And he said to him, Behold now, in this city is a man of God, and an honorable man. All that he says surely comes to pass. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can declare our way to us, how to go.

(In the old days in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said this: Come, let us go to the seer, for the prophet of today was before called a seer.)

As you come to the city, you shall immediately find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the feast. Afterwards those who have been invited eat. And now go up, for about this time you shall find him.

Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin. And you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel, so that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked on My people because their cry has come to Me.

And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said to him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall reign over My people.

And the cook took up the shoulder and that on it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is reserved! Set it before you and eat. For until this set time it has been kept for you, since I said, I have invited the people. And Saul ate with Samuel that day.

And it happened when all who knew him before saw him, behold, he prophesied among the prophets. And the people said to one another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

And you have this day rejected your God who Himself saved you out of all your calamities and your tribulations. And you have said to Him, But set a king over us. And now present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes and by your thousands.

But the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no present. But he was silent.

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, With this I will make a covenant with you, when all your right eyes are dug out and I will make it a reproach on all Israel.

And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today Jehovah has worked salvation in Israel.

And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray-headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them live in this place.

Also, now stand and see this great thing which Jehovah shall do before your eyes.

And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness. Yet do not turn aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.

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

But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.

And this was the first blow, when Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck about twenty men in about half of a furrow of an acre of a field.

And one from the people answered and said, Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed is the man who eats food this day. And the people were weary.

Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. Please see how my eyes have been lightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

And Saul said, Draw near here, all the chief of the people, and know and see what this sin has been today.

And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked out this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! As Jehovah lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he did not die.

And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the flock in my ears? And what is the sound of the herd which I hear?

And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed him before Samuel, but he said, Also Jehovah has not chosen this one.

And Jesse passed Shammah by, but he said, Also Jehovah has not chosen this one.

And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and good form. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he.

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man, and we will fight together.

And Jesse said to his son David, Please take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers.

And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be, the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away this shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

And the people answered him in this way, saying, So shall it be done to the man who kills him.

And he turned from him toward another, and spoke according to this word. And the people answered him again in the same way.

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.

Your servant killed both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.

And David said, Jehovah who has delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and may Jehovah be with you.

And all this multitude shall know that Jehovah does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and He will give you into our hands.

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.

And Saul was very angry, and this thing was evil in his eyes. And he said, They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given only thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom?

And the servants of Saul told him saying, This is the way David spoke.

And Saul said, You shall say this to David, The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel, even he. And he lay down disrobed all that day and all that night. Because of this they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And he said to him, Far be it. You shall not die! Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small that he will not show to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.

And David swore again and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes. And he said, Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be full of sorrow. But truly as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, only a step is between me and death.

And Jonathan said to David, By Jehovah, the God of Israel, when I search my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, then shall I not send to you and reveal it in your ear?

And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go find the arrows. If I carefully say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them, then you may come, for there is peace to you, and no hurt, as Jehovah lives.

But if I say this to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond you, go your way, for Jehovah has sent you away.

And Saul threw a spear at him to strike him, and by this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.

And he said to this lad, Run now, find the arrows which I shoot. As the lad ran, he shot an arrow, causing it to pass over him.

And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Do I have need of mad men, that you have brought this one to show madness in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?

And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have asked of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as at this day?

Have I today begun to ask of God for him? Be it far from me. Do not let the king charge a thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, more or less.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away before Saul. For Saul and his men were encircling David and his men, to take them.

And the men of David said to him, Behold, this is the day of which Jehovah said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand so that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you. And David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.

And he said to his men, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, if I will do this thing to my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Jehovah.

And it happened when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me, because when Jehovah shut me up into your hand, you did not kill me.

For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go completely away? And may Jehovah reward good for what you have done to me this day.

And you shall say this, Long life and peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have.

And David had said, Surely in vain I have kept all that belongs to this fellow in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his. And he has requited me evil for good.

And she fell at his feet and said, On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be. And please let your handmaid speak in your ears, and hear the words of your handmaid.

Please do not let my lord regard this man of worthlessness, Nabal. For as his name is, so he is. Nabal is his name, and foolishness is with him. And I, your handmaid, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.

And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men who follow my lord.

this shall be no stumbling to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood for nothing, or that my lord has delivered himself. And may Jehovah deal well with my lord, and you remember your handmaid.

And Abishai said to David, God has shut up your enemy into your hand this day. And please let me strike him with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not repeat it to him.

This thing that you have done is not good. As Jehovah lives, because you have not watched over your master, Jehovah's anointed, you also are worthy to die. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

And Saul knew David's voice and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

And he said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant this way? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?

And Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will never do you harm any more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have greatly erred.

And behold, as your life was precious in my eyes this day, so let my life be precious in the eyes of Jehovah, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.

And Achish gave him Ziklag that day. And Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.

And Saul swore to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.

Because you did not obey the voice of Jehovah, nor execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you now.

And the rulers of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is this not David the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years. And I have not found anything evil in him from the day he fell away until today?

Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying, Saul killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant so long as I have been with you to this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Go! For you shall surely overtake and will without fail recover all.

And David said to him, Can you bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company.

And David took all the flock, and the herd. They drove on before those cattle. And they said, This is David's spoil.

For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall be his part that stays by the stuff. They shall divide alike.

And it was so, from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

And David chanted this death dirge over Saul and over his son Jonathan.

And it happened after this, David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up! And David said, Where shall I go? And He said, To Hebron.

And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead. And he said to them, Blessed are you of Jehovah, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.

And now may Jehovah do kindness and truth to you. And I also do good to you, because you have done this thing.

And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, who shows kindness against Judah this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David? Am I a dog's head that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman today?

And Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is this, that you have sent him away, and he has already gone?

And the king said to his servants, Do you not know that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

And I am weak this day, though anointed king. And these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. Jehovah shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

and the men of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and were strangers there until this day.

And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. And Jehovah has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.

And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

And David was displeased because Jehovah had broken forth upon Uzzah. And he called the name of the place The Break of Uzzah to this day.

And I will be still lower than this, and will be base in my own sight. And of the handmaids of whom you have spoken, with them I shall be had in honor.

For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt until this day, but have walked in a tent, even in a tabernacle.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God. But You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God?