1 Samuel

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Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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1 Samuel 1

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.
2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up from his city year after year to bow down and sacrifice unto Jehovah of Hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests unto Jehovah there.
4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.
5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although Jehovah had closed up her womb.
6 And her rival also provoked her to vexation, to make her tremble, because Jehovah had closed up her womb.
7 And so it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why does your heart quiver? Am I not better to you than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of Jehovah.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Jehovah and wept with weeping.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, O Jehovah of Hosts, if You will look to see the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me, and not forget Your handmaid, but will give Your handmaid a male child, then I shall give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
14 So Eli said to her, How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of intense spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before Jehovah.
16 Do not consider your handmaid for a daughter of worthlessness, for out of the abundance of my anxiety and vexation I have spoken until now.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.
18 And she said, Let your handmaid find favor in your eyes. So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 And they arose early in the morning and bowed down before Jehovah, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Jehovah remembered her.
20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked for him from Jehovah.
21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to Jehovah the yearly sacrifice and his vow.
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah and remain there always.
23 And Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what is good in your eyes; wait until you have weaned him. Only may Jehovah establish His word. So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of Jehovah at Shiloh: the child, the boy.
25 And they slaughtered a bull, and brought the boy to Eli.
26 And she said, O my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here to pray unto Jehovah.
27 For this boy I prayed, and Jehovah granted me my petition which I have asked of Him.
28 Therefore I also have given him unto Jehovah; as long as he lives he is loaned unto Jehovah. And he bowed down before Jehovah there.

1 Samuel 2

1 And Hannah prayed and said: My heart has rejoiced in Jehovah; my horn has been exalted in Jehovah. My mouth has been enlarged over my enemies, because I have rejoiced in Your salvation.
2 No one is holy like Jehovah, for there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come out of your mouth, for Jehovah is the Mighty God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken, and those stumbling have been girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children has become feeble.
6 Jehovah kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
7 Jehovah makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, and He set the world upon them.
9 He guards the feet of His saints, but the wicked are silent in darkness. For man does not prevail by might.
10 The adversaries of Jehovah are broken in pieces; from the heavens He thunders against them. Jehovah judges the ends of the earth. He gives strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to his house at Ramah, and the child served Jehovah before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of wickedness; they did not know Jehovah.
13 And the custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the flesh was boiling.
14 And he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. Thus they did in Shiloh to all Israel who came there.
15 Also, before they burned the fat with smoke, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, Give flesh for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled flesh from you, but raw.
16 And if the man said to him, It is time to burn the fat to make it smoke, then you may take as much as your soul desires; he would then answer him, No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.
17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah, for the men had spurned the offering of Jehovah.
18 But Samuel was serving before Jehovah, even as a boy, girded with a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him year after year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give you seed from this woman for the petition which has been loaned unto Jehovah. And they went to their place.
21 And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up with Jehovah.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting.
23 And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I am hearing of your evil dealings from all the people.
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I am hearing. You cause the people of Jehovah to transgress.
25 If a man sins against man, God will judge him. But if a man sins against Jehovah, who shall intercede for him? Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because Jehovah desired to kill them.
26 And the boy Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with Jehovah and men.
27 And a man of God came to Eli and said to him, Thus says Jehovah: Have I not revealed to show Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel?
29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded for My dwelling place, and honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?
30 Therefore Jehovah the God of Israel says: I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now Jehovah says: Far be it from Me! For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there shall not be an old man in your house.
32 And you shall see an adversary in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God did for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house for all time.
33 And any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall be to consume your eyes and grieve your soul. And all the increase of your house shall die as young men.
34 And this shall be a sign to you that shall come upon your two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.
35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My soul. I will build him a lasting house, and he shall walk before My anointed for all time.
36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and say, Please, join me to the priesthood, that I may eat a piece of bread.

1 Samuel 3

1 And the boy Samuel served Jehovah before Eli. And the Word of Jehovah was rare in those days; visions were not breaking through.
2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes had begun to grow dim that he could not see,
3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of Jehovah where the ark of God was, where Samuel was lying down,
4 that Jehovah called, Samuel. And he answered, Here am I!
5 And he ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. And he said, I have not called; go back and lie down. And he went and lay down.
6 And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for you called me. He answered, I have not called, my son; go back and lie down.
7 (Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, nor was the Word of Jehovah yet revealed to him.)
8 And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you shall say, Speak, Jehovah, for Your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And Jehovah came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel answered, Speak, for Your servant is listening.
11 And Jehovah said to Samuel: Behold, I am doing something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.
12 In that day I shall carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
13 For I have declared to him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he has known, because his sons are being despicable, and he has not restrained them.
14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.
15 And Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel was afraid to make known the vision to Eli.
16 Then Eli summoned Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here I am.
17 And he said, What is the word that He has spoken to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He has spoken to you.
18 And Samuel told him the matter, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah. Let Him do what is good in His eyes.
19 And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was being established as a prophet of Jehovah.
21 And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh. For Jehovah revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the Word of Jehovah.

