Restored King James Version Book of 1 Samuel
Based on the Authorised Version (King James) with the words "God" and "LORD"
restored to their original words, and various words
(thee, thine, shouldest, crieth, didst, etc) and
constructions (them that, etc) modernized.
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount
Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the
son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And he had two wives; the
name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah
had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his
city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto YHWH of hosts in Shiloh. And
the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of YHWH, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife,
and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But unto Hannah he gave a
worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but YHWH had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because
YHWH had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she
went up to the house of YHWH, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and
did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weep
you? and why eats you not? and why is your heart grieved? am not I better
to you than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh,
and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the
temple of YHWH.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto
YHWH, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O YHWH of hosts,
if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me,
and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a man child,
then I will give him unto YHWH all the days of his life, and there shall
no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued
praying before YHWH, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spoke
in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli
thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long will you
be drunken? put away your wine from you.
15 And Hannah answered and said,
No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor
strong drink, but have poured out my soul before YHWH.
16 Count not
your handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my
complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said,
Go in peace: and the Elohim of Israel grant you your petition that you have
asked of him.
18 And she said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight.
So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before YHWH,
and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his
wife; and YHWH remembered her.
20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the
time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and
called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of YHWH.
21 And
the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto YHWH the yearly
sacrifice, and his vow.
22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her
husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring
him, that he may appear before YHWH, and there abide for ever.
23 And
Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seems you good; tarry until you
have weaned him; only YHWH establish his word. So the woman abode, and
gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she
took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a
bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of YHWH in Shiloh: and the
child was young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman
who stood by you here, praying unto YHWH.
27 For this child I prayed;
and YHWH has given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore
also I have lent him to YHWH; as long as he lives he shall be lent to YHWH. And he worshipped YHWH there.
1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My
heart rejoices in YHWH, mine horn is exalted in YHWH: my mouth is
enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is
none holy as YHWH: for there is none beside you: neither is there any
rock like our Elohim.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy
come out of your mouth: for YHWH is an El of knowledge, and by him actions
are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they who stumbled
are girded with strength.
5 They who were full have hired out themselves
for bread; and they who were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born
seven; and she who has many children is waxed feeble.
6 YHWH kills,
and makes alive: he brings down to the grave, and brings up.
7 YHWH
makes poor, and makes rich: he brings low, and lifts up.
8 He raises
up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to
set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the
pillars of the earth are YHWH's, and he has set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in
darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 The adversaries of YHWH shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: YHWH shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his
king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to
his house. And the child did minister unto YHWH before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not YHWH.
13 And
the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice,
the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook
of three teeth in his hand;
14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or
caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for
himself. So they did in Shiloh, unto all the Israelites who came thither.
15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to
the man who sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not
have sodden flesh of you, but raw.
16 And if any man said unto him, Let
them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as your soul
desires; then he would answer him, Nay; but you shall give it me now: and if
not, I will take it by force.
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very
great before YHWH: for men abhorred the offering of YHWH.
18 But
Samuel ministered before YHWH, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from
year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, YHWH give you seed
of this woman for the loan which is lent to YHWH. And they went unto their
own home.
21 And YHWH visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare
three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before YHWH.
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel;
and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why do you such things? for I
hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no
good report that I hear: you make YHWH's people to transgress.
25 If one
man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against
YHWH, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto
the voice of their father, because YHWH would slay them.
26 And the
child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with YHWH, and also with men.
27 And there came a man of Elohim unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus said YHWH, Did I plainly appear unto the house of your father, when they were in
Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of
Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an
ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of your father all the offerings
made by fire of the children of Israel?
29 Wherefore kick you at my sacrifice
and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honour
your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the
offerings of Israel my people?
30 Wherefore YHWH Elohim of Israel said, I
said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me
for ever: but now YHWH said, Be it far from me; for those who honour me I
will honour, and they who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold,
the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's
house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.
32 And you shall
see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which Elohim shall give Israel:
and there shall not be an old man in your house for ever.
33 And the man of
your, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume your
eyes, and to grieve your heart: and all the increase of your house shall die
in the flower of their age.
34 And this shall be a sign unto you, that
shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall
die both of them.
35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do
according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him
a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
36 And it
shall come to pass, that every one who is left in your house shall come and
crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put
me, I pray you, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of
bread.
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto YHWH before Eli. And the
word of YHWH was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And
it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his
eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of Elohim went
out in the temple of YHWH, where the ark of Elohim was, and Samuel was laid
down to sleep;
4 That YHWH called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And he
said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And YHWH
called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am
I; for you did call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down
again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know YHWH, neither was the word of YHWH yet revealed unto him.
8 And YHWH called Samuel again the third
time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you did call
me. And Eli perceived that YHWH had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli
said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call you, that you
shall say, Speak, YHWH; for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down
in his place.
10 And YHWH came, and stood, and called as at other times,
Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for your servant hears.
11 And
YHWH said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both
the ears of every one who hears it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will
perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when
I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge
his house for ever for the iniquity which he knows; because his sons made
themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn
unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged
with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning,
and opened the doors of the house of YHWH. And Samuel feared to show Eli
the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he
answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that YHWH has
said unto you? I pray you hide it not from me: Elohim do so to you, and more
also, if you hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto you.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It
is YHWH: let him do what seems him good.
19 And Samuel grew, and YHWH was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And
all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a
prophet of YHWH.
21 And YHWH appeared again in Shiloh: for YHWH
revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of YHWH.
1 And the
word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines
to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they
joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the
army in the field about four thousand men.
3 And when the people were come
into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore has YHWH smitten us
today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of YHWH out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it comes among us, it may save us out
of the hand of our enemies.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might
bring from thence the ark of the covenant of YHWH of hosts, who dwells
between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were
there with the ark of the covenant of Elohim.
5 And when the ark of the
covenant of YHWH came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great
shout, so that the earth rang again.
6 And when the Philistines heard the
noise of the shout, they said, What means the noise of this great shout in
the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of YHWH was come
into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, Elohim is come
into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there has not been such a
thing heretofore.
