09:021:004 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
09:021:005 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
09:021:006 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no breadthere but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD,to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
09:021:007 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day,detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite,the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
09:021:008 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.
09:021:009 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley 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.
09:021:010 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
09:021:011 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?
09:021:012 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
09:021:013 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.
09:021:014 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
09:021:015 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow toplay the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come intomy house?
09:022:001 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the caveAdullam: and when his brethren and all his father's househeard it, they went down thither to him.
09:022:002 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 a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
09:022:003 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.
09:022:004 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
09:022:005 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 Hareth.
09:022:006 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men thatwere with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree inRamah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants werestanding about him;)
09:022:007 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hearnow, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one ofyou fields and vineyards, and make you all captains ofthousands, and captains of hundreds;
09:022:008 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
09:022:009 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
09:022:010 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
09:022:011 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.
09:022:012 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
09:022:013 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thouand the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and asword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should riseagainst me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
09:022:014 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is sofaithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king'sson in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable inthine house?
09:022:015 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me:let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to allthe house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of allthis, less or more.
09:022:016 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
09:022:017 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
09:022:018 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 slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
09:022:019 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.
09:022:020 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, namedAbiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
09:022:021 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD'spriests.
09:022:022 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it 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.
09:022:023 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my lifeseeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
09:023:001 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fightagainst Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
09:023:002 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go andsmite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, andsmite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
09:023:003 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here inJudah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against thearmies of the Philistines?
09:023:004 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORDanswered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I willdeliver the Philistines into thine hand.
09:023:005 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
09:023:006 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fledto David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in hishand.
09:023:007 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saulsaid, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shutin, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
09:023:008 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down toKeilah, to besiege David and his men.
09:023:009 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief againsthim; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither theephod.
09:023:010 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hathcertainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, todestroy the city for my sake.
09:023:011 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.
09:023:012 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
09:023:013 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.
09:023:014 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
09:023:015 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: andDavid was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
09:023:016 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into thewood, and strengthened his hand in God.
09:023:017 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.
09:023:018 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
09:023:019 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth notDavid hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in thehill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
09:023:020 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desireof thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver himinto the king's hand.
09:023:021 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
09:023:022 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, 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.
09:023:023 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the 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 throughout all the thousands of Judah.
09:023:024 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
09:023:025 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David;wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in thewilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued afterDavid in the wilderness of Maon.
09:023:026 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and hismen on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to getaway for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed Davidand his men round about to take them.
09:023:027 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
09:023:028 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.
09:023:029 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
09:024:001 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following thePhilistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is inthe wilderness of Engedi.
09:024:002 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel,and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wildgoats.
09:024:003 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave;and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his menremained in the sides of the cave.
09:024:004 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, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
09:024:005 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
09:024:006 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
09:024:007 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
09:024:008 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 stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
09:024:009 And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
09:024:010 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD haddelivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and somebade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, Iwill not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is theLORD's anointed.
09:024:011 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in myhand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killedthee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nortransgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned againstthee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
09:024:012 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me ofthee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
09:024:013 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedethfrom the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
09:024:014 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dostthou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
09:024:015 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee,and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
09:024:016 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.
09:024:017 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
09:024:018 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt wellwith me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me intothine hand, thou killedst me not.
09:024:019 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast doneunto me this day.
09:024:020 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king,and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thinehand.
09:024:021 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt notcut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy myname out of my father's house.
09:024:022 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.
09:025:001 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
09:025:002 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.
09:025:003 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman 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.
09:025:004 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
09:025:005 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto theyoung men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greethim in my name:
09:025:006 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peacebe both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace beunto all that thou hast.
09:025:007 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thyshepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither wasthere ought missing unto them, all the while they were inCarmel.
09:025:008 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let theyoung men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a goodday: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand untothy servants, and to thy son David.
09:025:009 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
09:025:010 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David?and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a daysthat break away every man from his master.
09:025:011 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that Ihave killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I knownot whence they be?
09:025:012 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
09:025:013 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.
09:025:014 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying,Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to saluteour master; and he railed on them.
09:025:015 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt,neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversantwith them, when we were in the fields:
09:025:016 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
09:025:017 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil isdetermined against our master, and against all his household:for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak tohim.
09:025:018 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and twobottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and fivemeasures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins,and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
09:025:019 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
09:025:020 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
09:025:021 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 requited me evil for good.
09:025:022 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leaveof all that pertain to him by the morning light any thatpisseth against the wall.
09:025:023 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off theass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself tothe ground,
09:025:024 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me letthis iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speakin thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
09:025:025 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: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
09:025:026 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
09:025:027 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
09:025:028 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for theLORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lordfighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been foundin thee all thy days.
09:025:029 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: butthe soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life withthe LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shallhe sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
09:025:030 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 ruler over Israel;
09:025:031 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: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
09:025:032 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
09:025:033 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
09:025:034 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
09:025:035 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
09:025:036 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.
09:025:037 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
09:025:038 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
09:025:039 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 his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
09:025:040 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel,they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to takethee to him to wife.
09:025:041 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, andsaid, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feetof the servants of my lord.
09:025:042 And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an ass, with fivedamsels of hers that went after her; and she went after themessengers of David, and became his wife.
09:025:043 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both ofthem his wives.
09:025:044 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, toPhalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
09:026:001 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth notDavid hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is beforeJeshimon?
09:026:002 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph,having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seekDavid in the wilderness of Ziph.
