15 Afterward, Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now, therefore, obey the Voice of the Words of the LORD.

² “Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how they laid in wait for them on the road, as they came up from Egypt.

³ ‘Now go and strike Amalek, and destroy all that they have, and have no compassion on them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

⁴ And Saul assembled the people in Telaim and counted them, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵ And Saul came to a city of Amalek and set a watch at the river.

⁶ And Saul said to the Kenites, “Go! Depart! Get yourselves down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed mercy to all the children of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” And the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷ So Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah (as you come 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 worth nothing, that they destroyed.

¹⁰ Then came the Word of the LORD to Samuel, saying,

¹¹ “I regret that I have made Saul king; for he has turned from Me and has not performed My Commandments.” And Samuel was moved and cried to the LORD all night.

¹² And when Samuel arose early to meet Saul in the morning, one told Samuel, saying, “Saul has gone to Carmel. And behold, he has made himself a place there, from where he returned and departed and has gone down to Gilgal.”

¹³ Then Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you of the LORD! I have fulfilled the Commandment of the LORD!”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “What, then, does the bleating of the sheep in my ears mean, 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 to the LORD your God. And the rest we have destroyed.”

¹⁶ Again, Samuel said to Saul, “Let me tell you what the LORD has said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Say on.”

¹⁷ Then Samuel said, “When you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? For the LORD anointed you king over Israel.

¹⁸ “And the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go and destroy those sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until you destroy them!’

¹⁹ “Now, why have you not obeyed the Voice of the LORD, but have turned to the prey and have done wickedly in the sight of the LORD?”

²⁰ And Saul said to Samuel, “Yea, 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 plunder, sheep and oxen and the best of the things which should have been destroyed, to offer to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

²² And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great a pleasure in Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices as when the Voice of the LORD is obeyed? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen is better than the fat of rams.

²³ “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft; and transgression is wickedness and idolatry. Because you have cast away the Word of the LORD, therefore He has cast away you from being king.”

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. For I have transgressed the Commandment of the LORD, and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

²⁵ “Now, therefore, please take away my sin and turn back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have cast away the Word of the LORD, and the LORD has cast away you, so that you shall not be king over Israel.”

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

²⁸ Then Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

²⁹ “For indeed the Strength of Israel will neither lie nor repent. For He is not a man that He should repent.”

³⁰ Then he said, “I have sinned. But, please honor me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.

³¹ So, Samuel turned back and followed Saul. And Saul worshipped the LORD.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag, the king of the Amalekites, here to me.” And Agag came to him pleasantly; and Agag said, “Truly the bitterness of death has passed.”

³³ And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among other women.” And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

³⁴ So Samuel departed to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house, to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵ And Samuel no longer came to see Saul until the day of his death. But Samuel mourned for Saul. And the LORD regretted that He made Saul king over Israel.

16 The LORD then said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and come. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself 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 a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to do Sacrifice to the LORD.’

³ “And call Jesse to the Sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint to Me him whom I name for you.”

⁴ So Samuel did what the LORD told him and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town were astonished at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

⁵ And he answered, “Yea, I have come to do Sacrifice to 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 had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him.”

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance, or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For I see not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD beholds the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.”

⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, “Nor has the LORD chosen him.”

¹⁰ Again, Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has chosen none of these.”

¹¹ Finally, Samuel said to Jesse, “Are there no more children?” And he said, “There remains yet a little one who keeps the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down until he has come here.”

¹² And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy with beautiful eyes, and handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise! 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 Spirit of the LORD 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 a spirit of misery from the LORD troubled him.

¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, the spirit of misery from God troubles you.

¹⁶ “Let our Lord therefore command your servants before you to seek a man who is a cunning player upon the harp, so that when the God’s spirit of misery comes upon you, he may play with his hand, and you may be eased.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Please provide me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ Then one of his servants answered, and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, who can play. He is strong, valiant, a man of war, wise in matters and good-looking. And the LORD is with him.

¹⁹ Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David, your son, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰ And Jesse took a donkey, with bread and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by the hand of David, his son, to Saul.

²¹ And David came to Saul and 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 has found favor in my sight.”

²³ And so when the spirit from God came upon Saul, David took a harp and played with his hand and Saul was refreshed and was eased. For the spirit of misery departed from him.

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies to battle, and came together to Sochoh, which is in Judah, and camped between Sochoh and Azekah, in the territory of Dammim.

² And Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, and put themselves in battle formation, 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 both, out of the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath. His height was six cubits and a span.

⁵ And he had a helmet of bronze upon his head, and a brigandine upon him. And the weight of his brigandine was five thousand shekels of bronze.

