Bible in 90 Days
16 And the Lord said unto Samuel, “How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided Me a king among his sons.”
2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with thee, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee.”
4 And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Comest thou peaceably?”
5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice unto the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they had come, that he looked on Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’S anointed is before Him.”
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, “The Lord hath not chosen these.”
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, “Are here all thy children?” And he said, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep.” And Samuel said unto Jesse, “Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.”
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and altogether of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look upon. 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. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.”
17 And Saul said unto his servants, “Provide me now a man whocan play well, and bring him to me.”
18 Then answered one of the servants and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.”
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, “Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.”
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a bottle of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favor in my sight.”
23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
17 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies for battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the Valley of Elah, and set up in battle array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them.
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a buckler of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, “Why have ye come out to set up in battle array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us.”
10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah whose name was Jesse and who had eight sons; and Jesse went among men as 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 who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul,
15 but David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, “Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
18 and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.”
19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench as the host was going forth to the fight and was shouting for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had set up in battle array, army against army.
22 And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran unto the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, “Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely, to defy Israel has he come up; and it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.”
26 And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done to the man who killeth him.”
28 And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David and he said, “Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the willfulness of thine heart, for thou hast come down that thou mightest see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”
30 And he turned from him toward another and spoke in the same manner; and the people answered him again in the former manner.
31 And when the words were heard which David spoke, they recounted them before Saul; and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
34 And David said unto Saul, “Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock;
35 and I went out after him and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”
37 David said moreover, “The Lord 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 unto David, “Go, and the Lord be with thee.”
38 And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he attempted to go, for he had not tested it. And David said unto Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David put them off him.
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, “Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
45 Then said David to the Philistine, “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand. And I will smite thee and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’S, and He will give you into our hands.”
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone, and slung it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sunk into his forehead. And he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath and unto Ekron.
53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they despoiled their tents.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.”
56 And the king said, “Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.”
57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son art thou, thou young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
18 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day and would let him go home no more to his father’s house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with taborets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. And what can he have more but the kingdom?”
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as at other times. And there was a javelin in Saul’s hand;
11 and Saul cast the javelin, for he said, “I will smite David even to the wall with it.” And David escaped out of 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 him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15 Therefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, “Behold my elder daughter Merab; her will I give thee for a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’S battles.” For Saul said, “Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.”
18 And David said unto Saul, “Who am I? And what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
20 And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law through one of the two.”
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, “Commune with David secretly and say, ‘Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner spoke David.”
25 And Saul said, “Thus shall ye say to David: ‘The king desireth not any dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law; and the days were not expired.
27 Therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full measure to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul became David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth. And it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much esteemed.
19 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David; and Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father seeketh to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place and hide thyself.
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father about thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.”
4 And Jonathan spoke well of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee and because his works have been toward thee very good.
5 For he put his life in his hands and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?”
6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, “As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.”
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.
8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.
9 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand. And David played music with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house to watch him and to slay him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.”
12 So Michal let David down through a window; and he went and fled, and escaped.
13 And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for its head, and covered it with a cloth.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.”
16 And when the messengers had come in, behold, there was an image in the bed with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, “Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said unto me, ‘Let me go: Why should I kill thee?’”
18 So David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it was told to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu; and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. 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 mine iniquity? And what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?”
2 And he said unto him, “God forbid! Thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small but that he will show it to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
3 And David swore moreover and said, “Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith, ‘Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, “Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.”
5 And David said unto Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at evening.
6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me, that he might run to Bethlehem, his city; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
7 If he say thus, ‘It is well,’ thy servant shall have peace; but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant, for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee. Notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?”
9 And Jonathan said, “Far be it from thee; for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it to thee?”
10 Then said David to Jonathan, “Who shall tell me? Or what if thy father answer thee roughly?”
11 And Jonathan said unto David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” And they went out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan said unto David, “By the Lord the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee and show it to thee,
13 the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it to thee and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace; and the Lord be with thee, as He hath been with my father.
14 And thou shalt not only show me the kindness of the Lord while yet I live, that I die not,
15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever — no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.
19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And behold, I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say unto the lad, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them,’ then come thou, for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the Lord liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the young man, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond thee,’ go thy way; for the Lord hath sent thee away.
23 And concerning the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be witness between thee and me for ever.”
24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat meat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall; and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day, for he thought, “Something hath befallen him. He is not clean, surely he is not clean.”
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said unto Jonathan his son, “Why cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor today?”
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.”
29 And he said, ‘Let me go, I pray thee, for our family hath a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren.’ Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.”
30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, “Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.”
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said unto him, “Why shall he be slain? What hath he done?”
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to slay David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no meat the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said unto his lad, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond thee?”
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, “Make speed, haste, stay not.” And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew not anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad and said unto him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another and wept one with another, but David more.
42 And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever.’” And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
21 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, “Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?”
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, “The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, ‘Let no man know anything of the business about which I send thee and what I have commanded thee.’ And I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore, what is under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.”
4 And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread under mine hand; but there is hallowed bread, if at least the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5 And David answered the priest and said unto him, “Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days since I came out; and the vessels of the young men are holy and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.”
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, “And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”
9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”
10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, ‘Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, “Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
22 David therefore departed thence and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered themselves unto him. And he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto the king of Moab, “Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.”
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, “Abide not in the stronghold. Depart, and get thee into the land of Judah.” Then David departed and came into the forest of Hereth.
6 When Saul heard that David was discovered and the men who were with him (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him),
7 then Saul said unto his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, ye Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse; and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as at this day?”
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob; and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, “Hear now, thou son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 And Saul said unto him, “Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as at this day?”
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house?
15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.”
