DASV: 1 Samuel

DASV: 1 Samuel 1

¹ Now there was a man named Elkanah from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

² He had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah and the name of other Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

³ This man went up from his town year after year to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.

⁴ When the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah, and to all her sons and her daughters,

⁵ but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb.

⁶ Her rival teased her bitterly, to upset her, because the LORD had stopped her from having children.

⁷ This went on year after year, when Hannah went up to the house of the LORD. Penninah would provoke her until she started crying and refused to eat.

⁸ Then her husband Elkanah would ask her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why is your heart so sad? Am not I better to you than ten sons?"

⁹ One time after they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple.

¹⁰ She was deeply distraught, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.

¹¹ She made a vow, promising, "O LORD of hosts, if you would only look on the suffering of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but give your servant a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor will ever come on his head."

¹² It so happened as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli noticed her mouth moving.

¹³ Now Hannah was praying in her heart, but her lips moved, although her voice was not heard; so Eli assumed she was drunk.

¹⁴ Eli rebuked her, "How long will you keep getting drunk? Get rid of your wine!"

¹⁵ But Hannah objected, "No, it's not like that, my lord, I am a woman who is terribly upset, I haven't been drinking wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

¹⁶ Don't think of me, your servant, as a wicked woman. It is out of the greatness of my sorrow and anguish that I have been praying."

¹⁷ Then Eli answered, "Go in peace. May the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked him for."

¹⁸ She responded, "May your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way, ate and her face was no longer despondent.

¹⁹ They got up early the next morning, worshipped the LORD, and went to their home at Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

²⁰ In the course of time, Hannah conceived, and bore a son. She named him "Samuel," saying, "Because I have asked the LORD for him."

²¹ The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer the yearly sacrifice and to keep his vow to the LORD.

²² But Hannah did not go up; for she told her husband, "I will not go up until the child is weaned. Then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and stay there permanently."

²³ Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Do whatever seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; may the LORD keep his promise." So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

²⁴ After she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, one ephah basket of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh, even though the child was very young.

²⁵ They slew the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

²⁶ Then she said, "Oh, my lord, as surely as you are alive, I am the woman that stood here by you, praying to the LORD.

²⁷ I prayed for this child and the LORD has granted me what I asked him for.

²⁸ Therefore I have given him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." So they worshipped the LORD there.

DASV: 1 Samuel 2

¹ Hannah prayed,

"My heart rejoices in the LORD,

my strength is increased in the LORD.

My mouth boasts over my enemies,

for I rejoice in your deliverance.

² No one is as holy as the LORD,

for there is no one besides you,

there is no Rock like our God.

³ Stop talking so proudly,

let no arrogance come out of your mouth,

for the LORD is a God who knows,

and by him actions are weighed.

⁴ The bows of the mighty are broken,

but those who frailly stumble are clothed with strength.

⁵ They who were full have sold themselves for food,

and those who were starved are no longer hungry.

The woman who was barren gives birth to seven,

while she who has many children wastes away.

⁶ The LORD kills and gives life,

he brings down to the grave and raises up.

⁷ The LORD makes some poor, and makes others rich,

he humbles some, and others he exalts.

⁸ He raises the poor out of the dust,

he lifts up the needy from the ash heap,

to make them sit with princes,

and inherit the throne of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,

and he has set the world on them.

⁹ He will protect the feet of his holy ones,

but the wicked will be silenced in darkness,

for no one will succeed by mere strength.

¹⁰ They who oppose the LORD will be shattered,

he will thunder from heaven against them.

The LORD will judge the ends of the earth,

he will give strength to his king,

and increase the strength of his anointed one."

¹¹ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. The boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.

¹² The sons of Eli were wicked scoundrels; they had no respect for the LORD.

¹³ Now it was the custom of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant came with a three-pronged fork in his hand, while the meat was still boiling.

¹⁴ He would stick it into the pan, kettle, caldron or pot and whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did to all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

¹⁵ Even before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come, and say to the one who sacrificed, "Give meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept your boiled meat, but only raw."

¹⁶ If the person said to him, "Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you want." Then he would say, "No, but give it to me right now, and if not, I will take it by force."

¹⁷ The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for they were treating the offering of LORD with contempt.

¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the LORD, a boy, dressed in a linen priestly ephod.

¹⁹ Each year his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him when she came up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

²⁰ Then Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "May the LORD give you children by this woman for the gift she has given to the LORD." Then they would return home.

²¹ The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. So the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

²² Now Eli was very old. He heard everything that his sons did to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

²³ He questioned them, "Why are you doing such things? For I hear about your evil dealings from all these people.

²⁴ No, my sons, it is not a good report that I hear circulating among the LORD's people.

²⁵ If someone sins against another person, God may mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they refused to listen to their father, because the LORD had already decided to put them to death.

²⁶ But the boy Samuel grew up, and increased in favor with both the LORD and with people.

²⁷ A man of God came to Eli, and told him, "This is what the LORD says, 'Didn't I clearly reveal myself to your forefather's house when they were slaves in Pharaoh's house in Egypt?

²⁸ I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to approach my altar, to burn incense and to wear an ephod before me. I gave to your father's house all the offerings the Israelites made by fire.

²⁹ Why then are you scorning my sacrifice and offering that I commanded for my dwelling place, by honoring your sons more than me by making yourselves fat with the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel?'

³⁰ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'I promised that your house, and the house of your father should walk before me forever,' but now the LORD says, 'May it never be, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will themselves be despised.

³¹ Look, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man left in your house.

³² You will look on with distress in my dwelling place, as prosperity is poured out on Israel yet no one in your house will live to old age forever.

³³ The only descendant of yours that I will not cut off from my altar, will be spared so you may cry your eyes out and grieve your heart. All the descendants of your house will die by the hands of men.

³⁴ This will be the sign to you, that will come on your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, both of them will die on the same day.

³⁵ But I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, that will do according to what is in my heart and soul. I will build a sure house for him and he will walk before my anointed one forever.

³⁶ Then everyone who is left from your house will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and will beg, "Please let me serve as a priest, so that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

DASV: 1 Samuel 3

¹ The boy Samuel ministered to the LORD assisting Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were infrequent.

² One night Eli was lying down in his place, (now his eyes had begun to fail, so that he could not see),

³ and the lamp of God had not gone out yet, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

⁴ Then the LORD called, "Samuel," and he answered, "Here I am."

⁵ He ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am. You called me?" But Eli replied, "I didn't call. Go lie down again." So he went back and lay down.

⁶ Then the LORD called again, "Samuel." Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am. You called me?" He answered, "I didn't call, my son. Go, lie down again."

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ Then the LORD called Samuel again, the third time. He got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I. Did you call me?" Eli realized that the LORD was calling the child.

⁹ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down. If he calls you again, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed.

¹⁰ Then the LORD came, and stood there and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel replied, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

¹¹ The LORD said to Samuel, "Look, I am about to do something so shocking in Israel that it will make the ears of everyone that hears it tingle.

¹² In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to the end.

¹³ I told him that I would judge his house forever, for the iniquity he knew about, because his sons were blaspheming God, yet he did not stop them.

¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house will never be forgiven by sacrifice or offering."

¹⁵ Samuel lay there until the morning, then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son." He replied, "Here I am."

¹⁷ He asked, "What did he tell you? Don't hide it from me. God punish you and more, if you hide anything from me from all the words that he spoke to you."

¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. Then Eli responded, "It is the LORD's will, he will do what seems good to him."

¹⁹ Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground unfulfilled.

²⁰ All Israel from Dan to Beersheba realized that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD.

²¹ The LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

DASV: 1 Samuel 4
¹ The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines in battle, and camped beside Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
² The Philistines positioned themselves for battle against Israel. As the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, and they slew 4,000 in the battlefield.
³ When the troops returned to camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD allowed us to be defeated by the Philistines? Let's bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us, and save us from the hand of our enemies."
⁴ So the troops sent to Shiloh and brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who sits between the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
⁵ When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth shook.