⁶ And he had boots of bronze upon his legs, and a shield of bronze upon his shoulders.

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

⁸ And he stood and cried against the army of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you set yourselves in battle formation? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose you a man for yourselves and let him come down to me!

⁹ “If he is able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants! But, if I overcome him, and kill him, then you shall be our servants, and serve us!”

¹⁰ Also the Philistine said, “I defy the army of Israel this day! Give me a man, so that we may fight 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 son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. And 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 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 for forty days.

¹⁷ And Jesse said to David, his son, “Take now an ephah of this parched corn and these ten cakes for your brothers, and run to the camp, to your brothers.

¹⁸ “Also, carry these ten fresh cheeses to the captain, and see how your brothers are faring, and receive their pledge.

¹⁹ And 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 perimeter of the camp. And the army went out in formation and shouted in the battle.

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

²² And David left the things which he bore under the hands of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the camp, and came and asked his brothers how they were doing.

²³ And as he talked with them, behold, the man who had been between the two armies (whose name was Goliath the Philistine of Gath), came up out of the army of the Philistines and spoke the same words. And David heard them.

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

²⁵ For every man of Israel said, “Did you not see this man who comes up? He comes up to revile Israel. And to him who kills him, the king will the give great riches and will give him his daughter, yea, and will make his father’s House free in Israel.”

²⁶ Then, David spoke to the men who stood with him, and said, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should revile the army of the living God?”

²⁷ And the people answered him in this way, saying, “Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸ And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab was very angry with David, and said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the malice of your heart, that you have come down to see the battle!”

²⁹ Then David said, “What have I done now? Is there no such word?”

³⁰ And he departed from him into the presence of another and spoke of the same matter, and the people answered him according to the previous words.

³¹ And those who heard the words which David spoke, repeated them before Saul, who caused him to be brought.

³² So David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail him because of him! Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine!”

³³ And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine, to fight with him. For you are a boy; and he is a man of war, from his youth.”

³⁴ And David answered Saul, “Your servant kept his father’s sheep. And there came a lion, and likewise a bear, and took a sheep out of the flock.

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

³⁶ “So, your servant killed both the lion and the bear! Therefore, this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has railed on the army of the living God!”

³⁷ Moreover, David said, “The LORD, Who 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 to David, “Go! And the LORD be with you!”

³⁸ And Saul put his battle clothing upon David, and put a helmet of bronze upon his head, and put a brigandine upon him.

³⁹ Then David fastened his sword upon his battle clothing and began to go, never testing it. But David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these. For I am not accustomed.” Therefore, David took them off.

⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones for himself, 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 to David. And the man who bare the shield went before him.

⁴² Now, when the Philistine looked around and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but young, ruddy and good-looking.

⁴³ And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, so that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me! And I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field!”

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield! But I come to you in the Name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the army of Israel, whom you have defied!

⁴⁶ “This day the LORD shall close you in my hand! And I shall strike you, and take your head from you! And this day, I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth! So that all the world may know that Israel has a God,

⁴⁷ “and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save with sword or 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 to David, David hurried 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 struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone stuck in his forehead. And he fell to the earth, groveling.

⁵⁰ So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed 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 killed him and cut off his head with it. 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 valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the Philistines fell down, wounded, by the road of Shaaraim, all the way to Gath and to Ekron.

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

⁵⁴ And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem and put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵ When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” And Abner answered, “As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.”

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

⁵⁷ And when David had 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 are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant, Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

18 And when he had finished speaking to Saul, 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 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 took off the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, and his garments, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

⁵ And David went out wherever Saul sent him, conducting himself 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 back, and David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.

⁷ And the women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has killed his thousand, and David his ten thousand!”

⁸ Therefore, Saul was exceedingly angry; and the saying displeased him. And he said, “They have ascribed ten thousand to David. And they have ascribed a thousand to me. And what more can he have except the kingdom?”

⁹ Therefore, Saul had an eye on David from that day forward.

¹⁰ And the next day, the spirit of misery from God came upon Saul. And he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, just as at other times. And there was a spear in Saul’s hand.

¹¹ And Saul took the spear, and said, “I will strike David through, to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.

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

¹³ Therefore, Saul removed him from his presence and made him a captain over a thousand. And he went out and in before the people.

¹⁴ And David conducted himself wisely in all his ways, for the LORD was with him.

¹⁵ Therefore, 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, my eldest daughter, Merab, I will give her to you as a wife. Only, be a valiant son to me and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.”

¹⁸ And David answered Saul, “Who 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 But it happened at that time, when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel, a Meholathite, as a wife.