1 Samuel 4

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined the battle, Israel was struck down before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men at the battle line in the field.
3 And when the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Jehovah struck us down today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout so that the earth shook.
6 And when the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, What is this sound of great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews? Then they understood that the ark of Jehovah had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp! And they said, Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck Egypt with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong and be like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be like men, and fight!
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck down, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and earth on his head.
13 And when he came, behold Eli was sitting on a seat by the wayside, watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and reported, all the city cried out.
14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, What is this sound of tumult? And the man came quickly and reported to Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had become set that he could not see.
16 And the man said to Eli, I am the one who came from the battle line, and I have fled today from the battle line. And he said, What happened, my son?
17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have died; and the ark of God has been taken.
18 And it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pangs came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, Do not fear, for you have borne a son. But she did not answer, nor was her heart set on it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel! because the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 And she said, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.

1 Samuel 5

1 And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it next to Dagon.
3 And when those of Ashdod arose early the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah. So they took Dagon and put him back on his place.
4 And when they arose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. The head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left to him.
5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 And the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon those of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand has been severe upon us and Dagon our god.
8 Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the rulers of the Philistines, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought to Gath. So they brought around the ark of the God of Israel.
9 And so it was, after they had brought it around, that the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them.
10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought around the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!
11 So they sent and gathered together all the rulers of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people. For there was a death panic throughout all the city, because the hand of God had been very heavy there.
12 And the men who had not died were stricken with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to the heavens.

1 Samuel 6

1 And the ark of Jehovah was in the land of the Philistines seven months.
2 And the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? Make known to us how we shall send it to its place.
3 And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but turn it back to return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.
4 So they said, What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him? And they answered, Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the rulers of the Philistines. For the same plague was upon all of you and upon your rulers.
5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that are ruining the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand from off you, from off your gods, and from off your land.
6 Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7 Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and when you have tied the cows to the cart, take their calves home, away from them.
8 And take the ark of Jehovah and set it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side; and send it away, and let it go.
9 And watch: if it goes up the way to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that has struck us; it has happened to us by chance.
10 And the men did so: They took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11 And they set the ark of Jehovah on the cart, and the chest with the gold mice and the images of their tumors.
12 And the cows headed straight for the way to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the rulers of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
13 Now those of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; and a large stone was there. And they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering unto Jehovah.
15 And the Levites took down the ark of Jehovah and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices that day unto Jehovah.
16 And when the five rulers of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering unto Jehovah: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron;
18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five rulers, both fortified cities and rural villages, even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they set the ark of Jehovah, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
19 And He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people mourned because Jehovah had struck the people with a great slaughter.
20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Jehovah; come down and take it up with you.

1 Samuel 7

1 And the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah.
2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim many days; it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel mourned after Jehovah.
3 And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If you are returning unto Jehovah with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for Jehovah, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and Ashtaroth, and served Jehovah only.
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Jehovah for you.
6 And they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah. And they fasted that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid before the Philistines.
8 And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry out unto Jehovah our God for us, that He may deliver us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering unto Jehovah. And Samuel cried out unto Jehovah for Israel, and Jehovah answered him.
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But Jehovah thundered with a loud noise upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were smitten before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.
12 And Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, Thus far has Jehovah helped us.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territories from the hands of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
17 And he returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto Jehovah.

1 Samuel 8

1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beer-sheba.
3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 And all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
5 and said to him, Behold, you have become old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing made Samuel's eyes quiver when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah.
7 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Consent to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, for Me to not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day, with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods, so they are doing to you also.
9 Now therefore, consent to their voice. However, you shall solemnly testify to them, and inform them regarding the manner of the king who shall reign over them.
10 So Samuel told all the words of Jehovah to the people who were asking him for a king.
11 And he said, This shall be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
12 He will appoint commanders over his thousands and commanders over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.
15 He will take a tenth of your seed and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and make them do his work.
17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.
18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but there shall be a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and spoke them in the ears of Jehovah.
22 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Consent to their voice, and cause a king to reign over them. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Each of you go to his city.

1 Samuel 9

1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, Please, take one of the servants with you, and arise, go search for the donkeys.
4 And he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5 And when they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, Come, let us return, lest my father leave the donkeys and become concerned about us.
6 And he said to him, Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and he is an honorable man; all that he speaks succeeds to come to pass. Now let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go.
7 Then Saul said to his servant, But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?
8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand one fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.
9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
10 Then Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?
12 And they answered them and said, Yes, behold he is ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he has come to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today at the high place.
13 As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for today you will find him.
14 So they went up to the city; and as they were coming into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out to meet them, to go up to the high place.
15 Now Jehovah had revealed in Samuel's ear the day before Saul came, saying,
16 Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may deliver My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me.
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.
18 And Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Please tell me, where is the seer's house?
19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will send you away and will declare to you all that is in your heart.
20 And as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your heart on them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house.
21 And Saul answered and said, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken this word to me?
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place at the head of those who were invited; which were about thirty men.
23 And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it beside you.
24 And the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it before Saul. And he said, Behold here is what was reserved. Set it before you and eat; for until this appointed time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 And when they had come down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul on the top of the house.
26 And they arose early; and it was about daybreak that Samuel summoned Saul to the top of the house, saying, Arise, that I may send you away. And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.
27 And as they were going down to the city limits, Samuel said to Saul, Command the servant to go on ahead of us. And he went on. But you stand here a moment, that I may proclaim to you the Word of God.

