first samuel.htm

THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL

The Family of Elkanah
1 There was a man of Ramathaim Zophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, a son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, in Nasib Ephraim.
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no child.
3 And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Ramathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli were there, Hophni and Phineas, the priests of the Lord.
4 And the day came, and Elkanah sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Peninnah and her children.
5 And to Hannah he gave a prime portion, because she had no child. And Elkanah loved Hannah more than the other; and the Lord had closed her womb.
6 For the Lord gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that the Lord had shut up her womb so as not to give her a child.
7 So she went up to the house of the Lord year by year; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow
8 And Elkanah her husband called to her, “Hannah.” And she said to him, “Here am I, my lord.” And he said to her, “Why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why does your heart grieve you? Am I not better to you than ten children?”
9 And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and stood before the Lord. And Eli the priest was on a seat by the threshold of the temple of the Lord.
10 And she was very much grieved in her spirit, and prayed to the Lord, and wept abundantly.
11 And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God of Sabaoth, if You will indeed look upon the humiliation of Your maidservant and remember me, and give to Your maidservant a male child, then will I indeed dedicate him to You till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
12 And it came to pass, while she was praying a long time before the Lord, that Eli the priest watched her mouth.
13 And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And Eli reckoned her to be drunk.
14 And the servant of Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you, and go out from the presence of the Lord!”
15 And Hannah answered and said, “No my lord, I live in a hard day, and I have not drunk wine or strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord.
16 Do not count your maidservant for a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint I have continued my prayer until now.”
17 And Eli answered and said to her, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you all your petition, which you have asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Your maidservant has found favor in your eyes.” And the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no longer sad.

The Birth of Samuel
19 And they rose early in the morning, and worshipped the Lord, and they went their way. And Elkanah went into his house at Ramathaim, and had relations with his wife Hannah; and the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.
20 And it came to pass when the time had come, that she brought forth a son, and called his name Samuel, and said, “Because I asked him of the Lord God of Sabaoth.”
21 And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer in Shiloh the yearly sacrifice, and his vows, and all the tithes of his land.
22 But Hannah did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.”
23 And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do that which is good in your eyes, abide still until you have weaned him; and may the Lord establish that which comes out of your mouth.” And the woman waited, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.
24 And she went up with him to Shiloh with a calf of three years old, and loaves, and an ephah of fine flour, and a skin of wine. And she entered into the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child with them.
25 And they brought him before the Lord; and his father slaughtered his offering which he offered from year to year to the Lord; and he brought the child near, and slaughtered the calf; and Hannah the mother of the child brought him to Eli.
26 And she said, “I pray, my lord, as your soul lives, I am the woman that stood in your presence with you while praying to the Lord.
27 For I have prayed for this child; and the Lord has given me my request that I asked of Him.
28 And I lend him to the Lord all his days that he lives, a loan to the Lord.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 2

Hannah’s Prayer
1 And she said, “My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in Your salvation. 2 For there is none holy like the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides You.
3 Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and God prepares His own designs.
4 The bow of the mighty has grown feeble, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
5 They that were full of bread have been brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has grown feeble.
6 The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave, and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor, and makes rich; He brings low, and lifts up.
8 He lifts up the poor from the earth, and raises the needy from the dunghill; to seat him with the princes of the people, and causing them to inherit the throne of glory;
9 granting his petition to him that prays; and He blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength cannot man prevail.
10 The Lord will weaken His adversary; the Lord is holy. Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; but let him that boasts boast in this: to understand and know the Lord, and to execute judgment and justice in the midst of the earth. The Lord has gone up to the heavens, and has thundered: He will judge the extremities of the earth, and He gives strength to our kings, and will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 And she left him there before the Lord and departed to Ramathaim. And the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Eli the priest.

Eli’s Evil Sons
12 And the sons of Eli the priest were evil sons, not knowing the Lord.
13 And the priest’s claim from everyone of the people that sacrificed was this: the servant of the priest came while the meat was boiling, and a flesh-hook of three teeth was in his hand.
14 And he struck it into the great caldron, or into the bronze vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the priest took for himself. So they did to all Israel that came to sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh.
15 And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savor, the servant of the priest would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, “Give some meat to roast for the priest, and I will by no means take from you boiled meat out of the caldron.”
16 And if the man that sacrificed said, “First let the fat be burned, as it is fit, and take for yourself of all things which your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not I will take it by force.”
17 So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for they despised the offering of the Lord.

The Child Samuel at Shiloh
18 And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child wearing a linen ephod.
19 And his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, saying, “The Lord recompense to you descendants from this woman, in return for the loan which you have lent to the Lord.” And the man returned to his place.
21 And the Lord visited Hannah, and she bore yet three sons, and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

Prophecy Against Eli’s Household
22 And Eli was very old, and he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel.
23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord?
24 No my sons! For the report which I hear is not good. Do not do so, for the reports which I hear are not good, so that the people do not serve God.
25 If a man should at all sin against another, then shall they pray for him to the Lord; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to destroy them.
26 And the child Samuel grew, and was in favor with God and with men.
27 And a man of God came to Eli, and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I plainly revealed Myself to the house of your father, when they were servants in Egypt to the house of Pharaoh.
28 And I chose the house of your father out of all the tribes of Israel to minister to Me in the priest’s office, to go up to My altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel for food.
29 Therefore why have you looked upon My incense offering and My grain offering with a shameless eye, and have honored your sons above Me, so that they should bless themselves with the firstfruits of every sacrifice of Israel before Me?
30 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: I said, Your house and the house of your father shall pass before Me forever: but now the Lord says, ‘Far be it from Me; for I will only honor them that honor Me, and he that despises Me shall be despised.
31 Behold, the days are coming when I will destroy your descendants, and the descendants of your father’s house.
32 And you shall not have an old man in My house forever.
33 And if I do not destroy a man of yours from My altar, it shall be that his eyes may fail and his soul may perish; and everyone that remains in your house shall fall by the sword of men.
34 And this which shall come upon your two sons Hophni and Phineas shall be a sign to you: in one day they shall both die.
35 And I will raise up to Myself a faithful priest, who shall do all that is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
36 And it shall come to pass that he that survives in your house will come and bow down before him for a little piece of silver, saying, “Put me into one of your priest’s offices to eat bread.”’”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 3

Samuel’s Calling
1 And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, for there was no distinct vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time that Eli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.
3 And the lamp of God was burning before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where the ark of God was.
4 And the Lord called, “Samuel, Samuel.” And he said, “Behold, here I am.”
5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you; return, go to sleep.” And he returned and went to sleep.
6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel, Samuel.” And he went to Eli the second time, and said, “Behold here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you; return, go to sleep.”
7 And this was before Samuel knew the Lord, and before the word of the Lord was revealed to him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time; and he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Behold, I am here, for you called me.” And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 And he said, “Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if He shall call you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before. And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I execute My words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.
12 In that day I will raise up against Eli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.
13 And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish them.
14 And it shall not go on so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices forever.”
15 And Samuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell Eli the vision.
16 And Eli said to Samuel, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Behold, here I am.”
17 And he said, “What was the word that was spoken to you? I pray you do not hide it from me: may God do these things to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.”
18 And Samuel reported all the words, and did not hide them from him. And Eli said, “He is the Lord, He shall do that which is good in His sight.”
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.
20 And all Israel knew, from Dan even to Beersheba, that Samuel was faithful as a prophet to the Lord.
21 And the Lord manifested Himself again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel. And Samuel was believed by all Israel, from one end of the land to the other, to be a prophet of the Lord. And Eli was very old, and his sons kept advancing in wickedness, and their way was evil before the Lord.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 4

The Ark of God Captured
1 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines prepared to fight with Israel, and the battle was turned against them. And the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and four thousand men were killed in the battlefield.
3 And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord caused us to fall this day before the Philistines? Let us take the ark of our God out of Shiloh, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4 And the people sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the Lord who dwells between the cherubim. And both the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were with the ark.
5 And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded.
6 And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, “What is this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines feared, and said, “These are the gods that have come with them into the camp.
8 Woe to us, O lord, deliver us today, for such a thing has not happened before. Woe to us; who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness.
9 Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be men, and fight with them!”
10 And they fought with them; and the men of Israel fell, and they fled, every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand fighting men.
11 And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, died.

The Death of Eli
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Shiloh on that day. And his clothes were torn, and dust was upon his head.
13 And he came, and behold, Eli was upon the seat by the gate, watching the road, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God. And the man entered into the city to bring news, and the city cried out.
14 And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and said, “What is the voice of this cry?” And the men hastened and went in, and reported to Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see.
16 And Eli said to them that stood round about him, “What is the voice of this sound?” And the man hastened and advanced to Eli, and said to him, “I am he that has come out of the camp, and I have fled from the battle today.” And Eli said, “What has happened, my son?”
17 And the young man answered and said, “The men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both your sons are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”
18 And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Ichabod
19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant, and she was about to give birth. And she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead. And she wept and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.
20 And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have born a son.” But she did not answer, and she did not understand in her heart.
21 And she called the child Ichabod, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband.
22 And they said, “The glory of Israel has departed, for the ark of the Lord has been taken.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 5

The Philistines and the Ark
1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 And the Philistines took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 And the people of Ashdod rose early, and entered into the house of Dagon. And they looked, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord. So they lifted up Dagon, and set him in his place. And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Ashdodians, and He plagued them, and He struck them in their secret parts, both in Ashdod and her coasts.
4 And it came to pass when they rose early in the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off each before the threshold, and both the wrists of his hands had fallen on the floor of the porch; only the stump of Dagon was left.
5 Therefore the priests of Dagon, and everyone that enters into the house of Dagon, do not tread upon the threshold of the house of Dagon in Ashdod to this day, but rather they step over it.
6 And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon Ashdod, and He brought evil upon them, and it burst out upon them into the ships, and rats sprang up in the midst of their country, and there was a great tumult of death in the city.
7 And the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, and they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for His hand is heavy upon us, and upon Dagon our god.”
8 Therefore they sent and gathered the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Let the ark of God come over to us.” And the ark of the God of Israel came to Gath.
9 And it came to pass after it went about to Gath, that the hand of the Lord came upon the city, and there was very great confusion. And He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and struck them in their buttocks. And the Gittites made for themselves images of tumors.
10 And they sent away the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass when the ark of God went into Ekron, that the men of Ekron cried out, saying, “Why have you brought back the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people?”
11 So they sent and gathered the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it lodge in its place; and let it not slay us and our people.”
12 (For there was a very great confusion in all the city, when the ark of the God of Israel entered there; and those who lived and died not were struck with tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven).

