THE BOOK OF
FIRST SAMUEL
CHAPTERS 17-24
1 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to
battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which
belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and
the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah,
and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And the
Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between
them.
4 And there went
out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath,
whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an
helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the
weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between
his shoulders.
7 And the staff
of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred
shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood
and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine,
and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able
to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I
prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
10 And the
Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and
all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly
afraid.
12 ¶ Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of
Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went
among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
13 And the three
eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his
three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him
Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 And David was
the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
15
But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at
Bethlehem.
16 And the
Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17 And Jesse said
unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and
these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
18
And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look
how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul, and
they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the
Philistines.
20 And David rose
up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to
the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21 For Israel and
the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David left
his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army,
and came and saluted his brethren.
23
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the
Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and
spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the
men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25
And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up?
surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth
him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his
daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
26 And David
spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the
reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should
defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the people
answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that
killeth him.
28 And Eliab his
eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger
was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with
whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and
the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see
the battle.
29 And David
said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30
And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner:
and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 ¶ And when the words were heard which David spake,
they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And David said
to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said
to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him:
for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said
unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a
bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35
And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his
mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him,
and slew him.
36 Thy servant
slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as
one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said
moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the
hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with
thee.
38 And Saul armed
David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he
armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David
girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with
these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
40 ¶ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him
five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he
had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the
Philistine.
41
And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that
bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the
Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a
youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the
Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the
Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls
of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said
David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and
with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the
LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head
from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day
unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the
earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and
spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
48 ¶ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and
came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to
meet the Philistine.
49 And David put
his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk
into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David
prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the
Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore
David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off
his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they
fled.
52 And the men of
Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou
come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the
Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
53 And the
children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they
spoiled their tents.
54 And David took
the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour
in his tent.
55
And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto
Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said,
As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
56 And the king
said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
57 And as David
returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in
his hand.
58 And Saul said
to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of
thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when he had made an end of
speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit
with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took
him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan
and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it
to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his
girdle.
5 And David went
out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him
over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and
also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 ¶ And it came to pass as they
came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the
women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul,
with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7 And the women
answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.
8
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said,
They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but
thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed
David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to
pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul,
and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as
at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast
the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And
David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 ¶ And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was
with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul
removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out
and came in before the people.
14 And David
behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
15 Wherefore when
Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel
and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said
to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be
thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the
Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said
unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that
I should be son in law to the king?
19 But it came to
pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David,
that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20
And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the
thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said,
I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the
Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this
day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
22
And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly,
and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee:
now therefore be the king's son in law.
23 And Saul's
servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to
you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the
servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said,
Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred
foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul
thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26
And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to
be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.
27 Wherefore
David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred
men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the
king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw
and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved
him.
29 And Saul was
yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
30
Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass,
after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the
servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 ¶ And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his
servants, that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan
Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father
seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until
the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
3 And I will go
out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will
tell thee.
4 And Jonathan
spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king
sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against
thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
5 For he did put
his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst
rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David
without a cause?
6 And Saul
hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he
shall not be slain.
7 And Jonathan
called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan
brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
8 ¶ And there was war again: and David went out, and
fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they
fled from him.
9 And the evil
spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in
his hand: and David played with his hand.
10
And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he
slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall:
and David fled, and escaped that night.
11 ¶ Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to
watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him,
saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou
shalt be slain.
12 So Michal let
David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13 And Michal
took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his
bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
14
And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent
the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that
I may slay him.
16 And when the
messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow
of goats' hair for his bolster.
17
And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away
mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let
me go; why should I kill thee?
18 ¶ So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to
Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and
dwelt in Naioth.
19
And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent
messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets
prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was
upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it
was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise.
And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he
also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and
said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in
Ramah.
23 And he went
thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth
in Ramah.
24 And he
stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and
lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul
also among the prophets?
1 ¶ And David fled from Naioth in
Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity?
and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
2 And he said
unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing
either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
3 And David sware
moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in
thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but
truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between
me and death.
4
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even
do it for thee.
5 And David said
unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit
with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto
the third day at even.
6
If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of
me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice
there for all the family.
7 If he say thus,
It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure
that evil is determined by him.
8
Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought
thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be
in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
9 ¶ And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew
certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would
not I tell it thee?
10
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father
answer thee roughly?