1 Samuel 10

1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you ruler over His inheritance.
2 When you depart from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased speaking about the donkeys and has become concerned about you, saying, What shall I do about my son?
3 Then you shall go on farther and come to the plain of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands.
5 After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
6 And the Spirit of Jehovah will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as your hand finds to do; for God is with you.
8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you shall do.
9 And so it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God changed him with another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that behold he prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And a man from there answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?
13 And when he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 And Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we came to Samuel.
15 And Saul's uncle said, Please tell me what Samuel has said to you.
16 And Saul said to his uncle, He reported to make known to us that the donkeys had been found. But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.
17 And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah at Mizpah,
18 and said to the children of Israel, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those oppressing you.
19 But you have today rejected your God, who Himself delivered you out of all your adversities and your afflictions; and you have said to Him, No, set a king over us! Now therefore, present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes and by your thousands.
20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was taken. But when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they inquired of Jehovah further, Has the man come here yet? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he is hiding himself among the equipment.
23 So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king!
25 Then Samuel explained to the people the ordinances of the king's office, and wrote it in a book and set it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26 And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and mighty men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
27 But the sons of worthlessness said, How can this man deliver us? So they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he kept silent.

1 Samuel 11

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.
2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition I will make a covenant with you, to bore out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.
3 And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.
4 So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke the words in the ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And behold, Saul was coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, What is with the people, that they weep? And they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned greatly.
7 And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen. And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8 And when he numbered them at Bezek, the sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 And they said to the messengers who came, Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever is good in your eyes.
11 So it was, the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 And the people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Set forth the men, that we may put them to death.
13 But Saul said, Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today Jehovah has worked deliverance in Israel.
14 And Samuel said to the people, Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.
15 And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal. There they slaughtered sacrifices of peace offerings before Jehovah, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold, I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
2 And now, behold the king walking before you; and I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day.
3 Look at me. Witness against me before Jehovah and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.
4 And they said, You have not cheated us nor oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man's hand.
5 And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
6 And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Now therefore, present yourself, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah which He did with you and your fathers:
8 When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
9 And when they forgot Jehovah their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.
10 And they cried out unto Jehovah, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah and served the Baals and Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.
11 And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies all around; and you dwelt in safety.
12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, even though Jehovah your God was your king.
13 Now therefore, behold the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you.
14 If you will fear Jehovah and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the mouth of Jehovah, then both you and the king who reigns over you shall follow Jehovah your God.
15 However, if you do not obey the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the mouth of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 Now therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing which Jehovah will do before your eyes:
17 Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to Jehovah, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for a king for yourselves.
18 So Samuel called unto Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Jehovah your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king for ourselves.
20 And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this evil; yet do not turn aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.
21 And do not turn aside to go after vanities which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are nothing.
22 For Jehovah will not abandon His people, for His great name's sake, because Jehovah has undertaken to make you a people for Himself.
23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me to sin against Jehovah to cease to pray for you; for I have taught you the good and the right way.
24 Only fear Jehovah, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
25 But if you do wickedly to do evil, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.

1 Samuel 13

1 Saul was forty years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent each man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the shofar throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear!
4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had struck a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become odious to the Philistines. And the people were summoned after Saul at Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven.
6 And when the men of Israel saw that they were in straits, for the people were distressed, then the people hid in caves, in crevices, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, with all the people behind him, trembling.
8 And he waited seven days for Samuel, according to the appointed time; but Samuel had not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 So Saul said, Bring the burnt offering and peace offerings here to me. And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it happened, as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, to bless him.
11 And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, When I saw that the people had scattered from me, and that you had not come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines were gathering together at Michmash,
12 then I said, The Philistines will now come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the face of Jehovah. Therefore I forced myself, and offered a burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He has commanded you. For now Jehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But now your kingdom shall not stand. Jehovah has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and Jehovah has ordained him to be ruler over His people, because you have not kept what Jehovah has commanded you.
15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people found with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people found with them remained at Gibeah of Benjamin; and the Philistines encamped at Michmash.
17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward the way to Ophrah, to the land of Shual,
18 another company turned toward the way to Beth Horon, and another company turned toward the way of the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines thought, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.
20 But all Israel would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man's plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle;
21 and the price for sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.
22 So it came about, in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