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 6

The Ark Returned to Israel
1 And the ark was in the country of the Philistines for seven months, and their land brought forth swarms of rats.
2 And the Philistines called their priests, and their prophets, and their enchanters, and said, “What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Teach us how we shall send it away to its proper place.”
3 And they said, “If you send away the ark of the covenant of the Lord God of Israel, do not on any account send it away empty, but by all means render to it an offering for the plague; and then shall you be healed, and an atonement shall be made for you. Should not His hand be thus stayed from off you?”
4 And they said, “What is the offering for the plague which we shall return to it?” And they said,
5 “According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden tumors, for the plague was on you, and on your rulers, and on the people; and golden rats, the likeness of the rats that destroyed your land. And you shall give glory to the Lord, that He may lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6 And why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? Was it not so when He mocked them, that they let the people go, and they departed?
7 And now take wood and make a new wagon, and take two cows, that have calved for the first time, without their calves; and yoke the cows to the wagon, and lead the calves away from them, and take them home.
8 And you shall take the ark and put it on the wagon. And you shall restore to it the golden articles for the trespass offering in a coffer by the side of it; and you shall let it go, and sent it away, and you shall depart.
9 And you shall see, if it shall go the way of its coasts along by Beth Shemesh, He has brought upon us this great affliction; and if not, then shall we know that His hand has not touched us, and this has happened to us by chance.”
10 And the Philistines did so. And they took two cows that had calved for the first time, and yoked them to the wagon, and shut up their calves at home.
11 And they set the ark of the Lord, and the coffer, and the golden rats on the wagon.
12 And the cows went straight to Beth Shemesh; they went along one track and labored, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after it as far as the coasts of Beth Shemesh.
13 And the men of Beth Shemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark of the Lord, and rejoiced to meet it.
14 And the wagon entered into the field of Joshua, which was in Beth Shemesh, and they set there by it a great stone; and they split the wood of the wagon, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the Lord.
15 And the Levites brought up the ark of the Lord, and the coffer with it, and the golden articles upon it, and placed them on the great stone, and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and grain offerings on that day to the Lord.
16 And the five lords of the Philistines saw, and returned to Ekron in that day.
17 And these are the golden tumors which the lords of the Philistines gave as a trespass offering to the Lord: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, and for Ekron one.
18 And the golden rats according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, from the fenced city to the village of the Perizzite, and to the great stone, on which they placed the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that was in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
19 And the sons of Jeconiah were not pleased with the men of Beth Shemesh, because they looked into the ark of the Lord; and the Lord struck fifty thousand and seventy men among them. And the people mourned, because the Lord had inflicted on the people a very great plague.

The Ark at Kirjath Jearim
20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who shall be able to pass before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall the ark of the Lord go up from us?”
21 And they send messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; go down and take it home to yourselves.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 7

1 And the men of Kirjath Jearim came, and brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And they brought it into the house of Aminadab on the hill; and they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel
2 And it came to pass from the time that the ark was in Kirjath Jearim, the days were multiplied, and the time was twenty years; and all the house of Israel looked after the Lord.
3 And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your heart, then take away the strange gods from your midst, and the groves, and prepare your hearts to serve the Lord, and serve Him only; and He shall deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 And the children of Israel took away Baalim and the groves of Astaroth, and served the Lord only.
5 And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to the Lord.”
6 And they were gathered together to Mizpah, and they drew water, and poured it out upon the earth before the Lord. And they fasted on that day, and said, “We have sinned before the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 And the Philistines heard that all the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah. And the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel, and the children of Israel heard, and they feared before the Philistines.
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry to the Lord your God for us, and He shall save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”
9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it up as a burnt offering with all the people to the Lord. And Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.
10 And Samuel was offering the burnt offering; and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; and the Lord thundered with a mighty sound in that day upon the Philistines, and they were confounded and overthrown before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went forth out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them as far as Beth Car.
12 And Samuel took a stone, and set it up between Mizpah and the old city; and he called the name of it Ebenezer, signifying, Stone of the Helper; and he said, Thus far has the Lord helped us.”
13 So the Lord humbled the Philistines, and they no longer came into the border of Israel; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines took from the children of Israel were restored; and they restored them to Israel from Ekron to Gath. And they took the coast of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines; and there was peace between Israel and the Amorite.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year by year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all these consecrated places.
17 And he always returned to Ramah, because his house was there; and he judged Israel from there, and he built an altar to the Lord at Ramah.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 8

Israel Demands a King
1 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 And these are the names of his sons: Joel the firstborn, and the name of the second Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons did not walk in his ways, and they turned aside after gain, and took gifts, and perverted judgments.
4 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel at Ramah,
5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. And now set over us a king to judge us, like the other nations have.”
6 And the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us”; and Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Hear the voice of the people, in whatever they shall say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.
8 According to all their doings which they have done to Me, from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day, even as they have deserted Me, and served other gods, so they also do to you.
9 And now heed their voice; only you shall solemnly testify to them, and you shall describe to them the manner of the king who shall reign over them.”
10 And Samuel spoke every word of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king.
11 And he said, “This shall be the manner of the king that shall rule over you: he shall take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and among his horsemen, and running before his chariots,
12 and his manner shall be to make them to himself captains of hundreds and captains of thousands; and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and prepare his instruments of war, and the implements of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, your vineyards, and your good olive groves, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tithe of your seeds and your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your servants, and your handmaids, and your good herds and your donkeys, and he will take a tenth of them for his works.
17 And he will take a tenth of your flocks; and you shall be his servants.
18 And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord shall not hear you in those days, because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”
19 Nevertheless the people would not listen to Samuel; and they said to him, “No, but there shall be a king over us.
20 And we also will be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and shall 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 the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and appoint them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let each man depart to his city.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 9

Saul Chosen to be King
1 And there was a man of the sons of Benjamin, and his name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Jared, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a man of might.
2 And this man had a son, and his name was Saul, of great stature, a handsome man. And there was not a more handsome man among the sons of Israel than he, high above all the people, from his shoulders and upward.
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, “Take with you one of the young men, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”
4 And they went through Mount Ephraim, and they went through the land of Shalisha, and did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then they passed through the land of the Benjamites, and did not find them.
5 And when they came to Zuph, Saul said to his young man that was with him, “Come and let us return, lest my father leave the donkeys, and become worried about us.”
6 And the young man said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is of high repute; all that he shall speak will surely come to pass. Now then let us go, that he may tell us our way on which we have set out.”
7 And Saul said to his young man that was with him, “But look, if we should go, what shall we bring the man of God? For we have ran out of bread, and we have nothing else to bring to the man of God.”
8 And the young man answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have here in my hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver, and you shall give it to the man of God, and he shall tell us our way.”
9 Now formerly in Israel, everyone who went to inquire of God said, “Come and let us go to the seer”; for the people formerly called the prophet, the seer.
10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?”
12 And the virgins answered them and said, “He is here: behold, he is before you. Now he is coming to the city, because of the day, for today there is a sacrifice for the people on the high place.
13 As soon as you shall enter into the city, so shall you find him in the city, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes in, for he blesses the sacrifice, and afterwards the guests eat. Now then go up, for you shall find him because of the holiday.”
14 And they went up to the city. And as they were entering into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel came out to meet them, to go up to the high place.
15 And the Lord uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before Saul came to him, saying,
16 “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over My people Israel, and he shall save My people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon the humiliation of My people, for their cry has come unto Me.”
17 And Samuel looked upon Saul, and the Lord said to him, “Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you; this one shall rule over My people.”
18 And Saul drew near to Samuel into the midst of the city, and said, “Tell me, now which is the house of the seer?”
19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am he: go up before me to the high place, and eat with me today, and I will send you away in the morning, and I will tell you all that is in your heart.
20 And concerning your donkeys that have been lost now these three days, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And to whom does the excellency of Israel belong? Does it not belong to you, and to your father’s house?”
21 And Saul answered and said, “Am I not the son of a Benjamite, the least tribe of the people of Israel? And of the least family of the whole tribe of Benjamin? And why have you spoken to me according to this word?”
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them to the inn, and set for them there a place among the chief of those that were called, about seventy men.
23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion which I gave to you, which I told you to set aside.”
24 Now the cook had boiled the shoulder, and he set it before Saul. And Samuel said to Saul, “Behold that which is left, set before you, and eat; for it is set there for a testimony in preference to the others; take of it.” So Saul ate with Samuel on that day.
25 And he went down from the high place into the city, and they prepared a lodging for Saul on the roof, and he lay down.
26 And it came to pass when the morning dawned, that Samuel called Saul on the roof, saying, “Rise up, and I will dismiss you.” And Saul arose, and he and Samuel went out.

