And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah came on David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

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

And Jesse took an ass loaded with bread and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

And David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.

And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.

And it happened when the spirit from God was on Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand. And there was relief for Saul, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah named Jesse. And to him were eight sons. And the man was old among men in the days of Saul.

And David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul.

And David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

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 David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and got up and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the barricade, and to the army which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle.

And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage and ran into the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

And he was speaking with them. And, behold, the champion man, named Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to these words. And David heard.

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 his oldest brother Eliab heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David. And he said, Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart. For you have come down to see the battle.

And David said, What have I done now? Was it not only a word?

And the words which David spoke were heard. And they were told before Saul. And he sent for him.

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.

And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock.

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 Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of bronze on his head. He also armed him with scaled armor.

And David girded his sword on his armor, and he tried to go. But he had not tested it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them. And David put them off him.

And the Philistine came on and drew near David. And the man who bore the shield was before him.

And the Philistine looked and saw David, and disdained him. For he was only a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.

And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.

And David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

And it happened when the Philistine rose and went and drew near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the ranks to meet the Philistine.

And David put his hand into his bag and took a stone from there, and slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead. And he fell on his face to the earth.

And David was stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone. And he struck the Philistine, and killed him. But no sword was in the hand of David.

And David ran and stood on the Philistine, and took out his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and fled.

And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem. But he put his armor in his tent.

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 as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.

And it happened when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as he did his own soul.

And Jonathan and David cut a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

And Jonathan stripped off the robe was on him and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle.

And David went out wherever Saul sent him, behaving himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

And it happened as they came in, as David returned from striking the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.

And the women answered as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

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 Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

And it happened on the next day the evil spirit from God came on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as at other times. And a spear was in Saul's hand.

And Saul threw the spear. For he said, I will strike David even to the wall. And David drew back out of his presence twice.

And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him and had departed from Saul.

And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And Jehovah was with him.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

And Saul said to David, Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab for a wife. Only you be a brave son for me and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.

And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

And it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to be his wife.

And Saul's daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

And Saul said, I will give her to him, so that she may be a trap to him, and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. And Saul said to David a second time, Today you shall be my son-in-law.

And Saul commanded his servants, Talk with David secretly and say, Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you. And now be the king's son-in-law.

And Saul's servants spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, Is it a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and of little worth?

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 when his servants told David these words, it was right in the eyes of David to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not fulfilled.

And David arose and went forth, he and his men. And they killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king so that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.

And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.

And Saul was still more afraid of David. And Saul became David's enemy continually.

And the rulers of the Philistines came out. And it happened as often as they came out, David acted more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was very precious.

And Saul said to his son Jonathan, and to all his servants, to kill David.

But Jonathan, Saul's son, loved David very much. And Jonathan told David, saying, My father Saul seeks to kill you. And now please be careful until morning, and stay in a secret place, and hide yourself.

And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works are very good toward you.

For he took his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and Jehovah worked out a great salvation for all Israel. You saw and rejoiced! Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?

And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter. And they fled from him.

And the evil spirit from Jehovah was on Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David played with his hand.

And Saul thought to strike David even to the wall with the spear. But he burst forth from Saul's presence, and he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And David's wife Michal told him saying, If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you shall be killed.

And Michal let David down through a window. And he left and hurried away, and escaped.

And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed so that I may kill him.

And David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel, to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.

And it was told to Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

And he also went to Ramah, and came to a great well in Sechu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, at Naioth in Ramah.

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

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, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do for you.

And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening.

If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked me that he might run to his city Bethlehem. For there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly?

And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go into the field. And both of them went out into the field.

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?

but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when Jehovah has cut off the enemies of David, every one, from the face of the earth.

So Jonathan covenanted with the house of David, saying, Let Jehovah even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him. For he loved him as he loved his own soul.

And Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon. And you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty.

And David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon had come, the king sat down by the food to eat.

And the king sat on his seat as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

And it happened on the next day, the second of the month, David's place was empty. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why does the son of Jesse not come to the meal, neither yesterday nor today?

And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked of me to go to Bethlehem,

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

And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon. For he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to shame.

And it happened, in the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David. And a little lad was with him.

But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

As soon as the lad had gone, David rose from the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David exceeded.