²⁰ Then Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul; and the thing pleased him.

²¹ Therefore, Saul said, “I will give her to him, so that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore, Saul said to David, “You shall, this day, be my son-in-law for a second time.”

²² And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king favors you; and all his servants love you. Be now, therefore, the king’s son-in-law.’”

²³ And Saul’s servants spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem a light thing to you 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 back, saying, “David spoke such words.”

²⁵ And Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king desires no dowry, but a 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 king’s son-in-law. And before the days had expired,

²⁷ David arose with his men and went and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins; and they gave them wholly to the king, so that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Therefore, Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, as a 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 of David. And Saul became David’s continual enemy.

³⁰ And when the princes of the Philistines went forth, at their going forth David conducted himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

19 Then Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants, so that they would kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David.

² And Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul, my father, intends to kill you. Now, therefore, please be on your guard until morning and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

³ “And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where you are and will commune with my father about you. And I will see what he says and will tell you.”

⁴ And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul, his father, and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David. For he has not sinned against you, but his works have been very good to you.

⁵ “For he put his life in danger and killed the Philistine. And the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and you rejoiced. Why, then, will you sin against innocent blood and kill David without a reason?”

⁶ Then Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not die.”

⁷ So Jonathan called David. And Jonathan told 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 killed them with a great slaughter. And they fled from him.

⁹ And the spirit of misery from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David played with his hand.

¹⁰ And Saul intended to pin David to the wall with the spear. But he turned aside, out of Saul’s presence. And he struck the spear against the wall. But David fled and escaped that same night.

¹¹ Saul also sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told it to him, saying, “If you do not save yourself this night, tomorrow you shall be killed.

¹² So Michal 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 back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me in the bed, so that I may kill him.”

¹⁶ And when the messengers had 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 to Michal, “Why have you mocked me so, and sent away my enemy, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go, or else I will kill you.’”

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 But someone 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 as appointed over them, the Spirit of God fell upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

²¹ And when it was told to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Again, Saul sent a third group of messengers; and they prophesied also.

²² Then, he himself went 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, at Naioth in Ramah.”

²³ And he went there, 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 clothes; and he also prophesied before Samuel and fell down naked, all that day and all that night. Therefore, they say, “Is Saul also among the Prophets?”

20 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what sin have I committed before your father, that he seeks my life?”

² And he said to him, “May it never be! You shall not die. Behold, my father will do nothing great or small before he tells it to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? He will not do it.”

³ And David swore again and said, “Your father knows that I have found grace in your eyes. Therefore, he thinks, ‘Jonathan shall not know it, lest he is grieved.’ But indeed, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death!”

⁴ Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul requires, that I will do to you.”

⁵ And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the first day of the month, and I should sit with the king to eat. But let me go, so that I may hide myself in the fields until the third day at evening.

⁶ “If your father mentions me, then say, ‘David asked leave of me, so that he might go to Bethlehem, to his own city.’ For there is a yearly sacrifice for that whole family.’

⁷ “And if he says this: ‘It is well,’ your servant shall have peace. But if he is angry, be sure that wickedness is his conclusion.

⁸ “So shall you show mercy to your servant. For you have brought your servant into a Covenant of the LORD with you. And if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself. For why should you bring me to your father?”

⁹ And Jonathan answered, “God keep you from that! For if I knew that my father had intended to bring wickedness upon you, would I not tell you?”

¹⁰ Then David said to Jonathan, “Who shall tell me? How shall I know if your father answers you roughly?”

¹¹ And Jonathan said to David, “Come and let us go out into the field.” And they both went out into the field.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “O LORD God of Israel, when I have searched my father’s mind tomorrow at this time, within these three days, and if it is well with David, and I then do not send to you and tell you,

¹³ “the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan! But, if my father has a mind to do you evil, I will also tell you and send you away, so that you may go in peace. and the LORD is with you as He has been with my father.

¹⁴ “Likewise, not only you will show me the mercy of the LORD while I live, so that I do not die,

¹⁵ “but you will never cut off your mercy from my house ever, not even when the LORD has destroyed the enemies of David, each 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 to David, because he loved him (for he loved him as his own soul).

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the first day of the month. And you shall be missed, for your place shall be empty.

¹⁹ “Therefore you shall hide yourself for three days. Then, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when this matter occurred and remain by the stone Ezel.

²⁰ “And I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though I shot at a mark.

²¹ “And afterward, I will send a boy, saying, ‘Go! Seek the arrows!’ If I say to the boy, ‘See, the arrows are on this side of you. Bring them and come.’ It is well with you and there is no danger, as the LORD lives.

