(1 Samuel 1) There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of
Ephraim,
whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an
Ephraimite. 2
He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other
Peninnah.
Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 Now this man used to go up
year by year
from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two
sons of
Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. 4 On the day when Elkanah
sacrificed, he
would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to
Hannah he
gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.
6 Her rival
used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
7 So it
went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to
provoke her.
Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah said to her,
"Hannah, why do
you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten
sons?" 9
After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before
the LORD.
Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the
LORD. 10 She
was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. 11 She made this
vow: "O
LORD of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me,
and not
forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before
you as a
nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no
razor shall
touch his head." 12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her
mouth. 13
Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard;
therefore Eli
thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you make a drunken
spectacle of
yourself? Put away your wine." 15 But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman
deeply
troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my
soul before
the LORD. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been
speaking out of
my great anxiety and vexation all this time." 17 Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; the
God of
Israel grant the petition you have made to him." 18 And she said, "Let your servant find
favor in
your sight." Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and
her
countenance was sad no longer. 19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped
before the
LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah,
and the
LORD remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named
him
Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD." 21 The man Elkanah and all his
household
went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah
did not go
up, for she said to her husband, "As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, that
he may
appear in the presence of the LORD, and remain there forever; I will offer him as a
nazirite for all
time." 23 Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Do what seems best to you, wait until you
have
weaned him; only--may the LORD establish his word." So the woman remained and
nursed her
son, until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her,
along with a
three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. She brought him to the house
of the
LORD at Shiloh; and the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they
brought
the child to Eli. 26 And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman
who was
standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. 27 For this child I prayed; and
the LORD
has granted me the petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the
LORD; as
long as he lives, he is given to the LORD." She left him there for the LORD.
(1 Samuel 2) Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is
exalted in
my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. 2 "There is no
Holy One
like the LORD, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so
very
proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by
him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on
strength. 5
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry
are fat with
spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The
LORD kills
and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The LORD makes poor and
makes
rich; he brings low, he also exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the
needy from
the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars
of the earth
are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world. 9 "He will guard the feet of his faithful
ones, but
the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. 10 The
LORD! His
adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The LORD will
judge the
ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed."
11 Then
Elkanah went home to Ramah, while the boy remained to minister to the LORD, in the
presence
of the priest Eli. 12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the
LORD 13 or
for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest's
servant
would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and
he would
thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest
would
take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15
Moreover,
before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the one who was
sacrificing,
"Give meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only
raw." 16
And if the man said to him, "Let them burn the fat first, and then take whatever you
wish," he
would say, "No, you must give it now; if not, I will take it by force." 17 Thus the sin of
the young
men was very great in the sight of the LORD; for they treated the offerings of the LORD
with
contempt. 18 Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19 His
mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went
up with her
husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and
say, "May
the LORD repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the
LORD"; and
then they would return to their home. 21 And the LORD took note of Hannah; she
conceived and
bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the
LORD. 22
Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they
lay with
the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, "Why
do you
do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons;
it is not a
good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. 25 If one person sins
against
another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the LORD; but if someone sins
against the
LORD, who can make intercession?" But they would not listen to the voice of their
father; for it
was the will of the LORD to kill them. 26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in
stature
and in favor with the LORD and with the people. 27 A man of God came to Eli and said
to him,
"Thus the LORD has said, 'I revealed myself to the family of your ancestor in Egypt
when they
were slaves to the house of Pharaoh. 28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be
my priest,
to go up to my altar, to offer incense, to wear an ephod before me; and I gave to the
family of
your ancestor all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 Why then look with
greedy eye
at my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons more than
me by
fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?' 30
Therefore the
LORD the God of Israel declares: 'I promised that your family and the family of your
ancestor
should go in and out before me forever'; but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from
me; for those
who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt.
31 See, a
time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your ancestor's
family, so that
no one in your family will live to old age. 32 Then in distress you will look with greedy
eye on all
the prosperity that shall be bestowed upon Israel; and no one in your family shall ever
live to old
age. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to
weep out
his eyes and grieve his heart; all the members of your household shall die by the
sword. 34 The
fate of your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you--both of them shall
die on the
same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is
in my
heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before
my anointed
one forever. 36 Everyone who is left in your family shall come to implore him for a piece
of silver
or a loaf of bread, and shall say, Please put me in one of the priest's places, that I may
eat a morsel
of bread.'"
(1 Samuel 3) Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of
the
LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 At that time Eli, whose
eyesight
had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp
of God
had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where
the ark of
God was. 4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and
ran to Eli,
and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So
he went
and lay down. 6 The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and
said,
"Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7
Now
Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been
revealed to
him. 8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and
said,
"Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak,
LORD, for
your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the
LORD came
and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for
your servant
is listening." 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in
Israel that
will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against
Eli all that
I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that
I am
about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were
blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of
Eli that the
iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever." 15 Samuel
lay there
until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid
to tell the
vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I
am." 17 Eli
said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and
more
also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him
everything and
hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to
him." 19 As
Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all
Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the
LORD. 21 The
LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at
Shiloh by the
word of the LORD.
(1 Samuel 4) And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. In those days the Philistines
mustered
for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at
Ebenezer, and
the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and
when the
battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand
men on
the field of battle. 3 When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why
has the
LORD put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant
of the
LORD here from Shiloh, so that he may come among us and save us from the power of
our
enemies." 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the
covenant of the
LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas,
were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of the covenant of the
LORD
came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6
When the
Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What does this great shouting in
the camp
of the Hebrews mean?" When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the
camp, 7 the
Philistines were afraid; for they said, "Gods have come into the camp." They also said,
"Woe to
us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from
the power of
these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of
plague in the
wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves
to the
Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight." 10 So the Philistines fought;
Israel was
defeated, and they fled, everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for
there fell of
Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured; and the two sons
of Eli,
Hophni and Phinehas, died. 12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and came to
Shiloh the
same day, with his clothes torn and with earth upon his head. 13 When he arrived, Eli
was sitting
upon his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the
man came
into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the
outcry,
he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man came quickly and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was
ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set, so that he could not see. 16 The man said
to Eli, "I
have just come from the battle; I fled from the battle today." He said, "How did it go, my
son?" 17
The messenger replied, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been
a great
slaughter among the troops; your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and
the ark of
God has been captured." 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward
from his
seat by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for he was an old
man, and
heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. 19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of
Phinehas, was
pregnant, about to give birth. When she heard the news that the ark of God was
captured, and
that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth; for her
labor pains
overwhelmed her. 20 As she was about to die, the women attending her said to her,
"Do not be
afraid, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer or give heed. 21 She named
the child
Ichabod, meaning, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God had
been
captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, "The glory
has departed
from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."
(1 Samuel 5) When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from
Ebenezer to
Ashdod; 2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of
Dagon and
placed it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there
was Dagon,
fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and
put him
back in his place. 4 But when they rose early on the next morning, Dagon had fallen on
his face to
the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands
were lying cut
off upon the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 This is why the priests
of
Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not step on the threshold of Dagon in
Ashdod to
this day. 6 The hand of the LORD was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and he
terrified and
struck them with tumors, both in Ashdod and in its territory. 7 And when the inhabitants
of
Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain
with us;
for his hand is heavy on us and on our god Dagon." 8 So they sent and gathered
together all the
lords of the Philistines, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?"
The
inhabitants of Gath replied, "Let the ark of God be moved on to us." So they moved the
ark of the
God of Israel to Gath. 9 But after they had brought it to Gath, the hand of the LORD
was against
the city, causing a very great panic; he struck the inhabitants of the city, both young
and old, so
that tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of the God of Israel to Ekron.
