called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him
of the LORD.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the
yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, [I will not go up]
until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before
the LORD, and there abide for ever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until
thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman tarried and
gave her son suck, until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks,
and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of
the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
25 And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that
stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked
of him:
28 wherefore I also have granted him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he is
granted to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.
CHAPTER
2
1 ¶ And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in the LORD, mine horn is
exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice
in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the LORD; for there is none beside thee: neither is
there any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy 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: yea, the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many
children languisheth.
6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and
bringeth up.
7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, he also lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he lifteth up the needy from the
dunghill, to make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory: for
the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence
in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 They that strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them shall
he thunder in heaven: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall
give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 ¶ And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto
the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered
sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a
fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the
fleshhook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all
the Israelites that came thither.
15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the
man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have
sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat presently, and
then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt
give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred
the offering of the LORD.
18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen
ephod.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year
to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of
this woman for the loan which was lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own
home.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two
daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and
how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of
meeting.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil
dealings from all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S
people to transgress.
25 If one man sin against another, God shall judge him: but if a man sin against
the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the
voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also
with men.
27 ¶ And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the
LORD, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt
[in bondage] to Pharaoh’s house?
28 and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go
up unto mine altar to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give
unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by
fire?
29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have
commanded in [my] habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make
yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house,
and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD
saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that
despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy
father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth
which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house
for ever.
33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be]
to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine
house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on
Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that
which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he
shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall
come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall
say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a
morsel of bread.
CHAPTER
3
1 ¶ And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of
the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, (now
his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see,)
3 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep],
in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was;
4 that the LORD called Samuel: and he said, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I
called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and
said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son;
lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet
revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli,
and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had
called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call
thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went
and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel.
Then Samuel said, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 ¶ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which
both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his
house, from the beginning even unto the end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity
which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he
restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of
Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the
LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here Am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that [the LORD] hath spoken unto thee? I pray
thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any
thing from me of all the things that he spake unto thee.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is
the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 ¶ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words
fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer–sheba knew that Samuel was established
to be a prophet of the LORD.
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
CHAPTER
4
1 ¶ And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the
Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines
pitched in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they
joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the
army in the field about four thousand men.
3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said,
Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let as fetch
the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come
among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the
covenant of the LORD of hosts, which sitteth upon the cherubim: and the two sons
of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel
shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth
the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood
that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And
they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these
are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the
wilderness.
9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not
servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men,
and fight.
10 ¶ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every
man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel
thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were slain.
12 ¶ And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the
same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the way side watching: for his
heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told
it, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise
of this tumult? And the man hasted and came and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could
not see.
16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled
today out of the army. And he said, How went the matter, my son?
17 And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled before the
Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and
thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell
from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he
died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 ¶ And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be
delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and
that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought
forth; for her pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her,
Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did
she regard it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel:
because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her
husband.
22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.
CHAPTER
5
1 ¶ Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben–ezer
unto Ashdod.
2 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of
Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen
upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and
set him in his place again.
4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon
his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and
both the palms of his hands [lay] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump
of] Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s
house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.
6 ¶ But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed
them, and smote them with tumours, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God
of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon as, and upon Dagon
our god.
8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them,
and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered,
Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried
the ark of the God of Israel about [thither].
9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was
against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he smote the men of the
city, both small and great, and tumours brake out upon them.
10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God
came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about 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 they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to
its own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly
discomfiture throughout all the city, the hand of God was very heavy there.
12 And the men that died not were smitten with the tumours: and the cry of the
city went up to heaven.
CHAPTER
6
1 ¶ And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What
shall we do with the ark of the LORD? shew us wherewith we shall send it to its
place.
3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not
empty; but in any wise return him a guilt offering: then ye shall be healed, and
it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4 Then said they, What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to him?
And they said, Five golden tumours, and five golden mice, [according to] the
number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on
your lords.
5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your tumours, and images of your mice that
mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he
will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your
land:
6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened
their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the
people go and they departed?