1 Samuel 14

1 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that was his armorbearer, Come, let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side. But he did not tell his father.
2 And Saul was sitting at the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men.
3 Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Jehovah at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The one rock was a pillar northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that was his armorbearer, Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that Jehovah will work for us; for nothing restrains Jehovah, to save by many or by few.
7 So his armorbearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn then; behold, I am with you according to your heart.
8 And Jonathan said, Behold, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
9 If they say thus to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.
10 But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them into our hand; and this will be a sign to us.
11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.
12 And the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you something. And Jonathan said to his armorbearer, Come up after me, for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And his armorbearer followed, killing them.
14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within an area of land half the size that a yoke of oxen might plow in a day.
15 And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold the multitude had melted away; and they went, striking down one another.
17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Number and see who has gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.
18 And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring the ark of God here (for the ark of God was with the sons of Israel that day).
19 And it happened, while Saul spoke to the priest, that the roar in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand.
20 And Saul and all the people with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and behold every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.
21 Moreover the Hebrews who had previously retreated from the Philistines into the surrounding areas, they also joined the camp of the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines had fled, they also pursued closely after them in the battle.
23 So Jehovah saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over to Beth Aven.
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, Cursed is the man who eats food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
25 Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground.
26 And when the people had come into the forest, there was the flowing honey; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.
28 Then one of the people said, Your father adjured the people with an oath, saying, Cursed is the man who eats food this day. And the people were faint.
29 And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I have tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much better if the people had eaten to feed themselves today of the spoils of their enemies which they have found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
31 And they drove back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were very faint.
32 And the people rushed upon the spoils, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate with the blood.
33 And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people are sinning against Jehovah to eat with the blood! So he said, You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this moment.
34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring me here each man his ox and his sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against Jehovah to eat with the blood. So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto Jehovah. This was the first altar that he built unto Jehovah.
36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever is good in your eyes. And the priest said, Let us draw near to God here.
37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel? But He did not answer him that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.
39 For as Jehovah lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall be executed to death. But not one of all the people answered him.
40 Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what is good in your eyes.
41 Therefore Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me. And Jonathan was taken.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan confessed to him, and said, I have tasted to eat a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Behold, I must die!
44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also; for you shall be executed to death, Jonathan.
45 But the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Let it not be! As Jehovah lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
46 Then Saul withdrew from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
47 So when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies all around: against Moab, against the sons of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he condemned them.
48 And he dealt with might and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.
49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52 And war with the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant youth, he gathered them to himself.

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel also said to Saul, Jehovah has sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of Jehovah.
2 Thus says Jehovah of Hosts: I will punish Amalek for what he has done to Israel, how he had laid in wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.
4 So Saul gathered the people together and mustered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 And Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is before Egypt.
8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
10 And the Word of Jehovah came to Samuel, saying,
11 I regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not carried out My words. And it angered Samuel, and he cried out to Jehovah all night.
12 And when Samuel arose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul has come to Carmel, and behold, he is setting up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.
13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, Blessed are you of Jehovah! I have carried out the Word of Jehovah.
14 And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, Be quiet! And I will tell you what Jehovah has said to me last night. And he said to him, Speak.
17 And Samuel said, When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not Jehovah anoint you king over Israel?
18 Now Jehovah sent you on a mission, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them to finish them off.
19 Why then have you not obeyed the voice of Jehovah? Why did you swoop down upon the spoils, and do evil in the eyes of Jehovah?
20 And Saul said to Samuel, But I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and gone on the mission to which Jehovah sent me, and brought back Agag the king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things, the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah your God in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel said: Has Jehovah as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in to obey the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He also has rejected you from being king.
24 And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of Jehovah and your words, because I feared the people and heeded their voice.
25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin, and return with me, that I may bow down before Jehovah.
26 And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you, for you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel.
27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.
28 And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
29 And also the Emminence of Israel will not deal falsely nor repent. For He is not a man, to repent.
30 And he said, I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow down before Jehovah your God.
31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed down before Jehovah.
32 Then Samuel said, Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me. So Agag came to him delighted; for Agag thought, Surely the bitterness of death has past.
33 But Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before Jehovah at Gilgal.
34 And Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and Jehovah was sorry that He had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 16

1 And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer from the herd at your hand, and say, I have come to sacrifice unto Jehovah.
3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I say to you.
4 And Samuel did what Jehovah spoke, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled to meet him, and said, Do you come in peace?
5 And he said, In peace. I have come to sacrifice unto Jehovah. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came about, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and thought, Surely the anointed of Jehovah is before Him.
7 But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance nor at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For man does not see as He sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks at the heart.
8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all the young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is grazing the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.
12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and good appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!
13 And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of Jehovah rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
14 But the Spirit of Jehovah had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah had fallen upon him.
15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God is overwhelming you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who knows how to play the harp; and it shall be that he shall play it with his hand when the evil spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.
17 So Saul said to his servants, Look now for a man who can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who knows how to play, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and Jehovah is with him.
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to 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, Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.
23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp and played with his hand; and Saul was relieved and well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