09:026:003 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is beforeJeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, andhe saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
09:026:004 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
09:026:005 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched:and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the sonof Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench,and the people pitched round about him.
09:026:006 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and toAbishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who willgo down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I willgo down with thee.
09:026:007 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold,Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck inthe ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay roundabout him.
09:026:008 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemyinto thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, Ipray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and Iwill not smite him the second time.
09:026:009 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who canstretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and beguiltless?
09:026:010 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shallsmite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descendinto battle, and perish.
09:026:011 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand againstthe LORD's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spearthat is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
09:026:012 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
09:026:013 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
09:026:014 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
09:026:015 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and whois like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not keptthy lord the king? for there came one of the people in todestroy the king thy lord.
09:026:016 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORDliveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept yourmaster, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king'sspear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
09:026:017 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, myson David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
09:026:018 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after hisservant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
09:026:019 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
09:026:020 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face 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.
09:026:021 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
09:026:022 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
09:026:023 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed.
09:026:024 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mineeyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD,and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.
09:026:025 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thoushalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. SoDavid went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
09:027:001 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 speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
09:027:002 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred menthat were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king ofGath.
09:027:003 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every manwith his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam theJezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
09:027:004 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
09:027:005 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
09:027:006 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklagpertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
09:027:007 And the time that David dwelt in the country of thePhilistines was a full year and four months.
09:027:008 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, andthe Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were ofold the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, evenunto the land of Egypt.
09:027:009 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor womanalive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses,and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came toAchish.
09:027:010 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
09:027:011 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
09:027:012 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
09:028:001 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.
09:028:002 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.
09:028:003 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.
09:028:004 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
09:028:005 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid,and his heart greatly trembled.
09:028:006 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not,neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
09:028:007 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
09:028:008 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
09:028:009 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?
09:028:010 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth,there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
09:028:011 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And hesaid, Bring me up Samuel.
09:028:012 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice:and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceivedme? for thou art Saul.
09:028:013 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawestthou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending outof the earth.
09:028:014 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
09:028:015 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.
09:028:016 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
09:028:017 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORDhath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thyneighbour, even to David:
09:028:018 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, norexecutedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath theLORD done this thing unto thee this day.
09:028:019 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into thehand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sonsbe with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israelinto the hand of the Philistines.
09:028:020 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and wassore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was nostrength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, norall the night.
09:028:021 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was soretroubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hathobeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and havehearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
09:028:022 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voiceof thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread beforethee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goeston thy way.
09:028:023 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants,together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened untotheir voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
09:028:024 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, andkilled it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bakeunleavened bread thereof:
09:028:025 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
09:029:001 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies toAphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is inJezreel.
09:029:002 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and bythousands: but David and his men passed on in the rerewardwith Achish.
09:029:003 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 unto me unto this day?
09:029:004 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
09:029:005 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
09:029:006 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, 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.
09:029:007 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.
09:029:008 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and whathast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been withthee unto this day, that I may not go fight against theenemies of my lord the king?
09:029:009 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou artgood in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding theprinces of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up withus to the battle.
09:029:010 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master'sservants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be upearly in the morning, and have light, depart.
09:029:011 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning,to return into the land of the Philistines. And thePhilistines went up to Jezreel.
09:030:001 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
09:030:002 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slewnot any, either great or small, but carried them away, andwent on their way.
09:030:003 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it wasburned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and theirdaughters, were taken captives.
09:030:004 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up theirvoice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
09:030:005 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam theJezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
09:030:006 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 encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
09:030:007 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
09:030:008 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
09:030:009 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him,and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behindstayed.
09:030:010 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundredabode behind, which were so faint that they could not go overthe brook Besor.
09:030:011 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him toDavid, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made himdrink water;
09:030:012 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clustersof raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again tohim: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, threedays and three nights.
09:030:013 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whenceart thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant toan Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agoneI fell sick.
09:030:014 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
09:030:015 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to thiscompany? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wiltneither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master,and I will bring thee down to this company.
09:030:016 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spreadabroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing,because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of theland of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
09:030:017 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.
09:030:018 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
09:030:019 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 recovered all.
09:030:020 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
09:030:021 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faintthat they could not follow David, whom they had made also toabide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David,and to meet the people that were with him: and when David camenear to the people, he saluted them.
09:030:022 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of thosethat went with David, and said, Because they went not with us,we will not give them ought of the spoil that we haverecovered, save to every man his wife and his children, thatthey may lead them away, and depart.
09:030:023 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with thatwhich the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, anddelivered the company that came against us into our hand.
09:030:024 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his partis that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be thattarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
09:030:025 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
09:030:026 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;
09:030:027 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in southRamoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
09:030:028 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were inSiphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
09:030:029 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
09:030:030 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were inChorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
09:030:031 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places whereDavid himself and his men were wont to haunt.
09:031:001 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men ofIsrael fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slainin mount Gilboa.
09:031:002 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons;and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, andMelchishua, Saul's sons.
09:031:003 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
09:031:004 Then said Saul unto 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 a sword, and fell upon it.
09:031:005 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he felllikewise upon his sword, and died with him.
09:031:006 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, andall his men, that same day together.
09:031:007 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side 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.
09:031:008 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines cameto strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sonsfallen in mount Gilboa.
09:031:009 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, andsent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publishit in the house of their idols, and among the people.
09:031:010 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and theyfastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
09:031:011 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that whichthe Philistines had done to Saul;
09:031:012 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 Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
09:031:013 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.