Samuel Anoints Saul
27 As they went down to a part of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Speak to the young man, and let him pass on before us. But you stand here now, and listen to the word of God.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 10

1 And Samuel took a flask of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said to him, “Has not the Lord anointed you for a ruler over His people, over Israel? And you shall rule among the people of the Lord, and you shall save them out of the hand of their enemies; and this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be ruler over His inheritance:
2 As soon as you have departed from me this day, you shall find two men by the burial place of Rachel on the mount of Benjamin, rejoicing greatly. And they shall say to you, “The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has given up the matter of the donkeys, and he is anxious for you, saying, ‘What shall I do for my son?’
3 And you shall depart from there, and shall go beyond that as far as the Oak of Tabor, and you shall find there three men going up to God, to Bethel, one bearing three young goats, and another bearing three vessels of bread, and another bearing a skin of wine.
4 And they shall ask you how you are doing, and shall give you two loaves of bread, and you shall receive them from their hand.
5 And afterward you shall go to the hill of God, where the encampment of the Philistines is. Nasib the Philistine is there. And it shall come to pass when you have entered into the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place; and before them will be lutes, a drum, a pipe, and a harp, and they shall prophesy.
6 And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and you shall turn into another man.
7 And it shall come to pass when these signs come upon you—then do whatsoever your hand shall find, because God is with you.
8 And you shall go down in front of Gilgal, and behold, I will come down to you to offer a burnt offering, and peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you, and I will make known to you what you shall do.”
9 And it came to pass when he turned his back to depart from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass in that day.
10 And he came there to the hill, and behold, a band of prophets was opposite him. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.
11 And all that had known him before came, and saw, and behold, he was in the midst of the prophets. And the people said, everyone to his neighbor, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 And one of them answered and said, “And who is his father?” And therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13 And he ceased prophesying, and came to the hill.
14 And his uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And they said, “To look for the donkeys; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in to Samuel.”
15 And his uncle said to Saul, “Tell me, I pray, what did Samuel say to you?”
16 And Saul said to his uncle, “He told me plainly that the donkeys were found.” But regarding the kingdom, he did not tell.

Saul Proclaimed King
17 And Samuel summoned all the people before the Lord to Mizpah.
18 And he said to the children of Israel, “Thus has the Lord God of Israel spoken, saying, ‘I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you out of the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and out of all the kingdoms that afflicted you.
19 And you have this day rejected God, who is Himself your deliverer out of all your evils and afflictions. And you said, “No, but you shall set a king over us.” And now stand before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your families.’”
20 And Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.
21 And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin by families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. And they brought near the family of Matri, man by man, and Saul the son of Kish was chosen. And he sought him, but he was not found.
22 And Samuel asked yet again of the Lord, “Will the man come here?” And the Lord said, “Behold, he is hid among the equipment.”
23 And he ran and took him from there, and he set him in the midst of the people. And he was taller than all the people from his shoulders and upwards.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Have you seen whom the Lord has chosen to Himself, that there is no one like him among you all?” And all the people took notice, and said, “Long live the king!”
25 And Samuel told the people the manner of the king, and wrote it in a book, and set it before the Lord. And Samuel sent away all the people, and each went to his place.
26 And Saul departed to his house in Gibeah. And there went with Saul mighty men whose hearts God had touched.
27 But evil men said, “Who is this man that shall save us?” And they despised him, and brought him no gifts.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 11

Saul Defeats the Ammonites
1 And it came to pass about a month after this, that Nahash the Ammonite went up, and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
2 And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On these terms will I make a covenant with you, that I will put out all of your right eyes, and I will lay a reproach upon Israel.”
3 And the men of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, and we will send messengers into all the coasts of Israel. If there should be no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.”
4 And the messengers came to Saul at Gibeah, and they spoke the words into the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 And behold, Saul came out of the field after the early morning. And Saul said, “Why do the people weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
6 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled against them.
7 And he took two cows, and cut them in pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whosoever does not come forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall they do to his oxen.” And a transport from the Lord came upon the people of Israel, and they came out to battle as one man.
8 And he reviewed them at Bezek in Bama, every man of Israel six hundred thousand, and the men of Judah seventy thousand.
9 And he said to the messengers that came, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh: ‘Tomorrow you shall have deliverance when the sun is hot.’” And the messengers came to the city, and told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.
10 And the men of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will come forth to you, and you shall do to us what seems good in your sight.”
11 So it was, on the next day, that Saul divided the people into three companies, and they went into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and they killed the children of Ammon until the heat of the day. And it came to pass that those who were left were scattered, and there was not left two together among them.
12 And the people said to Samuel, “Who has said that Saul shall not reign over us? Give up the men, and we will put them to death.”
13 And Saul said, “No man shall die this day, for today the Lord has brought about deliverance in Israel.”
14 And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, “Let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.”
15 And all the people went to Gilgal, and Samuel anointed Saul there to be king before the Lord in Gilgal, and there he offered grain offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And Samuel and all Israel rejoiced exceedingly.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 12

Samuel’s Farewell Address
1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all things that you have said to me, and I have set a king over you.
2 And now behold, the king goes before you; and I have grown old and shall rest. And look, my sons are among you; I have gone about before you from my youth to this day.
3 Behold, here I am, answer against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose calf have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or who among you have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, even as much as a sandal? Bear witness against me, and I will make restitution to you.”
4 And they said to Samuel, “You have not injured us, and you have not oppressed us; and you have not afflicted us, and you have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
5 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness among you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, He is witness.
6 And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, “The Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron is witness, who brought our fathers up out of Egypt.
7 And now stand still, and I will judge you before the Lord; and I will relate to you all the righteousness of the Lord, the things which He has done among you and your fathers.
8 When Jacob and his sons went into Egypt, and Egypt humbled them, then our fathers cried to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron. And they brought our fathers out of Egypt, and He made them to dwell in this place.
9 And they forgot the Lord their God, and He sold them into the hands of Sisera, commander of the army of Jabis, king of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab. And He fought with them.
10 And they cried to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths; and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’
11 And He sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and you dwelt in security.
12 And you saw that Nahash king of the children of Ammon came against you, and you said, ‘No, none but a king shall reign over us’; when the Lord our God is our king.
13 And now, behold the king whom you have chosen; and behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
14 If you should fear the Lord, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not resist the mouth of the Lord, and you and your king that reigns over you should follow the Lord, then well.
15 But if you should not listen to the voice of the Lord, and you should resist the mouth of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be upon you and upon your king.
16 “And now stand still, and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, and He shall send thunder and rain. And know and see, that your wickedness is great which you have done before the Lord, having asked for yourselves a king.”
18 And Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain in that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, and let us not die; for we have added to all our sins this iniquity, in asking a king for ourselves.”
20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear: you have indeed done all this wickedness; only do not turn from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all your heart.
21 And do not turn aside after the gods that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver you, because they are nothing.
22 For the Lord will not cast off His people for His great name’s sake, because the Lord graciously took you to Himself for a people.
23 And far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will serve the Lord, and show you the good and right way.
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth and with all of your heart, for you see what great things He has done for you.
25 But if you continue to do evil, then shall you and your king be consumed.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 13

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
1 (This verse omitted in LXX)
2 Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of the men of Israel. And there were with Saul two thousand who were in Michmash, and in Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And he sent the rest of the people away, every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan attacked Nasib the Philistine that dwelt in the hill; and the Philistines heard of it, and Saul sounded the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “The servants have despised us.”
4 And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has attacked Nasib the Philistine.” Now Israel had been put to shame before the Philistines, and the children of Israel went up after Saul in Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered together to war with Israel; and they came up against Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they came up, and encamped in Michmash, opposite Beth Aven towards the south.
6 And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait so that they could not draw near, and the people hid themselves in caves, sheepfolds, rocks, ditches, and pits.
7 And those that went over crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed after him in amazement. 8 And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Samuel told him. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and his people were dispersed from him. 9 And Saul said, “Bring some victims here, that I may offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass when he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him, and to bless him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw how the people were scattered from me, and that you were not present as you had purposed according to the set time of the days, and the Philistines were gathered at Michmash.
12 Then I said, ‘Now will the Philistines come down to me to Gilgal, and I have not sought the face of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly, for you have not kept my command, which the Lord commanded you, as now the Lord would have confirmed your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But now your kingdom shall not stand, and the Lord shall seek for Himself a man after His own heart; and the Lord shall appoint him to be a ruler over His people, because you have not kept all that the Lord has commanded you.”
15 And Samuel arose and departed from Gilgal, and the remnant of the people went after Saul to meet him after the men of war, when they had come out of Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men.