But when
the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "Why have they brought
around to
us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people?" 11 They sent therefore and
gathered
together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of
Israel, and let
it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deathly
panic
throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there; 12 those who did not
die were
stricken with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
(1 Samuel 6) The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2 Then
the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, "What shall we do with
the ark of
the LORD? Tell us what we should send with it to its place." 3 They said, "If you send
away the
ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt
offering. Then
you will be healed and will be ransomed; will not his hand then turn from you?" 4 And
they said,
"What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?" They answered, "Five gold
tumors and
five gold mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for the same
plague was
upon all of you and upon your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and
images of
your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps he will
lighten his
hand on you and your gods and your land. 6 Why should you harden your hearts as the
Egyptians
and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had made fools of them, did they not let
the people
go, and they departed? 7 Now then, get ready a new cart and two milch cows that have
never
borne a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from
them. 8 Take
the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart, and put in a box at its side the figures of
gold, which
you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off, and let it go its way. 9 And
watch; if
it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us
this great
harm; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to
us by
chance." 10 The men did so; they took two milch cows and yoked them to the cart, and
shut up
their calves at home. 11 They put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the box with the
gold
mice and the images of their tumors. 12 The cows went straight in the direction of
Beth-shemesh
along one highway, lowing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left,
and the
lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 Now
the people
of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. When they looked up
and saw the
ark, they went with rejoicing to meet it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of
Beth-shemesh, and stopped there. A large stone was there; so they split up the wood of
the cart
and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark
of the
LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the gold objects, and set them
upon the large
stone. Then the people of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and presented
sacrifices on that
day to the LORD. 16 When the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day
to
Ekron. 17 These are the gold tumors, which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering
to the
LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron;
18 also
the gold mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to
the five
lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone, beside which they set
down the
ark of the LORD, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. 19 The
descendants of Jeconiah did not rejoice with the people of Beth-shemesh when they
greeted the
ark of the LORD; and he killed seventy men of them. The people mourned because the
LORD
had made a great slaughter among the people. 20 Then the people of Beth-shemesh
said, "Who is
able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? To whom shall he go so that we may be
rid of
him?" 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The
Philistines
have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you."
(1 Samuel 7) And the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD,
and
brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated his son, Eleazar, to
have charge
of the ark of the LORD. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long
time
passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. 3
Then Samuel
said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then
put
away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the
LORD, and
serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 4 So Israel
put away the
Baals and the Astartes, and they served the LORD only. 5 Then Samuel said, "Gather
all Israel at
Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6 So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew
water and
poured it out before the LORD. They fasted that day, and said, "We have sinned
against the
LORD." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 When the Philistines
heard that the
people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against
Israel. And
when the people of Israel heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 The people of
Israel said
to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, and pray that he may
save us
from the hand of the Philistines." 9 So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a
whole burnt
offering to the LORD; Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD
answered him. 10
As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel;
but the
LORD thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them
into
confusion; and they were routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of
Mizpah and
pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as beyond Beth-car. 12 Then
Samuel took a
stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said,
"Thus far
the LORD has helped us." 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter
the territory
of Israel; the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14
The towns
that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath;
and Israel
recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also
between Israel and
the Amorites. 15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went on a circuit
year by year
to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he
would come
back to Ramah, for his home was there; he administered justice there to Israel, and
built there an
altar to the LORD.
(1 Samuel 8) When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The
name of his
firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in
Beer-sheba. 3 Yet
his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and
perverted
justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at
Ramah, 5 and said
to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a
king to
govern us, like other nations." 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give
us a king
to govern us." Samuel prayed to the LORD, 7 and the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to
the voice
of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have
rejected me
from being king over them. 8 Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them
up out of
Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. 9
Now
then, listen to their voice; only--you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways
of the
king who shall reign over them." 10 So Samuel reported all the words of the LORD to
the people
who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will
reign
over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his
horsemen, and to
run before his chariots; 12 and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands
and
commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to
make his
implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to
be
perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards
and olive
orchards and give them to his courtiers. 15 He will take one-tenth of your grain and of
your
vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. 16 He will take your male and
female slaves,
and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take
one-tenth of
your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of
your king,
whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you in that day."
19 But the
people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, "No! but we are determined
to have a
king over us, 20 so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may
govern us and
go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel had heard all the words of the
people, he
repeated them in the ears of the LORD. 22 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their
voice and
set a king over them." Samuel then said to the people of Israel, "Each of you return
home."
(1 Samuel 9) There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of
Zeror son
of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 He had a son whose
name was Saul,
a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more
handsome than he;
he stood head and shoulders above everyone else. 3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's
father, had
strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the boys with you; go and look for
the
donkeys." 4 He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land
of
Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but
they were
not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them. 5
When they
came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the boy who was with him, "Let us turn back, or
my father
will stop worrying about the donkeys and worry about us." 6 But he said to him, "There
is a man
of God in this town; he is a man held in honor. Whatever he says always comes true.
Let us go
there now; perhaps he will tell us about the journey on which we have set out." 7 Then
Saul
replied to the boy, "But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks
is gone,
and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What have we?" 8 The boy
answered Saul
again, "Here, I have with me a quarter shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God,
to tell us
our way." 9 (Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, "Come,
let us go
to the seer"; for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) 10
Saul said to
the boy, "Good; come, let us go." So they went to the town where the man of God was.
11 As
they went up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and
said to
them, "Is the seer here?" 12 They answered, "Yes, there he is just ahead of you. Hurry;
he has
come just now to the town, because the people have a sacrifice today at the shrine. 13
As soon as
you enter the town, you will find him, before he goes up to the shrine to eat. For the
people will
not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those eat who are
invited. Now
go up, for you will meet him immediately." 14 So they went up to the town. As they were
entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the
shrine. 15 Now
the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: 16 "Tomorrow about this
time I
will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler
over my
people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen
the
suffering of my people, because their outcry has come to me." 17 When Samuel saw
Saul, the
LORD told him, "Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over
my
people." 18 Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate, and said, "Tell me, please,
where is the
house of the seer?" 19 Samuel answered Saul, "I am the seer; go up before me to the
shrine, for
today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that
is on
your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, give no further
thought to them,
for they have been found. And on whom is all Israel's desire fixed, if not on you and on
all your
ancestral house?" 21 Saul answered, "I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the
tribes of
Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why
then have
you spoken to me in this way?" 22 Then Samuel took Saul and his servant-boy and
brought them
into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, of
whom there
were about thirty. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you, the
one I asked
you to put aside." 24 The cook took up the thigh and what went with it and set them
before Saul.
Samuel said, "See, what was kept is set before you. Eat; for it is set before you at the
appointed
time, so that you might eat with the guests." So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25
When they
came down from the shrine into the town, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and
he lay down
to sleep. 26 Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul upon the roof, "Get up, so
that I
may send you on your way." Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the
street. 27 As
they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the boy to
go on
before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make
known to
you the word of God."
(1 Samuel 10) Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he
said, "The
LORD has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of
the
LORD and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall
be the
sign to you that the LORD has anointed you ruler over his heritage: 2 When you depart
from me
today you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah;
they will say
to you, 'The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has stopped
worrying
about them and is worrying about you, saying: What shall I do about my son?' 3 Then
you shall
go on from there further and come to the oak of Tabor; three men going up to God at
Bethel will
meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and
another
carrying a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which
you shall
accept from them. 5 After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, at the place where the
Philistine
garrison is; there, as you come to the town, you will meet a band of prophets coming
down from
the shrine with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre playing in front of them; they will be in a
prophetic frenzy. 6 Then the spirit of the LORD will possess you, and you will be in a
prophetic
frenzy along with them and be turned into a different person. 7 Now when these signs
meet you,
do whatever you see fit to do, for God is with you. 8 And you shall go down to Gilgal
ahead of
me; then I will come down to you to present burnt offerings and offer sacrifices of
well-being.
Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do." 9 As
he turned
away to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs were fulfilled
that day. 10
When they were going from there to Gibeah, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit
of God
possessed him, and he fell into a prophetic frenzy along with them. 11 When all who
knew him
before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another,
"What has come
over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" 12 A man of the place
answered, "And
who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
13 When
his prophetic frenzy had ended, he went home. 14 Saul's uncle said to him and to the
boy, "Where
did you go?" And he replied, "To seek the donkeys; and when we saw they were not to
be found,
we went to Samuel." 15 Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you." 16 Saul
said to his
uncle, "He told us that the donkeys had been found." But about the matter of the
kingship, of
which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. 17 Samuel summoned the
people to the
LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I
brought up
Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the
hand of all the
kingdoms that were oppressing you.' 19 But today you have rejected your God, who
saves you
from all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said, 'No! but set a king over
us.' Now
therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans." 20
Then Samuel
brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He
brought the
tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of the Matrites was taken by lot.
Finally he
brought the family of the Matrites near man by man, and Saul the son of Kish was taken
by lot.
But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the
LORD, "Did
the man come here?" and the LORD said, "See, he has hidden himself among the
baggage." 23
Then they ran and brought him from there. When he took his stand among the people,
he was
head and shoulders taller than any of them. 24 Samuel said to all the people, "Do you
see the one
whom the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." And all
the people
shouted, "Long live the king!" 25 Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the
kingship; and
he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the
people back to
their homes. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went warriors
whose hearts
God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?"
They
despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. Now Nahash, king of
the
Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would
gouge out
the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of
the
Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not
gouged out.
But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had
entered
Jabesh-gilead.
(1 Samuel 11) About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged
Jabesh-gilead;
and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve
you." 2 But
Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you,
namely that
I gouge out everyone's right eye, and thus put disgrace upon all Israel." 3 The elders of
Jabesh
said to him, "Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the
territory of
Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you." 4 When
the
messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the hearing of the
people; and all
the people wept aloud. 5 Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and
Saul said,
"What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the
message from
the inhabitants of Jabesh. 6 And the spirit of God came upon Saul in power when he
heard these
words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in
pieces and
sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by messengers, saying, "Whoever does
not come
out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!" Then the dread of the
LORD fell upon
the people, and they came out as one. 8 When he mustered them at Bezek, those from
Israel were
three hundred thousand, and those from Judah seventy thousand. 9 They said to the
messengers
who had come, "Thus shall you say to the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by
the time
the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.'" When the messengers came and told the
inhabitants of
Jabesh, they rejoiced. 10 So the inhabitants of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will give
ourselves up
to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you." 11 The next day Saul put
the people
in three companies. At the morning watch they came into the camp and cut down the
Ammonites
until the heat of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them
were left
together. 12 The people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?'
Give them
to us so that we may put them to death." 13 But Saul said, "No one shall be put to
death this day,
for today the LORD has brought deliverance to Israel." 14 Samuel said to the people,
"Come, let
us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship." 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and
there they
made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being
before
the LORD, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
(1 Samuel 12) Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to you in all that you have said
to me,
and have set a king over you. 2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and
gray, but my
sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify
against me
before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey
have I
taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand
have I taken a
bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you." 4 They
said, "You
have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone." 5
He said to
them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you
have not
found anything in my hand." And they said, "He is witness." 6 Samuel said to the
people, "The
LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out
of the land
of Egypt. 7 Now therefore take your stand, so that I may enter into judgment with you
before the
LORD, and I will declare to you all the saving deeds of the LORD that he performed for
you and
for your ancestors. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them,
then your
ancestors cried to the LORD and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth
your
ancestors out of Egypt, and settled them in this place. 9 But they forgot the LORD their
God; and
he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin of Hazor,
and into the
hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against
them. 10
Then they cried to the LORD, and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken
the LORD,
and have served the Baals and the Astartes; but now rescue us out of the hand of our
enemies,
and we will serve you.' 11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak, and Jephthah, and
Samson,
and rescued you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.
12 But
when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me,
'No, but a
king shall reign over us,' though the LORD your God was your king. 13 See, here is the
king
whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; see, the LORD has set a king over
you. 14 If
you will fear the LORD and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the
commandment
of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD
your God,
it will be well; 15 but if you will not heed the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your
king. 16
Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the LORD will do before
your eyes.
17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send
thunder and
rain; and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of
the LORD
is great in demanding a king for yourselves." 18 So Samuel called upon the LORD, and
the
LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and
Samuel. 19
All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that
we may
not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves."
20 And
Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn
aside
from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; 21 and do not turn
aside after
useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. 22 For the LORD will not
cast away
his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a
people for
himself. 23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by
ceasing
to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the
LORD, and
serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for
you. 25 But
if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king."
(1 Samuel 13) Saul was . . . years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and
two years
over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in
Michmash
and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of
Benjamin; the rest
of the people he sent home to their tents. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the
Philistines that
was at Geba; and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all
the land,
saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" 4 When all Israel heard that Saul had defeated the
garrison of the
Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines, the people were
called out to
join Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand
chariots, and six
thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came
up and
encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the Israelites saw that they
were in
distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in
holes and in
rocks and in tombs and in cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of
Gad and
Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 He waited
seven
days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people
began to
slip away from Saul. 9 So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the
offerings of
well-being." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering
the burnt
offering, Samuel arrived; and Saul went out to meet him and salute him. 11 Samuel
said, "What
have you done?" Saul replied, "When I saw that the people were slipping away from
me, and that
you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were mustering at
Michmash,
12 I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not
entreated the
favor of the LORD'; so I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." 13 Samuel said
to Saul,
"You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God,
which he
commanded you. The LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever,
14 but
now your kingdom will not continue; the LORD has sought out a man after his own
heart; and the
LORD has appointed him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what
the LORD
commanded you." 15 And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal. The rest of the
people
followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal toward Gibeah of Benjamin.
Saul
counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul, his
son Jonathan,
and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the
Philistines
encamped at Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three
companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 another
company turned
toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the mountain that looks down
upon the
valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now there was no smith to be found
throughout all
the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "The Hebrews must not make swords or
spears for
themselves"; 20 so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their
plowshare,
mattocks, axes, or sickles; 21 The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares
and for
the mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the
goads. 22 So
on the day of the battle neither sword nor spear was to be found in the possession of
any of the
people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23 Now a
garrison of the
Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash.
(1 Samuel 14) One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who carried his
armor,
"Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his
father. 2
Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is at
Migron; the
troops that were with him were about six hundred men, 3 along with Ahijah son of
Ahitub,
Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, carrying
an
ephod. Now the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 In the pass, by which
Jonathan
tried to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on one side and a
rocky crag on
the other; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 One
crag rose on
the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6 Jonathan
said to the
young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these
uncircumcised;
it may be that the LORD will act for us; for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by
many or
by few." 7 His armor-bearer said to him, "Do all that your mind inclines to. I am with
you; as your
mind is, so is mine." 8 Then Jonathan said, "Now we will cross over to those men and
will show
ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand
still in our
place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go
up; for
the LORD has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us." 11 So both of
them showed
themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, "Look, Hebrews
are coming
out of the holes where they have hidden themselves." 12 The men of the garrison
hailed Jonathan
and his armor-bearer, saying, "Come up to us, and we will show you something."
