Saul Spares Agag of Amalek

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Adonai sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the words of Adonai! ² Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. ³ Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

⁴ So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them in Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. ⁵ Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. ⁶ Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, or else I may destroy you with them—for you showed kindness to all Bnei-Yisrael when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur, which is close to Egypt. ⁸ He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag as well as the best of the sheep, the cattle, even the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, since they were not willing to utterly destroy them; everything that was worthless and feeble, they destroyed completely.

¹⁰ Then the word of Adonai came to Samuel saying: ¹¹ “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” So Samuel was troubled and cried out to Adonai all night long. ¹² Then Samuel rose early in the morning to confront Saul. But it was reported to Samuel saying, “Saul went to Carmel—for some reason, he erected a monument for himself. Then he turned and went down to Gilgal.”

¹³ Now when Samuel reached Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of Adonai! I have carried out Adonai’s command.”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”

¹⁵ “They brought them from the Amalekites,” Saul replied, “for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to Adonai your God—but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

¹⁶ “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what Adonai said to me last night.”

“Say on,” he said.

¹⁷ Then Samuel said, “Isn’t it true, though you were insignificant in your own eyes, that you were made head of the tribes of Israel? Adonai anointed you king over Israel! ¹⁸ Then Adonai sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and utterly destroy the Amalekites, the sinners, and wage war against them until you annihilate them.’ ¹⁹ Why then did you not obey the voice of Adonai, but rushed greedily onto the spoil—doing what was evil in Adonai’s eyes?”

²⁰ “But I did obey the voice of Adonai,” Saul said to Samuel. “I went on the mission on which Adonai sent me, and brought back Agag the king of Amalek—and utterly destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen—the best of what was under the ban of destruction—to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal.”

²² Samuel said:

²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination

and stubbornness is like iniquity

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned! For I have transgressed against the word of Adonai and your words—because I feared the people and listened to their voice. ^{[b] 25} So now, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship Adonai.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Adonai, and Adonai has rejected you as king over Israel.”

²⁷ As Samuel turned about to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Then Samuel said to him, “Adonai has torn the kingship over Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. ²⁹ Moreover, the Eternal Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind.^[c] For He is not human that He should change His mind.”

³⁰ Then Saul said, “I have sinned! But please, honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me until I bow in worship to Adonai your God.” ³¹ So Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul bowed in worship to Adonai.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag the king of Amalek.” Agag approached him in chains, thinking, “Surely bitter death has turned back.” ³³ Then Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag into pieces before Adonai in Gilgal.

³⁴ Samuel then went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Samuel never did see Saul again until the day of his death. Yet Samuel mourned over Saul, while Adonai regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Anoints David

16 Now Adonai said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite, for I have selected for Myself a king among his sons.”

² But Samuel replied, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”

Adonai said, “Take a heifer with you and say: ‘I have come to sacrifice to Adonai.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You will anoint for Me whom I tell you.”

⁴ So Samuel did what Adonai said and went to Beth-lehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and asked, “Do you come in shalom?”

⁵ “In shalom,” he said. “I have come to sacrifice to Adonai. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ Upon their arrival, he saw Eliab and thought, “Surely, Adonai’s anointed one is before Him.”

⁷ But Adonai said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have already refused him. For He does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks into the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But he said, “Neither has Adonai chosen this one.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by and again he said, “Neither has Adonai chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Adonai has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the boys you have?”

“There’s still the youngest,” he replied. But right now, he’s tending the sheep.”

“Send and bring him,” Samuel said to Jesse, “for we will not sit down until he comes here.” ¹² So he sent word and had him come. Now he was ruddy-cheeked, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance.

Then Adonai said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.” ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. From that day on Ruach Adonai came mightily upon David. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David Soothes Saul’s Torment

¹⁴ Now the Ruach Adonai had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Adonai terrified him. ¹⁵ So Saul’s courtiers said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command your courtiers in your service to search for a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, he will play with his instrument and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his courtiers, “Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the young men answered and said, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite who is skillful in playing music. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, a handsome man, and Adonai is with him.”

¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the flock.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey, loaded it with bread, a bottle of wine and a young goat, and sent them with his son David to Saul. ²¹ Then David came to Saul and became one of his attendants. Saul loved him greatly, so David became his armor-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David now keep attending me, for he has found favor in my eyes.” ²³ It came to pass, whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand. So Saul would find relief and feel better, as the evil spirit departed from him.

David Slays Goliath with Sling and Stone

17 Now the Philistines assembled their armies to battle. They were gathered at Socoh of Judah, and camped in Ephes-dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, then lined up in battle array against the Philistines. ³ The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion stepped out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and a breastplate of scale armor; the weight of the bronze breastplate was 5,000 shekels^[d]. ⁶ He also had bronze shin-guards on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed 600 shekels^[e] of iron; and his shield-bearer was marching ahead of him.

⁸ Then he stood and shouted out to the ranks of Israel saying to them, “Why come out to line up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and aren’t you Saul’s servants? Choose for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we become your slaves; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then will you become our slaves and serve us.” ¹⁰ The Philistine added, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel—give me a man, so we may fight together!”

¹¹ But when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very terrified.

¹² Now David was son of a certain Ephrathite man of Beth-lehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons and during the days of Saul the man was old, advanced in years among men. ¹³ Now the three oldest sons of Jesse had already left and gone after Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. So the three oldest followed Saul. ¹⁵ Now David would go back and forth from Saul to tending his father’s sheep by Beth-lehem.

¹⁶ For forty days that Philistine would come out every morning and evening to present himself. ¹⁷ Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now, for your brothers, an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. ¹⁸ Also take these ten slices of cheese to the captain of their thousand—and check out the welfare of your brothers and bring back some token from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

²⁰ So David rose up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, took the provisions and went as Jesse had commanded him. When he reached the camp, the army was going out to the battle line shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines, army against army. ²² Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered to check out his brothers’ welfare. ²³ But as he was talking with them, behold the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the ranks of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.

²⁴ Upon seeing him, all the men of Israel fled from him in great fear. ²⁵ All the men of Israel were saying, “Have you seen this man who keeps coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel! The man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, give him his daughter in marriage and make his father’s house tax-free in Israel!”

²⁶ Then David asked the men who were standing by him saying, “What will 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 ranks of the living God?”

²⁷ The people answered him with the same speech saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who strikes him down.” ²⁸ Now when Eliab his oldest brother heard him speaking to the men, Eliab’s anger was kindled against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “So with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart! For you’ve come down here to watch the battle.”

²⁹ “What have I done now?” David said. “It was only a question!” ³⁰ Then he turned away from him toward someone else and asked the same question. So the people gave him the same answer as before.

³¹ The words that David said were overheard and reported before Saul. So he was taken to 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 Then Saul said to David, “You can’t go fight this Philistine—for you’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵ I went out after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb out of its mouth. If it rose up against me, I grabbed him by its fur, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, so this uncircumcised Philistine will become like one of them—since he has defied the ranks of the living God.” ³⁷ Then David said, “Adonai, who has delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

“Go!” said Saul to David, “and may Adonai be with you.”

³⁸ Then Saul clothed David with his own garb, put a bronze helmet on his head, and clothed him in armor. ³⁹ David strapped his sword on his garment and tried to walk, but he was not used to it. So David said to Saul, “I cannot walk in these, for I am not used to them.” So David took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the valley, put them in the pocket of the shepherd’s bag that he had, and with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine drew nearer and approached David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² Now when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was just a ruddy boy with a handsome appearance. ⁴³ Then the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, so I may give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I am coming to you in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot, God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This very day Adonai will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and take your head off you, and I will give the carcasses of the Philistines’ camp today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth. Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and so all this assembly will know that Adonai delivers not with sword and spear—for the battle belongs to Adonai—and He will give you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ Then when the Philistine rose and began to advance, drawing near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took from it a stone and slung it, striking the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, struck the Philistine down and killed him. Since there was no sword in David’s hand, ⁵¹ David ran, stood over the Philistine, picked up his sword, drew it from its sheath, slew him and cut off his head with it.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵² Then the men of Israel and Judah rose up, shouted and pursued the Philistines all the way to the valley up to the gates of Ekron. The slain Philistines fell down along the way to Shaaraim, even up to Gath and Ekron.