Preparations for Battle
16 And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, halted in Gibeah of Benjamin, and they wept. And the Philistines had encamped in Michmash.
17 And men came forth in three companies to destroy out of the land of the Philistines; one company turning by the way of Ophrah toward the land of Shual,
18 and another company turning the way of Beth Horon, and another company turning to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 And there was not found a blacksmith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.”
20 And all Israel went down to the land of the Philistines to forge everyone his reaping hook and his tool, and everyone his ax and his sickle.
21 And it was near the time of vintage. And their tools were valued at three shekels for a plow share, and there was the same rate for the ax and the sickle.
22 And it came to pass in the days of the war of Michmash, that there was not a sword or spear found in the hand of all the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23 And there went out some from the camp of the Philistines to the place beyond Micmash.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 14

Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines
1 And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side”; but he didn’t tell his father.
2 And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and there were with him about six hundred men.
3 And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, God’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.
4 And at the place in which Jonathan sought to pass over to the the Philistines’ camp, there was a sharp rock on both sides of the passage. The name of the one rock was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh.
5 The one way was northward to one coming to Michmash, and the other way was southward to one coming to Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord may do something for us, for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
7 And his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart: behold, I am with you, my heart is as your heart.”
8 And Jonathan said, “Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them.
9 If they should say thus to us, ‘Wait until we send you word’; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them.
10 But if they should say thus to us, ‘Come up to us’; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands. This shall be a sign to us.”
11 And they both went in to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their caves, where they had hidden themselves.”
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” And Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hands of Israel.”
13 And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armorbearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he struck them, and his armorbearer then killed them after him.
14 And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.
15 And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in the garrison, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terrorstruck, and there was dismay from the Lord.
16 And the watchmen of Saul beheld in Gibeah of Benjamin, and behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.
17 And Saul said to the people with him, “Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you.” And they numbered themselves, and behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not found.
18 And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod”; for he wore the ephod in that day before Israel.
19 And it came to pass while Saul was speaking to the priest, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hands.”
20 And Saul went up and all the people that were with him, and they came to the battle. And behold, every man’s sword was against his neighbor, a very great confusion.
21 And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 And all the Israelites who were hidden in Mount Ephraim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gathered themselves after them to battle. And the Lord saved Israel in that day. And the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men.
23 And the battle extended itself to every city in the mount of Ephraim.

Saul’s Rash Oath
24 And Saul committed a great trespass of ignorance in that day, and he placed a curse on the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who shall eat bread before evening; so I will avenge myself on my enemy.” And none of the people tasted bread, though all the land was dining.
25 Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground.
26 And the people went into the place of the bees, and behold, they continued speaking; but there was none that put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath that Saul had made unto the Lord.
27 And Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and returned his hand to his mouth, and his countenance was brightened.
28 And one of the people answered and said, “Your father solemnly adjured the people, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who shall eat bread today.’” And the people were very faint,
29 and Jonathan knew it, and said, “My father has destroyed the land: see how my countenance has brightened now that I have tasted a little of this honey.
30 Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter among the Philistines would have been greater.”
31 And on that day he struck some of the Philistines in Michmash; and the people were very weary.
32 And the people turned to the spoil; and the people took flocks, and herds, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood.
33 And it was reported to Saul, saying, “The people have sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood.” And Saul said, “Roll a large stone to me here.”
34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring here everyone his calf, and everyone his sheep; and let them kill it on this stone and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood.” And the people brought each one that which was in his hand, and they killed them there.
35 And Saul built an altar there to the Lord (this was the first altar that Saul built to the Lord).
36 And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines this night, and let us plunder among them till daybreak, and let us not leave a man among them.” And they said, “Do all that is good in your sight.” And the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”
37 And Saul inquired of God, “If I go down after the Philistines, will You deliver them into the hands of Israel?” And He did not answer him in that day.
38 And Saul said, “Bring here all the chiefs of Israel, and know and see by whom this sin has been committed this day.
39 For as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, if the answer should be against my son Jonathan, he shall surely die.” And there was no one that answered out of all the people.
40 And he said to all the men of Israel, “You shall be under subjection, and I and Jonathan my son will be under subjection.” And the people said to Saul, “Do that which is good in your sight.”
41 And Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have You not answered Your servant this day? Is the iniquity in me, or in Jonathan my son? Lord God of Israel, give clear manifestations, and if the lot should declare this, give holiness, I pray, to Your people of Israel.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan: whomever the Lord shall cause to be taken by lot, let him die.” And the people said to Saul, “This thing is not to be done.” And Saul prevailed against the people, and they cast lots between him and Jonathan his son, and Jonathan was taken by lot.
43 And Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand; and behold, I am to die!”
44 And Saul said to him, “God do so to me, and more also, you shall surely die today.”
45 And the people said to Saul, “Shall he that has accomplished this great salvation in Israel be put to death this day? As the Lord lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head; for the people of God have done good this day.” And the people prayed for Jonathan in that day, and he did not die.
46 And Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines departed to their place.

Saul’s Continuing Wars
47 So Saul received the kingdom. By lot he inherited the office of ruling over Israel. And he fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, against the children of Ammon, against the children of Edom, against Beth Hor, against the king of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he was victorious.
48 And he did valiantly, and struck Amalek, and rescued Israel out of the hand of them that trampled on him.
49 And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And these were the names of his two daughters: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the second Michal.
50 And the name of his wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of his captain of the army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
51 And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Jamin, son of Abiel.
52 And the war was fierce against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 15

Saul Spares Agag, King of Amalek
1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over Israel. And now hear the voice of the Lord.
2 Thus said the Lord of hosts, ‘Now will I take vengeance for what Amalek did to Israel, when he met him in the way as he came up out of Egypt.
3 And now go, and you shall strike Amalek and Hierim and all that belongs to him, and you shall not save anything of his alive, but you shall utterly destroy him. And you shall devote him and all his possessions to destruction, and you shall spare nothing belonging to him; and you shall slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, calf and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 And Saul summoned the people, and he numbered them in Gilgal, four hundred thousand troops, and Judah thirty thousand troops.
5 And Saul came to the cities of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said to the Kenite, “Go, and depart out of the midst of the Amalekites, lest I put you with them; for you dealt mercifully with the children of Israel when they went up out of Egypt.” So the Kenite departed from the midst of Amalek.
7 And Saul struck Amalek from Havilah to Shur, fronting Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and he killed all the people and Hierim with the edge of the sword.
9 And Saul and all the people saved Agag alive, and the best of the flocks, and of the herds, and of the fruits, of the vineyards, and of all the good things; and they would not destroy them. But every worthless and despised thing they destroyed.

Saul Rejected as King
10 And the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,
11 “I greatly regret that I have made Saul to be king; for he has turned back from following Me, and has not kept My word.” And Samuel was grieved, and cried to the Lord all night.
12 And Samuel rose early and went to meet Israel in the morning. And it was told Saul, saying, “Samuel has come to Carmel, and he has raised up help for himself.” And he turned his chariot, and came down to Gilgal to Saul. And behold, he was offering up a burnt offering to the Lord, the best of the spoils which he brought out of Amalek.
13 And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord; I have performed all that the Lord has said.”
14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear?”
15 And Saul said, “I have brought them out of Amalek, that which the people preserved, even the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, that it might be sacrificed to the Lord your God, and the rest I have utterly destroyed.”
16 And Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what the Lord has said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.”
17 And Samuel said to Saul, “Are you not little in His eyes, though a leader of one of the tribes of Israel? And yet the Lord anointed you to be king over Israel.
18 And the Lord sent you on a journey, and said to you, ‘Go, and utterly destroy: you shall slay the sinners against Me, even the Amalekites; and you shall war against them until you have consumed them.’
19 And why did you not listen to the voice of the Lord, but instead swoop down upon the spoils, and do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20 And Saul said to Samuel, “Because I listened to the voice of the people. Yet I went the way by which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I destroyed Amalek.
21 But the people took of the spoils, the best flocks and herds out of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our God in Gilgal.”
22 And Samuel said, “Does the Lord take as great a pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as He does in obeying the words of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a good sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For sin is as divination; idols bring on pain and grief. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord also shall reject you from being king over Israel.”
24 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, in that I have transgressed the word of the Lord and the words you have spoken; for I feared the people, and I listened to their voice.
25 And now remove my sin, I pray, and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord your God.”
26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not turn back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord will reject you from being king over Israel.”
27 And Samuel turned his face to depart, and Saul caught hold of the edge of his robe, and tore it.
28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from out of your hand this day, and will give it to your neighbor, who is better than you.
29 And Israel shall be divided in two: and God will not turn nor repent, for He is not as a man to repent.”
30 And Saul said, “I have sinned; yet honor me, I pray, before the elders of Israel, and before my people; and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord your God.”
31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and he worshipped the Lord.
32 And Samuel said, “Bring me Agag the king of Amalek.” And Agag came to him trembling. And Agag said, “Is death thus bitter?”
33 And Samuel said to Agag, “As your sword has bereaved women of their children, so shall your mother be made childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
34 And Samuel departed to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah.
35 And Samuel did not see Saul again till the day of his death, for Samuel mourned after Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 16

David Anointed King
1 And the Lord 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 will send you to Jesse, to Bethlehem; for I have seen among his sons a king for Me.”
2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer in your hand, and you shall say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you shall do; and you shall anoint him whom I shall name to you.”
4 And Samuel did all that the Lord told him; and he came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city were trembling at meeting him, and said, “Do you come peaceably, O Seer?”
5 And he said, “Peaceably: I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and rejoice with me this day.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass when they came in, that he saw Eliab, and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.”
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Look not on his appearance, nor on his stature, for I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.”
8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has God chosen this one.”
9 And Jesse caused Shammah to pass by. And he said, “Neither has God chosen this one.”
10 And Jesse caused his seven sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen these.”
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Have you no more sons?” And Jesse said, “There is yet a little one; behold, he tends the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him, for we may not sit down till he comes.”
12 And he sent and fetched him. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and very good looking. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Arise, and anoint David, for he is good.”
13 And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose, and departed to Ramah.