1 Samuel 17

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
4 And a man came out from the camp of the Philistines between the two armies, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was wearing a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 And he had armor of bronze on his legs, and a bronze gorget between his shoulders.
7 The stock of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield bearer went before him.
8 And he stood and called out to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, Why have you come out to be arrayed for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. And the man was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.
13 The three oldest sons of Jesse went out after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 David was the youngest, and the three oldest had gone after Saul.
15 And David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself morning and evening, forty days.
17 And Jesse said to his son David, Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.
18 And carry these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.
19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David arose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the battle line and shouting for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, rank against rank.
22 And David left the things in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and inquired after the welfare of his brothers.
23 And as he talked with them, behold the man came out from the ranks of the armies of the Philistines, between the two armies, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name; and he spoke according to the same words. And David heard.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were very much afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who comes up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be that the man who kills him, the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free from taxes in Israel.
26 And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the ranks of the living God!
27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him.
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger burned against David, and he said, Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and your naughty heart, for you have come down to see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I done now? Was it not just words?
30 And he turned from him toward another and spoke the same words; and these people answered him according to the first words.
31 And when the words which David had spoken were heard, they were reported before Saul; and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant shall go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said to Saul, Your servant was grazing his father's sheep; and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and rescued the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I took hold of it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has reproached the ranks of the living God.
37 Moreover David said, Jehovah, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and Jehovah be with you!
38 And Saul clothed David with his garments, and he put a bronze helmet on his head, and clothed him with body armor.
39 And David girded his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them. And David took them off.
40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine proceeded to come near to David, with the man carrying the shield before him.
42 And when the Philistine considered and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and of good appearance.
43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you are coming to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field!
45 Then David said to the Philistine, You are coming to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I am coming to you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have reproached.
46 This day Jehovah will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 Then all this assembly shall know that Jehovah does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and He has given you into our hands.
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their strong man was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose up and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the way to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron.
53 And the sons of Israel returned from hotly pursuing the Philistines, and plundered their camps.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.
55 Now when Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.
56 So the king said, Inquire whose son this young man is.
57 So when 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, Lad, whose son are you? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

1 Samuel 18

1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to 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 Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
5 And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was pleasing in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of Saul's servants.
6 And it happened as they were coming, as David was returning from killing the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of the triad.
7 And the women responded as they played, and said: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very furious, and the saying made his eyes quiver; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?
9 So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
10 And it happened on the next day that the evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; and there was a spear in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul threw the spear, for he thought, I will strike David to the wall! But David turned away from his presence twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, but had departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from being with him, and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and Jehovah was with him.
15 Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved 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, Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the battles of Jehovah. For Saul thought, Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.
18 And David said to 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 happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
20 Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing was agreeable in his eyes.
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 a second time, You shall be my son-in-law today.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delighted in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king's son-in-law.
23 And Saul's servants spoke those words in David's ears. And David said, Is it a slight thing in your eyes to be a king's son-in-law, seeing as how I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul reported to him, saying, In this manner David has spoken.
25 And Saul said, Thus you shall say to David: The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on 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, the thing was agreeable in David's eyes, to become the king's son-in-law. And the day had not ended;
27 therefore David rose up and went out, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
28 Thus Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him;
29 and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.
30 And the commanders of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

1 Samuel 19

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted greatly in David; so Jonathan informed David, saying, My father Saul is seeking to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; and what I observe, I will inform you.
4 Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you.
5 For he took his soul in his own hands and killed the Philistine, and Jehovah brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?
6 So Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, As Jehovah lives, he shall not be killed.
7 And Jonathan called out to David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was before him as in times past.
8 And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him.
9 And the evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to strike David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped away from Saul's presence; and he struck the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.
11 Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, informed him, saying, If you do not deliver your soul tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.
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, put a quilt of goats' hair at the head, and covered it with clothes.
14 So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, to kill him.
16 And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a quilt of goats' hair at the head.
17 And Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go! Why should I kill you?
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 stayed in Naioth.
19 Now it was reported to Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah!
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing, stationed over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it was reported to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. And he asked, and said, Where are Samuel and David? And someone said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.
23 So he went there 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 also stripped off his clothes 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?

