Bible in 90 Days

16 And the Lord said to Samuel: How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to Isai the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

² And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

³ And thou shalt call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou art to do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall shew to thee.

⁴ Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?

⁵ And he said: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶ And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord's anointed before him?

⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

⁸ And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

⁹ And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

¹⁰ Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord hath not chosen any one of these.

¹¹ And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all thy sons? He answered: There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.

¹² He sent therefore and brought him Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. 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 spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.

¹⁴ But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

¹⁵ And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

¹⁶ Let our lord give orders, and thy servants who are before thee will seek out a man skillful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest bear it more easily.

¹⁷ And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some man that can play well, and bring him to me.

¹⁸ And one of the servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai the Bethlehemite, a skillful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord is with him.

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Isai, saying: Send me David thy son, who is in the pastures.

²⁰ And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, 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 exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.

²² And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he hath found favour in my sight.

²³ So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.

17 Now the Philistines gathering together their troops to battle, assembled at Socho of Juda, and camped between Socho and Azeca in the borders of Dommim.

² And Saul and the children of Israel being gathered together came to the valley of Terebinth, and they set the army in array to fight against the Philistines.

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

⁴ And there went out a man baseborn from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Geth, whose height was six cubits and a span:

⁵ And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail with scales, and the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass:

⁶ And he had greaves of brass on his legs, and a buckler of brass covered his shoulders.

⁷ And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred sicles of iron: and his armourbearer went before him.

⁸ And standing he cried out to the bands of Israel, and said to them: Why are you come out prepared to fight? am not I a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose out a man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand.

⁹ If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to you: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and shall serve us.

¹⁰ And the Philistine said: I have defied the bands of Israel this day: Give me a man, and let him fight with me hand to hand.

¹¹ And Saul and all the Israelites hearing these words of the Philistine were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

¹² Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Juda before mentioned, whose name was Isai, who had eight sons, and was an old man in the days of Saul, and of great age among men.

¹³ And his three eldest sons followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle, were Eliab the firstborn, and the second Abinadab, and the third Samma.

¹⁴ But David was the youngest. So the three eldest having followed Saul,

¹⁵ David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father's flock at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

¹⁷ And Isai said to David his son: Take for thy brethren an ephi of frumenty, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren.

¹⁸ And carry these ten little cheeses to the tribune: and go see thy brethren, if they are well: and learn with whom they are placed.

¹⁹ But Saul, and they, and all the children of Israel were in the valley of Terebinth fighting against the Philistines.

²⁰ David therefore arose in the morning, and gave the charge of the flock to the keeper: and went away loaded as Isai had commanded him. And he came to the place of Magala, and to the army, which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle.

²¹ For Israel had put themselves in array, and the Philistines who stood against them were prepared.

²² And David leaving the vessels which he had brought, under the care of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the place of the battle and asked if all things went well with his brethren.

²³ And as he talked with them, that baseborn man whose name was Goliath, the Philistine, of Geth, shewed himself coming up from the camp of the Philistines: and he spoke according to the same words, and David heard them.

²⁴ And all the Israelites when they saw the man, fled from his face, fearing him exceedingly.

²⁵ And some one of Israel said: Have you seen this man that is come up, for he is come up to defy Israel. And the man that shall slay him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father's house free from tribute in Israel.

²⁶ And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: What shall be given to the man that shall kill this Philistine, and shall take away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

²⁷ And the people answered him the same words saying: These things shall be given to the man that shall slay him.

²⁸ Now when Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking with others, he was angry with David, and said: Why earnest thou hither? and why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert? I know thy pride, and the wickedness of thy heart: that thou art come down to see the battle.

²⁹ And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak?

³⁰ And he turned a little aside from him to another: and said the same word. And the people answered him as before.

³¹ And the words which David spoke were heard, and were rehearsed before Saul.

³² And when he was brought to him, he said to him: Let not any man's heart be dismayed in him: I thy servant will go, and will fight against the Philistine.

³³ And Saul said to David: Thou art not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him: for thou art but a boy, but he is a warrior from his youth.

³⁴ And David said to Saul: Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, or a bear, and took a ram out of the midst of the flock:

³⁵ And I pursued after them, and struck them, and delivered it out of their mouth: and they rose up against me, and I caught them by the throat, and I strangled and killed them.

³⁶ For I thy servant have killed both a lion and a bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be also as one of them. I will go now, and take away the reproach of the people: for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, who hath dared to curse the army of the living God?

³⁷ And 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. And Saul said to David: Go, and the Lord be with thee.

³⁸ And Saul clothed David with his garments, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and armed him with a coat of mail.