8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of
these mighty Gods? these are the Gods who smote the Egyptians with all the
plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O you
Philistines, that you be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to
you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
10 And the Philistines fought, and
Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a
very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of Elohim was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, were slain.
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army,
and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his
head.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching:
for his heart trembled for the ark of Elohim. And when the man came into the
city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise
of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? And the man
came in hastily, and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old;
and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
16 And the man said unto Eli,
I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. And he
said, What is there done, my son?
17 And the messenger answered and said,
Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great
slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are
dead, and the ark of Elohim is taken.
18 And it came to pass, when he made
mention of the ark of Elohim, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side
of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and
heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter in law,
Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the
tidings that the ark of Elohim was taken, and that her father in law and her
husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon
her.
20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said
unto her, Fear not; for you have borne a son. But she answered not, neither
did she regard it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is
departed from Israel: because the ark of Elohim was taken, and because of her
father in law and her husband.
22 And she said, The glory is departed from
Israel: for the ark of Elohim is taken.
1 And the Philistines took the ark of
Elohim, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
2 When the Philistines took
the ark of Elohim, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was
fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of YHWH. And they took
Dagon, and set him in his place again.
4 And when they arose early on the
morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before
the ark of YHWH; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands
were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon's
house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6 But the
hand of YHWH was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and
smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.
7 And when the
men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the Elohim of Israel
shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our elohim (``elohim'').
8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto
them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the Elohim of Israel? And they
answered, Let the ark of the Elohim of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And
they carried the ark of the Elohim of Israel about thither.
9 And it was so,
that, after they had carried it about, the hand of YHWH was against the
city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both
small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
10 Therefore
they sent the ark of Elohim to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of Elohim came
to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the
ark of the Elohim of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.
11 So they sent
and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away
the ark of the Elohim of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it
slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all
the city; the hand of Elohim was very heavy there.
12 And the men who died not
were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
1 And the ark of YHWH was in the country of the Philistines seven
months.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners,
saying, What shall we do to the ark of YHWH? tell us wherewith we shall
send it to his place.
3 And they said, If you send away the ark of the Elohim of
Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering:
then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not
removed from you.
4 Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering
which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five
golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one
plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5 Wherefore you shall make images
of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give
glory unto the Elohim of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off
you, and from off your elohim (``elohim''), and from off your land.
6 Wherefore then do you
harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when
he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and
they departed?
7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on
which there has come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their
calves home from them:
8 And take the ark of YHWH, and lay it upon the
cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering,
in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9 And
see, if it goes up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he has
done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his
hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.
10 And the men did
so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their
calves at home:
11 And they laid the ark of YHWH upon the cart, and the
coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12 And the
kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the
highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the
left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of
Bethshemesh.
13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in
the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to
see it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and
stood there, where there was a great stone: and they chopped the wood of the
cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto YHWH.
15 And the
Levites took down the ark of YHWH, and the coffer that was with it,
wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men
of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day
unto YHWH.
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it,
they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 And these are the golden emerods
which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto YHWH; for
Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18 And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the
Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country
villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of
YHWH: which stone remains unto this day in the field of Joshua, the
Bethshemite.
19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked
into the ark of YHWH, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and
threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because YHWH had smitten
many of the people with a great slaughter.
20 And the men of Bethshemesh
said, Who is able to stand before this holy YHWH Elohim? and to whom shall he go
up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim,
saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of YHWH; come you down,
and fetch it up to you.
1 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched
up the ark of YHWH, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill,
and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of YHWH.
2 And it came to
pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was
twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after YHWH.
3 And
Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If you do return unto YHWH with all your hearts, then put away the strange elohim (``elohim'') and Ashtaroth from
among you, and prepare your hearts unto YHWH, and serve him only: and he
will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4 Then the children of
Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served YHWH only.
5 And
Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto YHWH.
6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it
out before YHWH, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned
against YHWH. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
7 And
when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together
to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the
children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the
children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto YHWH our Elohim for
us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9 And Samuel
took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto YHWH:
and Samuel cried unto YHWH for Israel; and YHWH heard him.
10 And as
Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle
against Israel: but YHWH thundered with a great thunder on that day upon
the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines,
and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone,
and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer,
saying, Hitherto has YHWH helped us.
13 So the Philistines were
subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of YHWH was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities
which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from
Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the
hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from
year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel
in all those places.
17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his
house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto YHWH.
1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges
over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his
second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in
his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted
judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and
came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, you are old, and
your sons walk not in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the
nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king
to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto YHWH.
7 And YHWH said unto
Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you:
for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not
reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the
day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they
have forsaken me, and served other elohim (``elohim''), so do they also unto you.
9 Now
therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them,
and show them the manner of the king who shall reign over them.
10 And
Samuel told all the words of YHWH unto the people who asked of him a
king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king who shall reign
over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his
chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over
fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to
make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will
take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards,
even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take
the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and
to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your
maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to
his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and you shall be his
servants.
18 And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you
shall have chosen; and YHWH will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they
said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all
the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight
our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he
rehearsed them in the ears of YHWH.
22 And YHWH said to Samuel,
Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men
of Israel, Go you every man unto his city.
1 Now there was a man of
Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of
Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he
had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there
was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his
shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3 And the asses
of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one
of the servants with you, and arise, go seek the asses.
4 And he passed
through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found
them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were
not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them
not.
5 And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant
who was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for
the asses, and take thought for us.
6 And he said unto him, Behold now,
there is in this city a man of Elohim, and he is an honourable man; all that he
said comes surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can show
us our way that we should go.
7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold,
if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels,
and there is not a present to bring to the man of Elohim: what have we?
8 And
the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the
fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of Elohim, to tell
us our way.
9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of Elohim, thus
he spoke, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he who is now called a Prophet
was beforetime called a Seer.)
10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said;
come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of Elohim was.
11 And
as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to
draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
12 And they answered them,
and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came today
to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place:
13 As soon as you be come into the city, you shall straightway find him,
before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he
come, because he does bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be
bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time you shall find him.