⁶ When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, "What's all this shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?" They found out that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
⁷ The Philistines were terrified, for they thought, "The gods have come into the camp." They lamented, "We're in trouble now! For nothing like this has happened before.
⁸ Bad news for us! Who can save us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the very gods who destroyed the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the wilderness.
⁹ Be strong and act like men, Philistines, that you not become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men and fight."
¹⁰ The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated. Everyone fled to his tent. There was a great slaughter with Israel loosing 30,000 soldiers.
¹¹ The ark of God was captured and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

¹² A Benjaminite man ran from the battle front, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and dirt strewn on his head.
¹³ When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his chair watching by the roadside; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the town, and told what had happened, all the town cried out.
¹⁴ When Eli heard the uproar of the crying, he asked, "What does all this ruckus mean?" The man quickly came and told Eli.
¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had glazed over, so that he could not see.
¹⁶ The man said to Eli, "I have just come from the battle, I just fled from it today." Eli asked, "How did it go, my son?"
¹⁷ The one who brought the tidings answered, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the troops. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."
¹⁸ When he made mention of the ark of God, Eli toppled backward off his seat by the side of the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and heavy. He judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹ His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant, near her due date. When she heard the tidings that the ark of God had been captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth; for labor pains had overcome her.
²⁰ Just before she died the women who were standing by her said, "Don't be afraid you have given birth to a son." But she did not respond or pay attention.
²¹ She named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God had been captured and because of the death of her father-in-law and husband.
²² She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."

DASV: 1 Samuel 6

¹ Now the ark of the LORD was in Philistine territory seven months.

² The Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners, asking, "What should we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place."

³ They advised, "If you send back the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it back empty; but by all means return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand has not been lifted off of you."

⁴ The Philistines asked, "What kind of guilt offering should we send to him?" They answered, "Five gold tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for the same plague came on all of you and on your lords.

⁵ So you should make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that are ravaging the land; and give glory to the God of Israel. Then perhaps he will lighten his hand off of you, your gods and your land.

⁶ Why would you ever harden your hearts, like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When God treated them harshly, didn't even the Egyptians let the people go, and they left?

⁷ Now therefore get and build a new cart. Take two cows that have calves that have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home away from them.

⁸ Take the ark of the LORD, and put it on the cart; and put the gold objects you are returning to him as a guilt offering in a chest beside it. Then send it on its way.

⁹ Watch it and see if it goes up by the way to its own land to Beth Shemesh, if so, then it was he who brought this disaster on us, but if not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us; it just happened to us by chance."

¹⁰ So the men did this, and took two cows that had calves, and harnessed them to the cart, and locked up their calves at home.

¹¹ Then they put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold mice and the models of their tumors.

¹² The cows went straight on the road to Beth Shemesh; they stayed on the road, lowing as they went, without turning aside to the right or to the left. The lords of the Philistines followed along behind it to the border of Beth Shemesh.

¹³ Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. When they lifted up their eyes, they saw the ark and were happy to see it.

¹⁴ The cart came into the field of Joshua who was from Beth Shemesh. It stopped there, beside a large rock. So they cut up the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the LORD.

¹⁵ Then the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the chest that was with it, where the gold models were, and put them on the large rock. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD on that day.

¹⁶ After the five lords of the Philistines saw what had happened, they returned to Ekron that same day.

¹⁷ These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron;

¹⁸ along with the golden mice, matching the number of the Philistine cities belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The large rock, on which they set the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua who was from Beth-shemesh.

¹⁹ But the LORD struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they looked into the ark of the LORD; he killed seventy of their chief men. The people mourned, because the LORD struck the people with a great blow.

²⁰ The men of Beth Shemesh asked, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go to get it away from us?"

²¹ They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD. Come down here and take it up to your place."

DASV: 1 Samuel 7

¹ The men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to be in charge of the ark of the LORD.

² From that day the ark stayed at Kiriath-jearim, a long time--for some twenty years--and all the house of Israel lamented longing after the LORD.

³ Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you will return to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtareths from among you, and direct your hearts to the LORD, and serve him only, then he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁴ So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtareths, and served the LORD only.

⁵ Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."

⁶ After they gathered together to Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." It was at Mizpah that Samuel took leadership over the Israelites.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that the Israelites were assembled at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸ The Israelites requested Samuel, "Do not stop pleading with the LORD our God for us, that he will save us from the hand of the Philistines."

⁹ So Samuel took a nursing lamb, and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

¹⁰ As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines, causing them to panic, and they were defeated by Israel.

¹¹ The men of Israel went out from Mizpah, and chased the Philistines, and struck them down, as far as the region below Beth-car.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone, and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He called the name of it Ebenezer ["stone of help"], saying, "So far the LORD has helped us."

¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not again invade the territory of Israel. The hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴ The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. Israel delivered its neighboring territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶ Annually he went in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.

¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah, for that was his home. From there he also judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

DASV: 1 Samuel 8

¹ When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

² The name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

³ His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest money, took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

⁵ They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. So appoint us a king to judge us like all the other nations."

⁶ But this demand displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD.

⁷ The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being their king,

⁸ just as they have done to me since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods. Now they're doing it to you too.

⁹ Listen to their voice, only solemnly warn them, and expose how the king will reign over them."

¹⁰ So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who had demanded a king from him.

¹¹ He said, "This will be how the king will reign over you: he will take your sons, and assign them to his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots.

¹² He will make some of them commanders of thousands, and commanders of fifties; and he will make some of them plow his ground, reap his harvest, make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks and bakers.

¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.

¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants.

¹⁶ He will take your male and female servants, and the best of your young men, and your donkeys, and have them do his work.

¹⁷ He will take the tenth of your flocks and you will become his slaves.

¹⁸ In that day, you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not answer you."

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel. Instead they demanded, "No, we want to have a king over us,

²⁰ so that we also may be like all the other nations and so our king may judge us, lead us, and fight our battles."

²¹ So Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the ears of the LORD.

²² Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to them and install a king over them." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go back, each one of you to his own town."

DASV: 1 Samuel 9

¹ Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, and a man of prominence.

² He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he. He was a head taller than anyone else.

³ The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, had strayed off. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you, and go look for the donkeys."

⁴ So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, then through the land of Shalishah, but they could not find them. Then they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there either. Then he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they still could not find them.

⁵ When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, and let us turn back or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys, and start worrying about us."

⁶ He said to Saul, "Look, there is in this town a man of God, and he is highly respected. Everything he says comes true, so let's go there and perhaps he can tell us where we should go."

⁷ Then Saul said to his servant, "If we go, what can we bring the man since the food in our bags is gone? We don't have a gift to give to the man of God. What do we have?"

⁸ The servant answered Saul again, "Look, I have in my hand a quarter of a shekel of silver, I will give it to the man of God to tell us which way to go."

⁹ (Previously in Israel, when a person went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, and let us go to the seer," for the one who is now called a prophet, used to be called a seer.)

¹⁰ Then Saul said to his servant, "Good idea! Let's go." So they went to the town where the man of God was.

¹¹ As they went up the slope to the town, they found some girls coming out to draw water, and asked them, "Is the seer here?"

¹² They answered, "He is. Look, he is right ahead of you. Hurry, for he just came into town today, for the people have a sacrifice today at the high place.

¹³ As soon as you enter the town, you can catch him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterwards those invited may eat. Now get up there for this is the time when you should be able to find him."

¹⁴ So they went up to the town. As they entered the town, Samuel came out toward them on his way up to the high place.

¹⁵ Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel,

¹⁶ "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, anoint him to be the leader over my people Israel. He will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have taken note of my people, because their cry has come to me."

¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "See, this is the man I told you about! He will rule over my people."

¹⁸ Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate, and asked, "Please tell me, where is the seer's house?"