1 Samuel 20

1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan's face, What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?
2 And Jonathan said to him, Let it not be! You shall not die! Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small but that he will disclose it in my ear. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!
3 And David swore and said, Your father has perceived to know that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But surely, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
4 And Jonathan said to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will do it for you.
5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should remain to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third evening.
6 If your father notices and misses me, then answer, David has asked for himself a leave of absence that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7 If he says thus: Good, your servant will be safe. But if he burns with fury, then know that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. However, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?
9 And Jonathan said, Let it not be! For if I perceived to know that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?
10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me? Or what if your father answers you harshly?
11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. So both of them went out into the field.
12 And Jonathan said to David: Jehovah the God of Israel is witness! When I have searched out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and there is good toward David, and I have not disclosed it in your ear,
13 may Jehovah do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will disclose it in your ear and send you away, that you may go in peace. And Jehovah be with you as He was with my father.
14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of Jehovah while I still live, that I not die;
15 but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not even when Jehovah has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let Jehovah require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan again caused David to swear, 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 you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target;
21 and there I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I answer to say to him, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come; then, as Jehovah lives, there is peace for you and nothing else.
22 But if I say thus to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond you; go your way, for Jehovah has sent you away.
23 And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold Jehovah is between you and me forever.
24 So David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat food.
25 Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan rose up, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, Something has happened to him; he is not clean, surely he is not clean.
27 And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David has asked for himself a leave of absence to go to Bethlehem.
29 And he said, Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and thus my brother has commanded me. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers. Therefore he has not come to the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of perverse rebellion! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he is a son of death.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why should he be killed? What has he done?
33 And Saul threw a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
34 So Jonathan rose up from the table in burning anger, and ate no food the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David, because his father had shamed him.
35 And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy was with him.
36 And he said to the boy, Now run, find the arrows which I am shooting. As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 When the boy had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called out after the boy and said, Is not the arrow beyond you?
38 And Jonathan called out after the boy, Make haste, hurry, do not delay! So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came back to his master.
39 But the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.
41 And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose up from a place on the south side, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of Jehovah, saying, May Jehovah be between you and me, and between your seed and my seed, forever. So he rose up and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

1 Samuel 21

1 And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech trembled when he met David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no one is with you?
2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has charged me with some business, and said to me, Let no one know anything of the matter about which I am sending you, or what I have commanded you. And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.
4 And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said to him, Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and in a way the bread is common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel today.
6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence which had been taken from before Jehovah, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul's shepherds.
8 And David said to Ahimelech, Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business came about urgently.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here. And David said, There is none like it; give it to me.
10 And David rose up and fled that day from the face of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him in dances, saying: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid before Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior in their eyes, acted like a mad man in their hands, scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall into his beard.
14 Then Achish said to his servants, Behold, see how the man is mad. Why did you bring him to me?
15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to show madness in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?

1 Samuel 22

1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.
2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was of a bitter soul gathered to him. So he became commander over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
3 And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and mother come here 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 days that David was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah. So David departed and came into the forest of Hereth.
6 And when Saul heard that David and the men with him had been discovered (now Saul was staying in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him);
7 then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
8 All of you have conspired against me, and not one is disclosing in my ear that my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and not one of you is sorry for me nor is disclosing in my ear that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is 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 Jehovah for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11 So the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob. And they all came to the king.
12 And Saul said, Listen now, son of Ahitub! And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise up against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?
14 And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in all your house?
15 Have I this day begun to inquire of God for him? Let it not be! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father; for your servant has known nothing of all this, little or much.
16 And the king said, You shall be executed to death, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house!
17 And the king said to the guards who stood about him, Turn and kill the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he was fleeing and did not disclose it in my ear. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the priests of Jehovah.
18 And the king said to Doeg, You turn and fall upon the priests! And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell upon the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men bearing a linen ephod.
19 Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep; with the edge of the sword.
20 Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar reported to David that Saul had killed the priests of Jehovah.
22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would report to inform Saul. I have brought about the death of all the souls of your father's house.
23 Stay with me, do not fear; for he who seeks my soul seeks your soul; but with me you shall be safeguarded.

1 Samuel 23

1 Then they reported to David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors.
2 Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?
4 So David inquired of Jehovah once again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah. For I am delivering the Philistines into your hand.
5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a great slaughter, and led away their livestock. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he had come down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, God has alienated him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.
8 And Saul summoned all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 But David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, and said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.
10 Then David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has heard to understand that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah the God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
12 Then David said, Will the lords of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver you.
13 And David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he left off to go.
14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his soul. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a forest.
16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the forest and encouraged his hand in God.
17 And he said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. And my father Saul knows that.
18 And the two of them made a covenant before Jehovah. And David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is south of the desert?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul. Come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed are you of Jehovah, for you have had compassion on me.
22 Please go and find out for sure, know and see the place where his feet are, and who has seen him there; for it has been said that he is crafty and shrewd.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I shall go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I shall search for him 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 to the south of the desert.
25 And when Saul and his men went to seek him, they reported it to David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to catch them.
27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hasten and come, for the Philistines have raided the land!
28 Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.
29 And David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds at En Gedi.