Jonathan said to
his armor-bearer, "Come up after me; for the LORD has given them into the hand of
Israel." 13
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following after
him. The
Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer, coming after him, killed them. 14
In that
first slaughter Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men within an area
about half a
furrow long in an acre of land. 15 There was a panic in the camp, in the field, and
among all the
people; the garrison and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked; and it became a
very great
panic. 16 Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude was
surging back
and forth. 17 Then Saul said to the troops that were with him, "Call the roll and see who
has gone
from us." When they had called the roll, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
18 Saul
said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For at that time the ark of God went with the
Israelites. 19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the
Philistines
increased more and more; and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." 20 Then
Saul and all
the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle; and every sword was
against the
other, so that there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who previously had
been with
the Philistines and had gone up with them into the camp turned and joined the
Israelites who were
with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the Israelites who had gone into hiding
in the hill
country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed closely
after them in
the battle. 23 So the LORD gave Israel the victory that day. The battle passed beyond
Beth-aven,
and the troops with Saul numbered altogether about ten thousand men. The battle
spread out over
the hill country of Ephraim. 24 Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day. He had
laid an
oath on the troops, saying, "Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is evening and I
have been
avenged on my enemies." So none of the troops tasted food. 25 All the troops came
upon a
honeycomb; and there was honey on the ground. 26 When the troops came upon the
honeycomb,
the honey was dripping out; but they did not put their hands to their mouths, for they
feared the
oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the troops with the oath; so he
extended the
staff that was in his hand, and dipped the tip of it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to
his
mouth; and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the soldiers said, "Your father strictly
charged the
troops with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food this day.' And so the
troops are
faint." 29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have
brightened
because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if today the troops had eaten
freely of
the spoil taken from their enemies; for now the slaughter among the Philistines has not
been
great." 31 After they had struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon,
the
troops were very faint; 32 so the troops flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen
and calves,
and slaughtered them on the ground; and the troops ate them with the blood. 33 Then it
was
reported to Saul, "Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating with the
blood." And
he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone before me here." 34 Saul
said, "Disperse
yourselves among the troops, and say to them, 'Let all bring their oxen or their sheep,
and
slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the
blood.'" So all
of the troops brought their oxen with them that night, and slaughtered them there. 35
And Saul
built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD. 36 Then Saul
said,
"Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light;
let us not
leave one of them." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said,
"Let us
draw near to God here." 37 So Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the
Philistines? Will
you give them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day. 38 Saul
said, "Come
here, all you leaders of the people; and let us find out how this sin has arisen today. 39
For as the
LORD lives who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall surely die!" But
there was
no one among all the people who answered him. 40 He said to all Israel, "You shall be
on one
side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side." The people said to Saul,
"Do what
seems good to you." 41 Then Saul said, "O LORD God of Israel, why have you not
answered
your servant today? If this guilt is in me or in my son Jonathan, O LORD God of Israel,
give
Urim; but if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul
were
indicated by the lot, but the people were cleared. 42 Then Saul said, "Cast the lot
between me and
my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me
what you
have done." Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in
my
hand; here I am, I will die." 44 Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall
surely die,
Jonathan!" 45 Then the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has
accomplished this great
victory in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the
ground;
for he has worked with God today." So the people ransomed Jonathan, and he did not
die. 46
Then Saul withdrew from pursuing the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own
place. 47
When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on
every
side--against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah,
and
against the Philistines; wherever he turned he routed them. 48 He did valiantly, and
struck down
the Amalekites, and rescued Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. 49
Now the
sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two
daughters were
these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal. 50
The name of
Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his
army was
Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle; 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of
Abner was
the son of Abiel. 52 There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul;
and when
Saul saw any strong or valiant warrior, he took him into his service.
(1 Samuel 15) Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his
people
Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I
will
punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up
out of
Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare
them,
but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" 4 So
Saul
summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot
soldiers, and
ten thousand soldiers of Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of the Amalekites and lay in
wait in the
valley. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or
I will
destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they
came up out
of Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. 7 Saul defeated the
Amalekites, from
Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He took King Agag of the Amalekites
alive, but
utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 Saul and the people
spared Agag,
and the best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all
that was
valuable, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they
utterly
destroyed. 10 The word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 "I regret that I made Saul
king, for he
has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands." Samuel
was angry;
and he cried out to the LORD all night. 12 Samuel rose early in the morning to meet
Saul, and
Samuel was told, "Saul went to Carmel, where he set up a monument for himself, and
on
returning he passed on down to Gilgal." 13 When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to
him, "May
you be blessed by the LORD; I have carried out the command of the LORD." 14 But
Samuel said,
"What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?" 15
Saul said,
"They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the
sheep and the
cattle, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed." 16
Then
Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night." He
replied,
"Speak." 17 Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head
of the
tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the LORD sent you
on a
mission, and said, 'Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against
them until
they are consumed.' 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did
you swoop
down on the spoil, and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" 20 Saul said to
Samuel, "I
have obeyed the voice of the LORD, I have gone on the mission on which the LORD
sent me, I
have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21
But from
the spoil the people took sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to
destruction, to
sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." 22 And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as
great delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Surely, to obey
is better
than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is no less a sin than
divination,
and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of
the LORD,
he has also rejected you from being king." 24 Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; for I
have
transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the
people and
obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and return with me, so that
I may
worship the LORD." 26 Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have
rejected the
word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." 27 As
Samuel
turned to go away, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel
said to
him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it
to a
neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 Moreover the Glory of Israel will not
recant or
change his mind; for he is not a mortal, that he should change his mind." 30 Then Saul
said, "I
have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and
return with
me, so that I may worship the LORD your God." 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul;
and Saul
worshiped the LORD. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to
me."
And Agag came to him haltingly. Agag said, "Surely this is the bitterness of death." 33
But
Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother shall 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 in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul
again until
the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he
had made
Saul king over Israel.
(1 Samuel 16) The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have
rejected
him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to
Jesse the
Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 Samuel said,
"How can I
go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and
say, 'I
have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you
what you
shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what
the LORD
commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him
trembling, and said,
"Do you come peaceably?" 5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the
LORD; sanctify
yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons
and invited
them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the
Lord's
anointed is now before the LORD." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD
does not
see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the
heart." 8
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has
the LORD
chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the
LORD
chosen this one." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel
said to Jesse,
"The LORD has not chosen any of these." 11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons
here?" And
he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel
said to Jesse,
"Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and
brought him
in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said,
"Rise and
anoint him; for this is the one." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him
in the
presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from
that day
forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. 14 Now the spirit of the LORD
departed from
Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 And Saul's servants said to
him, "See
now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command the
servants who
attend you to look for someone who is skillful in playing the lyre; and when the evil
spirit from
God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better." 17 So Saul said to his
servants,
"Provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me." 18 One of the young
men
answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, a
man of valor, a
warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the LORD is with him." 19
So Saul
sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me your son David who is with the sheep."
20 Jesse
took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them by his son
David to
Saul. 21 And David came to Saul, and entered his service. Saul loved him greatly, and
he became
his armor-bearer. 22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service, for he
has found
favor in my sight." 23 And whenever the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David
took the lyre
and played it with his hand, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, and the evil
spirit would
depart from him.