¹⁹ Samuel answered Saul, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you will eat with me today, then in the morning I will let you go and tell you all that is on your mind.

²⁰ As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, don't worry about them, for they have been found. Who is all Israel longing for? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?"

²¹ Saul answered, "Am I not a Benjaminite, the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you talk to me this way?"

²² Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the hall, and made them sit at the head place among those who were invited. There were about thirty guests.

²³ Then Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you, the one I asked you to set aside."

²⁴ Then the cook picked up the leg with all that was on it, and set it before Saul. Samuel said, "Look, this is what was reserved for you! Eat it because it was kept special for you for this appointed time, for I said, 'I have invited the guests.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵ When they had come down from the high place into the town, he spoke with Saul on the roof.

²⁶ They got up at daybreak the next morning, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get up, so that I may send you away." So Saul got up, and both he and Samuel, went outside.

²⁷ As they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go ahead of us." So he went ahead. "Stop here for a minute, so that I may tell you a message from God."

DASV: 1 Samuel 10

¹ Then Samuel took a flask of oil, and poured it on Saul's head, and kissed him, and said, "Hasn't the LORD anointed you to be ruler over his inheritance?

² When you leave me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah near the border of Benjamin, they will tell you, 'The donkeys that you went to search for have been found. Your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is now anxious about you, asking, "What should I do about my son?'"

³ Then you will proceed from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and the other carrying a skin of wine.

⁴ They will greet you, and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand.

⁵ After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. When you enter the town, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp, tambourine, flute and lyre playing before them, and they will be prophesying.

⁶ The Spirit of the LORD will come mightily on you, and you will prophesy with them, and will be turned into a different person.

⁷ When these signs happen to you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

⁸ Go down ahead of me to Gilgal, and I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. Wait there seven days until I come to you and show you what to do."

⁹ As Saul had turned to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. All those signs were fulfilled that day.

¹⁰ When they arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied along with them.

¹¹ When everyone who had known him before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people asked each other, "What in the world has happened to the son of Kish? Is even Saul among the prophets?"

¹² A person from there answered, "And who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is even Saul among the prophets?"

¹³ When Saul had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

¹⁴ Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?" Saul replied, "We were looking for the donkeys; but when we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel."

¹⁵ Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel told you."

¹⁶ Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys were found." But he did not mention what Samuel told him about the matter of the kingship.

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah.

¹⁸ He said to the Israelites, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'

¹⁹ But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said to him, 'No, appoint a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans."

²⁰ So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.

²¹ He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Matrites was chosen by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.

²² Therefore they asked of the LORD again, "Has the man arrived here yet?" The LORD answered, "Look, he has hidden himself among the baggage."

²³ So they ran and brought him out of there. When he stood among the people, he was head and shoulders taller than any of the people.

²⁴ Then Samuel declared to all the people, "Do you see the one whom the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then all the people shouted, "Long live the king."

²⁵ Then Samuel told the people about the rights and duties of the king, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed all the people, each one to his own home.

²⁶ Saul also returned to his house at Gibeah, and with him went the warriors whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷ But certain wicked fellows said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and did not bring him a gift. But Saul kept quiet about it.

DASV: 1 Samuel 11

¹ Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and camped against Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you."

² But Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I will make a treaty with you but only on this condition, that all your right eyes be gouged out; and by doing this I will disgrace all Israel."

³ The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you."

⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and reported the matter in the ears of the people, all the people wept aloud.

⁵ Now Saul was coming in from the field following the oxen. Saul asked, "What's the matter with the people that they are weeping?" Then they told him the news from the men of Jabesh.

⁶ The Spirit of God came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and he became very angry.

⁷ He took a pair of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen." The dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came together as one.

⁸ Then he numbered them in Bezek; and there were 300,000 Israelites, and 30,000 men of Judah.

⁹ They said to the messengers who had come, "Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be delivered.'" So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

¹⁰ The men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever you want to."

¹¹ The next day Saul broke the troops up into three companies. During the morning watch they attacked the camp, and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived scattered so that no two of them were left together.

¹² Then the people asked Samuel, "Who said, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Bring out the men, so that we may put them to death."

¹³ But Saul objected, "No one will be put to death this day, for today the LORD has brought deliverance to Israel."

¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there."

¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

DASV: 1 Samuel 12

¹ Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to your voice in everything you requested of me, and have set a king over you.

² Now look, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

³ Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed one. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe blinding my eyes because of it? Tell me now and I will pay you back."

⁴ They confessed, "You have not cheated or oppressed us, nor have you taken any bribe from anyone's hand."

⁵ He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand." They replied, "He is witness."

⁶ Samuel said to the people, "It was the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

⁷ Now therefore stand still, so that I may argue my case with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds the LORD did for you and your forefathers.

⁸ When Jacob went down to Egypt, your forefathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹ But they forgot the LORD their God so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, who fought against them.

¹⁰ Then they cried out to the LORD confessing, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtareths. Now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.'

¹¹ So the LORD sent Jerub-baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety.

¹² When you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king should reign over us,' even though the LORD your God was your king.

¹³ Now see, here is the king you have chosen, and whom you demanded, the LORD has set a king over you.

¹⁴ If you will fear the LORD, serve him, obey his voice, not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, then it will go well for you.

¹⁵ But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, just as it was against your forefathers.

¹⁶ Now therefore stand still and see this great thing the LORD will do before your eyes.

¹⁷ Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD, so that he may send thunder and rain; then you will realize and see how great your wickedness is that you have done in the sight of the LORD by your asking for a king."

¹⁸ So Samuel called on the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. So all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

¹⁹ Then all the people pleaded with Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins by demanding a king for ourselves."

²⁰ Then Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil, yet don't turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

²¹ Do not turn aside after worthless idols which cannot profit or deliver, for they are worthless.

²² For the LORD will not abandon his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you his very own people.

²³ Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and right way.

²⁴ Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; realizing what great things he has done for you.

²⁵ But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away."

DASV: 1 Samuel 13

¹ Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign and he reigned [forty]-two years over Israel.

² Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. 2,000 of these were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and the other thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent back to their homes.

³ Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews listen."

⁴ All Israel heard the news that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. The troops mustered to Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, 30,000 chariots, and 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand of the seashore. They came up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in a difficult situation (for their troops were hard pressed), they hid in caves, thickets, rocks, holes and pits.

⁷ Some of the Hebrews fled across the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops who followed him were trembling with fear.

⁸ He waited seven days, the set time that Samuel had indicated, but Samuel had still not come down to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from Saul.

⁹ So Saul ordered, "Bring me the burnt offering and peace offerings." Then he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰ As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived and Saul went out to meet him, so that he might greet him.

¹¹ Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul replied, "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and you hadn't come at the appointed time, and the Philistines had assembled at Michmash,

¹² I thought, 'The Philistines will come down to attack me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.' So I felt forced to offer the burnt offering."

¹³ Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, that he gave you. If you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

¹⁴ But now your kingdom will not last. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him to be the leader over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

¹⁵ Samuel got up and left Gilgal for Gibeah in the tribal territory of Benjamin. Saul mustered the people who remained with him; there were only 600 men left.

¹⁶ Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who remained with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

¹⁷ The raiding parties went out of the camp of the Philistines in three groups. One group turned to the way that leads toward Ophrah, in the region of Shual,

¹⁸ another group turned toward the road going up to Beth-horon, and another group turned toward the road to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now there was no blacksmith found anywhere in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "This will stop the Hebrews from making swords or spears."

²⁰ So all the Israelites used to go down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.

²¹ They charged two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and one-third shekel for axes and for sharpening ox goads.

²² So on the day of the battle, there was neither sword or spear to be found in the hand of any of the troops that were with Saul and Jonathan, only Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

²³ A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.

DASV: 1 Samuel 14

¹ One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to his armor bearer, "Come, let's go over to the Philistines' garrison, on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

² Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree in Migron. There were about 600 troops with him.

³ Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh was wearing an ephod. Now the people did not realize that Jonathan was gone.

⁴ There was a rocky cliff on each side of the pass through which Jonathan was seeking to go over to the Philistine garrison. The name of the one cliff was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

⁵ The one cliff rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

⁶ Jonathan said to the armor bearer, "Come, let's go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. It may be that the LORD will act on our behalf, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few."

⁷ His armor bearer said to him, "Do everything that is in your heart, I am absolutely with you whatever you decide."

⁸ Then Jonathan said, "Look, we will cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.

⁹ If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.

¹⁰ But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has delivered them into our hand. This will be our sign."

¹¹ When they both showed themselves to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines shouted, "Look, the Hebrews are crawling out of the holes where they were hiding."

¹² Then the men of the garrison shouted to Jonathan and his armor bearer, "Come up to us, and we will teach you a lesson." Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up behind me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

¹³ Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him. They fell before Jonathan and his armor bearer killed those behind him.

¹⁴ During this first strike Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men, in an area of about half an acre.

¹⁵ There was panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people, the garrison and even the raiders were rattled and the earth shook. It was a terror sent from God.

¹⁶ Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin looked on as the multitude melted away scattering this way and that.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to the troops that were with him, "Count off and see who has defected from us." When they had counted off, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

¹⁸ Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God traveled with the Israelites at that time.

¹⁹ While Saul was talking with the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

²⁰ Saul and all the troops that were with him assembled and went out to battle. They found the Philistines killing each other with swords in total panic.

²¹ Now the Hebrews who had previously joined with the Philistines, and had gone with them into the camp, turned and united with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²² Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined the battle in pursuit after them.

²³ So the LORD delivered Israel that day, and the battle extended even beyond Beth-aven.

²⁴ The men of Israel were hard pressed that day, for Saul had laid an oath on the troops, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats any food before evening and I have avenged myself on my enemies." So none of the troops had eaten anything.

²⁵ All the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground.

²⁶ When the troops entered the forest, they saw the honey dripping, but no one dared put his hand to his mouth, for they were afraid of the oath.

²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the troops with the oath, so he put the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and ate putting his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.

²⁸ Then one of the soldiers mentioned, "Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today.' That's why the troops are so exhausted."

²⁹ Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See, how my eyes have brightened because I have eaten a little of this honey.

³⁰ How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the spoil of their enemies that they found. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"

³¹ On that day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, but the troops were exhausted.

³² The troops rushed greedily for the plunder, and took sheep, oxen and calves, and slaughtered them right there on the spot and the troops even ate them with the blood.

³³ Then they told Saul, "Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD because they are eating meat with its blood." So he announced, "You have acted unfaithfully. Roll a large stone here before me immediately."

³⁴ Saul said, "Spread out among the troops, and tell them, 'Let each man bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter and eat them here, but do not sin against the LORD by eating it with the blood." So that night each of the troops brought his ox with him, and slaughtered it there.

³⁵ Saul built an altar to the LORD, it was the first altar that he built to the LORD.

³⁶ Then Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines at night, and plunder them until dawn. Let's not leave a single one of them alive." They replied, "Do whatever seems best to you." Then the priest said, "Let's draw near to God here."

³⁷ So Saul asked God, "Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you help deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But God would not answer him that day.

³⁸ So Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the army; and let's see how this sin has occurred today.

³⁹ For as surely as the LORD lives who delivers Israel, even if it turns out to be Jonathan my son, he will surely die." But no one among all the troops would volunteer any information to him.

⁴⁰ Then he said to all Israel, "You will be on one side, and Jonathan my son and I will be on the other." The people responded to Saul, "Do whatever you think best."

⁴¹ Then Saul prayed "O LORD, the God of Israel, show the right answer. If it is Jonathan or me give Urim, but if the guilt is with the people give the Thummim." Then Jonathan and Saul were designated by the lot, and the troops were found innocent.

⁴² Then Saul said, "Cast the lots between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was designated by the lot.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan confessed to him, "I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand; and because of that I must die?"

⁴⁴ Saul said, "God do so to me and more also, if you don't die, Jonathan."

⁴⁵ But the people objected to Saul, "Should Jonathan die, who won this great victory for Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground; for he has helped God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he was not killed.

⁴⁶ Then Saul withdrew from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back home.

⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side--against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines--wherever he turned he routed them.

⁴⁸ He acted valiantly, and struck down the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

⁴⁹ Now the sons of Saul were: Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-shua; and the names of his two daughters were: the firstborn, Merab, and younger one, Michal.

⁵⁰ The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

⁵¹ Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel.

⁵² There was fierce war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any strong or valiant man, he drafted him into his service.

DASV: 1 Samuel 15

¹ Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now, listen to this message from the LORD.

² This is what the LORD of hosts says, 'I have carefully noted all that Amalek did to Israel, how he opposed Israel along the way, when they came up out of Egypt.

³ Now, go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy everything that they have, and do not spare them. Kill both men and women, children and babies, oxen, sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

⁴ So Saul summoned the troops, and numbered them in Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers, and 10,000 men of Judah.

⁵ Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley.

⁶ Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, leave, get away from the Amalekites, or I might destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul struck down the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, to the east of Egypt.

⁸ He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, but totally destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag, the best of the sheep, oxen, fat calves, lambs, and everything that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. But everything that was despised and worthless they totally destroyed.

¹⁰ Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel:

¹¹ "I regret that I ever made Saul king, for he is turned away from following me, and has not carried out what I told him to do." Samuel was angry; and he cried out to the LORD all night.

¹² Samuel got up early the next morning to meet Saul, and Samuel was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel, where he set up a monument for himself, and turned and went down to Gilgal."

¹³ When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, "May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the command of the LORD."

¹⁴ Then Samuel replied, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?"

¹⁵ Saul answered, "They brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and cattle in order to sacrifice to the LORD your God. The rest we totally destroyed."

¹⁶ Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night." Saul replied, "Tell me."

¹⁷ Samuel said, "Although you were once little in your own sight, were you not made the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.

¹⁸ The LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, totally destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they have been consumed.'

¹⁹ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but you rushed for the plunder, and what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"

²⁰ But Saul objected to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I went on the mission that the LORD sent me. I brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have totally destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the troops took some of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

²² But Samuel said, "Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Look, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

²³ For rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have disobeyed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

²⁵ Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and go back with me, so that I may worship the LORD."

²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not go back with you since you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel."

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸ Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to one of your neighbors who is better than you.

²⁹ The Glory of Israel will not lie or change his mind, for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."

³⁰ Then Saul pleaded, "I have sinned. But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."

³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

³² Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me." So Agag came to him full of hope, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

³³ Samuel declared, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women." Samuel hacked Agag into pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home at Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵ Samuel never saw Saul again until the day of his death, although Samuel did mourn for Saul. But the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

DASV: 1 Samuel 16

¹ The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with olive oil, and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have selected one of his sons as king."

² But Samuel objected, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The LORD responded, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.'

³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You will anoint for me the one I will designate to you."

⁴ So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and arrived at Bethlehem. The elders of the town came trembling to meet him, asking, "Do you come in peace?"

⁵ He said, "Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." So he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they arrived, he looked at Eliab, and thought, "Surely here is the LORD's anointed standing before him."

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance, or how tall he is, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at things the way a man does; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

¹⁰ Jesse made seven of his sons to pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."

¹¹ Samuel asked Jesse, "Are all your children here?" He replied, "There still remains the youngest, but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down until he gets here."

¹² So He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and handsome. Then the LORD said, "Get up, anoint him, for this is the one."

¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of olive oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the LORD came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel got up and returned to Ramah.

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

¹⁵ Saul's servants said to him, "Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

¹⁶ Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to find a person who is a skilful musician on the lyre then when the evil spirit from God comes on you, he will play the lyre and you will feel better."

¹⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a man who can play well, and bring him to me."

¹⁸ Then one of the young men answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, he is a valiant warrior, articulate, good looking and the LORD is with him."

¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep."

²⁰ Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat, and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

²² Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stay in my service, for he has found favor in my sight."

²³ When the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David would take the lyre and play it. So Saul would be relieved and feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him.

DASV: 1 Samuel 17

¹ Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. They rallied together at Socoh in Judah, and camped between Socoh and Azekah at Ephes-dammim.

² Then Saul and the men of Israel assembled, camped in the valley of Elah, and took up their battle positions against the Philistines.

³ The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

⁴ A champion came out of the Philistine camp named Goliath of Gath. He was over nine feet tall.

⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was wearing a body armor coat of mail weighing 125 pounds.

⁶ He had bronze armor on his legs, and a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder.

⁷ The staff of his spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. The iron that tipped the spear weighed 15 pounds itself, and his armor bearer went before him.

⁸ He stood and shouted at the Israelite troops, "Why have you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants of Saul? Choose a man so that he may come down to fight me.

⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your slaves; but if I overcome and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us."

¹⁰ The Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel today. Give me a man, so that we may fight together."

¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and terrified.

¹² Now David was the son of Jesse an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons, and in the days of Saul, he was old and well on in years.

¹³ The three eldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to war were Eliab, the firstborn, and after to him Abinadab, and the third oldest was Shammah.

¹⁴ David was the youngest, and the three oldest brothers followed Saul.

¹⁵ Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ For forty days, the Philistine came out and took his stand every morning and evening.

¹⁷ Jesse said to David his son, "Take your brothers this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to the camp of your brothers.

¹⁸ Bring these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and find out how your brothers are doing, and bring back some token from them."

¹⁹ They were with Saul and all the Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

²⁰ David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with another shepherd. He loaded up and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the army was going out to the battlefield shouting its battle cry.

²¹ Then Israel and the Philistines drew up battle lines, army against army.

²² David left his things with the keeper of supplies, while he ran to the troops and greeted his brothers.

²³ As he was talking with them, the champion Goliath the Philistine of Gath came out of the ranks of the Philistines, and shouted out as he usually did, and David heard it.

²⁴ When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him in fear.

²⁵ Then the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who comes up? He comes up to defy Israel. Whoever kills him, the king will give a huge reward, and will give him his daughter in marriage, and will free his father's house from taxes in Israel.”

²⁶ David asked the men who stood near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

²⁷ The soldiers told him the same thing, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

²⁸ But when Eliab, his eldest brother, overheard him speaking to the men, he was angry with David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and evil heart. You have come down just so that you can see the battle."

²⁹ But David replied, "What have I done now? It was just a question?"

³⁰ He turned away from him, went over to someone else, and he asked the same thing to them, and they gave him the same answer.

³¹ When David’s questions were overheard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him.

³² David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

³³ Saul said to David, “You are not able to fight this Philistine. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

³⁴ David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father's sheep and when a lion or a bear came to carry off a lamb from the flock,

³⁵ I went out after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it attacked me, I grabbed it by its jaw, and struck and killed it.

³⁶ Your servant struck down both the lion and the bear, this uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."

³⁷ Then David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion, and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Then Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

³⁸ Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a bronze helmet on his head and had him put on body armor.

³⁹ David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and tried to move around because he was not used to it. David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these; for I am not used to them." So David took them off.

⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in his pouch; with his sling in his hand, he moved in on the Philistine.

⁴¹ The Philistine moved forward toward David with his shield bearer going before him.

⁴² When the Philistine looked David over, he despised him; for he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome.

⁴³ The Philistine mocked David, "Am I a dog, that you come after me with sticks?" So the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ Then the Philistine threatened David, "Come here, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the field."

⁴⁵ Then David retorted to the Philistine, "You come against me with a sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you down, and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth; so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not by the sword or spear, for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand."

⁴⁸ When the Philistine approached to attack him, David quickly ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ Then David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone and slung it, striking the Philistine right in his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck down the Philistine, and killed him without even a sword in David’s hand.

⁵¹ Then David ran up, stood over the Philistine, took his sword drawn it out of its sheath, killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

⁵² The men of Israel and of Judah advanced, shouting and chasing the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses were scattered all along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.

⁵³ Then the Israelites came back from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camp.

⁵⁴ David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵ When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I really don’t know."

⁵⁶ The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is."

⁵⁷ After 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 Then Saul asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse from Bethlehem."

DASV: 1 Samuel 18

¹ When he had finished talking with Saul, the soul of Jonathan bonded with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

² Saul conscripted him that day, and would not allow him to any longer return to his father's house.

³ Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as himself.

⁴ So Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing, and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, bow and his belt.

⁵ Wherever Saul sent David, he went and was successful resulting in Saul setting him over the men of war. This was good in the sight of all the people, and even in the sight of Saul's servants.

⁶ As they were returning home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul with tambourines and three stringed lutes and with joy.

⁷ Then the women sang to one another as they celebrated, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands."

⁸ But Saul was furious because this saying irked him, for he thought, "They have credited ten thousands to David, but to me they have credited only thousands. What more can he gain but the kingdom?"

⁹ So Saul kept his eye on David from that day forward.

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God rushed on Saul, and he wildly prophesied in his house. Now David was playing the lyre, as he usually did each day. Saul had his spear in his hand.

¹¹ Saul hurled the spear, hoping, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from him twice.

¹² So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.

¹³ Therefore Saul removed David from his presence, and made him commander over a thousand. David led his troops out to battle and back home.

¹⁴ David was successful in everything he did, and the LORD was with him.

¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful he was, he was even more afraid of him.

¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was the one who led them out to battle and back home.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, "Look, here is my oldest daughter Merab, I give her to you in marriage only be a valiant warrior for me, and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "I won't have to lift a hand against him, I'll just let Philistines take care of killing him."

¹⁸ David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

¹⁹ When Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite instead.

²⁰ But Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. They told Saul about it, and it pleased him.

²¹ Saul schemed, "I will give her to him so that she may be a snare to him, and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul told David, "Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law."

²² Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David secretly, and say, 'Look, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you, so become the king's son-in-law.'"

²³ Saul's servants spoke these words privately to David. But David replied, "Is it trivial to you to become the king's son-in-law, especially since I am a poor man, and am not famous?"

²⁴ When Saul's servants reported to him what David had said,

²⁵ Saul replied, "Tell David, 'The king does not want any price for the bride except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to get revenge on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul was plotting to have David killed by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶ When his servants told David these words, David was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the specified time had expired,

²⁷ David and his men got up and went, and slew 200 Philistine men and brought their foreskins, and they gave all of them to the king, so that he might be the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave David his daughter Michal in marriage.

²⁸ But Saul saw and realized that the LORD was with David and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David.

²⁹ This made Saul even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from then on.

³⁰ Then every time the Philistine commanders went out to battle, David was more successful than all the servants of Saul, so he gained quite a reputation.

DASV: 1 Samuel 19

¹ Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, liked David a lot.

² So Jonathan warned David, "My father Saul is trying to kill you. Therefore, please be careful tomorrow morning and find a hiding place and stay there.

³ I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will ask my father about you, and see if I get any information, then I will tell you what I find out.

⁴ So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying, "The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not done anything against you. His actions have been very good for you.

⁵ He risked his life, when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. You saw it and were happy about it. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by attempting to kill David for no reason?"

⁶ Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore, "As the LORD lives, David will not be put to death."

⁷ So Jonathan called David, and told him everything. Then Jonathan brought David back to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.

⁸ Now there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines. He dealt them a great defeat, and they fled before him.

⁹ Then an evil spirit from the LORD came on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. David was playing with lyre in hand.

¹⁰ Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. But he slipped away out of Saul's presence, so Saul was left with his spear stuck in the wall. David fled and escaped that night.

¹¹ Then Saul sent messengers to David's house, to secure it and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

¹² So Michal let David down through the window and he took off and escaped.

¹³ Michal took the household idol, and laid it in the bed. She put a covering of goats' hair over its head, and put clothes on it.