7 Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which
there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves
home from them:
8 and take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of
gold, which ye return him for a guilt offering, in a coffer by the side thereof;
and send it away, that it may go.
9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Beth–shemesh, then
he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not
his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.
10 ¶ And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart,
and shut up their calves at home:
11 and they put the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice
of gold and the images of their tumours.
12 And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth–shemesh; they went
along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand
or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border
of Beth–shemesh.
13 And they of Beth–shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley:
and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth–shemite, and stood
there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and
offered up the kine for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with
it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the
men of Beth–shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same
day unto the LORD.
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to
Ekron the same day.
17 And these are the golden tumours which the Philistines returned for a guilt
offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath
one, for Ekron one;
18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the
Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities and of country
villages: even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD,
[which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth–shemite.
19 ¶ And he smote of the men of Beth–shemesh, because they had looked into
the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people seventy men, [and] fifty
thousand men: and the people mourned, because the LORD had smitten the people
with a great slaughter.
20 And the men of Beth–shemesh said, Who is able to stand before the LORD,
this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath–jearim, saying, The
Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it
up to you.
CHAPTER
7
1 ¶ And the men of Kiriath–jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD,
and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar
his son to keep the ark of the LORD.
2 And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath–jearim, that
the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented
after the LORD.
3 ¶ And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto
the LORD with all your heart, then put away the strange gods and the Ashtaroth
from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and
he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4 Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and
served the LORD only.
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto the
LORD.
6 And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before
the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the
LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 ¶ And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered
together to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And
when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our
God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering unto
the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD answered him.
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near
to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that
day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down
before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and
smote them, until they came under Beth–car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the
name of it Eben–ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
13 ¶ So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border
of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of
Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to
Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the border thereof did Israel deliver out
of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the
Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth–el, and Gilgal, and Mizpah;
and he judged Israel in all those places.
17 And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged
Israel: and he built there an altar unto the LORD.
CHAPTER
8
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over
Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah:
they were judges in Beer–sheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took
bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 ¶ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to
Samuel unto Ramah:
5 and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy
ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel; when they said, Give us a king to judge us.
And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all
that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected
me, that I should not be king over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought
them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me, and
served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit thou shalt protest solemnly
unto them, and shalt shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over
them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a
king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you:
he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be
his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots:
12 and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands and captains of
fifties; and [he will set some] to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and
to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and
to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even
the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to
his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest
young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have
chosen you; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.
19 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel; and they said,
Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and
go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the
ears of the LORD.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.
And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
CHAPTER
9
1 ¶ 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, the son of a Benjamite, a
mighty man of valour.
2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: and there was
not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders
and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3 ¶ And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his
son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land
of Shalishah, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of
Shaalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the
Benjamites, but they found them not.
5 When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was
with him, Come and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and
take thought for us.
6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he
is a man that is held in honour; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now
let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we
go.
7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the
man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring
to the man of God: what have we?
8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Beheld, I have in my hand the
fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell
us our way.
9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come
and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime
called a Seer.)
10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto
the city where the man of God was.
11 ¶ As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out
to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
12 And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before thee: make
haste now, for he is come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice
today in the high place:
13 as soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he
go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come,
because he doth bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat that be bidden.
Now therefore get you up; for at this time ye shall find him.
14 And they went up to the city; [and] as they came within the city, behold,
Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
15 Now the LORD had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,
16 Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin,
and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel, and he shall save
my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people,
because their cry is come unto me:
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man of whom I
spake to thee! this same shall have authority over my people.
18 ¶ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee,
where the seer’s house is.
19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me unto the
high place, for ye shall eat with me today: and in the morning I will let thee
go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.
20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on
them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it
not for thee, and for all thy father’s house?
21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the
tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of
Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the
guest–chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were
bidden, which were about thirty persons.
23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which
I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
24 And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before
Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold that which hath been reserved! set it before
thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I
said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed
with Saul upon the housetop.
26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that
Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may send thee away.
And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27 As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the
servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still at this
time, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.
CHAPTER
10
1 ¶ Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed
him, and said, Is it not that the LORD hath anointed thee to be prince over his
inheritance?