(1 Samuel 17) Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered
at Socoh,
which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in
Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul
and the Israelites gathered and encamped in the valley of Elah, and formed ranks
against the
Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood
on the
mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the
camp of
the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a
span. 5 He
had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight
of the coat
was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a
javelin of
bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's
beam, and his
spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before
him. 8 He
stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for
battle? Am I
not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and
let him come
down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants;
but if I
prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." 10 And
the Philistine
said, "Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together." 11
When
Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly
afraid. 12
Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had
eight
sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. 13 The three
eldest sons
of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who went to the
battle were
Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was
the
youngest; the three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to
feed his
father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his
stand,
morning and evening. 17 Jesse said to his son David, "Take for your brothers an ephah
of this
parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your
brothers; 18 also
take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers
fare, and bring
some token from them." 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the
valley of
Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 David rose early in the morning, left the sheep
with a
keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the
encampment
as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the
Philistines
drew up for battle, army against army. 22 David left the things in charge of the keeper
of the
baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with
them, the
champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the
Philistines, and
spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the Israelites, when they
saw the
man, fled from him and were very much afraid. 25 The Israelites said, "Have you seen
this man
who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. The king will greatly enrich
the man who
kills him, and will give him his daughter and make his family free in Israel." 26 David
said to the
men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and
takes away
the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy
the armies
of the living God?" 27 The people answered him in the same way, "So shall it be done
for the man
who kills him." 28 His eldest brother Eliab heard him talking to the men; and Eliab's
anger was
kindled against David. He said, "Why have you come down? With whom have you left
those few
sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart; for you
have come
down just to see the battle." 29 David said, "What have I done now? It was only a
question." 30
He turned away from him toward another and spoke in the same way; and the people
answered
him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated
them before
Saul; and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, "Let no one's heart fail because of
him; your
servant will go and fight with this Philistine." 33 Saul said to David, "You are not able to
go
against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior
from his
youth." 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and
whenever
a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it and struck it
down,
rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw,
strike it
down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this
uncircumcised Philistine
shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 David
said, "The
LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save
me from
the hand of this Philistine." So Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with
you!" 38 Saul
clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with
a coat of
mail. 39 David strapped Saul's sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he
was not
used to them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to
them." So
David removed them. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth
stones from
the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand,
and he drew
near to the Philistine. 41 The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his
shield-bearer in
front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he
was only a
youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, "Am I a
dog, that you
come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine
said to
David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild
animals of
the field." 45 But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear
and javelin;
but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel,
whom you
have defied. 46 This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike
you down
and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very
day to the
birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that
there is a
God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by
sword and
spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand." 48 When the
Philistine drew
nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49
David put
his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead;
the stone
sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. 50 So David prevailed
over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was
no sword
in David's hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine; he grasped his
sword, drew it
out of its sheath, and killed him; then he cut off his head with it. When the Philistines
saw that
their champion was dead, they fled. 52 The troops of Israel and Judah rose up with a
shout and
pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded
Philistines fell
on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 The Israelites came back from
chasing the
Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 David took the head of the Philistine and
brought it
to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent. 55 When Saul saw David go out against
the
Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this
young man?"
Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I do not know." 56 The king said, "Inquire
whose son the
stripling is." 57 On David's return from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought
him
before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, "Whose
son are you,
young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the
Bethlehemite."
(1 Samuel 18) When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was
bound to the
soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day and
would not
let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David,
because he
loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing,
and gave
it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 David went
out and
was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all
the people,
even the servants of Saul, approved. 6 As they were coming home, when David
returned from
killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and
dancing, to meet
King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the
women
sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his
ten
thousands." 8 Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, "They have
ascribed to
David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have
but the
kingdom?" 9 So Saul eyed David from that day on. 10 The next day an evil spirit from
God
rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as
he did day
by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I
will pin
David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because
the LORD
was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence,
and made
him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the
army. 14 David
had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was with him. 15 When Saul saw
that he had
great success, he stood in awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it
was he who
marched out and came in leading them. 17 Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder
daughter
Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's
battles." For
Saul thought, "I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him." 18
David said
to Saul, "Who am I and who are my kinsfolk, my father's family in Israel, that I should
be
son-in-law to the king?" 19 But at the time when Saul's daughter Merab should have
been given
to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. 20 Now Saul's daughter
Michal loved
David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him. 21 Saul thought, "Let me give her to
him that she
may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him."
Therefore Saul
said to David a second time, "You shall now be my son-in-law." 22 Saul commanded
his servants,
"Speak to David in private and say, 'See, the king is delighted with you, and all his
servants love
you; now then, become the king's son-in-law.'" 23 So Saul's servants reported these
words to
David in private. And David said, "Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's
son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?" 24 The servants of Saul
told him,
"This is what David said." 25 Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king
desires no
marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged
on the
king's enemies.'" Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 When his
servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king's son-in-law.
Before the
time had expired, 27 David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred
of the
Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the
king, that he
might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. 28
But when
Saul realized that the LORD was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved
him, 29 Saul
was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward. 30
Then the
commanders of the Philistines came out to battle; and as often as they came out, David
had more
success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great.
(1 Samuel 19) Saul spoke with his son Jonathan and with all his servants about killing
David. But
Saul's son Jonathan took great delight in David. 2 Jonathan told David, "My father Saul
is trying
to kill you; therefore be on guard tomorrow morning; stay in a secret place and hide
yourself. 3 I
will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my
father
about you; if I learn anything I will tell you." 4 Jonathan spoke well of David to his father
Saul,
saying to him, "The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not
sinned
against you, and because his deeds have been of good service to you; 5 for he took his
life in his
hand when he attacked the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great victory for
all Israel.
You saw it, and rejoiced; why then will you sin against an innocent person by killing
David
without cause?" 6 Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, "As the LORD lives,
he shall
not be put to death." 7 So Jonathan called David and related all these things to him.
Jonathan then
brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before. 8 Again there was war,
and David
went out to fight the Philistines. He launched a heavy attack on them, so that they fled
before him.
9 Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his
spear in his
hand, while David was playing music. 10 Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the
spear; but
he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that
night. 11
Saul sent messengers to David's house to keep watch over him, planning to kill him in
the
morning. David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow
you will
be killed." 12 So Michal let David down through the window; he fled away and escaped.
13
Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed; she put a net of goats' hair on its head, and
covered it
with the clothes. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
15 Then
Saul sent the messengers to see David for themselves. He said, "Bring him up to me in
the bed,
that I may kill him." 16 When the messengers came in, the idol was in the bed, with the
covering
of goats' hair on its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this,
and let my
enemy go, so that he has escaped?" Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go;
why
should I kill you?'" 18 Now David fled and escaped; he came to Samuel at Ramah, and
told him
all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and settled at Naioth. 19 Saul was
told,
"David is at Naioth in Ramah." 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David. When
they saw the
company of the prophets in a frenzy, with Samuel standing in charge of them, the spirit
of God
came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also fell into a prophetic frenzy. 21 When
Saul was
told, he sent other messengers, and they also fell into a frenzy. Saul sent messengers
again the
third time, and they also fell into a frenzy. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah. He came
to the
great well that is in Secu; he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And someone
said, "They are
at Naioth in Ramah." 23 He went there, toward Naioth in Ramah; and the spirit of God
came
upon him. As he was going, he fell into a prophetic frenzy, until he came to Naioth in
Ramah. 24
He too stripped off his clothes, and he too fell into a frenzy before Samuel. He lay
naked all that
day and all that night. Therefore it is said, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
(1 Samuel 20) David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came before Jonathan and said,
"What have
I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin against your father that he is trying to
take my life?"
2 He said to him, "Far from it! You shall not die. My father does nothing either great or
small
without disclosing it to me; and why should my father hide this from me? Never!" 3 But
David
also swore, "Your father knows well that you like me; and he thinks, 'Do not let
Jonathan know
this, or he will be grieved.' But truly, as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is
but a
step between me and death." 4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will
do for
you." 5 David said to Jonathan, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit
with the
king at the meal; but let me go, so that I may hide in the field until the third evening. 6 If
your
father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run to
Bethlehem his city;
for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.' 7 If he says, 'Good!' it will be well
with your
servant; but if he is angry, then know that evil has been determined by him. 8 Therefore
deal
kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a sacred covenant with
you. But
if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?" 9
Jonathan said,
"Far be it from you! If I knew that it was decided by my father that evil should come
upon you,
would I not tell you?" 10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father
answers
you harshly?" 11 Jonathan replied to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So they
both
went out into the field. 12 Jonathan said to David, "By the LORD, the God of Israel!
When I have
sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or on the third day, if he is well
disposed
toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? 13 But if my father intends to
do you
harm, the LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, if I do not disclose it to you, and
send you
away, so that you may go in safety. May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my
father.