²² “But if I say this to the boy: ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go your way. For the LORD has sent you away.

²³ “As for the thing which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between you 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 food.

²⁵ And the king sat, as at other times upon his seat, 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 has befallen him. He is not clean. Surely, he was not purified.”

²⁷ But the next day, which was the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. And Saul said to Jonathan, his son, “Why does not the son of Jesse come to eat, neither yesterday nor today?”

²⁸ And Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.

²⁹ “For he said, ‘Please let me go. For our family offers a Sacrifice in the city and my brother has sent for me. Therefore, now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brethren.’ This is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

³⁰ Then Saul was angry with Jonathan, and said to him, “You son of the wicked rebellious woman! Do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse, to your shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

³¹ “For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the Earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom! Therefore, send now and fetch him to me! For he shall surely die!”

³² And Jonathan answered Saul, his father, and said to him, “Why shall he die? What has he done?”

³³ And Saul cast a spear at him, to hit him, by which Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill David.

³⁴ So, Jonathan arose from the table in great anger, and ate no food on the second day of the month; for he was sorry for David because his father had humiliated him.

³⁵ The next morning, therefore, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David. And a little boy went with him.

³⁶ And he said to 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 had come to the place where the arrow was that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”

³⁸ And Jonathan cried after the boy, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not stand 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 bow and arrows to the boy who was with him, and said to 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 South and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another, and they both wept. But David more so.

⁴² Therefore, Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace. That which we have sworn, both of us, in the Name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD be between me and you, and between my seed and between your seed,’ let it stand forever.”

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

28 Now at that time, the Philistines assembled their bands and army to fight with Israel. Therefore, Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you shall go out with me to the battle, you and your men!”

² And David said to Achish, “Surely, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Surely, I will make you keeper of my head, forever.”

³ By then, Samuel had died. And all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the sorcerers and the soothsayers out of the land.

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

⁵ And when Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid; and his heart trembled greatly.

⁶ Therefore, Saul asked counsel of the LORD, and the LORD did not answer him, by dreams or by Urim or even by Prophets.

⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and ask of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman at En Dor who is a medium.”

⁸ Then Saul changed himself and put on other clothes. And he and two other men went. And they came to the woman at night. And he said, “Please conjure up for me, and bring up for me him whom I shall name to you.”

⁹ And the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has destroyed the sorcerers and the soothsayers out of the land. Why, then, do you seek to entrap me, to cause me to die?

¹⁰ And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no harm shall come to you for this thing.”

¹¹ Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he answered, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

¹² And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me?! For you are Saul!”

¹³ And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. For what did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw gods ascending up out of the earth!”

¹⁴ Then he said to her, “What is his form?” And she answered, “An old man comes up, wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel. And he turned his face to the ground and bowed himself.

¹⁵ And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?” Then Saul answered, “I am in great distress! For the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either by Prophets or by dreams. Therefore, I have called you, so that you may tell me what I shall do.”

¹⁶ Then Samuel said, “Why, then, do you ask of me, seeing the LORD has gone from you and is your enemy?

¹⁷ “The LORD has only done for him as He spoke by my hand. For the LORD will tear the kingdom out of your hand and give it your neighbor David.

¹⁸ “Because you did not obey the Voice of the LORD or execute His fierce wrath upon the Amalekites, therefore the LORD has done this to you this day.

¹⁹ “Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel, with you, into the hands of the Philistines. And tomorrow, you and your sons shall be with me. And the LORD shall give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Then Saul fell full length on the earth and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel, so that there was no strength in him. For he had eaten no bread all day or all night.

²¹ Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was very troubled, and said to him, “See, your handmaid has obeyed your voice; and I have put my soul in my hand and have obeyed your words which you said to me.

²² “Now, therefore, you please also listen to the voice of your handmaid and let me set a morsel of bread before you, so that you may eat and strengthen yourself and go on your journey.”

²³ But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, 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 hurried and killed it and took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it.

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 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. And the men of Israel fled away from the Philistines. And they fell down, wounded, on Mount Gilboa.

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

³ And when the battle went fiercely against Saul, the archers and bowmen hit him. And he was badly wounded by the archers.

⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw out your sword and thrust me through with it, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mock me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. Therefore, Saul took a sword and fell upon it.

⁵ And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell 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 who were on the other side of the valley, and they of the other side of Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had been 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 the next day, when the Philistines had come to plunder those who had been killed, they found Saul and his three sons lying on 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, so that they could proclaim 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 hung up his body on the wall of Beth Shan.

¹¹ When the inhabitants of 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 burnt them there,

¹³ and took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh and fasted for seven days.