A Distressing Spirit Torments Saul
14 And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold, an evil spirit from the Lord torments you.
16 Let now your servants speak before you, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon you, and he shall play on his harp, that you shall be well, and he shall refresh you.”
17 And Saul said to his servants, “Now look for me a skillful player, and bring him to me.”
18 And one of his servants answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, and he understands playing on the harp, and the man is prudent, and a warrior, and wise in speech, and the man is handsome, and the Lord is with him.”
19 And Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David who is with your flock.”
20 And Jesse took a homer of bread, and a skin of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Saul.
21 And David went in to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
23 And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand. And Saul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 17

David and Goliath
1 And the Philistines gathered their armies to battle, and gathered themselves to Sochoh of Judah, and encamped between Sochoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammin.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel gathered together, and they encamped in the valley, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them.
4 And there went forth a mighty man out of the army of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was four cubits and a span.
5 And he had a helmet upon his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain armor; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass and iron.
6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a bronze shield was between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the spear’s head was formed of six hundred shekels of iron; and his armorbearer went before him. 8 And he stood and cried to the army of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come forth to set yourselves in battle array against us? Am I not a Philistine, and you Hebrews of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me.
9 And if he shall be able to fight against me, and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I should prevail and kill him, then you shall be our servants, and serve us.”
10 And the Philistine said, “Behold, I have defied the armies of Israel this very day: give me a man, and we will both of us fight in single combat.”
11 And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed, and greatly terrified.
12 (This verse omitted in LXX)
13 (This verse omitted in LXX)
14 (This verse omitted in LXX)
15 (This verse omitted in LXX)
16 (This verse omitted in LXX)
17 (This verse omitted in LXX)
18 (This verse omitted in LXX)
19 (This verse omitted in LXX)
20 (This verse omitted in LXX)
21 (This verse omitted in LXX)
22 (This verse omitted in LXX)
23 (This verse omitted in LXX)
24 (This verse omitted in LXX)
25 (This verse omitted in LXX)
26 (This verse omitted in LXX)
27 (This verse omitted in LXX)
28 (This verse omitted in LXX)
29 (This verse omitted in LXX)
30 (This verse omitted in LXX)
31 (This verse omitted in LXX)
32 And David said to Saul, “Let not the heart of my lord be dejected within him: your servant will go, and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You will not in any way be able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are just a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.”
34 And David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending the flock for his father, and when a lion came and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 that I went forth after him, and killed him, and drew the spoil out of his mouth. And as he rose up against me, then I caught hold of his throat, and struck him, and killed him.
36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and the uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them! Shall I not go and kill him, and remove this day this reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one, who has defied the army of the living God?
37 The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine!” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord shall be with you.”
38 And Saul clothed David with his armor, and put his bronze helmet on his head.
39 And he fastened his sword over David’s coat. And he tried walking with them once and again, and David said to Saul, “I shall not be able to go with these, for I have not tested them.” So they removed them from him.
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he approached the Philistine.
41 (This verse omitted in LXX)
42 And Goliath saw David, and despised him; for he was a lad, and ruddy, with a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I as a dog, that you come against me with a staff and stones?” And David said, “No, but worse than a dog.” 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 air, and to the beasts of the earth.”
45 And David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of hosts, of the army of Israel, which you have defied this day.
46 And the Lord shall deliver you this day into my hand, and I will kill you, and take away your head from off of you, and I will give your limbs and the limbs of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild beasts of the earth; and all the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord delivers not by sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord will deliver you into our hands.”
48 And the Philistine arose and went to meet David.
49 And David stretched out his hand into his bag, and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone penetrated through the helmet into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the ground.
50 (This verse omitted in LXX)
51 And David ran, and stood upon him, and took his sword, and killed him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and they fled.
52 And the men of Israel and Judah arose, and shouted and pursued them as far as the entrance to Gath, and as far as the gate of Ashkelon. And the slain men of the Philistines fell in the way of the gates, both to Gath, and to Ekron.
53 And the men of Israel returned from pursuing after the Philistines, and they destroyed their camp.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.
55 (This verse omitted in LXX)
56 (This verse omitted in LXX)
57 (This verse omitted in LXX)
58 (This verse omitted in LXX)

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 18

1 (This verse omitted in LXX)
2 (This verse omitted in LXX)
3 (This verse omitted in LXX)
4 (This verse omitted in LXX)
5 (This verse omitted in LXX)

Saul’s Jealosy of David
6 And women came out to meet David from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, with timbrels, and with rejoicing, and with cymbals.
7 And the women began this song, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
8 And it seemed evil in the eyes of Saul concerning this matter, and he said, “To David they have given ten thousands, and to me they have given thousands?”
9 (This verse omitted in LXX)
10 (This verse omitted in LXX)
11 (This verse omitted in LXX)
12 Now Saul was afraid on account of David.
13 And he removed David from before him, and made him a captain of a thousand for himself; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David was prudent in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15 And Saul saw that he was very wise, and he was afraid of him.
16 And all Israel and Judah loved David, because he came in and went out before the people.
17 (This verse omitted in LXX)
18 (This verse omitted in LXX)
19 (This verse omitted in LXX)

David Marries Michal
20 And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And it was told Saul, and the thing was pleasing in his eyes.
21 And Saul said, “I will give her to him, and she shall be a stumbling block to him.” Now the hand of the Philistines was against Saul.
22 And Saul charged his servants, saying, “Speak privately to David, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Is it a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? Seeing I am a humble man, and not honorable?”
24 And Saul’s servants reported to him according to these words which David spoke.
25 And Saul said, “Thus shall you speak to David: ‘The king wants no gift but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the kings enemies.’” Now Saul thought to cast him into the hands of the Philistines.
26 And Saul’s servants reported these words to David, and David was well pleased to become the son-in-law to the king.
27 And David arose, and went, he and his men, and killed among the Philistines one hundred men. And he brought their foreskins, and he became the king’s son-in-law, and Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
28 And Saul saw that the Lord was with David, and that all Israel loved him.
29 And he was yet more afraid of David.
30 (This verse omitted in LXX)

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 19

Jonathan Intercedes for David
1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul seeks to kill you; therefore take heed to yourself tomorrow morning, and hide yourself, and dwell in secret.
3 And I will go forth, and stand near my father in the field where you shall be, and I will speak concerning you to my father; and I will see what his answer may be, and I will tell you.”
4 And Jonathan spoke favorably concerning David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against your servant David, for he has not sinned against you, and his deeds are very good.
5 And he put his life in his hand, and killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance. And all Israel saw, and rejoiced. Why then do you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”
6 And Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, he shall not die.”
7 And Jonathan called David, and told him all these words; and Jonathan brought David in to Saul, and he was before him as in former times.
8 And there was war again against Saul; and David did valiantly, and fought against the Philistines, and struck them with a very great slaughter, and they fled from before him.
9 And an evil spirit from God was upon Saul, and he was resting in his house, and a spear was in his hand, and David was playing on the harp with his hands.
10 And Saul sought to kill David with the spear; and David withdrew suddenly from the presence of Saul; and he drove the spear into the wall; and David retreated and escaped.
11 And it came to pass in that night, that Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “Unless you save your life this night, tomorrow you shall be slain.”
12 So Michal let David down by the window, and he departed, and fled, and escaped.
13 And Michal took statues, and laid them on the bed, and she put the liver of a goat by his head, and covered them with clothes.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, they said that he was sick.
15 And he sent for David, saying, “Bring him to me on the bed, that I may kill him.”
16 And the messengers came, and behold, the statues were on the bed, and the goat’s liver was at his head.
17 And Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and allowed my enemy to depart, and he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said, ‘Let me go, and if not, I will kill you.’”
18 So David fled, and escaped, and he came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And Samuel and David went, and stayed at Naioth in Ramah.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw the assembly of the prophets, and Samuel stood as appointed over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesied.
21 And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent again a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied.
22 And Saul was very angry, and went himself also to Ramah, and he came as far as the well of the threshing floor that is in Sechu. And he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And they said, “Behold, at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 And he went from there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he took off his clothes, and prophesied before them; and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 20