2 When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by
Rachel’s sepulchre, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say
unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father
hath left the care of the asses, and taketh thought for you, saying, What shall
I do for my son?
3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the oak of
Tabor, and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth–el,
one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another
carrying a bottle of wine:
4 and they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt
receive of their hand.
5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the
Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city,
that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a
psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall be
prophesying:
6 and the spirit of the LORD will come mightily upon thee, and thou shalt
prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion
serve thee; for God is with thee.
8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto
thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings:
seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee, and shew thee what thou
shalt do.
9 ¶ And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave
him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him;
and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he
prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this
that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And one of the same place answered and said, And who is their father?
Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he
said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were not found, we came to
Samuel.
15 And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.
16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found.
But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
17 ¶ And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpah;
18 and he said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD, the God of
Israel, 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 oppressed you:
19 but ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saveth you out of all
your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto him, [Nay], but set a
king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes,
and by your thousands.
20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin
was taken.
21 And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family
of the Matrites was taken: and Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they
sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they asked of the LORD further, Is there yet a man to come hither?
And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
23 And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he
was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that
there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and
said, God save the king.
25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a
book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every
man to his house.
26 And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the host,
whose hearts God had touched.
27 But certain sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they
despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
CHAPTER
11
1 ¶ Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh–gilead: and
all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will
serve thee.
2 And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, On this condition will I make it with
you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon
all Israel.
3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we
may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel: and then, if there be none
to save us, we will come out to thee.
4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and spake these words in the ears
of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 ¶ And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said,
What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of
Jabesh.
6 And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and
his anger was kindled greatly.
7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout
all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh
not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And
the dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8 And he numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred
thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of
Jabesh–gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have
deliverance. And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were
glad.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and ye
shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.
11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and
they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the
Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which
remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
12 ¶ And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign
over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for today the
LORD hath wrought deliverance in Israel.
14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the
kingdom there.
15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the
LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before
the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
CHAPTER
12
1 ¶ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice
in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and gray–headed;
and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth
unto this day.
3 Here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose
ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have
I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes
therewith? and I will restore it you.
4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou
taken aught of any man’s hand.
5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is
witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they said, He is
witness.
6 ¶ And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that appointed Moses and
Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD
concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your
fathers.
8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the
LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made
them to dwell in this place.
9 But they forgat the LORD their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisera,
captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the
hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have
forsaken the LORD, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver
us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and
delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled in
safety.
12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against
you, ye said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your
God was your king.
13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked
for: and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.
14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and hearken unto his voice, and not
rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and both ye and also the king that
reigneth over you be followers of the LORD your God, [well]:
15 but if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it
was against your fathers.
16 ¶ Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do
before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the LORD, that he may send
thunder and rain; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which
ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.
18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day:
and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy
God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins [this] evil, to ask us
a king.
20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have indeed done all this evil:
yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your
heart;
21 and turn ye not aside: for [then should ye go] after vain things which cannot
profit nor deliver, for they are vain.
22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because
it hath pleased the LORD to make you a people unto himself.
23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing
to pray for you: but 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 consider
how great things he hath done for you.
25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your
king.
CHAPTER
13
1 ¶ Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two
years over Israel.
2 And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were
with Saul in Michmash and in the mount of Beth–el, and a thousand were with
Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to
his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the
Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land,
saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the
Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines.
And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty
thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on
the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward
of Beth–aven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were
distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and
in rocks, and in holds, and in pits.
7 Now some of the Hebrews had gone over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead;
but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him
trembling.
8 ¶ And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had
[appointed]: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from
him.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings.
And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt
offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might
salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the
people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days
appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;
12 therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I
have not entreated the favour of the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and
offered the burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the
commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD
have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after
his own heart, and the LORD hath appointed him to be prince over his people,
because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
15 ¶ And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And
Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them,
abode in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies:
one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
18 and another company turned the way to Beth–horon: and another company
turned the way of the border that looketh down upon the valley of Zeboim toward
the wilderness.