14 And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city,
behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
15 Now
YHWH had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16 To
morrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and
you shall anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my
people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people,
because their cry is come unto me.
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, YHWH
said unto him, Behold the man whom I spoke to you of! this same shall reign
over my people.
18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell
me, I pray you, where the seer's house is.
19 And Samuel answered Saul, and
said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for you shall eat
with me today, and to morrow I will let you go, and will tell you all that
is in your heart.
20 And as for your asses that were lost three days ago,
set not your mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of
Israel? Is it not on you, and on all your father's house?
21 And Saul
answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of
Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?
wherefore then speak you so to me?
22 And Samuel took Saul and his
servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest
place among those who were bidden, who were about thirty persons.
23 And
Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I
said unto you, Set it by you.
24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and
that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that
which is left! set it before you, and eat: for unto this time has it been
kept for you since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with
Samuel that day.
25 And when they were come down from the high place into
the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
26 And they
arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel
called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send you away.
And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul,
Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand you still a
while, that I may show you the word of Elohim.
1 Then Samuel took a vial of
oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because
YHWH has anointed you to be captain over his inheritance?
2 When you
are departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel's
sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto you,
The asses which you went to seek are found: and, lo, your father has left
the care of the asses, and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my
son?
3 Then shall you go on forward from thence, and you shall come to the
plain of Tabor, and there shall meet you three men going up to Elohim to Bethel,
one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and
another carrying a bottle of wine:
4 And they will salute you, and give
you two loaves of bread; which you shall receive of their hands.
5 After
that you shall come to the hill of Elohim, where is the garrison of the
Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when you are come thither to the
city, that you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high
place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and
they shall prophesy:
6 And the spirit of YHWH will come upon you, and
you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.
7 And
let it be, when these signs are come unto you, that you do as occasion serve
you; for Elohim is with you.
8 And you shall go down before me to Gilgal;
and, behold, I will come down unto you, to offer burnt offerings, and to
sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shall you tarry, till I
come to you, and show you what you shall do.
9 And it was so, that when
he had turned his back to go from Samuel, Elohim gave him another heart: and all
those signs came to pass that day.
10 And when they came thither to the
hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the spirit of Elohim came upon
him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it came to pass, when all who
knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then
the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of
Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And one of the same place answered
and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also
among the prophets?
13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came
to the high place.
14 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant,
Where went you? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they
were no where, we came to Samuel.
15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray
you, what Samuel said unto you.
16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us
plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof
Samuel spoke, he told him not.
17 And Samuel called the people together unto
YHWH to Mizpeh;
18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus said YHWH Elohim of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of
the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them
who oppressed you:
19 And you have this day rejected your Elohim, who himself
saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said
unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before
YHWH by your tribes, and by your thousands.
20 And when Samuel had
caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families,
the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when
they sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they inquired of YHWH further, if the man should yet come thither. And YHWH answered,
Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff.
23 And they ran and fetched him
thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the
people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people,
See you him whom YHWH has chosen, that there is none like him among all
the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Elohim save the king.
25 Then
Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and
laid it up before YHWH. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to
his house.
26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a
band of men, whose hearts Elohim had touched.
27 But the children of Belial
said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no
presents. But he held his peace.
1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and
encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash,
Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.
2 And Nahash the Ammonite
answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may
thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that
we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no
man to save us, we will come out to you.
4 Then came the messengers to
Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the
people lifted up their voices, and wept.
5 And, behold, Saul came after the
herd out of the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep?
And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
6 And the spirit of Elohim
came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them
throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying,
Whosoever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done
unto his oxen. And the fear of YHWH fell on the people, and they came out
with one consent.
8 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of
Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall you say unto the
men of Jabeshgilead, Tomorrow, by that time the sun be hot, you shall have
help. And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they
were glad.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out
unto you, and you shall do with us all that seems good unto you.
11 And it
was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they
came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites
until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they who remained were
scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
12 And the people
said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the
men, that we may put them to death.
13 And Saul said, There shall not a man
be put to death this day: for today YHWH has wrought salvation in
Israel.
14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal,
and renew the kingdom there.
15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there
they made Saul king before YHWH in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed
sacrifices of peace offerings before YHWH; and there Saul and all the men
of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I
have hearkened unto your voice in all that you said unto me, and have made a
king over you.
2 And now, behold, the king walks before you: and I am old
and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before
you from my childhood unto this day.
3 Behold, here I am: witness against me
before YHWH, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass
have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose
hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will
restore it you.
4 And they said, You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed
us, neither have you taken ought of any man's hand.
5 And he said unto
them, YHWH is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day,
that you have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is YHWH who advanced Moses and
Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Now
therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before YHWH of all the
righteous acts of YHWH, which he did to you and to your fathers.
8 When
Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto YHWH, then YHWH
sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made
them dwell in this place.
9 And when they forgot YHWH their Elohim, he sold
them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand
of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought
against them.
10 And they cried unto YHWH, and said, We have sinned,
because we have forsaken YHWH, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but
now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.
11 And YHWH sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and
delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you dwelled
safe.
12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came
against you, you said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when YHWH your Elohim was your king.
13 Now therefore behold the king whom you have
chosen, and whom you have desired! and, behold, YHWH has set a king over
you.
14 If you will fear YHWH, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not
rebel against the commandment of YHWH, then shall both you and also the
king who reigns over you continue following YHWH your Elohim:
15 But if
you will not obey the voice of YHWH, but rebel against the commandment of
YHWH, then shall the hand of YHWH be against you, as it was against
your fathers.
16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which YHWH will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will
call unto YHWH, and he shall send thunder and rain; that you may perceive
and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of YHWH, in asking for a king.
18 So Samuel called unto YHWH; and YHWH
sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared YHWH and
Samuel.
19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for your servants unto
YHWH your Elohim, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this
evil, to ask us a king.
20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: you
have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following YHWH, but
serve YHWH with all your heart;
21 And turn you not aside: for then
should you go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are
vain.