³⁹ And David having girded his sword upon his armour, began to try if he could walk in armour: for he was not accustomed to it. And David said to Saul: I cannot go thus, for I am not used to it. And he laid them off,

⁴⁰ And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands: and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them into the shepherd's scrip, which he had with him, and he took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine.

⁴¹ And the Philistine came on, and drew nigh against David, and his armourbearer before him.

⁴² And when the Philistine looked, and beheld David, he despised him. For he was a young man, ruddy, and of a comely countenance.

⁴³ And the Philistine said to David: Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ And he said to David: Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.

⁴⁵ And David said to the Philistine: Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which thou hast defied.

⁴⁶ This day, and the Lord will deliver thee into my hand, and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from thee: and I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷ And all this assembly shall know, that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for it is his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands.

⁴⁸ And when the Philistine arose and was coming, and drew nigh to meet David, David made haste, and ran to the fight to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ And he put his hand into his scrip, and took a stone, and cast it with the sling, and fetching it about struck the Philistine in the forehead: and the stone was fixed in his forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth.

⁵⁰ And David prevailed over the Philistine, with a sling and a stone, and he struck, and slew the Philistine. And as David had no sword in his hand,

⁵¹ He ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines seeing that their champion was dead, fled away.

⁵² And the men of Israel and Juda rising up shouted, and pursued after the Philistines till they came to the valley and to the gates of Accaron, and there fell many wounded of the Philistines in the way of Saraim, and as far as Geth, and as far as Accaron.

⁵³ And the children of Israel returning, after they had pursued the Philistines, fell upon their camp.

⁵⁴ And David taking the head of the Philistine brought it to Jerusalem: but his armour he put in his tent.

⁵⁵ Now at the time that Saul saw David going out against the Philistines, he said to Abner the captain of the army: Of what family is this young man descended, Abner? And Abner said: As thy soul liveth, O king, I know not.

⁵⁶ And the king said: Inquire thou, whose son this man is.

⁵⁷ And when David was returned, after the Philistine was slain, Abner took him, and brought him in before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

⁵⁸ And Saul said to him: Young man, of what family art thou? And David said: I am the son of thy servant Isai the Bethlehemite.

18 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of 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 And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for be loved him as his own soul.

⁴ And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

⁵ And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he behaved himself prudently: and Saul set him over the soldiers, and he was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the eyes of Saul's servants.

⁶ Now when David returned, after be slew the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets.

⁷ And the women sung as they played, and they said: I Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

⁸ And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand; what can he have more but the kingdom?

⁹ And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and forward.

¹⁰ And the day after the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand,

¹¹ And threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David stept aside out of his presence twice.

¹² And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from himself.

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

¹⁴ And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.

¹⁵ And Saul saw that he was exceeding prudent, and began to beware of him.

¹⁶ But all Israel and Juda loved David, for he came in and went out before them.

¹⁷ And Saul said to David: Behold my elder daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife: only be a valiant man, and fight the battles of the Lord. Now Saul said within himself: Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him.

¹⁸ And David said to Saul: Who am I, or what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law of the king?

¹⁹ And it came to pass at the time when Merob the daughter of Saul should have been given to David, that she was given to Hadriel the Molathite to wife.

²⁰ But Michol the other daughter of Saul loved David. And it was told Saul, and it pleased him.

²¹ And Saul said: I will give her to him, that she may be a stumblingblock to him, and that the band of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David: In two things thou shalt be my son in law this day.

²² And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: Behold thou pleasest the king, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son in law.

²³ And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king's son in law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.

²⁴ And the servants of Saul told him, saying: Such words as these hath David spoken.

²⁵ And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king's son in law.

²⁷ And after a few days David rose up, and went with the men that were under him, and he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he might be his son in law. Saul therefore gave him Michol his daughter to wife.

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

²⁹ And Saul began to fear David more: and Saul became David's enemy continually.

³⁰ And the princes of the Philistines went forth: and from the beginning of their going forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very famous.

19 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan the son of Saul loved David exceedingly.

² And Jonathan told David, saying: Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: wherefore look to thyself, I beseech thee, in the morning, and thou shalt abide in a secret place and shalt be hid.

³ And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art: and I will speak of thee to my father, and whatsoever I shall see, I will tell thee.

⁴ And Jonathan spoke good things of David to Saul his father: and said to him: Sin not, O king, against thy servant, David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and his works are very good towards thee.

⁵ And he put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Why therefore wilt thou sin against innocent blood by killing David, who is without fault?

⁶ And when Saul heard this he was appeased with the words of Jonathan, and swore: As the Lord liveth he shall not be slain.

⁷ Then Jonathan called David and told him all these words: and Jonathan brought in David to Saul, and he was before him, as he had been yesterday and the day before.

⁸ And the war began again, and David went out and fought against the Philistines, and defeated them with a great slaughter, and they fled from his face.

