15 3 Saul is commanded to slay Amalek. 9 He spareth Agag, and the best things. 19 Samuel reproveth him. 28 Saul is rejected of the Lord, and his Kingdom given to another. 33 Samuel heweth Agag in pieces.

¹ Afterward Samuel said unto Saul, ^(A)The Lord sent me to anoint thee King over his people, over Israel: now therefore ^[a]obey the voice of the words of the Lord.

² Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, ^(B)how they laid wait for them in the way, as they came up from Egypt.

³ Now therefore go, and smite Amalek, and destroy ye all that pertaineth unto them, and have no compassion on them, but ^[b]slay both man and woman, both infant and suckling, both ox, and sheep, both camel, and ass.

⁴ ¶ And Saul assembled the people, and ^[c]numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵ And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and ^[d]set watch at the river.

⁶ And Saul said unto the ^[e]Kenites, Go, depart, and get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye showed ^[f]mercy to all the children of Israel, when they came up from Egypt: and the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷ So Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah, as thou comest to Shur, that is before Egypt,

⁸ And took Agag the King of the Amalekites alive, and destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the better sheep, and the oxen, and the fat beasts, and the lambs, and all that was good, and they would not destroy them; but everything that was vile and nought worth, that they destroyed.

¹⁰ ¶ Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,

¹¹ It ^[g]repenteth me that I have made Saul King; for he is turned from me, and hath not performed my commandments. And Samuel was moved, and cried unto the Lord all night.

¹² And when Samuel arose early to meet Saul in the morning, one told Samuel, saying, Saul is gone to Carmel; and behold, he hath made him there a place, from whence he returned, and departed, and is gone down to Gilgal.

¹³ ¶ Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him. Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have fulfilled the ^[h]commandment of the Lord.

¹⁴ But Samuel said, What meaneth then the bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

¹⁵ And Saul answered, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice them unto the Lord thy God, and the remnant have we destroyed.

¹⁶ Again Samuel said to Saul, Let me tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

¹⁷ Then Samuel said, When thou wast ^[i]little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? for the Lord anointed thee King over Israel.

¹⁸ And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and destroy those sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them, until thou destroy them.

¹⁹ Now wherefore hast thou not obeyed the voice of the Lord, but hast turned to the prey, and hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord?

²⁰ And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, ^[j]I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, and the chiefest of the things which should have been destroyed, to offer unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

²² And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed? behold, ^(C)to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams.

²³ For ^[k]rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and transgression is wickedness and idolatry. Because thou hast cast away the word of the Lord, therefore he hath cast away thee from being king.

²⁴ Then Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the Commandment of the Lord, and thy words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

²⁵ Now therefore I pray thee, take away my ^[l]sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.

²⁶ But Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast cast away the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath cast away thee, that thou shalt not be King over Israel.

²⁷ And as Samuel turned himself to go away, he caught the lap of his coat, and it rent.

²⁸ Then Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to thy ^[m]neighbor, that is better than thou.

²⁹ For indeed the ^[n]strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man that he should repent.

³⁰ Then he said, I have sinned: but honor me, I pray thee, before the Elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.

³¹ ¶ So Samuel turned again, and followed Saul: and Saul worshipped the Lord.

³² Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites: and Agag came unto him ^[o]pleasantly, and Agag said, Truly the ^[p]bitterness of death is passed.

³³ And Samuel said, ^(D)As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among other women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

³⁴ ¶ So Samuel departed to ^[q]Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵ And Samuel came no more to ^[r]see Saul until the day of his death: but Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord ^[s]repented that he made Saul King over Israel.

16 1 Samuel is reproved of God, and is sent to anoint David. 7 God regardeth the heart. 13 The Spirit of the Lord cometh upon David. 14 The wicked Spirit is sent upon Saul. 19 Saul sendeth for David.

¹ The Lord then said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, ^[t]seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil and come, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a King among his sons.

² And Samuel said, How can I go? for if Saul shall hear it, he will kill me. Then the Lord answered, Take an heifer ^[u]with thee, and say, I am come ^[v]to do sacrifice to the Lord.