22 For YHWH will not forsake his people for his great name's sake:
because it has pleased YHWH to make you his people.
23 Moreover as for
me, Elohim forbid that I should sin against YHWH in ceasing to pray for you:
but I will teach you the good and the right way:
24 Only fear YHWH, and
serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has
done for you.
25 But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed,
both you and your king.
1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned
two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel;
whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a
thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people
he sent every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the
Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew
the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
4 And all
Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that
Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were
called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered
themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six
thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in
multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people
were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in
thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7 And some of the
Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was
yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 And he tarried
seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel
came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Saul said,
Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the
burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end
of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet
him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What have you done? And
Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you
came not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered
themselves together at Michmash;
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will
come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto YHWH: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
13 And Samuel
said to Saul, You have done foolishly: you have not kept the commandment of
YHWH your Elohim, which he commanded you: for now would YHWH have
established your kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now your kingdom shall
not continue: YHWH has sought him a man after his own heart, and YHWH
has commanded him to be captain over his people, because you have not kept
that which YHWH commanded you.
15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from
Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present
with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the
people who were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the
Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 And the spoilers came out of the camp
of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that
leads to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
18 And another company turned the
way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that
looks to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now there was no
smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest
the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
20 But all the Israelites went down
to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his
ax, and his mattock.
21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the
coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor
spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan:
but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
23 And the garrison
of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
1 Now it came to
pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man who
bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that
is on the other side. But he told not his father.
2 And Saul tarried in the
uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the
people who were with him were about six hundred men;
3 And Ahiah, the son
of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, YHWH's
priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was
gone.
4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto
the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp
rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the
other Seneh.
5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against
Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said
to the young man who bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the
garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that YHWH will work for us: for
there is no restraint to YHWH to save by many or by few.
7 And his
armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in your heart: turn you; behold,
I am with you according to your heart.
8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will
pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
9 If
they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in
our place, and will not go up unto them.
10 But if they say thus, Come up
unto us; then we will go up: for YHWH has delivered them into our hand:
and this shall be a sign unto us.
11 And both of them discovered themselves
unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the
Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12 And
the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come
up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his
armourbearer, Come up after me: for YHWH has delivered them into the hand
of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and
his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his
armourbearer slew after him.
14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and
his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of
land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
15 And there was trembling in the
host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers,
they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the
multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
17 Then
said Saul unto the people who were with him, Number now, and see who is gone
from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer
were not there.
18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of Elohim.
For the ark of Elohim was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it
came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in
the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the
priest, Withdraw your hand.
20 And Saul and all the people who were with
him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every
man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time,
who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim,
when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after
them in the battle.
23 So YHWH saved Israel that day: and the battle
passed over unto Bethaven.
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that
day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats
any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the
people tasted any food.
25 And all they of the land came to a wood; and
there was honey upon the ground.
26 And when the people were come into the
wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the
people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged
the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was
in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and
his eyes were enlightened.
28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Your
father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man
who eats any food this day. And the people were faint.
29 Then said
Jonathan, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes
have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much
more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their
enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter
among the Philistines?
31 And they smote the Philistines that day from
Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew
upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the
ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
33 Then they told Saul,
saying, Behold, the people sin against YHWH, in that they eat with the
blood. And he said, You have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.
34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them,
Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here,
and eat; and sin not against YHWH in eating with the blood. And all the
people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto YHWH: the same was the first altar that
he built unto YHWH.
36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the
Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not
leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seems good unto you. Then
said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto Elohim.
37 And Saul asked counsel
of Elohim, Shall I go down after the Philistines? will you deliver them into the
hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw you
near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin
has been this day.
39 For, as YHWH lives, who saves Israel, though
it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among
all the people who answered him.
40 Then said he unto all Israel, Be you on
one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people
said unto Saul, Do what seems good unto you.
41 Therefore Saul said unto
YHWH Elohim of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken:
but the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan
my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what
you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little
honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
44 And Saul answered, Elohim do so and more also: for you shall surely die,
Jonathan.
45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has
wrought this great salvation in Israel? Elohim forbid: as YHWH lives, there
shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with
Elohim this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 Then Saul
went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own
place.
47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his
enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and
against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and
whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
48 And he gathered a host,
and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who
spoiled them.
49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and
Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the
firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
50 And the name of
Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain
of his host 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 Abiel.
52 And
there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul
saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
1 Samuel
also said unto Saul, YHWH sent me to anoint you to be king over his
people, over Israel: now therefore hearken you unto the voice of the words of
YHWH.
2 Thus said YHWH of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did
to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare
them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep,
camel and ass.
4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in
Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And
Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said
unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I
destroy you with them: for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel,
when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the
Amalekites.
7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until you come
to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of the
Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the
sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and
of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and
would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that
they destroyed utterly.
10 Then came the word of YHWH unto Samuel,
saying,
11 It repents me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is
turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And it
grieved Samuel; and he cried unto YHWH all night.
12 And when Samuel
rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came
to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed
on, and gone down to Gilgal.
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto
him, Blessed be you of YHWH: I have performed the commandment of YHWH.
14 And Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in
mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 And Saul said, They
have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the
sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto YHWH your Elohim; and the rest we
have utterly destroyed.
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell
you what YHWH has said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Samuel said, When you were little in your own sight, were you not
made the head of the tribes of Israel, and YHWH anointed you king over
Israel?
18 And YHWH sent you on a journey, and said, Go and utterly
destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be
consumed.
19 Wherefore then did you not obey the voice of YHWH, but
did fly upon the spoil, and did evil in the sight of YHWH?
20 And
Saul said unto Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of YHWH, and have gone
the way which YHWH sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and
have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 But the people took of the spoil,
sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly
destroyed, to sacrifice unto YHWH your Elohim in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel said,
Has YHWH as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of YHWH? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and
to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have
rejected the word of YHWH, he has also rejected you from being king.
24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the
commandment of YHWH, and your words: because I feared the people, and
obeyed their voice.