The Friendship of David and Jonathan
1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, “What have I done, and what is my fault, and how have I sinned before your father, that he seeks my life?”
2 And Jonathan said to him, “Far be it from you! You shall not die! Behold, my father will not do anything great or small without first telling it to me. And why should my father hide this matter from me? This thing is not so.”
3 And David answered Jonathan and said, “Your father surely knows that I have found favor in your sight, and he said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent.’ But as the Lord lives, and your soul lives, as I said, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 And Jonathan said to David, “What does your soul desire, and what shall I do for you?”
5 And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but you shall let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.
6 And if your father in any way inquires about me, then shall you say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all his family.’
7 If he should say, “Fine,”—then all is safe for your servant: but if he should answer harshly to you, know that evil is determined by him.
8 And you shall deal mercifully with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with yourself. And if there is iniquity in your servant, then kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
9 And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon you, although it should not be against your cities, I will tell you.”
10 And David said to Jonathan, “Who can tell me if your father should answer roughly?”
11 And Jonathan said to David, “Go, and stay in the field.” And they went out both into the field.
12 And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel knows that I will search out my father as I have an opportunity, three times, and behold, if good should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to you in the field,
13 may God do so to Jonathan and more, also! As I shall also report the evil to you, and make it known to you, and I will let you go; and you shall depart in peace, and the Lord shall be with you, as he was with my father.
14 And if indeed I continue to live, then shall you deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die,
15 you shall not withdraw your mercy from my house forever, And if you do not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David, each from the face of the earth,
16 should it happen that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David.”
17 And Jonathan swore yet again to David, because he loved the soul of him that loved him.
18 And Jonathan said, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be inquired about, because your seat will be observed as vacant.
19 And you shall stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shall come to your place where you may hide yourself in the day of your business, and you shall wait by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark.
21 And behold, I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go find me the arrow.’
22 If I should expressly say to the lad, ‘The arrow is here, and on this side of you, take it’; then come, for it is well with you, and there is no reason for fear, as the Lord lives. But if I should say thus to the young man, ‘The arrow is on that side of you, and beyond’; go, for the Lord has sent you away.
23 And as for the word which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is witness between me and you forever.”
24 So David hid himself in the field. And the new month arrived, and the king came to the table to eat.
25 And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan. And Abner sat on one side of Saul, but David’s place was empty.
26 And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, “Something has happened to him, and he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.”
27 And it came to pass on the next day, on the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse attended both yesterday and today at the table?”
28 And Jonathan answered Saul and said to him, “David asked my permission to go to Bethlehem, his city.
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brothers have sent for me. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, I will go and see my brothers. Therefore he is not present at the table of the king.”
30 And Saul was exceedingly angry with Jonathan, and said to him, “You son of a traitorous woman! For do I not know that you are an accomplice with the son of Jesse to yourself, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, your kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die!” 32 And Jonathan answered Saul, “Why is he to die? What has he done?”
33 And Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan to kill him, so Jonathan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to kill David.
34 And Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined to do evil against him.
35 And morning came, and Jonathan went out to the field, as he appointed to do for a signal to David, and a little boy was with him.
36 And he said to the lad, “Run, find me the arrows which I shoot.” And the lad ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow, and sent it beyond him.
37 And the lad came to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan shot; and Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “The arrow is on that side of you, and beyond you.”
38 And Jonathan cried out after the lad, saying, “Make haste, and do not delay.” And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and brought the arrows to his master.
39 And the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to his lad, “Go, enter into the city.”
41 And when the lad went in, then David arose from the stone Ezel, and fell upon his face, and bowed down to him three times, and they kissed each other, and wept for each other, for a great while.
42 And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, and as we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be witness between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever’—even so let it be.” And David arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 21

David in Nob
1 And David came to Nob, to Abimelech the priest. And Abimelech was amazed at meeting him, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”
2 And David said to the priest, “The king gave me a command today, and said to me, ‘Let no one know the matter on which I send you, and concerning which I have charged you’; and I have charged my servants to be in the place that is called, ‘The Faithfulness of God, Phellani Maemoni.’
3 And now, if you have five loaves, give into my hand what is ready.”
4 And the priest answered David and said, “There are no common loaves under my hand, for I have none but holy loaves: if the young men have been kept at least from women, then they shall eat them.”
5 And David answered the priest and said to him, “Yes, we have been kept from women for three days: when I came forth for the journey all the young men were purified; but this journey is profane, for it shall be sanctified today on account of my weapons.”
6 So Abimelech the priest gave him the showbread; for there were no loaves there, but only the presence loaves which had been removed from the presence of the Lord, in order that hot bread should be set on, on the day on which he took them.
7 And one of Saul’s servants was there on that day, detained before the Lord, and his name was Doeg the Syrian, tending Saul’s mules.
8 And David said to Abimelech, “See if you have a spear or a sword here, for I have not brought my sword or my weapons, for the word of the king was urgent.”
9 And the priest said, “Behold the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah; and it is wrapped in a cloth. If you will take it, take it for yourself, for there is no other weapon except that here.” And David said, “Behold, there is none like it; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath
10 And he gave it to him. And David arose, and fled in that day from the presence of Saul. And David came to Achish king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did not the dancing women begin the song to him, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”
12 And David laid up the words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Achish king of Gath.
13 And he changed his appearance in that day before the king, and pretended to be somebody else; and he pounded on the doors of the city, and used extravagant gestures with his hands, and fell against the doors of the gate, and his saliva ran down upon his beard.
14 And Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad; why have you brought him in to me?
15 Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought him in to me to play the madman? He shall not come into the house!”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 22

David and His Followers at Adullam
1 And David departed from there, and escaped. And he came to the cave of Adullam. And his brothers heard, and the house of his father, and they went down to him there.
2 And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was troubled in mind gathered to him there, and he was a leader over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David departed from there to Mizpah of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, “Let my father and my mother be with you here, until I know what God will do to me.”
4 And he persuaded the King of Moab, and they dwelt with him continually, while David was in the stronghold.
5 And Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not dwell in the stronghold: go, and you shall enter the land of Judah.” So David went, and came and dwelt in the city of Hereth.

Saul Murders the Priests at Nob
6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and his men with him. Now Saul dwelt in the hill below the field that is in Ramah, and his spear was in his hand, and all his servants stood near him.
7 And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, “Hear now, you sons of Benjamin, will the son of Jesse indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands?
8 For you are all conspiring against me, and there is no one that informs me, whereas my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or informs me, that my son has stirred up my servant against me for an enemy, as it is this day?”
9 And Doeg the Syrian who was over Saul’s mules answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse as he came to Nob, to Abimelech son of Ahitub the priest.
10 And the priest inquired of God for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 And the king sent to call Abimelech son of Ahitub and all his father’s sons, the priests that were in Nob; and they all came to the king.
12 And Saul said, “Hear now, you son of Ahitub.” And he said, “Behold, I am here, speak, my lord.”
13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, that you should give him bread and a sword, and should inquire of God for him, to raise him up against me as an enemy, as he is this day?”
14 And he answered the king and said, “And who is there among all your servants as faithful as David, and he is a son-in-law of the king, and he is executor of all your commands, and is honorable in your house?
15 Have I begun today to inquire of God for him? By no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against any of my father’s house, for your servant knew nothing about these matters, great or small.”
16 And King Saul said, “You shall surely die, Abimelech; you and all your father’s house.”
17 And the king said to the bodyguards that attended on him, “Come here and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and they did not inform me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the priest of the Lord.
18 And the king said to Doeg, “Turn, and fall upon the priests.” So Doeg the Syrian turned, and killed the priests of the Lord in that day, three hundred and five men, all wearing an ephod.
19 And he struck Nob, the city of the priest, with the edge of the sword, both man and woman, infant and suckling, calf and ox, and also sheep.
20 And one son of Abimelech son of Ahitub escaped, and his name was Abiathar, and he fled after David.
21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain all the priests of the Lord.
22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew it in that day, that Doeg the Syrian would surely tell Saul. I am guilty of the death of the house of your father.
23 Dwell with me; fear not, for wherever I shall seek a place of safety for my life, I will also seek a place for your life, for you are safely guarded while you are with me.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 23

David Saves the City of Keilah
1 And it was told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines war in Keilah, and they rob, and they trample on the threshing floors.”
2 And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And the Lord said, “Go, and you shall strike these Philistines, and shall save Keilah.”
3 And the men of David said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judea; and how shall it be if we go to Keilah? Shall we go after the spoils of the Philistines?”
4 And David inquired yet again of the Lord; and the Lord answered him, and said to him, “Arise and go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
5 So David and his men with him went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines; and they fled from before him, and he carried off their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter, and David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it came to pass when Abiathar the son of Abimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keilah, having an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has sold him into my hands, for he is shut up, having entered into a city that has gates and bars.”
8 And Saul charged all the people to go down to war to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul spoke openly of mischief against him. So David said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod of the Lord.”
10 And David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has indeed heard, that Saul seeks to come against Keilah to destroy the city on my account.
11 Will the place be shut up? And now will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “It will be shut up.”
12 (This verse omitted in LXX)
13 And David arose, and the men with him, in number about four hundred, and they went forth from Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, so he halted the expedition.

David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness
14 And he dwelt in Maserim in the wilderness, in the narrow passes; and dwelt in the wilderness in Mount Ziph, in the dry country. And Saul sought him continually, but the Lord did not deliver him into his hands.
15 And David perceived that Saul went forth to seek him. And David was in the dry mountain in the New Ziph.
16 And Jonathan son of Saul arose, and went to David to New Ziph, and strengthened his hands in the Lord.
17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; and Saul my father knows it.”
18 So they both made a covenant before the Lord; and David dwelt in New Ziph, and Jonathan went to his home.
19 And the Ziphites came up out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, “Behold, is not David hidden with us in Messara, in the narrows in New Ziph in the hill of Echela, which is on the right of Jeshimon?
20 And now according to all the king’s desire to come down, let him come down to us; they have shut him up into the hands of the king.”
21 And Saul said to them, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have been grieved on my account.
22 Go, I pray, and yet make preparations, and notice his place where his foot shall be, quickly, in that place which you spoke of, lest by any means he should deal craftily.
23 Take notice, then, and learn, and I will go with you. And it shall come to pass that if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
24 And the Ziphites arose, and went before Saul. And David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, towards the west, to the right of Jeshimon.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they brought word to David, and he went down to the rock that was in the Wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard, and followed after David to the Wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul and his men went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hiding himself to escape from Saul; and Saul and his men encamped against David and his men, in order to take them.
27 And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Make haste and come here, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”
28 So Saul returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore that place was called The Divided Rock.
29 Then David rose up from there, and dwelt in the narrow passes of En Gedi.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 24