19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the
Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his
share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock;
21 yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the
forks, and for the axes; and to set the goads.
22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor
spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan:
but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out unto the pass of Michmash.
CHAPTER
14
1 ¶ Now it fell upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young
man that bare his armour, Come and let us go over to the Philistines’
garrison, that is on yonder side. But he told not his father.
2 And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree
which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred
men:
3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the
son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people
knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4 And between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto 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 The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the
south in front of Geba.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come and let us go
over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work
for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee,
behold I am with thee according to thy heart.
8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will
discover ourselves unto them.
9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still
in our place, and will not go up unto them.
10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath
delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us.
11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines:
and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where
they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said,
Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his
armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand
of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his
armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew
them after him.
14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about
twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.
15 And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the
people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled: and the earth
quaked; so there was an exceeding great trembling.
16 ¶ And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the
multitude melted away, and they went [hither] and thither.
17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is
gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer
were not there.
18 And Saul said unto Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God
was [there] at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the tumult that
was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the
priest, Withdraw thine hand.
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together, and
came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow,
[and there was] a very great discomfiture.
21 Now the Hebrews that were with the Philistines as beforetime, which went up
with them into the camp [from the country] round about; even they also [turned]
to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in the hill country
of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed
hard after them in the battle.
23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth–aven.
24 ¶ And the men of Israel were distressed that day: but Saul adjured the
people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and
I be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
25 And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground.
26 And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but
no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath:
wherefore 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 enlightened.
28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the
people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food this day. And
the people were faint.
29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how
mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of
their enemies which they found? for now hath there been no great slaughter among
the Philistines.
31 And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the
people were very faint.
32 and the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and
slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that
they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have dealt treacherously: roll a great
stone unto me this day.
34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring
me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and
eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people
brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he
built unto the LORD.
36 ¶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil
them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said,
Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near
hither unto God.
37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt
thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw nigh hither, all ye chiefs of the people: and know and
see wherein this sin hath been this day.
39 For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my
son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that
answered him.
40 Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son
will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good
unto thee.
41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD, the God of Israel, Shew the right. And
Jonathan and Saul were taken [by lot]: but the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was
taken.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told
him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that
was in mine hand; and, lo, I must die.
44 And Saul said, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this
great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one
hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So
the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to
their own place.
47 ¶ Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his
enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and
against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and
whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed [them].
48 And he did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of
the hands of them that spoiled them.
49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua: and the names
of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name
of the younger Michal:
50 and the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the
name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
51 And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of
Abiel.
52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when
Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
CHAPTER
15
1 ¶ And Samuel said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over
his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice the words of
the LORD.
2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel,
how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare
them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel
and ass.
4 And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred
thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the
Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the
children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from
among the Amalekites.
7 And Saul Smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is
before Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all
the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the
oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not
utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they
destroyed utterly.
10 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back
from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And Samuel was wroth;
and he cried unto the LORD all night.
12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel,
saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and is gone
about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD:
I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears,
and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people
spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy
God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath
said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Samuel said, Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not
made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed thee king over
Israel;
18 and the LORD sent thee on a journey,, and said, Go and utterly destroy the
sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon
the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have
gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek,
and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted
things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry
and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also
rejected thee from being king.
24 ¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the
commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed
their voice.
25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may
worship the LORD.
26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king
over Israel.
27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his
robe, and it rent.
28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee
this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man.
that he should repent.
30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the
elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may
worship the LORD thy God.
31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
32 ¶ Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.
And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death
is past.
33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother
be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in
Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel
mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
CHAPTER
16
1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I
have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go,
I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king
among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD
said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and
thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the
elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify
yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his
sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 ¶ And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and
said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him.
7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height
of his stature; because I have rejected him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man
seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the
heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen
this.
10 And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto
Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There
remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said
unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful
countenance, and goodly to look upon. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for
this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 ¶ Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
the LORD troubled him.