⁵³ When Bnei-Yisrael returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. ⁵⁴ David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his own tent. ⁵⁵ Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this boy?”

Abner said, “As your soul lives, your majesty, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶ So the king said, “Then, find out whose son this young man is.” ⁵⁷ So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

⁵⁸ “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul said to him.

David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.”

Jonathan’s Covenant Love for David

18 Now it came to pass, when David had finished speaking to Saul, Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s soul, and Jonathan loved him as himself. ² Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. ³ Then Jonathan cut a covenant with David, because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan stripped off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, along with his armor: his sword, bow and belt.

Saul’s Jealousy

⁵ So David went out wherever Saul sent him and had success, so Saul set him over the men of war. It was pleasing in the eyes of all the people as well as in the eyes of Saul’s courtiers. ⁶ Upon their coming back, upon David’s return from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing in circles to greet King Saul, with timbrels, with joy and with three-stringed instruments. ⁷ So the women sang one to another, as they were dancing saying,

⁸ Then Saul became very angry—this saying was evil in his eyes—and he commented, “They’ve ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they’ve ascribed thousands. Now what more does he lack but the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul eyed David from that day on.

¹⁰ It came about the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, so that he was raving within the palace. While David was playing music with his hand, as he did day by day, Saul had his spear in his hand, ¹¹ and Saul hurled the spear, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall!” But David eluded him—twice.

¹² Now Saul became afraid of David, because Adonai was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from his entourage by appointing him as a captain of a thousand. So David went out and came in before the troops. ¹⁴ David had success in all his undertakings, since Adonai was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he had great success, he dreaded him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab—I give her to you as a wife. Only continue to be my son of valor and fight Adonai’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand needn’t be against him—let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸ But David replied to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ But when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David in marriage, she was given as wife to Adriel the Meholathite instead.

Michal’s Love for David

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. When they told Saul, the matter pleased him. ²¹ Saul thought, “I will give her to him, so that she may become a snare to him—and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.” So Saul said to David, “You can still become my son-in-law, even today, with the second one.”

²² Then Saul commanded his courtiers, “Speak with David privately and say, ‘Behold, the king delights in you and all his courtiers love you. So now, become the king’s son-in-law!’” ²³ So Saul’s courtiers whispered these words in David’s ears.

But David said, “Is it a light thing to you becoming the king’s son-in-law, considering that I am a poor man and of little account?” ²⁴ Saul’s courtiers reported back to him what David had said.

²⁵ Then Saul said, “Thus you will say to David, ‘The king desires no bridal dowry except 100 foreskins of the Philistines—to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” So Saul schemed to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶ When his courtiers told David these words, the word seemed right in David’s eyes to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the days were fulfilled, ²⁷ David had risen, gone with his men and killed 200 Philistine men. Then David brought their foreskins and gave them in full number to the king—to become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. ²⁸ When Saul saw and realized that Adonai was with David and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, ²⁹ Saul grew even more afraid of David. Thus Saul became David’s enemy for all days.

³⁰ When the chiefs of the Philistines marched out, as often as they came out, David proved more successful than all of Saul’s officers. So his name became highly esteemed.

Saul Tries to Kill David

19 Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his courtiers to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan delighted much in David. ² So Jonathan informed David saying, “My father Saul is seeking to kill you. So now, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. ³ I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you will be, and I will speak with my father about you. If I notice anything, I will tell you.” ⁴ So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “May the king not sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial for you; ⁵ For he put his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and Adonai won a great victory for all Israel—you saw it and rejoiced. So why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David without a cause?”

⁶ Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As Adonai lives, he will not be put to death.” ⁷ So Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul and in his presence as before.