⁹ And the evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, and he sat in his house, and held a spear in his hand: and David played with his hand.

¹⁰ And Saul endeavoured to nail David to the wall with his spear. And David slipt away out of the presence of Saul: and the spear missed him, and was fastened in the wall, and David fled and escaped that night.

¹¹ Saul therefore sent his guards to David's house to watch him, that he might be killed in the morning. And when Michol David's wife had told him this, saying: Unless thou save thyself this night, to morrow thou wilt die,

¹² She let him down through a window. And he went and fled away and escaped.

¹³ And Michol took an image and laid it on the bed, and put a goat's skin with the hair at the head of it, and covered it with clothes.

¹⁴ And Saul sent officers to seize David: and it was answered that he was sick.

¹⁵ And again Saul sent to see David, saying: Bring him to me in the bed, that he may be slain.

¹⁶ And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon the bed, and a goat's skin at its head.

¹⁷ And Saul said to Michol: Why hast thou deceived me so, and let my enemy go and flee away? And Michol answered Saul: Because he said to me: Let me go, or else I will kill thee.

¹⁸ But David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel in Ramatha, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Najoth.

¹⁹ And it was told Saul by some, saying: Behold David is in Najoth in Ramatha.

²⁰ So Saul sent officers to take David: and when they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel presiding over them, the spirit of the Lord came also upon them, and they likewise began to prophesy.

²¹ And when this was told Saul, he sent other messengers: but they also prophesied. And again Saul sent messengers the third time: and they prophesied also. And Saul being exceedingly angry,

²² Went also himself to Ramatha, and came as far as the great cistern, which is in Socho, and he asked, and said: In what place are Samuel and David? And it was told him: Behold they are in Najoth in Ramatha.

²³ And he went to Najoth in Ramatha, and the spirit of the Lord came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied till he came to Najoth in Ramatha.

²⁴ And he stripped himself also of his garments, and prophesied with the rest before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and night. This gave occasion to a proverb: What! is Saul too among the prophets?

20 But David fled from Najoth, which is in Ramatha, and came and said to Jonathan: What have I done? what is my iniquity, and what is my sin against thy father, that he seeketh my life?

² And he said to him: God forbid, thou shalt not die: for my father will do nothing great or little, without first telling me: hath then my father hid this word only from me? no, this shall not be.

³ And he swore again to David. And David said: Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, and he will say: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, there is but one step (as I may say) between me and death.

⁴ And Jonathan said to David: Whatsoever thy soul shall say to me, I will do for thee.

⁵ And David said to Jonathan: Behold to morrow is the new moon, and I according to custom am wont to sit beside the king to eat: let me go then that I may be hid in the field till the evening of the third day.

⁶ If thy father look and inquire for me, thou shalt answer him: David asked me that he might run to Bethlehem his own city: because there are solemn sacrifices there for all his tribe.

⁷ If he shall say, It is well: thy servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, know that his malice is come to its height.

⁸ Deal mercifully then with thy servant: for thou hast brought me thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee. But if there be any iniquity in me, do thou kill me, and bring me not in to thy father.

⁹ And Jonathan said: Far be this from thee: for if I should certainly know that evil is determined by my father against thee, I could do no otherwise than tell thee.

¹⁰ And David answered Jonathan: Who shall bring me word, if thy father should answer thee harshly concerning me?

¹¹ And Jonathan said to David: Come and let us go out into the field. And when they were both of them gone out into the field,

¹² Jonathan said to David: O Lord God of Israel, if I shall discover my father's mind, to morrow or the day after, and there be any thing good for David, and I send not immediately to thee, and make it known to thee,

¹³ May the Lord do so and so to Jonathan and add still more. But if my father shall continue in malice against thee, I will discover it to thy ear, and will send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace, and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

¹⁴ And if I live, thou shalt shew me the kindness of the Lord: but if I die,

¹⁵ Thou shalt not take away thy kindness from my house for ever, when the Lord shall have rooted out the enemies of David, every one of them from the earth, may he take away Jonathan from his house, and may the Lord require it at the hands of David's enemies.

¹⁶ Jonathan therefore made a covenant with the house of David: and the Lord required it at the hands of David's enemies.

¹⁷ And Jonathan swore again to David, because he loved him: for he loved him as his own soul.

¹⁸ And Jonathan said to him: To morrow is the new moon, and thou wilt be missed:

¹⁹ For thy seat will be empty till after to morrow. So thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place, where thou must be hid on the day when it is lawful to work, and thou shalt remain beside the stone, which is called Ezel.

²⁰ And I will shoot three arrows near it, and will shoot as if I were exercising myself at a mark.

²¹ And I will send a boy, saying to him: Go and fetch me the arrows.