15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God
troubleth thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a
man who is a cunning player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the
evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou
shalt be well.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and
bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of
Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty man of
valour, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person, and the
LORD is with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son,
which is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass [laden] with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid,
and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and
he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for
he hath found favour in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that
David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was
well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
CHAPTER
17
1 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and they were
gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Socoh
and Azekah, in Ephes–dammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the vale
of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on
the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of
mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his
shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head
[weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield–bearer went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are
ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants
to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants:
but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and
serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man,
that we may fight together.
11 And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were
dismayed, and greatly afraid.
12 ¶ Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth–lehem–judah, whose
name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of
Saul, stricken [in years] among men.
13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the
names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and
next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth–lehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty
days.
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this
parched corn, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to thy
brethren;
18 and bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how
thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah,
fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and
took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the
wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.
21 And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran
to the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the
Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and
spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were
sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to
defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the
king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make
his father’s house free in Israel.
26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to
the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel?
for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the
living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to
the man that killeth him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s
anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with
whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the
naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the
battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spake after the same manner:
and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 ¶ And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them
before Saul; and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant
will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to
fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep; and when
there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and
when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew
him.
36 Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised
Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the
living God.
37 And David said, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and
out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this
Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD shall be with thee.
38 And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put an helmet of brass upon his
head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he assayed to go; for he had
not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not
proved them. And David put them off him.
40 ¶ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of
the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his scrip;
and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare
the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he
was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with
staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto
the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a
spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel, which thou hast defied.
46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from off thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of
the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of
the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel:
47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saveth not with sword and
spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hand.
48 ¶ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to
meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and
smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and
he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and
smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew
it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And
when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the
Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the
wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and
unto Ekron.
53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and
they spoiled their camp.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but
he put his armour in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner,
the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy
soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.
57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him,
and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered,
I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth–lehemite.
CHAPTER
18
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that
the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as
his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his
father’s house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to
David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely:
and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the
people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6 ¶ And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of
the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and
dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of
music.
7 And the women sang one to another in their play, and said, Saul hath slain his
thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They
have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but
thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily
upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with
his hand, as he did day by day: and Saul had his spear in his hand.
11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall.
And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 ¶ And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was
departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a
thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
15 And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of
him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before
them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee
to wife: only be thou valiant for me. and fight the LORD’S battles. For Saul
said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon
him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, [or] my father’s
family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been
given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing
pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that
the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David,
Thou shalt this day be my son in law a second time.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, [saying], Commune with David secretly, and
say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now
therefore be the king’s son in law.
23 And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said,
Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king’s son in law, seeing that I am
a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry,
but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s
enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the
king’s son in law. And the days were not expired;
27 and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two
hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale
to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal
his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal Saul’s
daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy
continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, as often
as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants
of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
CHAPTER
19
1 ¶ And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they
should slay David. But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David.
2 And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to slay thee: now
therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a
secret place, and hide thyself:
3 and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and
I will commune with my father of thee; and if I see aught, I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let
not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned
against thee, and because his works have been to thee–ward very good:
5 for he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and the LORD
wrought a great victory for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice:
wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a
cause?
6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD
liveth, he shall not be put to death.
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And
Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as beforetime.
8 ¶ And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the
Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
9 And an evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his
spear in his hand; and David played with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he
slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and
David fled, and escaped that night.
11 ¶ And Saul sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay
him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not
thy life to–night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.
12 So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and
escaped;
13 And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of
goats’ [hair] at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the
bed, that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with
the pillow of goats’ [hair] at the head thereof.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy
go, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go;
why should I kill thee?
18 ¶ Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all
that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the
prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God
came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied;
21 And 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 went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and
he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at
Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God came upon him
also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel,
and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul
also among the prophets?
CHAPTER
20
1 ¶ And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan,
What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father,
that he seeketh my life?
2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth
nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me: and why should
my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found
grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be
grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a
step between me and death.
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it
for thee.
5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should
not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in
the field unto the third day at even.
6 If thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that
he might run to Beth–lehem his city: for it is the yearly sacrifice there for
all the family.
7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth,
then know that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into
a covenant of the LORD with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me
thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
9 ¶ And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I should at all know that
evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it
thee?