25 Now therefore, I pray you, pardon my sin, and turn
again with me, that I may worship YHWH.
26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I
will not return with you: for you have rejected the word of YHWH, and
YHWH has rejected you from being king over Israel.
27 And as Samuel
turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it
rent.
28 And Samuel said unto him, YHWH has rent the kingdom of Israel
from you this day, and has given it to a neighbour of your, who is better
than you.
29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for
he is not a man, that he should repent.
30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet
honour me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people, and before Israel,
and turn again with me, that I may worship YHWH your Elohim.
31 So Samuel
turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped YHWH.
32 Then said Samuel,
Bring you hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him
delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33 And
Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be
childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before YHWH in
Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to
Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his
death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and YHWH repented that he had
made Saul king over Israel.
1 And YHWH said unto 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 the
Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 And Samuel
said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And YHWH said, Take
a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to YHWH.
3 And call
Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you
shall anoint unto me him whom I name unto you.
4 And Samuel did that which
YHWH spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at
his coming, and said, Come you peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably: I am
come to sacrifice unto YHWH: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the
sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the
sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on
Eliab, and said, Surely YHWH's anointed is before him.
7 But YHWH
said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his
stature; because I have refused him: for YHWH sees not as man sees; for
man looks on the outward appearance, but YHWH looks on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,
Neither has YHWH chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And
he said, Neither has YHWH chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of
his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, YHWH has not
chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all your children? And
he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till
he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and
withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And YHWH said,
Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and
anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of YHWH came
upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 But the spirit of YHWH departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
YHWH troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an
evil spirit from Elohim troubles you.
16 Let our lord now command your
servants, who are before you, to seek out a man, who is a skillful player on
a harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from Elohim is upon
you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.
17 And Saul
said unto his servants, Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him
to me.
18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a
son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, and a mighty
valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person,
and YHWH is with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and
said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an
ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David
his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he
loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to
Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found
favour in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from Elohim
was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was
refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 Now the
Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered
together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and
Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered
together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array
against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the
one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a
valley between them.
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the
Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat
of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between
his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and
his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield
went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and
said unto them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? am not I a
Philistine, and you servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him
come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will
we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you
be our servants, and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies
of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul
and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and
greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of
Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went
among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
13 And the three eldest sons
of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons
who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab,
and the third Shammah.
14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest
followed Saul.
15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's
sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and
presented himself forty days.
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now
for your brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run
to the camp to your brethren;
18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain
of their thousand, and look how your brethren fare, and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of
Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose up early in the
morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had
commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the
fight, and shouted for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had put
the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David left his carriage in
the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and
saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up
the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of
the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were
sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who is
come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man
who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him
his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
26 And David spoke
to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who
kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is
this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living
Elohim?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it
be done to the man who kills him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard
when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and
he said, Why came you down hither? and with whom have you left those few
sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart;
for you are come down that you might see the battle.
29 And David said,
What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 And he turned from him toward
another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again
after the former manner.
31 And when the words were heard which David spoke,
they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And David said to
Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight
with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go
against this Philistine to fight with him: for you are but a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Your servant kept his
father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the
flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of
his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote
him, and slew him.
36 Your servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this
uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the
armies of the living Elohim.
37 David said moreover, YHWH who delivered me
out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me
out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and YHWH
be with you.
38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put a helmet
of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David
girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved
it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved
them. And David put them off him.
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and
chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's
bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew
near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto
David; and the man who bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the
Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a
youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto
David, Am I a dog, that you come to me with staves? And the Philistine
cursed David by his elohim (``elohim'').
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me,
and I will give your flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the
field.
45 Then said David 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 YHWH of hosts, the Elohim of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day will YHWH deliver you into mine hand; and I will smite
you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcases of the host
of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts
of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a Elohim in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that YHWH saves not with sword and
spear: for the battle is YHWH's, and he will give you into our hands.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to
meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it,
and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his
forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over
the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and
slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David
ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the
sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the
Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Israel
and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come
to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines
fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
53 And the
children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they
spoiled their tents.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and
brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.
55 And when Saul
saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of
the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives,
O king, I cannot tell.
56 And the king said, Inquire you whose son the
stripling is.
57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine,
Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in
his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, you young man? And
David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
1 And
it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul
of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own
soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his
father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved
him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was
upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to
his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent
him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he
was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's
servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from
the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of
Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and
with instruments of music.
7 And the women answered one another as they
played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They
have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but
thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David
from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the
evil spirit from Elohim came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the
house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a
javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will
smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence
twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because YHWH was with him, and
was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him
his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and YHWH was with
him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was
afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out
and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter
Merab, her will I give you to wife: only be you valiant for me, and fight
YHWH's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the
hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I?
and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in
law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's
daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the
Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they
told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her,
that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be
against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, You shall this day be my son in
law in the one of the twain.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying,
Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in you,
and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king's son in law.
23 And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David
said, Seems it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I
am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him,
saying, On this manner spoke David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall you say to
David, The king desires not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the
Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make
David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told
David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the
days were not expired.
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men,
and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their
foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the
king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And
Saul saw and knew that YHWH was with David, and that Michal Saul's
daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul
became David's enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines
went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved
himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much
set by.
1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants,
that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in
David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill you:
now therefore, I pray you, take heed to yourself until the morning, and abide
in a secret place, and hide yourself:
3 And I will go out and stand beside my
father in the field where you are, and I will commune with my father of you;
and what I see, that I will tell you.
4 And Jonathan spoke good of David
unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his
servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because
his works have been to you-ward very good:
5 For he did put his life in his
hand, and slew the Philistine, and YHWH wrought a great salvation for all
Israel: you saw it, and did rejoice: wherefore then will you sin
against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
6 And Saul hearkened
unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, As YHWH lives, he shall not
be slain.
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those
things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in
times past.
8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with
the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
9 And the evil spirit from YHWH was upon Saul, as he sat in his house
with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
10 And Saul
sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away
out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David
fled, and escaped that night.