²² If I shall say to the boy: Behold the arrows are on this side of thee, take them up: come thou to me, because, there is peace to thee, and there is no evil, as the Lord liveth. But if I shall speak thus to the boy: Behold the arrows are beyond thee: go in peace, for the Lord hath sent thee away.

²³ And concerning the word which I and thou have spoken, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

²⁴ So David was hid in the field, and the new moon came, and the king sat down to eat bread.

²⁵ And when the king sat down upon his chair (according to custom) which was beside the wall, Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place appeared empty.

²⁶ And Saul said nothing that day, for he thought it might have happened to him, that he was not clean, nor purified.

²⁷ And when the second day after the new moon was come, David's place appeared empty again. And Saul said to Jonathan his son: Why cometh not the son of Isai to meat neither yesterday nor to day?

²⁸ And Jonathan answered Saul: He asked leave of me earnestly to go to Bethlehem,

²⁹ And he said: Let me go, for there is a solemn sacrifice in the city, one of my brethren hath sent for me: and now if I have found favour in thy eyes, I will go quickly, and see my brethren. For this cause he came not to the king's table.

³⁰ Then Saul being angry against Jonathan said to him: Thou son of a woman that is the ravisher of a man, do I not know that thou lovest the son of Isai to thy own confusion and to the confusion of thy shameless mother?

³¹ For as long as the son of Isai liveth upon earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now presently send, and fetch him to me: for he is the son of death.

³² And Jonathan answering Saul his father, said: Why shall he die: what hath he done?

³³ And Saul caught up a spear to strike him. And Jonathan understood that it was determined by his father to kill David.

³⁴ So Jonathan rose from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day after the new moon. For he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to confusion.

³⁵ And when the morning came, Jonathan went into the field, according to the appointment with David, and a little boy with him.

³⁶ And he said to his boy: Go, and fetch me the arrows which I shoot. And when the boy ran, he shot another arrow beyond the boy.

³⁷ The boy therefore came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot: and Jonathan cried after the boy, and said: Behold the arrow is there further beyond thee.

³⁸ And Jonathan cried again after the boy, saying: Make haste speedily, stand not. And Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows, and brought them to his master:

³⁹ And he knew not at all what was doing: for only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

⁴⁰ Jonathan therefore gave his arms to the boy, and said to him: Go, and carry them into the city.

⁴¹ And when the boy was gone, David rose out of his place, which was towards the south, and falling on his face to the ground, adored thrice: and kissing one another, they wept together, but David more.

⁴² And Jonathan said to David: Go in peace: and let all stand that we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying: The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever.

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

21 And David came to Nobe to Achimelech the priest: and Achimelech was astonished at David's coming. And he said to him: Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

² And David said to Achimelech the priest: The king hath commanded me a business, and said: Let no man know the thing for which thou art sent by me, and what manner of commands I have given thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

³ Now therefore if thou have any thing at hand, though it were but five loaves, give me, or whatsoever thou canst find.

⁴ And the priest answered David, saying: I have no common bread at hand, but only holy bread, if the young men be clean, especially from women?

⁵ And David answered the priest, and said to him: Truly, as to what concerneth women, we have refrained ourselves from yesterday and the day before, when we came out, and the vessels of the young men were holy. Now this way is defiled, but it shall also be sanctified this day in the vessels.

⁶ The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves might be set up.

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, within the tabernacle of the Lord: and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of Saul's herdsmen.

⁸ And David said to Achimelech: Hast thou here at hand a spear, or a sword? for I brought not my own sword, nor my own weapons with me, for the king's business required haste.

⁹ And the priest said: Lo, here is the sword of Goliath the Philistine whom thou slewest in the valley of Terebinth, wrapped up in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take this, take it, for here is no other but this. And David said: There is none like that, give it me.

¹⁰ And David arose and fled that day from the face of Saul: and came to Achis the king of Geth:

¹¹ And the servants of Achis, when they saw David, said to him: Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to him in their dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

¹² But David laid up these words in his heart, and was exceedingly afraid at the face of Achis the king of Geth.

¹³ And he changed his countenance before them, and slipt down between their hands: and he stumbled against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.

¹⁴ And Achis said to his servants: You saw the man was mad: why have you brought him to me?

¹⁵ Have we need of madmen, that you have brought in this fellow, to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

22 David therefore went from thence and fled to the cave of Odollam. And when his brethren, and all his father's house had heard of it, they went down to him thither;

² And all that were in distress and oppressed with debt, and under affliction of mind gathered themselves unto him: and he became their prince, and there were with him about four hundred men.

³ And David departed from thence into Maspha of Moab: and he said to the king of Moab: Let my father and my mother tarry with you, I beseech thee, till I know what God will do for me.