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer
thee roughly?
11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come and let us go out into the field. And they
went out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan said unto David, The LORD, the God of Israel, [be witness]; when
I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, [or] the third day, behold,
if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it
unto thee?
13 The LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do
thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest
go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD,
that I die not:
15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not
when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the
earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], And the LORD
shall require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him:
for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan said unto him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be
missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19 And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to
the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt
remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a
mark.
21 And, behold, I will send the lad, [saying], Go, find the arrows. If I say
unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee: take them, and come;
for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the LORD liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee: go thy
way; for the LORD hath sent thee away.
23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD
is between thee and me for ever.
24 ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the
king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the
wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side: but David’s place
was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something
hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, [which was] the second
[day], that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son,
Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to
Beth–lehem:
29 and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the
city; and my brother, he hath commanded me [to be there]: and now, if I have
found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren.
Therefore he is not come unto the king’s table.
30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou
son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son
of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother’s nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be
stablished, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he
shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he
be put to death? what hath he done?
33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it
was determined of his father to put David to death.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the
second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had
done him shame.
35 ¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field
at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the
lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot,
Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And
Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them
to the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of [a place] toward the
South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and
they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of
us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD shall be between me and thee, and
between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan
went into the city.
CHAPTER
21
1 ¶ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet
David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a
business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business
whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the
young men to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine
hand, or whatsoever there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine
hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from
women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been
kept from us about these three days; When I came out, the vessels of the young
men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then today
shall their vessels be holy?
6 So the priest gave him holy [bread]: for there was no bread there but the
shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when
it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before
the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that
belonged to Saul.
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or
sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the
king’s business required haste.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slowest in
the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if
thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David
said, There is none like that; give it me.
10 ¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish
the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the
land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain
his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the
king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their
hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down
upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then
have ye brought him to me?
15 Do I lack mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my
presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
CHAPTER
22
1 ¶ David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and
when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither
to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every
one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain
over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab,
Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I
know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the
while that David was in the hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get
thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of
Hereth.
6 ¶ And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him:
now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear
in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
7 And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites;
will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make
you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds;
8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that discloseth
to me when my son maketh a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of
you that is sorry for me, or discloseth unto me that my son hath stirred up my
servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which stood by the servants of Saul, and said,
I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the
sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all
his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to
the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my
lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of
Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God
for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all thy servants is
so faithful as David, which is the king’s son in law, and is taken into thy
council, and is honourable in thine house?
15 Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the
king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for
thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy
father’s house.
17 And the king said unto the guard that stood about him, Turn, and slay the
priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they
knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king
would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the
Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he slew on that day fourscore
and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both
men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the
edge of the sword.
20 ¶ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar,
escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the LORD’S priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was
there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned [the death] of all the
persons of thy father’s house.
23 Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life:
for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
CHAPTER
23
1 ¶ And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against
Keilah, and they rob the threshing–floors.
2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these
Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and
save Keilah.
3 And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be 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 and said,
Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and
brought away their cattle, and slew therewith a great slaughter. So David saved
the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to
Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 ¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath
delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that
hath gates and bars.
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege
David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul devised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar
the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 Then said David, O LORD, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard
that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as
thy servant hath heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy
servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the
hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
13 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out
of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David
was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 ¶ And David abode in the wilderness in the strong holds, and remained in the
hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God
delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the
wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
16 And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and
strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find
thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and
that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood,
and Jonathan went to his house.
19 ¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide
himself with us in the strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which
is on the south of the desert?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to
come down; and our part shall be to deriver him up into the king’s hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have had compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his
haunt is, [and] who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very
subtilly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth
himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it
shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all
the thousands of Judah.
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in
the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came
down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard
[that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that
side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for
Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the
Philistines have made a raid upon the land.
28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines:
therefore they called that place Sela–hammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strong holds of En–gedi.
CHAPTER
24
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines,
that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En–gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek
David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in
to cover his feet. Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of
the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which the LORD said
unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do
to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt
of Saul’s robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him because he had
cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my
lord, the LORD’S anointed, to put forth mine hand against him, seeing he is
the LORD’S anointed.