¹⁴ When Saul sent messengers to capture David, she said, "He is sick."

¹⁵ Saul sent the messengers back to watch David, telling them, "Bring him up to me on his bed, so that I can kill him."

¹⁶ When the messengers entered, only the idol was found in the bed, with the covering of goats' hair on its head.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this, and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" Michal answered Saul, "He told me, 'Let me go or I will have to kill you.'"

¹⁸ Now David fled and escaped to Samuel at Ramah. David told Samuel all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth.

¹⁹ Saul was told, "Look, David is at Naioth in Ramah."

²⁰ So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and even they prophesied.

²¹ When Saul was told about it, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers a third time, and they prophesied too.

²² Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu. He asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" Someone answered, "They are at Naioth in Ramah."

²³ So he went to Naioth in Ramah and the Spirit of God came on him too, and he walked on prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

²⁴ He stripped off his clothes, and he prophesied before Samuel, laying there naked all that day and all that night. That is why they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

DASV: 1 Samuel 20

¹ So David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and asked Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my crime? What is my offense against your father that he is trying to kill me?"

² He replied, "There is no way you are going to die. Look, my father doesn't do anything either great or small, without disclosing it to me. Why should my father hide this matter from me? This isn't going to happen."

³ David swore again, "Your father knows full well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he may have said, 'Do not let Jonathan know about this, or he will be grieved.' But as surely as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, there is just one step between me and death."

⁴ Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want, I will do for you."

⁵ So David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I normally sit with the king at the meal, but let me go, so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

⁶ If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David urgently asked me permission so that he might run home to Bethlehem; for there is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.'
⁷ If he says, 'That's fine.' then you'll know your servant is safe. But if he gets angry, then you'll know that he is intent on harming me.

⁸ Therefore show loyal kindness to your servant, for you have made a sacred covenant with your servant before the LORD. But if I am guilty of anything then kill me yourself. Why should you even bring me to your father?"

⁹ Jonathan said, "I can't believe you suggested this! If I had any clue that my father was planning to hurt you, wouldn't I tell you?"

¹⁰ Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father happens to react harshly?"

¹¹ Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let's go out into the field." So both of them went out into the field.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, "I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, after I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the next day, if he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send and let you know?

¹³ If my father is plotting to harm you and I don't warn you, may the LORD do all this to me, and more also, if I do not warn you and send you away, so that you may escape and be safe. The LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.

¹⁴ While I live show me the faithful kindness of the LORD, that I may not die.

¹⁵ Also never cut off your faithful kindness from my family forever even after the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

¹⁶ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, vowing, "May the LORD take revenge on all David's enemies."

¹⁷ Jonathan made David reaffirm his promise because of the love he had for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

¹⁹ On the day after tomorrow at evening, go back down to the place where you hid yourself when all this started. Stay near the stone Ezel.

²⁰ Then I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though I were shooting at a target.

²¹ I will send a boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,' then come back, for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the LORD lives.

²² But if I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are further out beyond you,' then go your way, for the LORD has sent you away.

²³ About the matter you and I promised, the LORD is witness between us forever."

²⁴ So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat dinner.

²⁵ The king sat in his usual seat by the wall with Jonathan sitting across from him, and Abner at Saul's side, but David's place was empty.

²⁶ Saul did not mention anything that day, for he thought, "Maybe something has happened to him, he is not ceremonially clean--that's it, he must not be clean.

²⁷ On the next day, the second day after the new moon, David's place was empty. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to me, either yesterday or today?"

²⁸ Jonathan answered Saul, "David urgently requested permission to go to Bethlehem.

²⁹ He said, 'Please let me go, for our clan has a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your sight, let me get away to see my brothers.' That's why he hasn't come to the king's table."

³⁰ Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman, don't I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

³¹ For as long as the son of Jesse is alive on this earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. So send and bring him to me, for surely he must die."

³² But Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"

³³ Saul threw his spear at him intending to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was intending to put David to death.

³⁴ So Jonathan got up from the table in a fury, and refused to eat food that second day of the month, because he was upset over David, since his father had disgraced David.

³⁵ The next morning, Jonathan went out to the field as arranged with David, and a small boy was with him.

³⁶ He told his boy, "Run, find the arrows I am shooting." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

³⁷ When the lad came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan shouted to the boy, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?"

³⁸ Jonathan called to the lad, "Hurry up! Be quick! Don't delay!" Jonathan's servant collected the arrows, and came to his master.

³⁹ But the boy knew nothing about what was going on, only Jonathan and David knew what was happening.

⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his servant, and told him, "Go, carry them back to town."

⁴¹ As soon as the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, and fell with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. They kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the most.

⁴² Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn by the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD be between me and you, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.'" Then David got up and left, and Jonathan went back into the town.

DASV: 1 Samuel 21

¹ Then David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek came trembling to meet David, and asked him, "Why are you alone? Why is there no one with you?"

² David answered Ahimelek the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter, and told me, 'Let no one know anything about the mission I'm sending you on, or what I have told you. I have directed the young soldiers to meet at a certain place.'

³ Now do you have anything to eat? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever else you have here."

⁴ But the priest answered David, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, only holy bread--you can have it only if the young soldiers have not recently had sexual relations with women."

⁵ David answered the priest, "Certainly for the last three days women have been kept from us as always when I go out on an expedition even on a common mission the young men's bodies are holy, how much more today are their vessels holy!"

⁶ So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread other than the bread of the Presence that was taken from before the LORD, in order to replace it with hot bread on the day when it was taken away.

⁷ Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was chief over Saul's shepherds.

⁸ David asked Ahimelek, "Don't you have a spear or sword here? For I have not brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business required such haste."

⁹ The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Elah Valley is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it, for that's the only one here." So David said, "There's none like that one! Give it to me."

¹⁰ Then David got up and fled that day from Saul. He went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ The servants of Achish asked him, "Is this David not king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"

¹² David ruminated on these words in his heart, for he was very afraid of Achish king of Gath.

¹³ So he changed his behavior before them, and pretended like he was insane since he was under their control. He scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴ Then Achish complained to his servants, "Look, the man is crazy. Why then did you bring him to me?

¹⁵ Do I lack madmen, that you bring this fellow in front of me to act like the madman? Should this man come into my house?"

DASV: 1 Samuel 22

¹ David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down to him there.

² Every one who was in trouble, in debt or discontent gathered around him and he became their commander. There were about 400 men with him.

³ David went from there to Mizpeh in Moab. He said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother stay with you, until I know what God will do for me."

⁴ So he brought them before the king of Moab and they stayed with him all the while David was in the stronghold.

⁵ The prophet Gad said to David, "Leave the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." Then David departed, and went to the forest of Hereth.

⁶ Saul heard that David and his men had been located. Now Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on a hill at Gibeah with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.

⁷ Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Listen, you Benjaminites. Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

⁸ Is that why all of you have conspired against me? There is no one who informs me when my own son makes a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or informs me that even my own son has stirred up my servant against me, to set an ambush, as he is doing to this very day."

⁹ Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood with Saul's servants, said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Ahimelek the son of Ahitub at Nob.

¹⁰ He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

¹¹ Then the king summoned Ahimelek the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house and the priests who were at Nob. All of them came to the king.

¹² Saul said, "Listen, you son of Ahitub." "Here I am, my lord," he replied.

¹³ Saul accused him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse? You gave him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen up against me, to set an ambush, as he is doing to this very day?"

¹⁴ Then Ahimelek answered the king, "Who among all your servants is so faithful as David? He is even the king's son-in-law, and the captain over your bodyguard, and respected in your house?

¹⁵ Was today the first time I've inquired of God for him? Certainly not. May the king not impute anything against his servant, or against all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, more or less."

¹⁶ Then the king snarled, "You will surely die, Ahimelek, you, and all your father's house."