⁴ And he left them under the eyes of the king of Moab, and they abode with him all the days that David was in the hold.

⁵ And Gad the prophet said to David: Abide not in the hold, depart, and go into the land of Juda. And David departed, and came into the forest of Haret.

⁶ And Saul heard that David was seen, and the men that were with him. Now whilst Saul abode in Gabaa, and was in the wood, which is by Rama, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him,

⁷ He said to his servants that stood about him: Hear me now, ye sons of Jemini: will the son of Isai give everyone of you fields, and vineyards, and make you all tribunes, and centurions:

⁸ That all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one to inform me, especially when even my son hath entered into league with the soil of Isai? There is not one of you that pitieth my case, nor that giveth me any information: because my son hath raised up my servant against me, plotting against me to this day.

⁹ And Doeg the Edomite who stood by, and was the chief among the servants of Saul, answering, said: I saw the son of Isai, in Nobe with Achimelech the son of Achitob the priest.

¹⁰ And he consulted the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

¹¹ Then the king sent to call for Achimelech the priest the son of Achitob, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nobe, and they came all of them to the king.

¹² And Saul said to Achimelech: Hear, thou son of Achitob. He answered: Here I am, my lord.

¹³ And Saul said to him: Why have you conspired against me, thou, and the son of Isai, and thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast consulted the Lord for him, that he should rise up against me, continuing a traitor to this day.

¹⁴ And Achimelech answering the king, said: And who amongst all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son in law, and goeth forth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house?

¹⁵ Did I begin to day to consult the Lord for him? far be this from me: let not the king suspect such a thing against his servant, or any one in all my father's house: for thy servant knew nothing of this matter, either little or great.

¹⁶ And the king said: Dying thou shalt die, Achimelech, thou and all thy father's house.

¹⁷ And the king said to the messengers that stood about him: Turn, and kill the priests of the Lord, for their hand is with David, because they knew that he was fled, and they told it not to me. And the king's servants would not put forth their hands against the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg: Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and fell upon the priests and slew in that day eighty-five men that wore the linen ephod.

¹⁹ And Nobe the city of the priests he smote with the edge of his sword, both men and women, children, and sucklings, and ox and ass, and sheep with the edge of the sword.

²⁰ But one of the sons of Achimelech the son of Achitob, whose name was Abiathar, escaped, and fled to David,

²¹ And told him that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord.

²² And David said to Abiathar: I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that without doubt he would tell Saul: I have been the occasion of the death of all the souls of thy father's house.

²³ Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life also, and with me thou shalt be saved.

23 And they told David, saying: Behold the Philistines fight against Ceila, and they rob the barns.

² Therefore David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go, and thou shalt smite the Philistines, and shalt save Ceila.

³ And the men that were with David, said to him: Behold we are in fear here in Judea, how much more if we go to Ceila against the hands of the Philistines?

⁴ Therefore David consulted the Lord again. And he answered and said to him: Arise, and go to Ceila: for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

⁵ David therefore, and his men, went to Ceila, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter of them: and David saved the inhabitants of Ceila.

⁶ Now at that time, when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David to Ceila, he came down having an ephod with him.

⁷ And it was told Saul that David was come to Ceila: and Saul said: The Lord hath delivered him into my hands, and he is shut up, being come into a city, that hath gates and bars.

⁸ And Saul commanded all the people to go down to fight against Ceila, and to besiege David, and his men.

⁹ Now when David understood, that Saul secretly prepared evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest: Bring hither the ephod.

¹⁰ And David said: O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard a report, that Saul designeth to come to Ceila, to destroy the city for my sake:

¹¹ Will the men of Ceila deliver me into his hands? and will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, tell thy servant. And the Lord said: He will come down.

¹² And David said: Will the men of Ceila deliver me, and my men, into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said: They will deliver thee up.

¹³ Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose, and departing from Ceila, wandered up and down uncertain where they should stay: and it was told Saul that David was fled from Ceila, and had escaped: wherefore he forbore to go out.

¹⁴ But David abode in the desert in strong holds, and he remained in a mountain of the desert of Ziph, in a woody hill. And Saul sought him always: but the Lord delivered him not into his hands.

¹⁵ And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood.

¹⁶ And Jonathan the son of Saul arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hands in God: and he said to him:

¹⁷ Fear not: for the hand of my father Saul shall not find thee, and thou shalt reign over Israel, and I shall be next to thee, yea, and my father knoweth this.

¹⁸ And the two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood: but Jonathan returned to his house.

¹⁹ And the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strong holds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert.

²⁰ Now therefore come down, as thy soul hath desired to come down: and it shall be our business to deliver him into the king's hands.

²¹ And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have pitied my case.