7 So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise
against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul,
saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his
face to the earth, and did obeisance.
9 ¶ And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men’s words, saying,
Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee
today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but [mine eye]
spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he
is the LORD’S anointed.
11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in
that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see
that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned
against thee, though thou huntest after my soul to take it.
12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine
hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth
wickedness: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after
a dead dog, after a flea.
15 The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see,
and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
16 ¶ And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words
unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up
his voice, and wept.
17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rendered
unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.
18 And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me:
forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me up into thine hand, thou killedst me
not.
19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD
reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom
of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed
after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.
22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them
up unto the hold.
CHAPTER
25
1 ¶ And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented
him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the
wilderness of Paran.
2 ¶ And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man
was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he
was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and the
woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was
churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to
Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 and thus shall ye say to him that liveth [in prosperity], Peace be both unto
thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: thy shepherds have now been with
us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the
while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find
favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever
cometh to thine hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those
words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the
son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from
his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for
my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they be?
12 ¶ So David’s young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and
told him according to all these words.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded
on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up
after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David
sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he flew upon
them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we
any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 they were a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with
them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined
against our master, and against all his house: for he is such a son of Belial,
that one cannot speak to him.
18 ¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of
wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an
hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on
asses.
19 And she said unto her young men, Go on before me; behold, I come after you.
But she told not her husband Nabal.
20 And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the
mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met
them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in
the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and
he hath returned me evil for good.
22 God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that
pertain to him by the morning light so much as one man child.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off her ass, and fell
before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.
24 And she fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the
iniquity: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear
thou the words of thine handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as
his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: hut I thine
handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing
the LORD hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging thyself
with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to
my lord, be as Nabal.
27 And now this present which thy servant hath brought unto my lord, let it be
given unto the young men that follow my lord.
28 Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will
certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the
LORD; and evil shall not be found in thee all thy days.
29 And though man be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul
of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the
souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according
to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed
thee prince over Israel;
31 that this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord,
either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged
himself: and when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember
thine handmaid.
32 ¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, which
sent thee this day to meet me:
33 and blessed be thy wisdom, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day
from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
34 For in very deed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, liveth, which hath
withholden me from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me,
surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one
man child.
35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him: and he said
unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and
have accepted thy person.
36 ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like
the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very
drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
37 And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that
his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as
a stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he
died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that
hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back
his servant from evil: and the evil–doing of Nabal hath the LORD returned upon
his own head. And David sent and spake concerning Abigail, to take her to him to
wife.
40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake
unto her, saying, David hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said,
Behold, thine handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of
hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became
his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives.
44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the Son of
Laish, which was of Gallim.
CHAPTER
26
1 ¶ And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide
himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?
2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three
thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the
way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into
the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a
certainty.
5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David
beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his
host: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people pitched round
about him.
6 ¶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the
son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the
camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay
sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at
his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thine hand
this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the
earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can put forth his hand
against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?
10 And David said, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day
shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle, and perish.
11 The LORD forbid that I should put forth mine hand against the LORD’S
anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the
cruse of water, and let us go.
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s head; and they
gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake: for they
were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
13 ¶ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the
mountain afar off; a great space being between them:
14 and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saving, Answerest
thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the
king?
15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a [valiant] man? and who is like thee
in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for
there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy
to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’S anointed.
And now, see, where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at
his head.
17 And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And
David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I
done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his
servant. If it be the LORD that hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept
an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD;
for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the
inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of
the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth
hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21 ¶ Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do
thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have
played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
22 And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the
young men come over and fetch it.
23 And the LORD shall render to every man his righteousness and his
faithfulness: forasmuch as the LORD delivered thee into my hand today, and I
would not put forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.
24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my
life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all
tribulation.
25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do
mightily, and shalt surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to
his place.
CHAPTER
27
1 ¶ And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of
Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of
the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in all the
borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
2 And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with
him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his
household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail
the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again
for him.