David Spares Saul
1 And it came to pass when Saul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, “David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.”
2 And he took with him three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of Sadiem.
3 And he came to the flocks of sheep that were by the way, and there was a cave there. And Saul went in to make preparation, and David and his men were sitting in the inner part of the cave.
4 And the men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord spoke to you, that He would deliver your enemy into your hands; and you shall do to him as it is good in your sight.” So David arose and cut off the border of Saul’s garment secretly.
5 And it came to pass after this that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut off the border of his garment.
6 And David said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”
7 So David persuaded his men by his words, and did not allow them to rise up and kill Saul. And Saul arose and went his way.
8 And David rose up and went after him out of the cave. And David cried after Saul, saying, “My lord, O king!” And Saul looked behind him, and David stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed down to him.
9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of the people, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks you life?’
10 Behold, your eyes have seen this day how that the Lord has delivered you into my hands in the cave. And I would not kill you, but I spared you, and said, ‘I will not lift up my hand against my master, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’
11 And behold, the border of your garment is in my hand, I cut off the border, and did not kill you. Know then and see this day, there is no evil in my hand, nor impiety, nor rebellion; and I have not sinned against you, yet you lay snares for my life, to take it!
12 The Lord judge between me and you, and the Lord vindicate you on yourself. But my hand shall not be upon you.
13 As the old proverb says, ‘Transgression will proceed from the wicked ones’; but my hand shall not be upon you.
14 And now after whom do you come forth, O king of Israel? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea?
15 The Lord be judge and umpire between me and you, the Lord look upon and judge my cause, and rescue me out of your hand.”
16 And it came to pass 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 Saul said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have recompensed me with good, but I have recompensed you with evil.
18 And you have told me this day what good you have done to me, how the Lord locked me up into your hands today, and you did not kill me.
19 And if anyone should find his enemy in distress, and should send him forth in a good way, then the Lord will reward him with good, as you have done this day.
20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely reign, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
21 Now then swear to me by the Lord, that you will not destroy my descendants after me, that you will not blot out my name from the house of my father.”
22 So David swore to Saul. And Saul departed to his place, and David and his men went up to the stronghold of Messara.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 25

The Death of Samuel
1 And Samuel died, and all Israel assembled, and lamented him, and they buried him in his house in Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the Wilderness of Maon.

David and Abigail
2 And there was a man in Maon, and his flocks were in Carmel, and he was a very great man; and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand female goats. And he happened to be shearing his flock in Carmel.
3 And the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. And his wife was of good understanding and very beautiful in appearance. But the man was harsh, and evil in his doings, and the man was foolish.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal the Carmelite was shearing his sheep.
5 And David sent ten young men, and he said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name how he is.
6 And thus you shall say, ‘May you and your house prosper, and all yours be in prosperity.
7 And now, behold, I have heard that your shepherds who were with us in the wilderness are shearing your sheep, and we did not hinder them, neither did we demand anything from them all the time they were in Carmel.
8 Ask your servants, and they will tell you. Let then your servants find grace in your eyes, for we have come on a good day; please give whatsoever your hand may find, to your son David.’”
9 So the servants came and spoke these words to Nabal, according to all these words in the name of David.
10 And Nabal sprang up, and answered the servants of David, and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays there are many servants who depart from their masters.
11 So shall I take my bread, and my wine, and my beasts that I have slain for my shearers, and shall I give them to men of whom I know not who they are?”
12 So the servants of David turned back and returned, and came and reported to David according to these words.
13 And David said to his men, “Gird on every man his sword.” And they went up after David, about four hundred men. And two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14 And one of the servants reported to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; but he turned away from them.
15 And the men were very good to us; they did not hinder us, neither did they demand from us anything all the days that we were with them.
16 And when we were in the field, they were like a wall surrounding us, both night and day, all the days that we were with them feeding the flock.
17 And now consider what you will do; for mischief is determined against our master and against his house; for he is a son of Belial, and no one can speak to him.”
18 And Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep readily dressed, and five ephahs of fine flour, and one homer of dried grapes, and two hundred cakes of figs, and put them upon donkeys.
19 And she said to her servants, “Go on before me, and I shall come after you.” But she did not tell her husband.
20 And it came to pass when she had mounted her donkey and was going down by the covert of the mountain, that behold, David and his men came down to meet her, and she met them.
21 And David said, “Perhaps I have kept all his possessions in the wilderness that he should wrong me, and we did not order the taking of anything, of all his goods; yet he has rewarded me evil for good.
22 So God do to David and more also, if I leave one male of all that belongs to Nabal until the morning.”
23 And Abigail saw David, and she dismounted quickly from her donkey; and she fell before David on her face, and bowed down to him, bowing to the ground,
24 even to his feet, and said, “On me, my lord, be my wrong. Let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.
25 Let not my lord take to heart this pestilent man, for according to his name, so is he—Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the servants of my lord whom you sent.
26 And now my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, as the Lord has kept you from coming against innocent blood and from executing vengeance for yourself, now therefore let your enemies, and those that seek evil against my lord, become as Nabal.
27 And now accept this token of goodwill, which your servant has brought to my lord, and you shall give it to the servants that wait on my lord.
28 Remove the trespass of your servant, I pray; for the Lord will surely make for my lord a sure house, for the Lord fights the battles of my lord, and no evil shall ever be found in you.
29 And if a man shall rise up persecuting you and seeking your life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord God, and you shall whirl the life of your enemies as in the midst of a sling.
30 And it shall be when the Lord has brought to pass for my lord all the good things He has spoken concerning you, and shall appoint you to be ruler over Israel,
31 then this shall not be an abomination and offense to my lord, to have shed innocent blood without cause, and for my lord to have avenged himself. And so may the Lord do good to my lord, and you shall remember your maidservant, to do her good.”
32 And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has sent you this very day to meet me.
33 And blessed be your conduct, and blessed are you, who has hindered me this very day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself.
34 But surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who hindered me this day from doing you harm, if you had not hastened and come to meet me, then I said, ‘Surely there shall not be one male left to Nabal till the morning.’”
35 And David took from her hand all that she brought to him, and said to her, “Go in peace to your house: see, I have heeded your voice, and accepted your petition.”
36 And Abigail came to Nabal. And behold, he had a banquet in his house, as the banquet of a king, and the heart of Nabal was merry within him, and he was very drunk. And she told him nothing great or small till the morning light.
37 And it came to pass in the morning, when Nabal recovered from his wine, that his wife told him these words. And his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 And it came to pass after about ten days, that the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39 And David heard it and said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and has delivered His servant from the power of evil; and the Lord has returned the mischief of Nabal upon his own head.” And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself for a wife.
40 So the servants of David came to Abigail to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to himself for a wife.”
41 And she arose, and bowed down with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is for a maid, to wash the feet of your servants.”
42 And Abigail arose and mounted her donkey, and five maidens followed her. And she went after the servants of David, and became his wife.
43 And David took Ahinoam out of Jezreel, and they were both his wives.
44 And Saul gave Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish who was of Gallim.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 26

David Spares Saul a Second Time
1 And the Ziphites came out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, “Behold, David hides himself with us in the hill Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon.”
2 And Saul arose, and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, and with him went three thousand men chosen out of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah in front of Jeshimon, by the way, and David dwelt in the wilderness. And David saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 And David sent spies, and ascertained that Saul had come prepared out of Keila.
5 And David arose secretly, and went into the place where Saul was sleeping. And Abner the son of Ner was there, the captain of his army. And Saul was sleeping in a chariot, and the people had encamped along around him.
6 And David answered and spoke to Abimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go in with me to Saul into the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go in with you.”
7 So David and Abishai went in among the people by night. And behold, Saul was fast asleep in the chariot, and his spear was stuck in the ground near his head, and Abner and his people slept round about him.
8 And Abishai said to David, “The Lord has delivered your enemy into your hands this day, and now I will strike him to the earth with this spear, once for all, and I will not have to strike him again.”
9 And David said to Abishai, “Do not kill him, for who shall lift up his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?”
10 And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come and he die, or he shall go down to battle and be added to his fathers.
11 The Lord forbid that I should lift up my hand against the Lord’s anointed. And now take the spear from before his head, and the pitcher of water, and let us return home.”
12 So David took the spear, and the pitcher of water, and they went home. And there was no one that saw, and no one that knew, and there was no one that awoke, they were all asleep, for a stupor from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13 So David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, and there was a good distance between them.
14 And David called to the people and spoke to Abner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answered and said, “Who are you that calls?”
15 And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then do you not guard your lord the king? For one out of the people went in to destroy your lord the king.
16 And this thing is not good which you have done. As the Lord lives, you are worthy of death, you who guard your lord the king, the Lord’s anointed. And now behold, the spear of the king, and the jug of water—where are the articles that should be at his head?”
17 And Saul recognized the voice of David, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “I am your servant, my lord, O king.”
18 And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? For in what manner have I sinned? And what unrighteousness has been found in me?
19 And now, let my lord the king hear the word of his servant: if God stirs you up against me, let your offering be acceptable; but if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have cast me out this day, that I should not be established in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
20 And now let not my blood fall to the ground before the Lord, for the king of Israel has come forth to seek your life, as the night hawk pursues its prey in the mountains.”
21 And Saul said, “I have sinned: turn, my son David, for I will not hurt you, because my life was precious in your eyes; and today I have been foolish and I have erred exceedingly.”
22 And David answered and said, “Behold, the spear of the king. Let one of the servants come over and take it.
23 And the Lord shall recompense each according to his righteousness and his truth, since the Lord delivered you this day into my hands, and I would not lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.
24 And behold, as your life has been precious this very day in my eyes, so let my life be precious before the Lord, and may He protect me, and deliver me out of all affliction.”
25 And Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, my son; and you shall surely do valiantly, and shall surely prevail.” And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 27

David Serves King Achish of Gath
1 And David said in his heart, “Now shall I be one day delivered for death into the hands of Saul; and there is nothing better for me unless I should escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul should cease from seeking me through every coast of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”
2 So David arose, and the six hundred men that were with him, and he went to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 And David dwelt with Achish, he and his men, each with his family; and David and both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath. And he no longer sought after him.
5 And David said to Achish, “If now your servant has found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, and I will dwell there; for why does your servant dwell with you in a royal city?”
6 And he gave him Ziklag in that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the king of Judea to this day.
7 And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was four months.
8 And David and his men went up, and made an attack on all the Geshurites and on the Amalekites. And behold, the land was inhabited, (even the land from Shur) by those who come from the fortified cities, even to the land of Egypt.
9 And he attacked the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive; and they took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing; and they returned and came to Achish.
10 And Achish said to David, “On whom have you made an attack today?” And David said to Achish, “On the south of Judea, and on the south of Jerahmeel, and on the south of the Kenite.”
11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they carry a report to Gath, saying, ‘These things David does.’” And this was his manner all the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
12 So David had the full confidence of Achish, who said, “He is thoroughly disgraced among his people in Israel and he shall be my servant forever.”

