Therefore I swore to the house of Eli [that] the iniquity of the house of Eli would not be atoned for by sacrifice or by offering forever."

(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say: "Come, let us go up to the seer." For the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.)

They [were] going up the ascent of the town when they found young women going out to draw water. They said to them, "Is there the seer here?"

Then Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate and said, "Please tell me, where [is] the house of the seer?"

Samuel answered Saul and said, "I [am] the seer. Go up {ahead of me} to the high place, and you will eat with me today; then I will send you away in the morning. I will tell you all that [is] {on your mind}.

Then a man from the army informed [him] and said, "Your father made the army swear a solemn [oath], saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today,'" so the army [is] exhausted.

For as Yahweh lives, who delivers Israel, [I swear] that even if it [is] in Jonathan my son, {he will certainly die}!" But nobody from all the army answered him.

And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore, "{As Yahweh lives}, he will not be put to death!"

And Jonathan again made David swear an oath, because he loved him; for with the love of his soul he loved him.

So then, swear to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my {descendants} after me and that you will not wipe out my name from my father's house."

So David swore [this on oath] to Saul, and Saul went to his house, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah the brother of Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul, in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."

Then Saul swore to her by Yahweh, "{As Yahweh lives}, {you will not be punished} for this thing."

So David asked him, "Will you take me down to this band [of raiders]?" He said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and that you will not deliver me into my master's hand! Then I will take you down to this band."