11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's
house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife
told him, saying, If you save not your life to night, to morrow you shall be
slain.
12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled,
and escaped.
13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a
pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
14 And
when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul
sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed,
that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there
was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why have you deceived me so, and sent away
mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let
me go; why should I kill you?
18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to
Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel
went and dwelt in Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is
at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they
saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed
over them, the spirit of Elohim was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also
prophesied.
21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they
prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they
prophesied also.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well
that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one
said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth
in Ramah: and the spirit of Elohim was upon him also, and he went on, and
prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his
clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked
all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the
prophets?
1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before
Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before
your father, that he seeks my life?
2 And he said unto him, Elohim forbid;
you shall not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small,
but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me?
it is not so.
3 And David swore moreover, and said, Your father certainly
knows that I have found grace in your eyes; and he said, Let not Jonathan
know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as YHWH lives, and as your soul
lives, there is but a step between me and death.
4 Then said Jonathan unto
David, Whatsoever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
5 And David
said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail
to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the
field unto the third day at even.
6 If your father at all miss me, then say,
David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for
there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7 If he say thus, It
is well; your servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure
that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore you shall deal kindly with your
servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of YHWH with
you: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why
should you bring me to your father?
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from
you: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come
upon you, then would not I tell it you?
10 Then said David to Jonathan,
Who shall tell me? or what if your father answer you roughly?
11 And
Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they
went out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan said unto David, O
YHWH Elohim of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or
the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not
unto you, and show it you;
13 YHWH do so and much more to Jonathan:
but if it please my father to do you evil, then I will show it you, and send
you away, that you may go in peace: and YHWH be with you, as he has
been with my father.
14 And you shall not only while yet I live show me the
kindness of YHWH, that I die not:
15 But also you shall not cut off your
kindness from my house for ever: no, not when YHWH has cut off the
enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a
covenant with the house of David, saying, Let YHWH even require it at the
hand of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again,
because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then
Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and you shall be missed,
because your seat will be empty.
19 And when you have stayed three days,
then you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you did hide
yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a
mark.
21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If
I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you,
take them; then come you: for there is peace to you, and no hurt; as YHWH lives.
22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are
beyond you; go your way: for YHWH has sent you away.
23 And as
touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, YHWH be
between you and me for ever.
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when
the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king
sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and
Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Something
has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came
to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's
place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore comes not the
son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today?
28 And Jonathan
answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
29 And
he said, Let me go, I pray you; for our family has a sacrifice in the city;
and my brother, he has commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found
favour in your eyes, let me get away, I pray you, and see my brethren.
Therefore he comes not unto the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was
kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, You son of the perverse
rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to
your own confusion, and unto the confusion of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, you shall not be
established, nor your kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he
shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto
him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what has he done?
33 And Saul cast a
javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of
his father to slay David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce
anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for
David, because his father had done him shame.
35 And it came to pass in the
morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with
David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out
now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had
shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond you?
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And
Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the
lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And
Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to
the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place
toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three
times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David
exceeded.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have
sworn both of us in the name of YHWH, saying, YHWH be between me and
you, and between my seed and your seed for ever. And he arose and departed:
and Jonathan went into the city.
1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech
the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto
him, Why are you alone, and no man with you?
2 And David said unto
Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said
unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send you, and
what I have commanded you: and I have appointed my servants to such and such
a place.
3 Now therefore what is under your hand? give me five loaves of
bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4 And the priest answered
David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is
hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have
been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of
the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yes, though it
were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6 So the priest gave him hallowed
bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from
before YHWH, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a
certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before YHWH; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that
belonged to Saul.
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here
under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my
weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
9 And the
priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the
valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if
you will take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David
said, There is none like that; give it me.
10 And David arose, and fled that
day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the
servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did
they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his
thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in
his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed
his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and
scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his
beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, you see the man is mad:
wherefore then have you brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that you
have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow
come into my house?
1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the
cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they
went down thither to him.
2 And every one who was in distress, and every
one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered themselves
unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about
four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said
unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come forth,
and be with you, till I know what Elohim will do for me.
4 And he brought them
before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was
in the hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold;
depart, and get you into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came
into the forest of Hareth.
6 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and
the men who were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah,
having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
7 Then Saul said unto his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you
Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards,
and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
8 That all
of you have conspired against me, and there is none who shows me that my
son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is
sorry for me, or shows unto me that my son has stirred up my servant
against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the
Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of
Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of
YHWH for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the
Philistine.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of
Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob: and they
came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, you son of
Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why
have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have
given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of Elohim for him, that he should
rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered
the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David,
who is the king's son in law, and goes at your bidding, and is honourable in
your house?
15 Did I then begin to inquire of Elohim for him? be it far from
me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house
of my father: for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And
the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's
house.
17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and
slay the priests of YHWH; because their hand also is with David, and
because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me. But the servants of
the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of YHWH.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn you, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg
the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day
fourscore and five persons who did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city
of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women,
children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the
sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named
Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar showed David that
Saul had slain YHWH's priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew
it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul:
I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house.
23 Abide you with me, fear not: for he who seeks my life seeks your
life: but with me you shall be in safeguard.
1 Then they told David,
saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the
threshingfloors.
2 Therefore David inquired of YHWH, saying, Shall I go
and smite these Philistines? And YHWH said unto David, Go, and smite the
Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be
afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the
armies of the Philistines?
4 Then David inquired of YHWH yet again. And
YHWH answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah: for I will deliver
the Philistines into your hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and
fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them
with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it
came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that
he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David
was come to Keilah. And Saul said, Elohim has delivered him into mine hand; for
he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
8 And Saul
called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David
and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against
him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 Then
said David, O YHWH Elohim of Israel, your servant has certainly heard that Saul
seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men
of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as your servant
has heard? O YHWH Elohim of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant. And YHWH said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah
deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And YHWH said, They will
deliver you up.
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred,
arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it
was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a
mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but Elohim
delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to
seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 And
Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened
his hand in Elohim.