14 If I am still alive, show me the faithful love of the LORD; but if I die, 15 never cut off
your
faithful love from my house, even if the LORD were to cut off every one of the enemies
of David
from the face of the earth." 16 Thus Jonathan made a covenant with the house of
David, saying,
"May the LORD seek out the enemies of David." 17 Jonathan made David swear again
by his love
for him; for he loved him as he loved his own life. 18 Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow
is the new
moon; you will be missed, because your place will be empty. 19 On the day after
tomorrow, you
shall go a long way down; go to the place where you hid yourself earlier, and remain
beside the
stone there. 20 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21
Then I
will send the boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are
on this
side of you, collect them,' then you are to come, for, as the LORD lives, it is safe for
you and
there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,'
then go;
for the LORD has sent you away. 23 As for the matter about which you and I have
spoken, the
LORD is witness between you and me forever." 24 So David hid himself in the field.
When the
new moon came, the king sat at the feast to eat. 25 The king sat upon his seat, as at
other times,
upon the seat by the wall. Jonathan stood, while Abner sat by Saul's side; but David's
place was
empty. 26 Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, "Something has befallen
him; he is
not clean, surely he is not clean." 27 But on the second day, the day after the new
moon, David's
place was empty. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse not
come to the
feast, either yesterday or today?" 28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked
leave of me
to go to Bethlehem; 29 he said, 'Let me go; for our family is holding a sacrifice in the
city, and my
brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your sight, let
me get
away, and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table." 30
Then Saul's
anger was kindled against Jonathan. He said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious
woman!
Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the
shame of
your mother's nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth,
neither you nor
your kingdom shall be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely
die." 32
Then Jonathan answered his father Saul, "Why should he be put to death? What has
he done?" 33
But Saul threw his spear at him to strike him; so Jonathan knew that it was the decision
of his
father to put David to death. 34 Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no
food on
the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, and because his father had
disgraced
him. 35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David,
and with
him was a little boy. 36 He said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows that I shoot." As
the boy
ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where
Jonathan's arrow
had fallen, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is the arrow not beyond you?" 38
Jonathan
called after the boy, "Hurry, be quick, do not linger." So Jonathan's boy gathered up the
arrows
and came to his master. 39 But the boy knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew
the
arrangement. 40 Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said to him, "Go and carry
them to the
city." 41 As soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and
prostrated
himself with his face to the ground. He bowed three times, and they kissed each other,
and wept
with each other; David wept the more. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace,
since both
of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD shall be between me
and you, and
between my descendants and your descendants, forever.'" He got up and left; and
Jonathan went
into the city.
(1 Samuel 21) David came to Nob to the priest Ahimelech. Ahimelech came trembling
to meet
David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?" 2 David said to the
priest
Ahimelech, "The king has charged me with a matter, and said to me, 'No one must
know anything
of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made
an
appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what have you
at hand?
Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here." 4 The priest answered David, "I
have no
ordinary bread at hand, only holy bread--provided that the young men have kept
themselves from
women." 5 David answered the priest, "Indeed women have been kept from us as
always when I
go on an expedition; the vessels of the young men are holy even when it is a common
journey;
how much more today will their vessels be holy?" 6 So the priest gave him the holy
bread; for
there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which is removed from
before the
LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. 7 Now a certain man of
the
servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; his name was Doeg
the Edomite,
the chief of Saul's shepherds. 8 David said to Ahimelech, "Is there no spear or sword
here with
you? I did not bring my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business
required
haste." 9 The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the
valley of
Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, take it, for there
is none
here except that one." David said, "There is none like it; give it to me." 10 David rose
and fled
that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to
him, "Is
this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,
'Saul has
killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" 12 David took these words to
heart and was
very much afraid of King Achish of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them;
he
pretended to be mad when in their presence. He scratched marks on the doors of the
gate, and let
his spittle run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man
is mad; why
then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this
fellow to
play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"
(1 Samuel 22) David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; when his brothers
and all his
father's house heard of it, they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in
distress, and
everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and
he became
captain over them. Those who were with him numbered about four hundred. 3 David
went from
there to Mizpeh of Moab. He said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother
come to
you, until I know what God will do for me." 4 He left them with the king of Moab, and
they
stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 Then the prophet Gad
said to
David, "Do not remain in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah." So
David left, and
went into the forest of Hereth. 6 Saul heard that David and those who were with him
had been
located. Saul was sitting at Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height, with his
spear in his
hand, and all his servants were standing around him. 7 Saul said to his servants who
stood around
him, "Hear now, you Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields
and
vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of
hundreds? 8 Is that
why all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son
makes a league
with the son of Jesse, none of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has
stirred up my
servant against me, to lie in wait, as he is doing today." 9 Doeg the Edomite, who was
in charge
of Saul's servants, answered, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech son
of Ahitub;
10 he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of
Goliath the
Philistine." 11 The king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and for all his
father's house,
the priests who were at Nob; and all of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, "Listen
now, son of
Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord." 13 Saul said to him, "Why have you
conspired
against me, you and the son of Jesse, by giving him bread and a sword, and by
inquiring of God
for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as he is doing today?" 14 Then
Ahimelech
answered the king, "Who among all your servants is so faithful as David? He is the
king's
son-in-law, and is quick to do your bidding, and is honored in your house. 15 Is today
the first
time that I have inquired of God for him? By no means! Do not let the king impute
anything to his
servant or to any member of my father's house; for your servant has known nothing of
all this,
much or little." 16 The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your
father's
house." 17 The king said to the guard who stood around him, "Turn and kill the priests
of the
LORD, because their hand also is with David; they knew that he fled, and did not
disclose it to
me." But the servants of the king would not raise their hand to attack the priests of the
LORD. 18
Then the king said to Doeg, "You, Doeg, turn and attack the priests." Doeg the Edomite
turned
and attacked the priests; on that day he killed eighty-five who wore the linen ephod. 19
Nob, the
city of the priests, he put to the sword; men and women, children and infants, oxen,
donkeys, and
sheep, he put to the sword. 20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, named
Abiathar,
escaped and fled after David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of
the LORD.
22 David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that
he would
surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the lives of all your father's house. 23 Stay with
me, and do
not be afraid; for the one who seeks my life seeks your life; you will be safe with me."
(1 Samuel 23) Now they told David, "The Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and
are robbing
the threshing floors." 2 David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these
Philistines?"
The LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." 3 But David's
men said
to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah
against the
armies of the Philistines?" 4 Then David inquired of the LORD again. The LORD
answered him,
"Yes, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hand." 5 So David and
his men
went to Keilah, fought with the Philistines, brought away their livestock, and dealt them
a heavy
defeat. Thus David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 When Abiathar son of
Ahimelech fled to
David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that
David had
come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has given him into my hand; for he has shut
himself in by
entering a town that has gates and bars." 8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go
down to
Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil
against
him, he said to the priest Abiathar, "Bring the ephod here." 10 David said, "O LORD,
the God of
Israel, your servant has heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on
my
account. 11 And now, will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD, the
God of
Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant." The LORD said, "He will come down." 12 Then
David
said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" The
LORD said,
"They will surrender you." 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred,
set out and
left Keilah; they wandered wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had
escaped
from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 David remained in the strongholds in the
wilderness, in
the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the LORD did
not give
him into his hand. 15 David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned
that Saul
had come out to seek his life. 16 Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at
Horesh; there
he strengthened his hand through the LORD. 17 He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for
the hand of
my father Saul shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to
you; my
father Saul also knows that this is so." 18 Then the two of them made a covenant
before the
LORD; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. 19 Then some Ziphites
went up to
Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, on
the hill of
Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon. 20 Now, O king, whenever you wish to come
down, do so;
and our part will be to surrender him into the king's hand." 21 Saul said, "May you be
blessed by
the LORD for showing me compassion! 22 Go and make sure once more; find out
exactly where
he is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. 23 Look
around and learn
all the hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me with sure information. Then I
will go
with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of
Judah." 24 So
they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness
of Maon,
in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men went to search for him.