³ And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

⁴ So Samuel did that the Lord bade him, and came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town were ^[w]astonished at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

⁵ And he answered, Yea: I am come to do sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶ And when they were come, he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s ^[x]Anointed is before him.

⁷ But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the ^(E)heart.

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.

¹⁰ Again Jesse made his seven sons to come before Samuel, and Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.

¹¹ Finally, Samuel said unto Jesse, ^[y]Are there no more children but these? And he said, There remaineth yet a little one behind, that keepeth the sheep. Then Samuel said unto Jesse, ^(F)Send and fet him: for we will not sit down, till he be come hither.

¹² And he sent, and brought him in: and he was ruddy, and of a good countenance, and comely visage. And the Lord said, Arise, and anoint him: for this is he.

¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the ^(G)Spirit of the Lord ^[z]came upon David, from that day forward: then Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

¹⁴ ¶ But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an ^[aa]evil spirit sent of the Lord, vexed him.

¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, the evil spirit of God vexeth thee.

¹⁶ Let our Lord therefore command thy servants that are before thee, to seek a man that is a cunning player upon the harp: that when the evil spirit of God cometh upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest be eased.

¹⁷ Saul then said unto his servants, Provide me a man, I pray you, that can play well, and bring him to me.

¹⁸ Then answered one of his servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a ^[ab]son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, that can play, and is strong, valiant, and a man of war, and wise in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.

¹⁹ ¶ Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

²⁰ And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a flagon of wine and a kid, and sent them by the hand of David his son unto Saul.

²¹ And David came to Saul, and ^[ac]stood before him: and he loved him very well, and he was his armor bearer.

²² And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David now remain with me: for he hath found favor in my sight.

²³ And so when the evil spirit of God came upon Saul, David took an harp and played with his hand, and Saul was ^[ad]refreshed and was eased: for the evil spirit departed from him.

17 1 The Philistines make war against Israel. 10 Goliath defieth Israel. 17 David is sent to his brethren. 34 The strength and boldness of David. 47 The Lord saveth not by sword nor spear. 50 David killeth Goliath, and the Philistines flee.

¹ Now the Philistines gathered their armies to battle, and came together to Sochoh which is in Judah, and pitched between Sochoh and Azekah, ^[ae]in the coast of Dammim.

² And Saul, and the men of Israel assembled and pitched in the valley ^[af]of Elah, and put themselves in battle array to meet the Philistines.

³ And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: so a valley was between them.

⁴ ¶ Then came a man between them ^[ag]both out of the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath: his height was six cubits and an hand breadth,

⁵ And had an helmet of brass upon his head, and a ^[ah]brigandine upon him: and the weight of his brigandine was five thousand ^[ai]shekels of brass.

⁶ And he had ^[aj]boots of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders.

⁷ And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam: and his spear head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

⁸ And he stood, and cried against the host of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and you 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 ^[ak]kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I overcome him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

¹⁰ Also the Philistine said, I defy the host of Israel this day: give me a man, that we may fight ^[al]together.

¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were discouraged, and greatly afraid.

¹² ¶ Now this David was the ^(H)son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, named Jesse, which had eight sons: and ^[am]this man was taken 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 battle were Eliab the eldest, and the next Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

¹⁴ So David was the least: and the three eldest went after Saul.

¹⁵ David also ^[an]went, but he returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

¹⁶ And the Philistine drew near in the morning, and evening, and continued forty days.

¹⁷ And Jesse said unto David his son, ^[ao]Take now for thy brethren an Ephah of this parched corn, and these ten cakes, and run to the host to thy brethren.

¹⁸ Also carry these ten fresh cheeses unto the captain, and look how thy brethren fare, and receive their ^[ap]pledge.

¹⁹ (Then Saul and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.)

²⁰ ¶ So David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him, and came within the compass of the host: and the host went out in array, and shouted in the battle.

²¹ For Israel and the Philistines had put themselves in array, army against army.

²² And David left the things which he bare, under the hands of the keeper of the ^[aq]carriage, and ran into the host, and came, and asked his brethren ^[ar]how they did.

²³ And as he talked with them, behold, the man that was between the two armies, came up, (whose name was Goliath the Philistine of Gath) out of the ^[as]army of the Philistines, and spake ^[at]such words, and David heard them.