1 Samuel 24

1 Now it happened, when Saul had returned from going after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the mountain goats.
3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.
4 And David's men said to him, This is the day of which Jehovah has said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as is pleasing in your eyes. And David arose and secretly cut off the skirt of Saul's robe.
5 And it happened afterward that David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said to his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the anointed of Jehovah, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of Jehovah.
7 So David restrained his men with these words, and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul rose up from the cave and went on his way.
8 David also rose up afterward, went out of the cave, and called out after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and prostrated himself.
9 And David said to Saul: Why do you listen to the words of men who say, Behold David is seeking to hurt you?
10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen that Jehovah has delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and some had intended to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.
11 Moreover, my father, look! Indeed, see the skirt of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and did not kill you, recognize and consider that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. And yet you are hunting my soul to take it.
12 Jehovah judge between you and me, and Jehovah avenge me of you. But my hand shall not be against you.
13 As the proverb of the ancients says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked. But my hand shall not be against you.
14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After a flea?
15 Therefore Jehovah is judge, and has judged between you and me, and shall see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.
16 And so it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 And he said to David: You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
18 And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when Jehovah had delivered me into your hand, you have not killed me.
19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away with good will? Therefore may Jehovah reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.
20 And now, behold, I know that you shall reign to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
21 Therefore swear now to me by Jehovah that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house.
22 And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1 Samuel 25

1 And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his home at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very great. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings. And he was of the house of Caleb.
4 When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,
5 David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and when you have come to Nabal, and asked after his welfare in my name,
6 you shall say to him: Long life and peace to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!
7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we have not hurt them, nor has there been anything missing from them all the days they were in Carmel.
8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a pleasant day. Please give whatever your hand finds to your servants and to your son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days breaking away each one from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?
12 So David's young men turned around on their way, returned and came and reported to him all these words.
13 And David said to his men, Every man gird on his sword. So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David had sent messengers from the wilderness to bless our master; and he yelled at them.
15 But the men were very good to us, and we have not been shamed, nor have we missed anything all the days we have traversed with them, when we were in the fields.
16 They have been a wall to us both by night and day, all the days we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is a son of worthlessness, that no one can speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already done, five measures of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 And so it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; and she met them.
21 Now David had thought to himself, Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing has been missing of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.
22 God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave to him by morning light any of those who urinate against a wall.
23 Now when Abigail saw David, she hastened to dismount from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and prostrated to the ground.
24 And she fell at his feet and said: On me, my lord, on me be this iniquity! And please let your handmaid speak in your ears, and hear the words of your handmaid.
25 Please, let not my lord set his heart on this man of worthlessness, Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, since Jehovah has held you back from coming to blood and from delivering yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek evil upon my lord be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who travel on foot with my lord.
28 Please forgive the trespass of your handmaid; for Jehovah will bring about to prepare an established house for my lord, because my lord is fighting the battles of Jehovah, and evil is not found in you all your days.
29 If a man arises to pursue you and seek your soul, the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God; and the souls of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel,
31 that this will not be a matter of conscience, nor stumbling of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has delivered himself. But when Jehovah has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to Abigail: Blessed is Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!
33 And blessed is your discernment and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to blood and from delivering myself with my own hand.
34 For indeed, as Jehovah the God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hastened and come to meet me, surely by morning light there would not have been left to Nabal any who urinate against a wall!
35 So David received from her hand what she had brought to him, and said to her, Go up to your house in peace. Behold, I have heeded your voice and respected your face.
36 And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was exceedingly drunk; therefore she did not tell him a word, little or much, until morning light.
37 And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife had informed him of these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.
38 And it came to pass, after about ten days, that Jehovah struck Nabal, and he died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal had died, he said, Blessed is Jehovah, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For Jehovah has returned the evil of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
40 And when the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, David has sent us to you to take you to him for a wife.
41 And she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, Behold, your handmaid, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hurried and rose up and rode on a donkey, with five of her maidens going on foot; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; both of them were his wives.
44 And Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 Samuel 26

1 Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, before the desert?
2 Then Saul rose up 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 encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and knew for sure that Saul had come.
5 And David rose up and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. And Saul was lying within the entrenchment, with the people encamped all around him.
6 Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and behold Saul was lying down sleeping within the entrenchment, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people were lying all around him.
8 Then Abishai said to David, God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him with the spear, into the earth one time; and I will not strike him again.
9 And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the anointed of Jehovah, and be guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As Jehovah lives, Jehovah shall strike him, or his day shall come to have died, or he shall go out to battle and will have perished.
11 Jehovah forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the anointed of Jehovah. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.
12 So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul's head, and they got away; and no man saw it or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen upon them.
13 And David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, with a great distance between them.
14 And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Do you not answer, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who are you, calling out to the king?
15 And David said to Abner, Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.
16 This thing that you have done is not good. As Jehovah lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your master, the anointed of Jehovah. And now see where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.
17 And Saul recognized David's voice, and said, Is that your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
18 And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?
19 Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If Jehovah has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the sons of men, may they be cursed before Jehovah, for they have driven me out this day from joining in the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.
20 So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of Jehovah. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.
21 Then Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my soul was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have acted foolishly and erred exceedingly.
22 And David answered and said, Here is the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it.
23 May Jehovah repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for Jehovah has delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the anointed of Jehovah.
24 And behold, as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of Jehovah, and let Him deliver me out of all distress.
25 Then Saul said to David, May you be blessed, my son David! You shall bring about to do, and shall prevail to accomplish. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