⁸ Once again war broke out, and David marched out and fought the Philistines, and inflicted a great slaughter on them and they fled before him. ⁹ Yet once again an evil spirit from Adonai came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, as David was playing music with his hand. ¹⁰ Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s face, so that he drove the spear into the wall. That night David fled and got away.

¹¹ Then Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch him, in order to kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him saying, “If you don’t escape for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” ¹² So Michal lowered David down through the window, and thus he went, fled and escaped. ¹³ Then Michal took a household idol, laid it in the bed, put a quilt of goats’ hair at the head and covered it with a cloth. ¹⁴ When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.”

¹⁵ So Saul sent the agents back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed so I may put him to death.” ¹⁶ When the messengers came in, behold, the household idol was in the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. ¹⁷ Saul then said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy get away, so that he escaped?”

Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go or I’ll kill you!’”

¹⁸ So David fled and escaped, went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. ¹⁹ Saul was told, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” ²⁰ So Saul sent agents to seize David, but they saw a band of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing and presiding over them. Then the Ruach of God came upon Saul’s agents and they too prophesied. ²¹ When Saul was told, he sent other agents and they too prophesied. Then Saul sent a third group of messengers, and they too prophesied. ²² Then he himself went to Ramah, and when he arrived at the great cistern in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

Someone answered, “Look, they are at Naioth at Ramah.” ²³ So he proceeded there, to Naioth at Ramah, and the Ruach of God came upon him as well, and he prophesied as he kept walking until he arrived to Naioth at Ramah. ²⁴ Then he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. That is why people were saying, “Is Saul too among the prophets?”

Reaffirming Covenant Loyalty

20 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah, came before Jonathan and said, “What have I done? What is my crime? What is my sin against your father that he should be seeking my life?”

² “Never!” he said to him. “You will not die! Behold, my father does nothing great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this matter from me? It cannot be.”

³ Then David swore again saying, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes. So he must have thought, ‘Let’s not let Jonathan know about this, else he will be grieved.’ But truly as Adonai lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

⁴ Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you!”

⁵ So David said to Jonathan, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, when I am supposed to sit down with the king to eat. Instead, let me go hide myself in the countryside until the third evening. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, then say: ‘David earnestly asked my permission to run to Beth-lehem, his town, for it is the annual sacrifice there for the whole family.’ ⁷ If he says thus, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe; but if he becomes very angry, then know that he is determined to harm me. ⁸ Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Adonai with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, then kill me yourself! Why should you bring me to your father?”

⁹ Jonathan replied, “Far be it from you! For if I know for sure that my father has determined evil to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you about it?”

¹⁰ Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹ Jonathan said to David, “Come, let’s go out to the field.” So they both went out to the field. ¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “By Adonai, God of Israel, I will sound out my father about this time tomorrow or the day after. Look, if it is good toward David, wouldn’t I then send word to you and disclose it to you? ¹³ May Adonai do so to Jonathan and even worse, should my father intend to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in shalom. So may Adonai be with you as He has been with my father.

¹⁴ “Now if I am still alive, wouldn’t you show me the loyal love of Adonai so I wouldn’t die? ¹⁵ Yet also, don’t cut off your loyal love from my household ever—not even when Adonai cuts off all of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” ¹⁶ So Jonathan cut a covenant with the house of David, “So may Adonai requite David’s enemies.” ¹⁷ Jonathan made David swear again because of the love he had for him, for he loved him as he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon. You’ll be missed because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹ On the third day, you must go down quickly and come to the place where you hid as you did on that day, and remain close to the stone Ezel. ²⁰ I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Now look, I will send a lad saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the lad, ‘See, the arrows are on this side of you—get them,’ then come; for it is safe for you and no danger, as Adonai lives. ²² But if I say to the boy: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go your way, for Adonai has released you. ²³ But as for the matter which I and you have spoken about, behold, Adonai is between me and you forever.”

²⁴ So David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon came, the king sat down to eat a meal. ²⁵ So the king sat on his seat—as usual, the seat by the wall—Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “It must be an accident; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he’s unclean.”

²⁷ Yet it came to pass on the day following the New Moon, the second day, that David’s place was still empty. So Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal yesterday or today?”