²⁴ And all the men of Israel when they saw the man, ran away from him, and were sore afraid.

²⁵ For every man of Israel said, Saw ye not this man that cometh up? even to revile Israel is he come up: and to him that killeth him, will the King give great riches, and will give him his ^(I)daughter, yea, and make his father’s house ^[au]free in Israel.

²⁶ ¶ Then David spake to the men that stood with him, and said, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the ^[av]shame from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should revile the host of the living God?

²⁷ And the people answered him after this manner, saying, Thus 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 was very angry with David, and said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the malice of thine heart, that thou art come down to see the battle.

²⁹ Then David said, What have I now done? Is there not a ^[aw]cause?

³⁰ And he departed from him into the presence of another, and spake of the same manner, and the people answered him according to the former words.

³¹ ¶ And they that heard the words which David spake, rehearsed them before Saul, which caused him to be brought.

³² So David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail him, because of him: thy servant will go, and fight with this Philistine.

³³ And Saul said to David, Thou art not ^[ax]able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art a boy, and he is a man of war from his youth.

³⁴ And David answered unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a ^[ay]lion, and likewise a bear, and took a sheep out of the flock,

³⁵ And I went out after him and smote him, and took it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by the beard, and smote him, and slew him.

³⁶ So thy servant slew both the lion, and the bear: therefore this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath railed on the host of the living God.

³⁷ ¶ Moreover David said, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. Then Saul said unto David, ^[az]Go, and the Lord be with thee.

³⁸ And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put an helmet of brass upon his head, and put a brigandine upon him.

³⁹ Then girded David his sword upon his raiment, and ^[ba]began to go: for he never proved it: and David said unto Saul, I can not go with these: for I am not accustomed. Wherefore David put them off him.

⁴⁰ Then took he his ^[bb]staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of a brook, and put them in his shepherd’s bag or scrip, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

⁴¹ ¶ And the Philistine came and drew near unto David, and the man that bare the shield went before him.

⁴² Now when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but young, ruddy, and of a comely face.

⁴³ And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine ^[bc]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 heaven, 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 host of Israel, whom thou hast railed upon.

⁴⁶ This ^[bd]day shall the Lord close thee in mine hand, and I shall smite thee, and take thine head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth, that all the world may know that Israel hath a God,

⁴⁷ And that all this assembly may know, that the Lord saveth not with sword nor with spear, (for the battle is the Lord’s) and he will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸ And when the Philistine arose to come and draw near unto David, David ^[be]hasted and ran to fight against the Philistine.

⁴⁹ And David put his hand in his bag, and took out a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sticked in his forehead, and he fell groveling to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him, when David had no sword in his hand.

⁵¹ Then David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of his sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. So when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

⁵² And the men of Israel and Judah arose, and shouted, and followed after the Philistines, until they came to the ^[bf]valley, and unto the gates of Ekron: and the Philistines fell down wounded by the way of Shaaraim, even to Gath and to Ekron.

⁵³ And the children of Israel returned from pursuing the Philistines, and spoiled their tents.

⁵⁴ And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem, and put his armor in his ^[bg]tent.

⁵⁵ ¶ When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner the captain of his host, Abner, ^[bh]whose son is this young man? and Abner answered, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

⁵⁶ Then the King said, Inquire thou whose son this young man is.

⁵⁷ And when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, then 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.

18 1 The amity of Jonathan and David. 8 Saul envieth David for the praise that the women gave him. 11 Saul would have slain David. 17 He promiseth him Merab to wife, but giveth him Michal. 27 David delivereth to Saul two hundred foreskins of the Philistines. 29 Saul feareth David, seeing that the Lord is with him.

¹ And when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, the ^[bi]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 not let him return to his father’s house.

³ Then Jonathan and David made a covenant: for he loved him as his own soul.

⁴ And Jonathan put off the robe that was upon him, and gave it 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 ^[bj]wisely: so that 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 ¶ When they came again, and David returned from the slaughter of the ^[bk]Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with instruments of joy, and with rebecks.