²² Go therefore, I pray you, and use all diligence, and curiously inquire, and consider the place where his foot is, and who hath seen him there: for he thinketh of me, that I lie craftily in wait for him.

²³ Consider and see all his lurking holes, wherein he is bid, and return to me with the certainty of the thing, that I may go with you. And if be should even go down into the earth to hide himself, I will search him out in all the thousands of Juda.

²⁴ And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain at the right hand of Jesimon.

²⁵ Then Saul and his men went to seek him: and it was told David, and forthwith he went down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon: and when Saul had heard of it he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

²⁶ And Saul went on this side of the mountain: and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain: and David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul: and Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them.

²⁷ And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste to come, for the Philistines have poured in themselves upon the land.

²⁸ Wherefore Saul returned, leaving the pursuit of David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this cause they called that place, the Rock of division.

24 Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi.

² And when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying: Behold, David is in the desert of Engaddi.

³ Saul therefore took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went out to seek after David, and his men, even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats.

⁴ And he came to the sheepcotes, which were in his way. And there was a cave, into which Saul went, to ease nature: now David and his men lay hid in the inner part of the cave.

⁵ And the servants of David said to him: Behold the day, of which the Lord said to thee: I will deliver thy enemy unto thee, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good in thy eyes. Then David arose, and secretly cut off the hem of Saul's robe.

⁶ After which David's heart struck him, because he had cut off the hem of Saul's robe.

⁷ And he said to his men: The Lord be merciful unto me, that I may do no such thing to my master the Lord's anointed, as to lay my hand upon him, because he is the Lord's anointed.

⁸ And David stopped his men with his words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rising up out of the cave, went on his way.

⁹ And David also rose up after him: and going out of the cave cried after Saul, saying: My lord the king. And Saul looked behind him: and David bowing himself down to the ground, worshipped,

¹⁰ And said to Saul: Why dost thou hear the words of men that say David seeketh thy hurt?

¹¹ Behold this day thy eyes have seen, that the Lord hath delivered thee into my hand, in the cave, and I had a thought to kill thee, but my eye hath spared thee. For I said: I will not put out my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord's anointed.

¹² Moreover see and know, O my father, the hem of thy robe in my hand, that when I cut, off the hem of thy robe, I would not put out my hand against thee. Reflect, and see, that there is no evil in my hand, nor iniquity, neither have I sinned against thee: but thou liest in wait for my life, to take it away.

¹³ The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord revenge me of thee: but my hand shall not be upon thee.

¹⁴ As also it is said in the old proverb: From the wicked shall wickedness come forth: therefore my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom dost thou come out, O king of Israel?

¹⁵ After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea.

¹⁶ Be the Lord judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and judge my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.

¹⁷ And when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

¹⁸ And he said to David: Thou art more just than I: for thou hast done good to me, and I have rewarded thee with evil.

¹⁹ And thou hast shewn this day what good things thou hast done to me: how the Lord delivered me into thy hand, and thou hast not killed me.

²⁰ For who when he hath found his enemy, will let him go well away? But the Lord reward thee for this good turn, for what thou hast done to me this day.

²¹ And now as I know that thou shalt surely be king, and have the kingdom of Israel in thy hand:

²² Swear to me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father.

²³ And David swore to Saul. So Saul went home: and David and his men went up into safer places.

25 And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.

² Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

³ Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman, but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb.

⁴ And when David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

⁵ He sent ten young men, and said to them: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace.

⁶ And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast.

⁷ I heard that thy shepherds that were with us in the desert were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them of the flock at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel.

⁸ Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David.

⁹ And when David's servants came, they spoke to Nabal all these words in David's name: and then held their peace.

¹⁰ But Nabal answering the servants of David, said: Who is David? and what is the son of Isai? servants are multiplied now a days who flee from their masters.

¹¹ Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and the flesh of my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence they are?

¹² So the servants of David went back their way, and returning came and told him all the words that he said.

¹³ Then David said to his young men: Let every man gird on his sword. And they girded on every man his sword. And David also girded on his sword: and there followed David about four hundred men: and two hundred remained with the baggage.

¹⁴ But one of the servants told Abigail the wife of Nabal, saying: Behold David sent messengers out of the wilderness, to salute our master: and he rejected them.

¹⁵ These men were very good to us, and gave us no trouble: neither did we ever lose any thing all the time that we conversed with them in the desert.

¹⁶ They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

¹⁷ Wherefore consider, and think what thou hast to do: for evil is determined against thy husband, and against thy house, and he is a son of Belial, so that no man can speak to him.

¹⁸ Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of dry figs, and laid them upon asses:

¹⁹ And she said to her servants: Go before me: behold I will follow after you: but she told not her husband Nabal.

²⁰ And when she had gotten upon an ass, and was coming down to the foot of the mountain, David and his men came down over against her, and she met them.