16 And the king said, “Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou and all thy father’s house.”
17 And the king said unto the footmen who stood about him, “Turn and slay the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
18 And the king said to Doeg, “Turn thou and fall upon the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons who wore a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord’S priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, “I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
23 Abide thou with me; fear not. For he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life, but with me thou shalt be in safekeeping.”
23 Then they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors.”
2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and smite these Philistines?” And the Lord said unto David, “Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3 And David’s men said unto him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.”
5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God hath delivered him into mine hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.”
8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring hither the ephod.”
10 Then said David, “O Lord God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech Thee, tell Thy servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.”
12 Then said David, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver thee up.”
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; and he forbore to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds and remained on a mountain in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said unto him, “Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee. And thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.”
18 And the two made a covenant before the Lord; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doth not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
21 And Saul said, “Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.”
24 And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David, whereupon he came down to a rock, and abode in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, “Hasten thee and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land.”
28 Therefore Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth [that is, The rock of divisions].
29 And David went up from thence and dwelt in strongholds at Engedi.
24 And it came to pass, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Behold, David is in the Wilderness of Engedi.”
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself, and David and his men remained in the recesses of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, “Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, ‘Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.’” Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward that David’s heart smote him because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”
7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.
8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king.” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself.
9 And David said to Saul, “Why hearest thou men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?’
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave, and some bade me kill thee. But mine eye spared thee, and I said, ‘I will not put forth mine hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’S anointed.’
11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
12 The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, ‘Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked.’ But mine hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea!
15 The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee; and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.”
16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, “Is this thy voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 And he said to David, “Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
18 And thou hast shown this day how thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killed me not.
19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? Therefore the Lord reward thee good for what thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
21 Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”
22 And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men got themselves up unto the stronghold.
25 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.
2 And there was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel. And the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife, Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity: ‘Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers. Now thy shepherds who were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men and they will show thee. Therefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes, for we come in a good day. Give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants and to thy son David.’”
9 And when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread and my water and my slaughter that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not from whence they are?”
12 So David’s young men turned their way and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, “Gird ye on every man his sword.” And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred stayed by the supplies.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them.
15 But the men were very good unto us and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything as long as we were occupied with them when we were in the fields.
16 They were a wall for us both by night and day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore, know and consider what thou wilt do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.”
18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 And she said unto her servants, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she told not her husband Nabal.
20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill; and behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.
21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he hath requited me evil for good.
22 So, and more also, do God unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that urinates against the wall.”
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hastened and alighted from the ass, and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground,
24 and fell at his feet and said, “Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, thine handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord whom thou didst send.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withheld thee from coming to shed blood and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies and those who seek evil for my lord be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who follow my lord.
28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid; for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
29 Yet a man has risen to pursue thee and to seek thy soul. But the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall He sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He hath spoken concerning thee and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel,
31 that this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelessly or that my lord hath avenged himself. But when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.”
32 And David said to Abigail: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me!
33 And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
34 For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, who hath kept me back from hurting thee, unless thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any who urinates against the wall.”
35 So David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, “Go up in peace to thine house. See, I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person.”
36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him and he became as a stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after that the Lord smote Nabal, so that he died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept His servant from evil; for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head.” And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him as wife.
40 And when the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying, “David sent us unto thee to take thee to him as wife.”
41 And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”
42 And Abigail hastened and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers who went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives.
44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
26 And the Ziphites came unto Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?”
2 Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Saul pitched camp on the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the road. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had come indeed.
5 And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched camp. And David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay in the entrenchment, and the people pitched round about him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul into the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with thee.”
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within the entrenchment, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster; but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, “God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.”
9 And David said to Abishai, “Destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’S anointed and be guiltless?”
10 David said furthermore, “As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’S anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.”
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster, and they got away. And no man saw it nor knew it, neither awakened; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great space being between them.
14 And David cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Answerest thou not, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who art thou that criest to the king?”
15 And David said to Abner, “Art not thou a valiant man? And who is like to thee in Israel? Why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For there came in one of the people to destroy the king thy lord.
16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’S anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.”
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, O king.”
18 And he said, “Why doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.”
21 Then said Saul, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly.”
22 And David answered and said, “Behold the king’s spear! Let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23 The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’S anointed.
24 And behold, as thy life was much esteemed this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much esteemed in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”
25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be thou, my son David. Thou shalt both do great things and also shalt still prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
27 And David said in his heart, “I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”
2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men who were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him.
5 And David said unto Achish, “If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there; for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?”
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
8 And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites, for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.
9 And David smote 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 Achish.
10 And Achish said, “Whither have ye made a raid today?” And David said, “Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.”
11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell on us, saying, ‘So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.’”
12 And Achish believed David, saying, “He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant for ever.”
28 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, “Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.”
2 And David said to Achish, “Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore will I makethee keeper of mine head for ever.”
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and pitched camp in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched camp in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, “Seek me a woman who hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who hath a familiar spirit at Endor.”
8 And Saul disguised himself and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.”
9 And the woman said unto him, “Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those who have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. Why then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”
10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.”
11 Then said the woman, “Whom shall I bring up unto thee?” And he said, “Bring me up Samuel.”
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul!”
13 And the king said unto her, “Be not afraid. For what sawest thou?” And the woman said unto Saul, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth.”
14 And he said unto her, “What form is he of?” And she said, “An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, “Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?” And Saul answered, “I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and answereth me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.”
16 Then said Samuel, “Why then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord has departed from thee and has become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as He spoke by me. For the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand and given it to thy neighbor, even to David.
18 Because thou obeyed not the voice of the Lord nor executed His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me. The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.