5 And David said unto Achish, If now I have found grace in thine eyes, let them
give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for
why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the
kings of Judah unto this day.
7 And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines
was a full year and four months.
8 ¶ And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the
Girzites, and the Amalekites: for those [nations] were the inhabitants of the
land, which were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.
9 And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away
the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel; and he
returned, and came to Achish.
10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a raid today? And David said, Against
the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the
South of the Kenites.
11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying,
Lest they should tell on us, saying: So did David, and so hath been his manner
all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to
abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
CHAPTER
28
1 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their
hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David,
Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy
men.
2 And David said to Achish, Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do.
And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for
ever.
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah,
even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and
the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in
Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart
trembled greatly.
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by
dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 ¶ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar
spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him,
Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En–dor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men
with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, Divine unto me, I
pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto
thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he
hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land:
wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no
punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me
up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman
spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what seest thou? And the woman
said unto Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up;
and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he
bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And
Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me,
and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor
by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me
what I shall do.
16 And Samuel said, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is
departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?
17 And the LORD hath wrought for himself, as he spake by me: and the LORD hath
rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to
David.
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD and didst not execute his
fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this
day.
19 Moreover the LORD will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the
Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD shall
deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.
20 ¶ Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore
afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he
had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said
unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put
my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto
me.
22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine
handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou
mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.
23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the
woman, constrained him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the
earth, and sat upon the bed.
24 And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it;
and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
25 and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat.
Then they rose up, and went away that night.
CHAPTER
29
1 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the
Israelites pitched by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: and
David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.
3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And
Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant
of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days or these years,
and I have found no fault in him since he fell away [unto me] unto this day?
4 But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the
Philistines said unto him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place
where thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest
in the battle he become an adversary to us: for wherewith should this [fellow]
reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?
5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul
hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
6 ¶ Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As the LORD liveth, thou hast
been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in
my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me
unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.
7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of
the Philistines.
8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in
thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go
and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight,
as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He
shall not go up with us to the battle.
10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord that
are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have
light, depart.
11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return
into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
CHAPTER
30
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the
third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag,
and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 and had taken captive the women [and all] that were therein, both small and
great: they slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way.
3 And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire;
and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept,
until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and
Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because
the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his
daughters: but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
7 ¶ And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee,
bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David inquired of the LORD, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I
overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake
[them], and shalt without fail recover [all].
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the
brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed behind,
which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor:
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave
him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink:
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins; and
when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor
drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he
said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me,
because three days agone I fell sick.
14 We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which
belongeth to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said,
Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the
hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.
16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all
the ground, eating and drinking, and feasting, because of all the great spoil
that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of
Judah.
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day:
and there escaped not a man of them save four hundred young men, which rode upon
camels and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken: and David rescued his
two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons
nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David
brought back all.
20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drave before those
[other] cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
21 ¶ And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could
not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor: and they
went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when
David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with
David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of
the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children,
that they may lead them away and depart.
23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD
hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came
against us into our hand.
24 And who will hearken unto you in this matter? for as his share is that goeth
down to the battle, so shall his share be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall
share alike.
25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an
ordinance for Israel, unto this day.
26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah,
even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the
enemies of the LORD;
27 To them which were in Beth–el, and to them which were in Ramoth of the
South, and to them which were in Jattir;
28 and to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to
them which were in Eshtemoa;
29 and to them which were in Racal, and to them which were in the cities of the
Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites;
30 and to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Cor–ashan, and
to them which were in Athach;
31 and to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself
and his men were wont to haunt.
CHAPTER
31
1 ¶ Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from
before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the
Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, the sons of Saul.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he
was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through
therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me.
But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his
sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his
sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that
same day together.
7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they
that were beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his
sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and
dwelt in them.
8 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the
slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land
of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their
idols, and to the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth: and they fastened his
body to the wall of Beth–shan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh–gilead heard concerning him that which
the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and
the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth–shan; and they came to Jabesh,
and burnt them there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh,
and fasted seven days.
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