¹⁷ The king ordered the guards who stood by him, "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they have sided with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing, and did not inform me." But the king's servants would not lift a hand against the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and kill the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and he killed the priests. He slew that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod.

¹⁹ He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰ One of the sons of Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.

²¹ Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.

²² David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the people of your father's house.

²³ Stay with me, do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life also seeks your life. You will be safe with me."

DASV: 1 Samuel 23

¹ They told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing grain from the threshing floors."

² Therefore David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD replied to David, "Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah."

³ David's men objected, "We are afraid here in Judah. How much more if we go to Keilah to fight against the armies of the Philistines?"

⁴ Then David inquired of the LORD again. The LORD answered him, "Get up, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and took their cattle, and slew them in a great defeat. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶ Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelek fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷ Saul was told that David had come to Keilah. Saul concluded, "God has delivered him into my hand; for he has trapped himself, by entering into a town that has gates and bars."

⁸ Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

⁹ David knew that Saul was plotting against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

¹⁰ Then David asked, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul is planning to come against Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

¹¹ Will the people of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant." The LORD replied, "He will come down."

¹² Then said David, "Will the people of Keilah surrender me and my men to the hand of Saul?" The LORD replied, "They will deliver you up."

¹³ Then David and his men, about 600 of them, got up and left Keilah, and wandered from place to place. It was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah so he gave up the expedition there.

¹⁴ David stayed in the strongholds in the desert and the hill country in the desert of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

¹⁵ David learned that Saul had come out to seek his life, while David was in the desert of Ziph at Horesh.

¹⁶ Jonathan, Saul's son, got up and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

¹⁷ He told him, "Do not be afraid for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Saul, my father, knows this too."

¹⁸ The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

¹⁹ Then some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Isn't David hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, in the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?

²⁰ Now, O king, come down whenever you want to and our part will be to catch him and deliver him into the king's hand."

²¹ Saul replied, "May the LORD bless you; for you have had compassion on me.

²² Go, make sure once again, that you know exactly where his hideout is, and who has seen him there; for I am told he is very cunning.

²³ Look and take note of all his hiding places and come back to me again once you're sure. Then I will go with you and if he is in the land, I will track him down among all the thousands of Judah."

²⁴ So they got up and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

²⁵ Saul and his men went to find him. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the desert of Maon.

²⁶ Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men.

²⁷ But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land."

²⁸ So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why they call that place Sela Hammahlekot [Rock of Escape].

²⁹ David left there and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

DASV: 1 Samuel 24

¹ When Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told, "Look, David is in the desert of En-gedi."

² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to search for David and his men at the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

³ He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were hiding in the back parts of the cave.

⁴ David's men said to him, "Look, the day the LORD said to you, 'I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you will do to him whatever you want to.'" Then David snuck up and secretly cut off the edge of Saul's robe.

⁵ Afterward David's conscience bothered him, because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.

⁶ He told his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to lift my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed.

⁷ So David stopped his men with these words, and did not let them kill Saul. Saul got up out of the cave and went on his way.

⁸ David also got up afterward, and slipped out of the cave, and shouted out to Saul, "My lord the king." When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground.

⁹ Then David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to people saying, 'See, David is seeking to harm you?'

¹⁰ This day your eyes have seen how that the LORD has delivered you into my hand in the cave. Some advised me to kill you but I spared you and said, 'I will not lift

my hand against my lord; because he is the LORD's anointed.'

¹¹ Look, my father, see the piece of your robe in my hand. I cut off the corner of your robe, but didn't kill you. So understand that I have no evil or rebellion in mind, and I have not sinned against you, though you have hunted me down to take my life.

¹² The LORD judge between you and me, and the LORD avenge me of what you have done; but my hand will not touch you.

¹³ Like the old proverb says, 'Out of the wicked comes wickedness.' But I will not lay a hand on you.

¹⁴ Who is the king of Israel chasing down? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?

¹⁵ The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between you and me. May he see and plead my case and rescue me out of your hand."

¹⁶ When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul responded, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Then Saul wept aloud.

¹⁷ He said to David, "You are more righteous than I am; for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.

¹⁸ You have declared this day how that you have dealt well with me, when the LORD had delivered me into your hand, you didn't kill me.

¹⁹ For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? May the LORD reward you with good for the way you have treated me today.

²⁰ Now look, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

²¹ Now swear to me by the LORD, that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."

²² So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

DASV: 1 Samuel 25

¹ Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him. They buried him near his house at Ramah. Then David got up and went down to the desert of Paran.

² There was a man in Maon, who owned property in Carmel, and the man was very wealthy. He had 3,000 sheep, and 1,000 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. The woman was wise and beautiful, but the man was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb.

⁴ Now David heard in the desert that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

⁵ So David sent ten young men, and said to them, "Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

⁶ This is how you are to greet him, 'Peace to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

⁷ Now I have heard that you have shearers employed. Your shepherds have been with us, and we did not harm them, neither was there anything of theirs missing all the while they were in Carmel.

⁸ Ask your young men, and they will confirm it for you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants, and to your son David.'"

⁹ When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited for a response.

¹⁰ Then Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants now-a-days who are breaking free of their masters.

¹¹ Should I take my bread and water, and my meat that I have butchered for my shearers, and give it to men who I don't even know where they have come from?"

¹² So David's men went on their way, and returned and told him all these words.

¹³ Then David ordered his men, "Every one of you strap on his sword." So every man strapped on his sword, and David also strapped on his sword. David had about 400 men following him, while 200 stayed with the equipment.

¹⁴ But one of the servants told Abigail, Nabal's wife, "David sent messengers from the desert to salute our master, and he screamed at them.

¹⁵ Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, and nothing was missing as long as we were with them in the fields.

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

¹⁷ Now therefore know and think about what you can do, for trouble is going to happen to our master, and all his house, because he has such a bad temper. No one can tell him anything."

¹⁸ Then Abigail quickly took 200 loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep already prepared, and nearly a bushel of roasted grain, and a 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes, and loaded them on donkeys.

¹⁹ Then she said to her servants, "Go before me. I will follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

²⁰ As she rode on her donkey, she came down under the cover of the mountain. David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

²¹ Now David had said, "Surely it was a waste to have protected all this fellow had in the desert, so that nothing of his was lost or stolen of all that he owned. Yet he has repaid me evil for good.

²² Let God do so and more to David, if I leave one of his men alive by tomorrow morning."

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey, and fell on her face before David, and bowed to the ground.

²⁴ She fell at his feet, and said, "Let all the blame be on me, my lord, and please let your servant speak in your ears, and please listen to the words of your servant.

²⁵ Please pay no attention, my lord, to this ill-tempered fellow, Nabal, for he is just like his name suggests; Nabal [fool] is his name, and folly follows with him. But I, your servant didn't see the servants of my lord whom you sent.

²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, it is the LORD who has stopped you from shedding blood, and avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek to harm my lord, be as Nabal.

²⁷ Now this gift that your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the servants

who follow my lord.

²⁸ I beg you to forgive the offense of your servant, for the LORD will certainly establish the house of my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD. May no harm come on you all your days.

²⁹ When someone pursues you seeking to take your life, yet the life of my lord will be bundled up securely living with the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies will he sling away as from a sling shot.

³⁰ When the LORD does to my lord according to all the good that he has promised you and has appointed you leader over Israel,

³¹ this will be no source of grief to you, or pangs of conscience to my lord for having shed blood needlessly, or that my lord has taken revenge into his own hands. When the LORD deals well with my lord, then remember your servant."

³² Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me.

³³ Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, because you have kept me today from shedding blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand.

³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel lives, who has stopped me from hurting you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely there would not have been one man left alive to Nabal by the morning's light."

³⁵ So David received from her hand what she brought him. He said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your voice and have granted your request."

³⁶ When Abigail returned to Nabal, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk which is why she told him nothing until the next morning.

³⁷ In the morning, when Nabal had sobered up, his wife told him these things, and he had a stroke and became paralyzed like a stone.