⁷ And the women ^[bl]sang by course in their play, and said, ^(J)Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand.

⁸ Therefore Saul was exceedingly wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousand, and to me they have ascribed but a thousand, and what can he have more save the kingdom?

⁹ Wherefore Saul ^[bm]had an eye on David from that day forward.

¹⁰ ¶ And on the morrow, the evil spirit of God came upon Saul, and he ^[bn]prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand like as at other times, and there was a spear in Saul’s hand.

¹¹ And Saul took the spear, and said, I will smite David through to the wall. But David avoided twice out of his presence.

¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.

¹³ Therefore Saul put him from him, and made him a captain over a thousand, and he went ^[bo]out and in before the people.

¹⁴ And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways: for the Lord was with him.

¹⁵ Wherefore when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶ For all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and in before them.

¹⁷ ¶ Then Saul said to David, Behold mine eldest daughter Merab, her I will give thee to wife: only be a valiant son unto me, and ^[bp]fight the Lord’s battles: for Saul thought, Mine hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.

¹⁸ And David answered Saul, What am I? and what is my life, or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the King?

¹⁹ Howbeit when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, ^[bq]she was given unto Adriel a Meholathite to wife.

²⁰ ¶ Then Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they showed Saul, and the thing pleased him.

²¹ Therefore Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a ^[br]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, Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath a favor to thee, and all his servants love thee: be now therefore the King’s son-in-law.

²³ And Saul’s servants spake these words in the ears of David. And David said, ^[bs]Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of small reputation?

²⁴ And then Saul’s servants brought him word again, saying, Such words spake David.

²⁵ And Saul said, This wise shall ye say to David, The king desireth no dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the King’s enemies: for Saul thought to make David fall into the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well, to be the ^[bt]King’s son-in-law: and the days were not expired.

²⁷ Afterward David arose with his men, and went and slew of the Philistines two hundred men: and David brought their foreskins, and ^[bu]they gave them wholly to the King that he might be the King’s son-in-law: therefore Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

²⁸ Then Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David, and that Michal the daughter of Saul loved him.

²⁹ Then Saul was more and more afraid ^[bv]of David, and Saul became always David’s enemy.

³⁰ And when the Princes of the Philistines went forth, at their going forth ^[bw]David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by.

19 2 Jonathan declareth to David the wicked purpose of Saul. 11 Michal his wife saveth him. 18 David cometh to Samuel. 23 The Spirit of prophecy cometh on Saul.

¹ Then Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should ^[bx]kill David: but Jonathan Saul’s son had a great favor to David.

² And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed unto thyself unto the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.

³ And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where thou ^[by]art, and will commune with my father of thee, and I will see what he saith, and 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: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works have been to thee very good.

⁵ For he ^[bz]did ^(K)put his life in danger, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and thou rejoicedst: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, and slay David without a cause?

⁶ Then Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and Saul ^[ca]swore, As the Lord liveth, he shall not die.

⁷ So Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those words, and Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

⁸ ¶ Again the war began, 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 of the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house having his spear in his hand, and David ^[cb]played with his hand.

¹⁰ And Saul intended to smite David to the wall with the spear: but he turned aside out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear against the wall: but David fled, and escaped the same 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 it him, saying, If thou save not thyself this night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.

¹² So Michal ^[cc]let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

¹³ Then Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goat’s hair under the head of it, 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 to me in the ^[cd]bed, that I may slay him.

¹⁶ And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed with a pillow of goat’s hair under the head of it.

¹⁷ And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go, or else I will 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 ^[ce]Naioth.

¹⁹ But one told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

²⁰ And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw a company of Prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing ^[cf]as appointed over them, the Spirit of God fell upon the messengers of Saul, and they also ^[cg]prophesied.

²¹ And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise: again Saul sent the third messengers, and they prophesied also.

²² Then went he himself 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 ^[ch]went thither, even to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

²⁴ And he stripped off his ^[ci]clothes, and he prophesied also before Samuel, and fell ^[cj]down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they say, ^(L)Is Saul also among the Prophets?

20 2 Jonathan comforteth David. 3 They renew their league. 33 Saul would have killed Jonathan. 38 Jonathan advertiseth David by three arrows, of his father’s fury.