11 And Jonathan
said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both
of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan
said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father
about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good
toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
13 The LORD do so
and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I
will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the
LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14
And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the
LORD, that I die not:
15 But also thou
shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD
hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the
LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan
caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved
his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan
said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed,
because thy seat will be empty.
19 And when thou
hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place
where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain
by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will
shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21
And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I
expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take
them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD
liveth.
22 But if I say
thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for
the LORD hath sent thee away.
23
And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the
LORD be between thee and me for ever.
24 ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new
moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king
sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's
place was empty.
26 Nevertheless
Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him,
he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came to
pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place
was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
28 And Jonathan
answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
29 And he said, Let
me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my
brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see
my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.
30 Then Saul's
anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the
perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse
to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
31
For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not
be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for
he shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan
answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what
hath he done?
33
And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that
it was determined of his father to slay David.
34 So Jonathan
arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the
month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
35 ¶ And it came to pass in the
morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with
David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said
unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran,
he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the
lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow
beyond thee?
38 And Jonathan
cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered
up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad
knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan
gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
41 And as soon as
the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his
face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another,
and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42 And Jonathan
said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me
and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed:
and Jonathan went into the city.
1 ¶ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and
Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said
unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said
unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said
unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and
what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants
to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore
what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what
there is present.
4 And the priest
answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there
is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David
answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us
about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are
holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this
day in the vessel.
6
So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but
the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day
when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain
man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and
his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8 And David said unto
Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have
neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste.
9 And the priest
said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind
the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that
here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10 ¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul,
and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11
And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of
the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath
slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid
up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in
their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall
down upon his beard.
14 Then said
Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye
brought him to me?
15
Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad
man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
1 ¶ David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the
cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they
went down thither to him.
2
And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and
every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a
captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went
thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and
my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought
them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David
was in the hold.
5 And the prophet
Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land
of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
6 ¶ When Saul heard that David was
discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a
tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing
about him;)
7 Then Saul said
unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son
of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
8 That all of you
have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath
made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for
me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to
lie in wait, as at this day?
9
Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul,
and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he
enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of
Goliath the Philistine.
11 Then the king
sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came
all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said,
Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said
unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that
thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at
this day?
14 Then Ahimelech
answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as
David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is
honourable in thine house?
15 Did I then
begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my
father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king
said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
17 And the king
said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David,
and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants
of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the
LORD.
18 And the king
said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite
turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the
city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women,
children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the
sword.
20 ¶ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,
named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar
shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.
22 And David said
unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he
would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy
father's house.
23
Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy
life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
1 ¶ Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines
fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
2
Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these
Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and
save Keilah.
3 And David's men
said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we
come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4
Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and
said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine
hand.
5 So David and
his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their
cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants
of Keilah.
6
And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to
Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 ¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah.
And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by
entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
8
And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to
besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew
that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the
priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 Then said
David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my
sake.
11 Will the men
of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath
heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD
said, He will come down.
12 Then said
David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
13 Then David and
his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and
went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped
from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 ¶ And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds,
and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul
sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw
that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of
Ziph in a wood.
16 And Jonathan
Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened
his hand in God.
17 And he said
unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and
thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also
Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two
made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and
Jonathan went to his house.
19 ¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying,
Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of
Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20 Now therefore,
O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's
hand.
21 And Saul said,
Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray
you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath
seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.
23 See therefore,
and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself,
and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it
shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout
all the thousands of Judah.
24 And they
arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the
wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
25
Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore
he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul
heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul went
on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the
mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came
a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have
invaded the land.
28 Wherefore Saul
returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore
they called that place Selahammahlekoth.
29
And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from
following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in
the wilderness of Engedi.
2 Then Saul took
three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David
and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to
the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his
feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of
David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I
will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and
cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to
pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's
skirt.
6 And he said
unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand
against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
7 So David stayed
his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul
rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 David also
arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David
stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
9 ¶ And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's
words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
10 Behold, this
day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee:
but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my
lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.
11 Moreover, my
father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off
the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not
sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
12 The LORD judge
between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be
upon thee.
13 As saith the
proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom is
the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog,
after a flea.
15 The LORD
therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause,
and deliver me out of thine hand.
16 ¶ And it came to pass, when David
had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy
voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he said to
David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas
I have rewarded thee evil.
18
And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me:
forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me
not.
19 For if a man
find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee
good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now,
behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
21 Swear now
therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and
that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
22 And David
sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the
hold.