1 Samuel 27

1 And David thought in his heart, Now I shall perish one day at the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should slip away to escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. Thus I shall escape out of his hand.
2 And David arose and crossed over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widowed wife.
4 And it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.
5 And David said to Achish, If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the land, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?
6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
7 Now the number of days that David dwelt in the land of the Philistines was a year and four months.
8 And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from antiquity, as you come to Shur, as far as the land of Egypt.
9 And whenever David struck the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing, and returned and came to Achish.
10 And Achish would say, Did you not make a raid today? And David would say, Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.
11 And David would save alive neither man nor woman, to come to Gath; thinking, Lest they should report on us, saying, Thus has David done. And this was his manner all the days he dwelt in the land of the Philistines.
12 And Achish believed David, thinking, He has made himself odious to be abhorrent to his people Israel; therefore he will be my servant forever.

1 Samuel 28

1 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, You recognize to understand that you shall go out with me to battle, you and your men.
2 And David said to Achish, Surely you know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore I shall make you guard over my head all the days.
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the fortunetellers out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
6 And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.
8 And Saul 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, Please divine for me by necromancy, and bring up for me the one I shall say to you.
9 And the woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and fortunetellers from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my soul, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul swore to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah lives, no punishment shall befall you for this thing.
11 Then the woman said, Whom shall I bring up for you? And he said, Bring up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!
13 And the king said to her, Do not be afraid. What have you seen? And the woman said to Saul, I have seen a god-like one ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said to her, What is his appearance? And she said, An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed down with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, either by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, to make known to me what I should do.
16 Then Samuel said: Why then do you ask me, seeing Jehovah has departed from you and is your enemy?
17 And Jehovah has done for Himself as He has spoken by my hand. For Jehovah has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.
18 Because you have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah nor executed His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you this day.
19 Moreover Jehovah will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. Jehovah will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul quickly fell full length on the ground, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was exceedingly terrified, and said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you have spoken to me.
22 Now therefore, please, also listen the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.
23 But he refused and said, I will not eat. So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice; and arose from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it.
25 And she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up and went away that night.

1 Samuel 29

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and Israel encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
2 And the rulers of the Philistines were passing over by the hundreds and thousands. And David and his men were passing over at the rear with Achish.
3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.
4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him; so the commanders of the Philistines said to him, Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he make himself pleasing to his master, if not with the heads of these men?
5 Is this not David, of whom they sang in dances, saying: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
6 Then Achish summoned David and said to him, Surely, as Jehovah lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my eyes. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless you are not pleasing in the eyes of the rulers.
7 Therefore now, return and go in peace, that you may not do evil in the eyes of the rulers of the Philistines.
8 And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant as I have been before you to this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are as good in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
10 Now therefore, rise up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.
11 So David and his men arose early in the morning to depart, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

1 Samuel 30

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had raided the south and Ziklag, struck Ziklag and burned it with fire,
2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.
3 So David and his men came into the city, and behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.
4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to weep.
5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widowed wife of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.
6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people had become bitter, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Pursue, for you shall reach to overtake them, and rescue to recover all.
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who had become too exhausted to cross over the Brook Besor.
11 And they found a man from Egypt in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water.
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his spirit revived; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 And David said to him, To whom do you belong, and where are you from? And he said, I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick.
14 We had raided the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory of Judah, and the southern area of Caleb; and we had burned Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said to him, Can you bring me down to this troop? So he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.
16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread out over the face of the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoils which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
17 And David struck them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives.
19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoils or anything which they had taken from them; David brought back all.
20 And David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, This is David's spoils.
21 And David came to the two hundred men who had become too exhausted to go after David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people with him. And when David came near the people, he asked after their welfare.
22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoils that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.
23 But David said, My brethren, you shall not do so with what Jehovah has given to us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us into our hand.
24 For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share together.
25 So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoils to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Here is a present for you from the spoils of the enemies of Jehovah;
27 to those in Bethel, to those in Ramoth of the South, to those in Jattir,
28 to those in Aroer, to those in Siphmoth, to those in Eshtemoa,
29 to those in Rachal, to those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those in the cities of the Kenites,
30 to those in Hormah, to those in Chorashan, to those in Athach,
31 to those in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men had traversed.

1 Samuel 31

1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
3 The battle was heavy against Saul; and the shooting of the archers found him, and he was writhing with exceeding pain from the shooting of the archers.
4 And Saul said to his armorbearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it.
5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul had died, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that day.
7 And when the men of Israel on the other side of the valley, and those on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the house of their idols and among the people.
10 And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the valiant men rose up and traveled all night, and took the corpse of Saul and the corpses of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.
13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

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