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 28

1 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together with their armies to go out to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know surely that you shall go forth to battle with me—you, and your men.”
2 And David said to Achish, “Thus now you shall know what your servant will do.” And Achish said to David, “So will I make you captain of my bodyguard continually.”

Saul Consults a Medium
3 And Samuel had died, and all Israel lamented for him, and they buried him in his city, in Ramah. And Saul had removed out of the land those who had in them divining spirits, and the wizards.
4 And the Philistines assembled themselves, and came and encamped in Shunem. And Saul gathered all the men of Israel, and they encamped in Gilboa.
5 And Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, and he was alarmed, and his heart was greatly dismayed.
6 So Saul inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him neither by dreams, nor by manifestations, nor by prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who has in her a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who has in her a divining spirit at Endor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself, and put on different clothing, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. Then he said to her, “Divine to me by the divining spirit within you, and bring up to me him whom I shall name to you.”
9 And the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who had divining spirits in them, and the wizards from the land; and why do you spread a snare for my life to destroy it?”
10 And Saul swore to her, and said, “As the Lord lives, no injury shall come upon you on this account.”
11 And the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up to you?” And he said, “Bring up to me Samuel.”
12 And the woman saw Samuel, and cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
13 And the king said to her, “Do not fear; tell me, what did you see?” And the woman said to him, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth.”
14 And he said to her, “What did you perceive it to be?” And she said to him, “I see an upright man ascending out of the earth, and he is clothed with a mantle.” And Saul knew that this was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down to him.
15 And Samuel said, “Why have you troubled me, to cause me to ascend?” And Saul said, “I am greatly distressed, and the Philistines war against me, and God has departed from me, and He no longer hearkens to me, either by the hand of the prophets, or by dreams. And now I have called on you, to tell me what I shall do.”
16 And Samuel said, “Why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you, and taken part with your neighbor?
17 And the Lord has done to you as the Lord has spoken by me; and the Lord will tear the kingdom out of your hand, and will give it to your neighbor David.
18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and did not execute His fierce anger upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.
19 And the Lord shall deliver up Israel with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons with you shall fall, and the Lord shall deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
20 And Saul instantly fell to the ground, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no longer any strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day, and all that night.
21 And the woman went in to Saul, and saw that he was greatly disquieted, and said to him, “Behold now, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have heard the words which you have spoken to me.
22 And now hear the voice of your maidservant, and I will set before you a piece of bread, and eat, and you shall be strengthened, for you will be going on your way.”
23 But he would not eat. So his servants and the woman constrained him, and he listened to their voice, and rose up from the earth, and sat upon a bench.
24 And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hastened and killed it. And she took meal and kneaded it, and baked unleavened cakes.
25 And she brought the meat before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate, and rose up, and departed that night.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 29

The Philistines Reject David
1 And the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek, and Israel encamped in Endor, which is in Jezreel.
2 And the lords of the Philistines came by the hundreds and thousands, and David and his men went on in the rear with Achish.
3 And the lords of the Philistines said, “Who are these that pass by?” And Achish said to the captains of the Philistines, “Is not this David the servant of Saul king of Israel? He has been with us for some time, even this second year, and I have not found any fault in him from the day that he attached himself to me, even until this day.”
4 And the captains of the Philistines were displeased at him, and they said to him, “Send the man away, and let him return to his place, which you have appointed for him; and let him not come with us to the war, and let him not be a traitor in the camp. And with what will he be reconciled to his master? Will it not be with the heads of those men?
5 Is not this David whom they celebrated in dances, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”
6 And Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you are right and approved in my eyes, and so is your going out and your coming in with me in the army, and I have not found any evil to charge against you, from the day that you came to me until this day. But you are not approved in the eyes of the lords.
7 Now then return and go in peace, thus you shall not do evil in the sight of the lords of the Philistines.”
8 And David said to Achish, “What have I done to you? And what have you found in your servant from the first day that I was before you, even until this day, that I should not come and war against the enemies of the lord my king?”
9 And Achish answered David, “I know that you are good in my eyes, but the lords of the Philistines have said, “He shall not come with us to the war.
10 Now then rise up early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord that have come with you, and go to the place that I have appointed for you, and entertain no evil thought in your heart, for you are good in my sight. And rise early for your journey when it is light, and depart.”
11 So David arose early, he and his men, to depart and guard the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel to battle.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 30

David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag
1 And it came to pass when David and his men had entered Ziklag on the third day, that Amalek had made an attack upon the south, and upon Ziklag, and besieged Ziklag, and burned it with fire.
2 And as to the women and all things that were in it, great and small, they killed neither man nor woman, but carried them away captive, and went on their way.
3 And David and his men came into the city, and behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters were carried away captive.
4 And David and his men lifted up their voice, and wept till there was no longer any power within them to weep.
5 And both of David’s wives were carried away captive, Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed, because the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, each for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest the son of Ahimelech, “Bring the ephod here to me.”
8 And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and you shall surely rescue the captives.”
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men with him, and they came as far as the brook Besor, and the extra men stopped .
10 And he pursued them with four hundred men; and two hundred men remained behind, who tarried on the other side of the brook Besor.
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and they took him, and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate, and they caused him to drink water.
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and he ate, and his spirit was restored in him; for he had not eaten bread, and had not drunk water three days and three nights.
13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And the young man the Egyptian said, “I am the servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because I was taken ill three days ago.
14 And we made an attack on the south of the Cherethites, and on the parts of Judea, and on the south of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15 And David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” And he said, “Swear now to me by God, that you will not kill me, and that you will not deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down upon this troop.”
16 So he brought him down there, and behold, they were scattered abroad upon the surface of the whole land, eating and drinking, and feasting by reason of all the great spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17 And David came upon them, and attacked them from the morning till the evening, and on the next day; and not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who were mounted on camels, and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued both of his wives.
19 And nothing was lacking to them, great or small; either of the spoils, or the sons and daughters, or anything that they had taken of theirs. And David recovered all.
20 And he took all the flocks, and the herds, and led them away before the spoils. And it was said of these spoils, “These are the spoils of David.”
21 And David came to the two hundred men who were left behind, that they should not follow after David, and he had caused them to remain by the brook of Besor. And they came forth to meet David, and to meet his people with him. And David drew near to the people, and they asked him how he did it.
22 Then every ill-disposed and bad man of the soldiers who had gone with David, answered and said, “Because they did not pursue together with us, we will not give them of the spoils which we have recovered, only let each one lead away with him his wife and his children, and let them return.”
23 And David said, “You shall not do so, after the Lord has delivered the enemy to us, and guarded us, and the Lord has delivered into our hands the troop that came against you.
24 And who will hearken to these your words? For they are not inferior to us; for according to the portion of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the portion of him that abides with the baggage; they shall share alike.”
25 And it came to pass from that day forward, that it became an ordinance and a custom in Israel until this day.
26 And David came to Ziklag, and sent of the spoils to the elders of Judah, and to his friends, saying, “Behold, some of the spoils of the enemies of the Lord”;
27 to those in Bethel, and to those in Ramoth of the south, and to those in Jattir.
28 And to those in Aroer, and to those in Siphmoth, and to those in Saphi, and to those in Eshtemoa, and to those in Gath, and to those in Cimath, and to those in Saphec, and to those in Thimath,
29 and to those in Carmel, and to those in the cities of Jeremeel, and to those in the cities of the Kenite;
30 and to those in Jerimuth, and to those in Beersheba, and to those in Nombe,
31 and to those in Hebron, and to all the places which David and his men had passed through.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 31

The Death of Saul and His Sons
1 And the Philistines fought with Israel. And the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fell down wounded in the mountain in Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines pressed closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.
3 And the battle prevailed against Saul, and the archers found him, and wounded him below his ribs.
4 And Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he feared greatly. So Saul took his sword and fell upon it.
5 And his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, and he also fell upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armorbearer, together in that same day.
7 And the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead; and they forsook their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And it came to pass on the next day that the Philistines came to strip the dead, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gilboa.
9 And they turned him over, and stripped off his armor, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, and sending the good news to their idols and to the people.
10 And they set up his armor at the temple of Ashtoreth, and they fastened his body on the wall of Beth Shan.
11 And the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.
12 And they rose up, every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Saul and the body of Jonathan his son from the wall of Beth Shan; and they brought them to Jabesh, and burned them there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them in the field that is in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.