¹ And David ^[ck]fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what sin have I committed 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 great nor small, but he will ^[cl]show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? he will not do it.

³ And David swore again and said, Thy father knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes: therefore he thinketh, Jonathan shall not know it, lest he be sorry: but indeed, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a ^[cm]step between me and death.

⁴ Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul ^[cn]requireth, that I will do unto thee.

⁵ And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the ^[co]first day of the month, and I should sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the fields unto the third day at even.

⁶ If thy father make mention of me, then say, David asked leave of me, that he might go to Bethlehem to his own city: for there is a ^[cp]yearly sacrifice for all that family.

⁷ And if he say thus, It is well, thy servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, be sure that wickedness is concluded of him.

⁸ So shalt thou show mercy unto thy servant: ^(M)for thou hast joined thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee, and if there be in me iniquity, slay thou me? for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

⁹ ¶ And Jonathan answered, God keep that from thee: for if I knew that wickedness were ^[cq]concluded of my father to come upon thee, would not I tell it thee?

¹⁰ Then said David to Jonathan, Who ^[cr]shall tell me? how shall I know, if thy father answer thee cruelly?

¹¹ And Jonathan said to David, Come and let us go out into the field: and they twain went out into the field.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have groped my father’s mind tomorrow at this time, or within this three days, and if it be well with David, and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee,

¹³ The Lord ^[cs]do so and much more unto Jonathan: but if my father have mind to do thee evil, I will show thee also, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee as he hath been with my father.

¹⁴ Likewise I require not whiles I live: for I doubt not but thou wilt show me the mercy of the Lord, ^[ct]that I die not.

¹⁵ But I require that thou cut not off thy mercy from mine house forever: no, not when the Lord hath destroyed the enemies of David, every one from the earth.

¹⁶ So Jonathan made a bond with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord require it at the hands of David’s enemies.

¹⁷ And again Jonathan swore unto David, because he loved him (for he loved him as his own soul,)

¹⁸ Then said Jonathan to him, Tomorrow is the first day of the month: and thou shalt be ^[cu]looked for, for thy place shall be empty.

¹⁹ Therefore thou shalt hide thyself three days, then thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself, when this matter was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone ^[cv]Ezel.

²⁰ And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

²¹ And after I will send a boy, saying, Go, seek the arrows. If I say unto the boy, See, the arrows are on this side thee, bring them, and come thou: for it is ^[cw]well with thee, and no hurt, as the Lord liveth.

²² But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, go thy way: for the ^[cx]Lord hath sent thee away.

²³ As touching the thing which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me forever.

²⁴ ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the first day of the month came, the king sat to eat meat.

²⁵ And the king sat, as at other times upon his seat, even upon his seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

²⁶ And Saul said nothing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, though he were ^[cy]clean, or else because he was not purified.

²⁷ But on the morrow which was the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not ^[cz]the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor today?

²⁸ And Jonathan answered unto Saul, David required of me, that he might go to Bethlehem.

²⁹ For he said, Let me go, I pray thee: for our family offereth ^[da]a sacrifice in the city, and my brother hath sent for me: therefore now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me go, I pray thee, and see my ^[db]brethren: this is the cause that he cometh not unto the king’s table.

³⁰ Then was Saul angry with Jonathan, and said unto him, Thou ^[dc]son of the wicked rebellious woman, do not I know, that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thy confusion, and to the confusion and shame of thy mother?

³¹ For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom: wherefore now send and fet him unto me, for he ^[dd]shall surely die.

³² And Jonathan answered unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he ^[de]die? what hath he done?

³³ And Saul cast a spear at him to hit him, whereby Jonathan knew, that it was determined of his father to slay David.

³⁴ ¶ So Jonathan arose from the table in a great anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was sorry for David, and because his father had reviled him.

³⁵ On the next morning therefore Jonathan went out into the field, ^[df]at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.

³⁶ And he said unto his boy, Run now, seek the arrows which I shoot, and as the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

³⁷ And when the boy was come to the place where the arrow was that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

³⁸ And Jonathan cried after the boy, ^[dg]Make speed, haste and stand not still: and Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master,

³⁹ But the boy knew nothing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his ^[dh]bow and arrows unto the boy that was with him, and said unto him, Go, carry them into the city.