17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my
father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be
next unto you; and that also Saul my father knows.
18 And they two made a
covenant before YHWH: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to
his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not
David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of
Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20 Now therefore, O king, come
down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall
be to deliver him into the king's hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be you of
YHWH; for you have compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and
know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there: for it
is told me that he deals very subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge
of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come you again to me
with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he
be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of
Judah.
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his
men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he
came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul
heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul
went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the
mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his
men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came
a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste you, and come; for the Philistines have
invaded the land.
28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and
went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place
Selahammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong
holds at Engedi.
1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from
following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in
the wilderness of Engedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of
all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild
goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and
Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of
the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which YHWH said unto you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that
you may do to him as it shall seem good unto you. Then David arose, and
cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward,
that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he
said unto his men, YHWH forbid that I should do this thing unto my master,
YHWH's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the
anointed of YHWH.
7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and
suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and
went on his way.
8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and
cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him,
David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
9 And David
said to Saul, Wherefore hear you men's words, saying, Behold, David
seeks your hurt?
10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that YHWH
had delivered you today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill
you: but mine eye spared you; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand
against my lord; for he is YHWH's anointed.
11 Moreover, my father, see,
yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of
your robe, and killed you not, know you and see that there is neither evil
nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against you; yet you
hunt my soul to take it.
12 YHWH judge between me and you, and YHWH avenge me of you: but mine hand shall not be upon you.
13 As said
the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked: but mine
hand shall not be upon you.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out?
after whom do you pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 YHWH
therefore be judge, and judge between me and you, and see, and plead my
cause, and deliver me out of your hand.
16 And it came to pass, when David
had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this your
voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he said
to David, You are more righteous than I: for you have rewarded me good,
whereas I have rewarded you evil.
18 And you have showed this day how that
you have dealt well with me: forasmuch as when YHWH had delivered me into
your hand, you killed me not.
19 For if a man find his enemy, will he
let him go well away? wherefore YHWH reward you good for that you have
done unto me this day.
20 And now, behold, I know well that you shall
surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your
hand.
21 Swear now therefore unto me by YHWH, that you will not cut off
my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's
house.
22 And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his
men gat them up unto the hold.
1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites
were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at
Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 And
there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was
very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was
shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the
name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a
beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he
was of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal
did shear his sheep.
5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto
the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my
name:
6 And thus shall you say to him who lives in prosperity, Peace be
both to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be unto all that you
have.
7 And now I have heard that you have shearers: now your shepherds
who were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto
them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask your young men, and they will
show you. Wherefore let the young men find favour in your eyes: for we come
in a good day: give, I pray you, whatsoever comes to your hand unto your
servants, and to your son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they
spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is
the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man
from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh
that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not
whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again,
and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men,
Gird you on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and
David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four
hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men
told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the
wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were
very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long
as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a
wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping
the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is
determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a
son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste,
and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready
dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of
raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 And she
said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she
told not her husband Nabal.
20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that
she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came
down against her; and she met them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain
have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was
missed of all that pertained unto him: and he has requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do Elohim unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that
pertain to him by the morning light any that urinates against the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell
before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at
his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let
your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of
your handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this man of Belial,
even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with
him: but I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom you did
send.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as YHWH lives, and as your soul lives,
seeing YHWH has withheld you from coming to shed blood, and from
avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies, and they who
seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
27 And now this blessing which your
handmaid has brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men
who follow my lord.
28 I pray you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid:
for YHWH will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord
fights the battles of YHWH, and evil has not been found in you all your
days.
29 Yet a man is risen to pursue you, and to seek your soul: but the
soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with YHWH your Elohim;
and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle
of a sling.
30 And it shall come to pass, when YHWH shall have done to
my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and
shall have appointed you ruler over Israel;
31 That this shall be no grief
unto you, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that you have shed blood without
cause, or that my lord has avenged himself: but when YHWH shall have
dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.
32 And David said to
Abigail, Blessed be YHWH Elohim of Israel, who sent you this day to meet
me:
33 And blessed be your advice, and blessed be you, who have kept me
this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own
hand.
34 For in very deed, as YHWH Elohim of Israel lives, who has kept
me back from hurting you, unless you had hasted and come to meet me,
surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that
urinates against the wall.
35 So David received of her hand that which she
had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to your house; see, I have
hearkened to your voice, and have accepted your person.
36 And Abigail came to
Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king;
and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she
told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
37 But it came to
pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had
told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a
stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that YHWH smote
Nabal, that he died.
39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said,
Blessed be YHWH, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand
of Nabal, and has kept his servant from evil: for YHWH has returned the
wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with
Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
40 And when the servants of David were
come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying, David sent us unto
you, to take you to him to wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on
her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to
wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hasted, and arose,
and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers who went after her; and she
went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 David also took
Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
44 But Saul
had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who
was of Gallim.
1 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does
not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three
thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of
Ziph.
3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon,
by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after
him into the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood
that Saul was come in very deed.
5 And David arose, and came to the place
where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner
the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the
people pitched round about him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech
the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who
will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down
with you.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold,
Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his
bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai
to David, Elohim has delivered your enemy into your hand this day: now
therefore let me smite him, I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at
once, and I will not smite him the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai,
Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against YHWH's
anointed, and be guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As YHWH lives,
YHWH shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend
into battle, and perish.
11 YHWH forbid that I should stretch forth mine
hand against YHWH's anointed: but, I pray you, take you now the spear
that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
12 So David
took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them
away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awoke: for they were all
asleep; because a deep sleep from YHWH was fallen upon them.
13 Then
David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a
great space being between them:
14 And David cried to the people, and to
Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answer you not, Abner? Then Abner answered
and said, Who are you who cries to the king?
15 And David said to Abner,
Are not you a valiant man? and who is like to you in Israel? wherefore then
have you not kept your lord the king? for there came one of the people in to
destroy the king your lord.
16 This thing is not good that you have done. As
YHWH lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept your master,
YHWH's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of
water that was at his bolster.