²¹ And David said: Truly in vain have I kept all that belonged to this man in the wilderness, and nothing was lost of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.

²² May God do so and so, and add more to the foes of David, if I leave of all that belong to him till the morning, any that pisseth against the wall.

²³ And when Abigail saw David she made haste and lighted off the ass, and fell before David, on her face, and adored upon the ground.

²⁴ And she fell at his feet, and said: Upon me let this iniquity be, my lord: let thy handmaid speak, I beseech thee, in thy ears: and hear the words of thy servant.

²⁵ Let not my lord the king, I pray, regard this naughty man Nabal: for according to his name, he is a fool, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid did not see thy servants, my lord, whom thou sentest.

²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, who hath withholden thee from coming to blood, and hath saved thy hand to thee: and now let thy enemies be as Nabal, and all they that seek evil to my lord.

²⁷ Wherefore receive this blessing, which thy handmaid hath brought to thee, my lord: and give it to the young men that follow thee, my lord.

²⁸ Forgive the iniquity of thy handmaid: for the Lord will surely make for my lord a faithful house, because thou, my lord, fightest the battles of the Lord: let not evil therefore be found in thee all the days of thy life.

²⁹ For if a man at any time shall rise, and persecute thee, and seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be kept, as in the bundle of the living, with the Lord thy God: but the souls of thy enemies shall be whirled, as with the violence and whirling of a sling.

³⁰ And when the Lord shall have done to thee, my lord, all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have made thee prince over Israel,

³¹ This shall not be an occasion of grief to thee, and a scruple of heart to my lord, that thou hast shed innocent blood, or hast revenged thyself: and when the Lord shall have done well by my lord, thou shalt remember thy handmaid.

³² And David said to Abigail: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy speech:

³³ And blessed be thou, who hast kept me to day, from coming to blood, and revenging me with my own hand.

³⁴ Otherwise as the Lord liveth the God of Israel, who hath withholden me from doing thee any evil: if thou hadst not quickly come to meet me, there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

³⁵ And David received at her hand all that she had brought him, and said to her: Go in peace into thy house, behold I have heard thy voice, and have honoured thy face.

³⁶ And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry: for he was very drunk: and she told him nothing less or more until morning.

³⁷ But early in the morning when Nabal had digested his wine, his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸ And after ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

³⁹ And when David had heard that Nabal was dead, he said: Blessed be the Lord, who hath judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his head. Then David sent and treated with Abigail, that he might take her to himself for a wife.

⁴⁰ And David's servants came to Abigail to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying: David hath sent us to thee, to take thee to himself for a wife.

⁴¹ And she arose and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, and said: Behold, let thy servant be a handmaid, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

⁴² And Abigail arose, and made haste, and got upon an ass, and five damsels went with her, her waiting maids, and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.

⁴³ Moreover David took also Achinoam of Jezrahel: and they were both of them his wives.

⁴⁴ But Saul gave Michol his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Lais, who was of Gallium.

26 And the men of Ziph came to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Behold David is hid in the hill of Hachila, which is over against the wilderness.

² And Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

³ And Saul encamped in Gabaa Hachila, which was over against the wilderness in the way: and David abode in the wilderness. And seeing that Saul was come after him into the wilderness,

⁴ He sent spies, and learned that he was most certainly come thither.

⁵ And David arose secretly, and came to the place where Saul was: and when he had beheld the place, wherein Saul slept, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the rest of the multitude round about him,

⁶ David spoke to Achimelech the Hethite, and Abisai the son of Sarvia the brother of Joab, saying: Who will go down with me to Saul into the camp? And Abisai said: I will go with thee.

⁷ So David and Abisai came to the people by night, and found Saul lying and sleeping in the tent, and his spear fixed in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people sleeping round about him.

⁸ And Abisai said to David: God hath shut up thy enemy this day into thy hands: now then I will run him through with my spear even to the earth at once, and there shall be no need of a second time.

⁹ And David said to Abisai: Kill him not: for who shall put forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and shall be guiltless?

¹⁰ And David said: As the Lord liveth, unless the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down to battle and perish:

¹¹ The Lord be merciful unto me, that I extend not my hand upon the Lord's anointed. But now take the spear, which is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go.

¹² So David took the spear, and the cup of water which was at Saul's head, and they went away: and no man saw it, or knew it, or awaked, but they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

¹³ And when David was gone over to the other side. and stood on the top of the hill afar off, and a good space was between them,

¹⁴ David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying: Wilt thou not answer, Abner? And Abner answering, said: Who art thou, that criest, and disturbest the king?

¹⁵ And David said to Abner: Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to kill the king thy lord.