³⁸ About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who has avenged me for the insults suffered at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. The LORD has returned the evildoing of Nabal back on his own head." Then David sent and proposed to Abigail asking her to become his wife.

⁴⁰ When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they told her, "David has sent us to you, to bring you to him to be his wife."

⁴¹ She arose, and bowed herself with her face to the ground, and replied, "Yes, I am your servant, a servant happy even to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."

⁴² So Abigail quickly got up and rode on a donkey, with five of her maids that attended her, and she followed David's messengers, and became his wife.

⁴³ David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.

⁴⁴ Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

DASV: 1 Samuel 26

¹ Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which is across from Jeshimon?"

² So Saul went down to the desert of Ziph, with 3,000 chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the desert of Ziph.

³ Saul camped beside the road by the hill of Hakilah, which is across from Jeshimon and David was staying in the desert. When he saw that Saul had come after him to the desert,

⁴ David sent out scouts and verified that Saul had indeed come.

⁵ So David sneaked over to the place where Saul had camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army had laid down. Saul was lying within the camp, with the troops camped around him.

⁶ Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down with me to Saul into the camp?" Abishai replied, "I will go down with you."

⁷ So David and Abishai went into the army at night and found Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops lay around him.

⁸ Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now let me pin him to the ground with the spear with one stroke; I won't have to strike him a second time."

⁹ David said to Abishai, "Don't kill him; for who can lift his hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?"

¹⁰ David said, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him down; or his day will come to die naturally; or he will go down into battle and perish.

¹¹ The LORD forbid that I should lay my hand on the LORD's anointed. Now take the spear that is by his head, and the jug of water, and let's get out of here."

¹² So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul's head. Then they got away and no one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up for they were all asleep, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.

¹³ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the hill with a great distance between them.

¹⁴ Then David shouted to the army and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Won't you answer, Abner?" Then Abner asked, "Who are you that calls to the king?"

¹⁵ David taunted Abner, "Aren't you the man? Who in Israel is like you? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king, when someone came to kill the king your lord?

¹⁶ This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not guarded your lord, the LORD's anointed. Now look where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head."

¹⁷ Then Saul knew David's voice, and asked, "Is this your voice, my son David?" David replied, "Yes, it is my voice, my lord, O king."

¹⁸ He continued, "Why does my lord chase after his servant? What have I done? Or what crime have my hands committed?

¹⁹ Now therefore, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is humans, may they be cursed before the LORD. For they have driven me out this day that I should not receive my share in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'

²⁰ Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD, for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, like one who hunts partridge in the mountains."

²¹ Then Saul confessed, "I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. I have played the fool, and have made a terrible mistake."

²² Then David answered, "Look, the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it.

²³ The LORD will repay everyone for his righteousness and his loyalty; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not lift my hand against the LORD's anointed.

²⁴ As I valued your life as precious in my sight today, so may my life be precious in the eyes of the LORD, and let him rescue me from all trouble."

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David. You will both do heroic deeds and be absolutely successful." So David went on his way, and Saul went home.

DASV: 1 Samuel 28

¹ In those days the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. Achish said to David, "You know you and your men are expected to go with me in the army."

² David said to Achish, "Alright, now you will see what your servant can do." Achish said to David, "Very well, I make you my personal bodyguard from now on."

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. Saul had banned mediums and psychics from the land.

⁴ Now the Philistines gathered themselves and camped at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped at Gilboa.

⁵ When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart was terrified.

⁶ Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams, Urim or by prophets.

⁷ So Saul ordered his servants, "Find a woman for me that has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." His servants pointed out, "Look, there is a woman that has a familiar spirit at Endor."

⁸ So Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothes, and took two men with him. They came to the woman at night and he said, "Please divine for me, by the familiar spirit, and bring up from the dead for me whomever I will name to you."

⁹ The woman said to him, "You know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits and the spiritists out of the land. Why then do you lay a trap for me which may bring about my death?"

¹⁰ So Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment will happen to you for doing this."

¹¹ Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He replied, "Bring up Samuel for me."

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly and the woman accused Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."

¹³ But the king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up out of the earth."

¹⁴ He asked her, "What does he look like?" She answered, "An old man coming up wrapped in a robe." Then Saul realized that it was Samuel, so he bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance.

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and no longer answers me by prophets or dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may inform me what I should do."

¹⁶ Samuel said, "Why are you asking me, seeing the LORD has abandoned you, and has become your enemy?

¹⁷ The LORD has done to you, just as he spoke by me. The LORD has ripped the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, David.

¹⁸ Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, and did not execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you today.

¹⁹ Furthermore the LORD will also deliver Israel along with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length on the ground, and was absolutely terrified, because of Samuel's words. There was no strength left in him for he had not eaten anything all that day and night.

²¹ The woman came to Saul, and seeing how distraught he was, she advised him, "Look, your servant has listened to your voice, and I have taken my life in my hand, and have listened to your words that you spoke to me.

²² Now therefore, please listen to the voice of your servant, and let me set a morsel of bread before you. Eat, so that you may have strength, when you go on your way."

²³ But he refused, saying, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, urged him and he finally gave in to their wishes. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

²⁴ Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house; so she quickly butchered it and took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread with it.

²⁵ Then she brought it to Saul and his servants and they ate. Later that same night they got up and left.

DASV: 1 Samuel 30

¹ On the third day, when David and his men came to Ziklag, the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.

² They took captive the women who were in it, both small and great. They had not killed any of them, but had carried them away captive, and went on their way.

³ When David and his men came to the town, they found it burned down, and their wives, sons and daughters taken captive.

⁴ Then David and the men who were with him wept aloud, until they had no more strength to weep.

⁵ David's two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

⁶ David was very upset because the men were talking about stoning him, as a result of all the people being grieved over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

⁷ David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

⁸ Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, "If I pursue after this band of raiders, will I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue; for you will certainly overtake them, and will succeed in recovering everything."

⁹ So David and his 600 men set out, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

¹⁰ But David and 400 men pursued, with 200 staying behind, because they were too exhausted to cross over Wadi Besor.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink.

¹² They gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit revived for he had not eaten any bread or drunk any water in three days and nights.

¹³ Then David asked him, "To whom do you belong? Where are you from?" He replied, "I am an Egyptian, a servant of an Amalekite. My master left me, because three days ago when I fell sick.

¹⁴ We made a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the territory of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We just burned Ziklag."

¹⁵ Then David asked him, "Can you lead me down to this band of raiders?" He replied, "Swear to me by God, that you will not kill me, or turn me over to the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to them."

¹⁶ When he had led David down, and they found them spread out all over the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines, and from the land of Judah.

¹⁷ David fought against them from the twilight until the evening of the next day. Not one of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode off on camels.

¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.

¹⁹ There was nothing missing, small or great, sons or daughters, the plunder or anything else that they had taken. David got it all back.

²⁰ David recovered all the flocks and the herds, which they drove ahead of the other livestock, and said, "This is David's spoil."

²¹ Then David returned to the 200 men, who were so exhausted that they could not follow David, whom they had left behind at Wadi Besor. They came out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he greeted them.

²² Then all the wicked and worthless men who had gone with David said, "Because they didn't go with us, we won't give them any of the spoil that we have recovered. Let each man take only his wife and his children, and leave."

²³ Then David objected, "No, my brothers, you shouldn't do this with what the LORD has given to us. He has protected us, and delivered the raiders who attacked us into our hand.

²⁴ Who will listen to you in this matter? For the share of the one who goes down to the battle, shall be the same as the share of the one that stays by the equipment. They shall share and share alike."

²⁵ From that day to this, David made it a statute and a regulation for Israel.

²⁶ When David arrived at Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, "Look, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD."

²⁷ Gifts were also sent to those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir,

²⁸ Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

²⁹ Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites,

³⁰ Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach,

³¹ Hebron, and to all the places where David and his men were accustomed to visit.