⁴¹ ¶ As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of a place that was toward the ^[di]South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept both twain, till David exceeded.

⁴² Therefore Jonathan said to David, Go in peace: that which we have ^[dj]sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and between thy seed, let it stand forever.

⁴³ And he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

28 1 David hath the chief charge promised about Achish.  8 Saul consulteth with a witch, and she causeth him to speak with Samuel, 18 Who declareth his ruin.

¹ Now at that time the Philistines assembled their bands and army to fight with Israel: therefore Achish said to David, ^[a]Be sure, thou shalt go out with me to the battle, thou, and thy men.

² And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head forever.

³ (^(A)Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah his own city: and Saul had ^[b]put away the sorcerers, and the Soothsayers out of the land.)

⁴ Then the Philistines assembled themselves, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul assembled all Israel, and they pitched in Gilboa.

⁵ And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart was sore astonied.

⁶ Therefore Saul asked counsel of the Lord, and the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by ^[c]Urim, nor yet by Prophets.

⁷ ¶ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and ask of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman at En Dor that hath a familiar spirit.

⁸ Then Saul ^[d]changed himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, conjecture unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.

⁹ And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die?

¹⁰ And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, no ^[e]harm shall come to thee for this thing.

¹¹ Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he answered, Bring me up ^[f]Samuel.

¹² And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

¹³ And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw ^[g]gods ascending up out of the earth.

¹⁴ Then he said unto her, What fashion is he of? And she answered, An old man cometh up lapped in a mantel: and Saul knew that it was ^[h]Samuel, and he inclined his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

¹⁵ ¶ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? Then Saul answered, I am in great distress: for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither ^[i]by Prophets, neither by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall do.

¹⁶ Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing, the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemy?

¹⁷ Even the Lord hath done to ^[j]him, as he spake ^(B)by mine ^[k]hand: for the Lord will rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and give it thy neighbor David.

¹⁸ Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this unto thee this day.

¹⁹ Moreover the Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines: ^[l]and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me, and the Lord shall give the host of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.

²⁰ Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore ^[m]afraid because of the words of Samuel, so that there was no strength in him: for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night.

²¹ Then the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, See, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I ^[n]have put my soul in mine hand, and have obeyed thy words which thou saidest unto me.

²² Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee, that thou mayest eat and get thee strength, and go on thy journey.

²³ But he refused and said, I will not eat: but his servants and the woman together compelled him, and he obeyed their voice: so he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed.

²⁴ Now the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and baked of it ^[o]unleavened bread.

²⁵ Then she brought them before Saul, and before his servants: and when they had eaten, they stood up, and went away the same night.

31 4 Saul killeth himself. 6 His children are slain in the battle. 12 The men of Jabesh took down his body, which was hanged on the wall.

¹ Now ^(A)the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled away from the Philistines, and they fell down ^[a]wounded in mount Gilboa.

² And the Philistines pressed sore upon Saul and his sons, and slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua Saul’s sons.

³ And when the battle went sore against Saul, the archers and bowmen ^[b]hit him, and he was sore ^[c]wounded of the archers.

⁴ Then said Saul unto his armor bearer, ^[d]Draw out thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mock me: but his armor bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it.

⁵ And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men that same day together.

⁷ ¶ And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the ^[e]valley, and they of the other side ^[f]Jordan saw that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they left the cities, and ran away: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

⁸ ¶ And on the morrow when the Philistines were come to spoil them that were slain, they found Saul and his three sons lying in mount Gilboa,

⁹ And they cut off his head, and stripped him out of his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines on every side, that they should ^[g]publish it in the temple of their idols, and among the people.

¹⁰ And they laid up his armor in the house of Ashtoreth, but they hanged up his body on the wall of Beth Shan.

¹¹ ¶ When the inhabitants of ^[h]Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹² Then they arose (as many as were strong men) and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Beth Shan, and came to Jabesh, and ^(B)burnt them there,

¹³ And took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, ^(C)and ^[i]fasted seven days.