²⁸ Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem, ²⁹ as he said, ‘Please let me go, for we are going to have a family feast in the town, and my brother has commanded me. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me go, please, to see my brothers. That’s why he hasn’t come to the king’s table.”

³⁰ Then Saul’s rage blazed against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Don’t I 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 on earth, neither you nor your kingship will be secure. Now, send word and bring him to me, for he is a son of death!”

³² But Jonathan answered his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

³³ Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. ³⁴ So Jonathan rose up from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food the second day of the new month, for he was grieved over David, because his father had dishonored him.

³⁵ It came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. ³⁶ He said to his lad, “Run, find now the arrows that I am about to shoot.” Now as the lad was running, he shot an arrow past him. ³⁷ When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸ Then Jonathan called out after the lad, “Quick, hurry! Don’t stand there!” So Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrow and came to his master. ³⁹ But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement. ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, take them back to the town.”

⁴¹ As soon as the lad was gone, David emerged from the south side and fell on his face to the ground and bowed down three times. Then they kissed each other and wept together, though David wept more. ⁴² Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in the shalom that we both have sworn to each other in the Name of Adonai saying: ‘May Adonai be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’”

Saul Consults a Medium

28 At that time, the Philistines gathered their armed forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You surely know that you and your men must march out with me in the army.”

² David said to Achish, “Well then, you know what your servant will do.”

“Well then, I appoint you my bodyguard for life,” Achish said to David.

³ Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

⁴ So the Philistines mustered and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped at Gilboa. ⁵ Now when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ When Saul inquired of Adonai, Adonai did not answer, neither by dreams nor by Urim or prophets.

⁷ Then Saul said to his courtiers, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go to her and inquire through her.” So his courtiers said to him, “Behold, there is a woman that is a medium at En-dor.” ⁸ So Saul disguised himself, put on other clothes, and went with two other men, and they reached the woman by night. Then he said, “Please conjure up for me a ghost—bring up for me the one I will name to you.”

⁹ “Look, you know what Saul has done,” she said, “how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. So why then are you setting a trap for my life to get me killed?”

¹⁰ Saul vowed to her by Adonai saying, “As Adonai lives, no punishment will come on you for this thing.”

¹¹ “Whom will I bring up for you?” the woman asked.

“Bring me up Samuel,” he said.

¹² But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud shriek. Then the woman spoke to Saul saying, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

¹³ “Don’t be afraid!” the king said to her. “What do you see?”

The woman said to Saul, “I see a godlike being coming up from the earth.”

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” he asked her.

“An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe,” she said.

Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, so he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. ¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I’m in great distress,” Saul answered. “The Philistines are waging war against me, and God has turned away from me—He doesn’t answer me anymore, whether by prophets or by dreams. So I called you up to tell me what I should do.”

¹⁶ Samuel said, “So why ask me, since Adonai has turned away from you and become your adversary? ¹⁷ Now Adonai has done for Himself just as He foretold through me—Adonai has torn the kingship out of your hand and has given it to another fellow, to David. ¹⁸ Since you did not obey the voice of Adonai and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so Adonai has done this to you today. ¹⁹ Moreover, Adonai will also give the Israelites who are with you into the hand of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me! Yes, Adonai will give the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground, and became so terrified because of the words of Samuel that there was absolutely no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. ²¹ Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was so agitated, so she told him, “Behold, your maidservant obeyed you; I put my life in my hand by listening to your words, which you spoke to me. ²² Please you too listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a morsel of bread before you, so you can eat and have strength to go on your way.”

²³ But he refused and said, “I won’t eat.” But when his courtiers and the woman urged him, he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fatted calf in the house, so she hurried and butchered it, and took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. ²⁵ She brought it before Saul and his courtiers, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.

Saul Killed on Mt. Gilboa

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. Israel’s men fled before the Philistines and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers hit him, so he was severely wounded by the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, or else these uncircumcised will come and thrust me through after torturing me.” But his armor-bearer refused, for he was too afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.

⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ It was the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to spread the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹¹ Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men set out and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, then went to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.