17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is
this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
18 And he said, Wherefore does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for
what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray
you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If YHWH have
stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the
children of men, cursed be they before YHWH; for they have driven me out
this day from abiding in the inheritance of YHWH, saying, Go, serve other
elohim (``elohim'').
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face
of YHWH: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one
does hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21 Then said Saul, I have sinned:
return, my son David: for I will no more do you harm, because my soul was
precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have
erred exceedingly.
22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear!
and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23 YHWH render to
every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for YHWH delivered you
into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against YHWH's anointed.
24 And, behold, as your life was much set by this day in
mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of YHWH, and let him
deliver me out of all tribulation.
25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be
you, my son David: you shall both do great things, and also shall still
prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
1 And
David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there
is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of
the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any
coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
2 And David arose, and
he passed over with the six hundred men who were with him unto Achish, the
son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and
his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam
the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
4 And it was
told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in your eyes, let
them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for
why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?
6 Then Achish gave
him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertains unto the kings of Judah unto
this day.
7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines
was a full year and four months.
8 And David and his men went up, and
invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those
nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as you go to Shur, even
unto the land of Egypt.
9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor
woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the
camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.
10 And Achish
said, Where have you made a road today? And David said, Against the south of
Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of
the Kenites.
11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring
tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David,
and so will be his manner all the while he dwells in the country of the
Philistines.
12 And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people
Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their
armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David,
Know you assuredly, that you shall go out with me to battle, you and your
men.
2 And David said to Achish, Surely you shall know what your servant can
do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make you keeper of mine head
for ever.
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried
him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those who had
familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines
gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul
gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul
saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly
trembled.
6 And when Saul inquired of YHWH, YHWH answered him not,
neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his
servants, Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her,
and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman
who has a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put
on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the
woman by night: and he said, I pray you, divine unto me by the familiar
spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto you.
9 And the woman
said unto him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off
those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore
then lay you a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul swore
to her by YHWH, saying, As YHWH lives, there shall no punishment
happen to you for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up
unto you? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw
Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why
have you deceived me? for you are Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be
not afraid: for what saw you? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw elohim (``elohim'')
ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And
she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul
perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and
bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disquieted me, to
bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make
war against me, and Elohim is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither
by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may
make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then do
you ask of me, seeing YHWH is departed from you, and is become your
enemy?
17 And YHWH has done to him, as he spoke by me: for YHWH
has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, even
to David:
18 Because you obeyed not the voice of YHWH, nor executed
his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore has YHWH done this thing unto
you this day.
19 Moreover YHWH will also deliver Israel with you into
the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shall you and your sons be with me:
YHWH also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the
Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was
sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him;
for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
21 And the woman
came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold,
your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and
have hearkened unto your words which you spoke unto me.
22 Now therefore,
I pray you, hearken you also unto the voice of your handmaid, and let me
set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength,
when you go on your way.
23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But
his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto
their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
24 And the
woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took
flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
25 And she
brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they
rose up, and went away that night.
1 Now the Philistines gathered
together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain
which is in Jezreel.
2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by
hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward
with Achish.
3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these
Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this
David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these
days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me
unto this day?
4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and
the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he
may go again to his place which you have appointed him, and let him not go
down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for
wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with
the heads of these men?
5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to
another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten
thousands?
6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as YHWH lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with
me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in you since
the day of your coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour
you not.
7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that you displease not
the lords of the Philistines.
8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I
done? and what have you found in your servant so long as I have been with you
unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the
king?
9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are good in
my sight, as an angel of Elohim: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines
have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
10 Wherefore now rise
up early in the morning with your master's servants who are come with you:
and as soon as you be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
11 So
David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the
land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
1 And it
came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day,
that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and
burned it with fire;
2 And had taken the women captives, who were therein:
they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on
their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was
burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were
taken captives.
4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up
their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's
two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife
of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people
spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every
man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in YHWH his Elohim.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I
pray you, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod
to David.
8 And David inquired at YHWH, saying, Shall I pursue after
this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for you shall
surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
9 So David went, he and
the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where
those who were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four
hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, who were so faint that they could
not go over the brook Besor.
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and
brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him
drink water;
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two
clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for
he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13 And David said unto him, To whom belong you? and whence are you? And
he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master
left me, because three days ago I fell sick.
14 We made an invasion upon the
south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongs to Judah, and
upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said
to him, Can you bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me
by Elohim, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my
master, and I will bring you down to this company.
16 And when he had
brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating
and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken
out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17 And
David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and
there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon
camels, and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried
away: and David rescued his two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to
them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor
any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
20 And David
took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle,
and said, This is David's spoil.
21 And David came to the two hundred men,
who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also
to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet
the people who were with him: and when David came near to the people, he
saluted them.
22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of
those who went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will
not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his
wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
23 Then
said David, You shall not do so, my brethren, with that which YHWH has
given us, who has preserved us, and delivered the company that came against
us into our hand.
24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as
his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who guards
the stuff: they shall part alike.
25 And it was so from that day forward,
that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26 And
when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even
to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies
of YHWH;
27 To them who were in Bethel, and to them who were in
south Ramoth, and to them who were in Jattir,
28 And to them who were in
Aroer, and to them who were in Siphmoth, and to them who were in Eshtemoa,
29 And to them who were in Rachal, and to them who were in the cities of
the Jerahmeelites, and to them who were in the cities of the Kenites,
30 And to them who were in Hormah, and to them who were in Chorashan,
and to them who were in Athach,
31 And to them who were in Hebron, and
to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled
from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the
Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines
slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle
went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of
the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw your sword, and
thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me
through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid.
Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer
saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men,
that same day together.
7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other
side of the valley, and they who were on the other side Jordan, saw that the
men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the
cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And it came
to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they
found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his
head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines
round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his
body to the wall of Bethshan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead
heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
12 All the valiant men
arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his
sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and
fasted seven days.
Where this translation came from
Latest update: August 2008
(C) Selwyn Russell 2008
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