When David
was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul
heard that,
he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the
mountain, and
David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away
from Saul,
while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27 Then
a
messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid
on the
land." 28 So Saul stopped pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; therefore
that place
was called the Rock of Escape. 29 David then went up from there, and lived in the
strongholds of
En-gedi.
(1 Samuel 24) When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "David
is in the
wilderness of En-gedi." 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel,
and went to
look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 He came
to the
sheepfolds beside the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve
himself. Now
David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4 The men of David
said to
him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your
hand, and
you shall do to him as it seems good to you.'" Then David went and stealthily cut off a
corner of
Saul's cloak. 5 Afterward David was stricken to the heart because he had cut off a
corner of Saul's
cloak. 6 He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the
Lord's
anointed, to raise my hand against him; for he is the Lord's anointed." 7 So David
scolded his men
severely and did not permit them to attack Saul. Then Saul got up and left the cave,
and went on
his way. 8 Afterwards David also rose up and went out of the cave and called after
Saul, "My lord
the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground, and
did
obeisance. 9 David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of those who say,
'David seeks
to do you harm'? 10 This very day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you into
my hand in
the cave; and some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not raise my
hand against
my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed.' 11 See, my father, see the corner of your cloak
in my hand;
for by the fact that I cut off the corner of your cloak, and did not kill you, you may know
for
certain that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you,
though you
are hunting me to take my life. 12 May the LORD judge between me and you! May the
LORD
avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the ancient proverb
says, 'Out of
the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you. 14 Against
whom has
the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea? 15 May
the
LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it,
and plead my
cause, and vindicate me against you." 16 When David had finished speaking these
words to Saul,
Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He
said to
David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, whereas I have
repaid you
evil. 18 Today you have explained how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not
kill me
when the LORD put me into your hands. 19 For who has ever found an enemy, and
sent the
enemy safely away? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done
to me this
day. 20 Now I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall
be
established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut
off my
descendants after me, and that you will not wipe out my name from my father's house."
22 So
David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home; but David and his men went up to the
stronghold.
(1 Samuel 25) Now Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him. They
buried him
at his home in Ramah. Then David got up and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 2
There was
a man in Maon, whose property was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three
thousand
sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of
the man
was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was clever and beautiful, but
the man
was surly and mean; he was a Calebite. 4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal
was shearing
his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, "Go up to
Carmel,
and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. 6 Thus you shall salute him: 'Peace be to
you, and
peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7 I hear that you have
shearers; now
your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing,
all the time
they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my
young men
find favor in your sight; for we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you
have at hand
to your servants and to your son David.'" 9 When David's young men came, they said
all this to
Nabal in the name of David; and then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David's
servants, "Who
is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are breaking
away from
their masters. 11 Shall I take my bread and my water and the meat that I have
butchered for my
shearers, and give it to men who come from I do not know where?" 12 So David's
young men
turned away, and came back and told him all this. 13 David said to his men, "Every man
strap on
his sword!" And every one of them strapped on his sword; David also strapped on his
sword; and
about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the
baggage. 14
But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, "David sent messengers out of the
wilderness to salute our master; and he shouted insults at them. 15 Yet the men were
very good
to us, and we suffered no harm, and we never missed anything when we were in the
fields, as long
as we were with them; 16 they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while
we were
with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know this and consider what you
should do; for
evil has been decided against our master and against all his house; he is so ill-natured
that no one
can speak to him." 18 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves, two skins of
wine, five
sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins,
and two
hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys 19 and said to her young men, "Go
on ahead
of me; I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 As she rode
on the
donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, David and his men came down
toward her;
and she met them. 21 Now David had said, "Surely it was in vain that I protected all that
this
fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; but
he has
returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to David and more also, if by morning I leave
so much
as one male of all who belong to him." 23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and
alighted from
the donkey, fell before David on her face, bowing to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet
and said,
"Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt; please let your servant speak in your ears, and
hear the
words of your servant. 25 My lord, do not take seriously this ill-natured fellow, Nabal;
for as his
name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your servant, did not
see the
young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26 Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and
as you
yourself live, since the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from taking
vengeance with
your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be like
Nabal. 27
And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young
men who
follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant; for the LORD will
certainly make
my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD; and evil
shall not be
found in you so long as you live. 29 If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek
your life,
the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living under the care of the LORD
your
God; but the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30
When the
LORD has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning
you, and has
appointed you prince over Israel, 31 my lord shall have no cause of grief, or pangs of
conscience,
for having shed blood without cause or for having saved himself. And when the LORD
has dealt
well with my lord, then remember your servant." 32 David said to Abigail, "Blessed be
the LORD,
the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! 33 Blessed be your good sense, and
blessed be
you, who have kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own
hand! 34 For
as surely as the LORD the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you,
unless
you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there would not have been left
to Nabal
so much as one male." 35 Then David received from her hand what she had brought
him; he said
to her, "Go up to your house in peace; see, I have heeded your voice, and I have
granted your
petition." 36 Abigail came to Nabal; he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast
of a king.
Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at
all until the
morning light. 37 In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told
him these
things, and his heart died within him; he became like a stone. 38 About ten days later
the LORD
struck Nabal, and he died. 39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said,
"Blessed be the
LORD who has judged the case of Nabal's insult to me, and has kept back his servant
from evil;
the LORD has returned the evildoing of Nabal upon his own head." Then David sent
and wooed
Abigail, to make her his wife. 40 When David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel,
they said to
her, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife." 41 She rose and bowed
down, with
her face to the ground, and said, "Your servant is a slave to wash the feet of the
servants of my
lord." 42 Abigail got up hurriedly and rode away on a donkey; her five maids attended
her. She
went after the messengers of David and became his wife. 43 David also married
Ahinoam of
Jezreel; both of them became his wives. 44 Saul had given his daughter Michal,
David's wife, to
Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
(1 Samuel 26) Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "David is in hiding on
the hill of
Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon." 2 So Saul rose and went down to the
Wilderness of Ziph,
with three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. 3
Saul
encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon beside the road. But
David
remained in the wilderness. When he learned that Saul came after him into the
wilderness, 4 David
sent out spies, and learned that Saul had indeed arrived. 5 Then David set out and
came to the
place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner
son of Ner,
the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was
encamped
around him. 6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab's brother Abishai
son of
Zeruiah, "Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?" Abishai said, "I will go
down with
you." 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night; there Saul lay sleeping within
the
encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army
lay around
him. 8 Abishai said to David, "God has given your enemy into your hand today; now
therefore let
me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear; I will not strike him twice." 9 But
David
said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's
anointed, and
be guiltless?" 10 David said, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him down; or his
day will
come to die; or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should
raise my
hand against the Lord's anointed; but now take the spear that is at his head, and the
water jar, and
let us go." 12 So David took the spear that was at Saul's head and the water jar, and
they went
away. No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep,
because a deep
sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them. 13 Then David went over to the other side,
and stood
on top of a hill far away, with a great distance between them. 14 David called to the
army and to
Abner son of Ner, saying, "Abner! Will you not answer?" Then Abner replied, "Who are
you that
calls to the king?" 15 David said to Abner, "Are you not a man? Who is like you in
Israel? Why
then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to
destroy
your lord the king. 16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives,
you deserve
to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord's anointed. See now,
where is
the king's spear, or the water jar that was at his head?" 17 Saul recognized David's
voice, and
said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." 18
And he
added, "Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on
my hands?