¹⁶ This thing is not good, that thou hast done: as the Lord liveth, you are the sons of death, who have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now where is the king's spear, and the cup of water, which was at his head?

¹⁷ And Saul knew David's voice, and said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord the king.

¹⁸ And he said: Wherefore doth my lord persecute his servant? What have I done? or what evil is there in my hand?

¹⁹ Now therefore hear, I pray thee, my lord the king, the words of thy servant: If the Lord stir thee up against me, let him accept of sacrifice: but if the sons of men, they are cursed in the sight of the Lord, who have cast me out this day, that I should not dwell in the inheritance of the Lord, saying: Go, serve strange gods.

²⁰ And now let not my blood be shed upon the earth before the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as the partridge is hunted in the mountains.

²¹ And Saul said: I have sinned, return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my life hath been precious in thy eyes this day: for it appeareth that I have done foolishly, and have been ignorant in very many things.

²² And David answering, said: Behold the king's spear: let one of the king's servants come over and fetch it.

²³ And the Lord will reward every one according to his justice, and his faithfulness: for the Lord hath delivered thee this day into my hand, and I would not put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed.

²⁴ And as thy life hath been much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me from all distress.

²⁵ Then Saul said to David: Blessed art thou, my son David: and truly doing thou shalt do, and prevailing thou shalt prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

27 And David said in his heart: I shall gone day or other fall into the hands of Saul: is it not better for me to flee, and to be saved in the land of the Philistines, that Saul may despair of me, and cease to seek me in all the coasts of Israel? I will flee then out of his hands.

² And David arose and went away, both he and the six hundred men that were with him, to Achis the son of Maoch, king of Geth.

³ And David dwelt with Achis at Geth, he and his men: every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

⁴ And it was told Saul that David was fled to Geth, and he sought no more after him.

⁵ And David said to Achis: If I have found favour in thy sight, let a place be given me in one of the cities of this country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

⁶ Then Achis gave him Siceleg that day: for which reason Siceleg belongeth to the kings of Juda unto this day.

⁷ And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines, was four months.

⁸ And David and his men went up, and pillaged Gessuri, and Gerzi, and the Amalecites: for these were of old the inhabitants of the countries, as men go to Sur, even to the land of Egypt.

⁹ And David wasted all the land, and left neither man nor woman alive: and took away the sheep and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achis.

¹⁰ And Achis said to him: Whom hast thou gone against to day? David answered: Against the south of Juda, and against the south of Jerameel, and against the south of Ceni.

¹¹ And David saved neither man nor woman, neither brought he any of them to Geth, saying: Lest they should speak against us. So did David, and such was his proceeding all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

¹² And Achis believed David, saying: He hath done much harm to his people Israel: therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

28 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered together their armies to be prepared for war against Israel: and Achis said to David: Know thou now assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to the war, thou, and thy men.

² And David said to Achis: Now thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achis said to David: And I will appoint thee to guard my life for ever.

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel mourned for him, and buried him in Ramatha his city. And Saul had put away all the magicians and soothsayers out of the land.

⁴ And the Philistines were gathered together, and came and camped in Sunam: and Saul also gathered together all Israel, and came to Gelboe.

⁵ And Saul saw the army of the Plilistines, and was afraid, and his heart was very much dismayed.

⁶ And he consulted the Lord, and he answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by priests, nor by prophets.

⁷ And Saul said to his servants: Seek me a woman that hath a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and inquire by her. And his servants said to him: There is a woman that hath a divining spirit at Endor.

⁸ Then he disguised himself: and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, and he said to her: Divine to me by thy divining spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall tell thee.

⁹ And the woman said to him: Behold thou knowest all that Saul hath done, and how he hath rooted out the magicians and soothsayers from the land: why then dost thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to be put to death?

¹⁰ And Saul swore unto her by the Lord, saying: As the Lord liveth there shall no evil happen to thee for this thing.

¹¹ And the woman said to him: Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

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

¹³ And the king said to her: Fear not: what hast thou seen? And the woman said to Saul: I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

¹⁴ And he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.

¹⁵ And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou disturbed my rest, that I should be brought up? And Saul said, I am in great distress: for the Philistines fight against me, and God is departed from me, and would not hear me, neither by the hand of prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest shew me what I shall do.

¹⁶ And Samuel said: Why askest thou me, seeing the Lord has departed from thee, and is gone over to thy rival:

¹⁷ For the Lord will do to thee as he spoke by me, and he will rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and will give it to thy neighbour David:

¹⁸ Because thou didst not obey the voice of the Lord, neither didst thou execute the wrath of his indignation upon Amalec. Therefore hath the Lord done to thee what thou sufferest this day.

¹⁹ And the Lord also will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines: and to morrow thou and thy sons shall be with me: and the Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.