19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the LORD
who has
stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering; but if it is mortals, may they be
cursed
before the LORD, for they have driven me out today from my share in the heritage of
the LORD,
saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' 20 Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the ground,
away
from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single
flea, like one
who hunts a partridge in the mountains." 21 Then Saul said, "I have done wrong; come
back, my
son David, for I will never harm you again, because my life was precious in your sight
today; I
have been a fool, and have made a great mistake." 22 David replied, "Here is the
spear, O king!
Let one of the young men come over and get it. 23 The LORD rewards everyone for his
righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD gave you into my hand today, but I
would not
raise my hand against the Lord's anointed. 24 As your life was precious today in my
sight, so may
my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he rescue me from all
tribulation." 25 Then
Saul said to David, "Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will
succeed in
them." So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
(1 Samuel 27) David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul;
there is
nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair
of seeking
me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand." 2 So
David set out
and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to King Achish son of
Maoch of
Gath. 3 David stayed with Achish at Gath, he and his troops, every man with his
household, and
David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow. 4
When
Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought for him. 5 Then David
said to
Achish, "If I have found favor in your sight, let a place be given me in one of the country
towns,
so that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" 6
So that day
Achish gave him Ziklag; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this
day. 7 The
length of time that David lived in the country of the Philistines was one year and four
months. 8
Now David and his men went up and made raids on the Geshurites, the Girzites, and
the
Amalekites; for these were the landed settlements from Telam on the way to Shur and
on to the
land of Egypt. 9 David struck the land, leaving neither man nor woman alive, but took
away the
sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing, and came back to Achish.
10 When
Achish asked, "Against whom have you made a raid today?" David would say, "Against
the
Negeb of Judah," or "Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites," or, "Against the Negeb
of the
Kenites." 11 David left neither man nor woman alive to be brought back to Gath,
thinking, "They
might tell about us, and say, 'David has done so and so.'" Such was his practice all the
time he
lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made
himself
utterly abhorrent to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant."
(1 Samuel 28) In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight
against Israel.
Achish said to David, "You know, of course, that you and your men are to go out with
me in the
army." 2 David said to Achish, "Very well, then you shall know what your servant can
do."
Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life." 3 Now Samuel
had
died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. Saul
had expelled
the mediums and the wizards from the land. 4 The Philistines assembled, and came
and encamped
at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw
the army of
the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 When Saul inquired of
the LORD,
the LORD did not answer him, not by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul
said to his
servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and
inquire of her."
His servants said to him, "There is a medium at Endor." 8 So Saul disguised himself
and put on
other clothes and went there, he and two men with him. They came to the woman by
night. And
he said, "Consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you." 9
The woman
said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and
the
wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my
death?" 10
But Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come
upon you
for this thing." 11 Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He answered,
"Bring
up Samuel for me." 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice;
and the
woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" 13 The king said to
her, "Have
no fear; what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up
out of the
ground." 14 He said to her, "What is his appearance?" She said, "An old man is coming
up; he is
wrapped in a robe." So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to
the ground,
and did obeisance. 15 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by
bringing me
up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me,
and God
has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams;
so I have
summoned you to tell me what I should do." 16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me,
since the
LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done to you
just as he
spoke by me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your
neighbor,
David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD, and did not carry out his
fierce
wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you today. 19
Moreover the
LORD will give Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines; and tomorrow you
and
your sons shall be with me; the LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of
the
Philistines." 20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because
of the
words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day
and all night.
21 The woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him,
"Your
servant has listened to you; I have taken my life in my hand, and have listened to what
you have
said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also listen to your servant; let me set a morsel of
bread before
you. Eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way." 23 He refused, and
said, "I will
not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he listened to their
words. So
he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in
the house.
She quickly slaughtered it, and she took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened
cakes. 25 She
put them before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away
that night.
(1 Samuel 29) Now the Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while the
Israelites were
encamped by the fountain that is in Jezreel. 2 As the lords of the Philistines were
passing on by
hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with
Achish, 3 the
commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish said
to the
commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel,
who has been
with me now for days and years? Since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him
to this
day." 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him; and the
commanders of the
Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, so that he may return to the place that you
have
assigned to him; he shall not go down with us to battle, or else he may become an
adversary to us
in the battle. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be
with the
heads of the men here? 5 Is this not David, of whom they sing to one another in
dances, 'Saul has
killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" 6 Then Achish called David and
said to him,
"As the LORD lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should
march out
and in with me in the campaign; for I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of
your
coming to me until today. Nevertheless the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back
now; and
go peaceably; do nothing to displease the lords of the Philistines." 8 David said to
Achish, "But
what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your
service until
now, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" 9 Achish
replied to
David, "I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless,
the
commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.' 10
Now then
rise early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who came with you, and go
to the
place that I appointed for you. As for the evil report, do not take it to heart, for you have
done
well before me. Start early in the morning, and leave as soon as you have light." 11 So
David set
out with his men early in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. But the
Philistines
went up to Jezreel.
(1 Samuel 30) Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the
Amalekites had
made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it down, 2
and taken
captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great; they killed none of
them, but
carried them off, and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, they
found it
burned down, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and
the people
who were with him raised their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to
weep. 5
David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the
widow of
Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was in great danger; for the people spoke of stoning him,
because all
the people were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened
himself in the
LORD his God. 7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the
ephod." So
Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this
band?
Shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and
shall surely
rescue." 9 So David set out, he and the six hundred men who were with him. They
came to the
Wadi Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David went on with the
pursuit, he
and four hundred men; two hundred stayed behind, too exhausted to cross the Wadi
Besor. 11 In
the open country they found an Egyptian, and brought him to David. They gave him
bread and he
ate, they gave him water to drink; 12 they also gave him a piece of fig cake and two
clusters of
raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit revived; for he had not eaten bread or drunk
water for three
days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, "To whom do you belong? Where
are you
from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. My master left me
behind
because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid on the Negeb of the
Cherethites and on
that which belongs to Judah and on the Negeb of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag down."
15 David
said to him, "Will you take me down to this raiding party?" He said, "Swear to me by
God that
you will not kill me, or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them." 16
When
he had taken him down, they were spread out all over the ground, eating and drinking
and
dancing, because of the great amount of spoil they had taken from the land of the
Philistines and
from the land of Judah. 17 David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the
next day.
Not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and
fled. 18
David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. 19
Nothing
was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been
taken;
David brought back everything. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, which
were
driven ahead of the other cattle; people said, "This is David's spoil." 21 Then David
came to the
two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left
at the
Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him.
When
David drew near to the people he saluted them. 22 Then all the corrupt and worthless
fellows
among the men who had gone with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we
will not give
them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife
and
children, and leave." 23 But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what
the LORD
has given us; he has preserved us and handed over to us the raiding party that
attacked us. 24
Who would listen to you in this matter? For the share of the one who goes down into
the battle
shall be the same as the share of the one who stays by the baggage; they shall share
alike." 25
From that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel; it continues to
the present
day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders
of Judah,
saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD"; 27 it was
for those
in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29
in Racal,
in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, in the towns of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in
Bor-ashan, in
Athach, 31 in Hebron, all the places where David and his men had roamed.
(1 Samuel 31) Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled
before the
Philistines, and many fell on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his
sons; and the
Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The
battle pressed
hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by them. 4 Then
Saul said to
his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these
uncircumcised
may not come and thrust me through, and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer was
unwilling;
for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 When his
armor-bearer saw
that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his
three sons
and his armor-bearer and all his men died together on the same day. 7 When the men
of Israel
who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men
of Israel
had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their towns and fled; and
the
Philistines came and occupied them. 8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip
the dead,
they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head,
stripped off
his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good
news to
the houses of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of
Astarte; and
they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of
Jabesh-gilead
heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men set out, traveled all
night long,
and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They
came to
Jabesh and burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under
the tamarisk
tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
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