For this boy, I prayed, - And Yahweh hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

And Eli used to bless Elkanah and his wife, and to say - Yahweh give thee seed of this woman, instead of the loan that hath been lent unto Yahweh. So they went their way to his own place.

And, this, for thee is the sign, which shall come upon thy two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas, - In one day, shall they, both of them, die;

And, when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said - What meaneth the noise of this loud shout of joy in the camp of the Hebrews? And they learned that, the ark of Yahweh, had come into the camp.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said - God hath come into the camp. And they said - Woe to us! for there hath not happened the like of this, heretofore.

And, when Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said - What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And, the man, hasted, and came, and told Eli.

For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day.

Then shall ye look - if, by the way of its own boundary, it goeth up to Beth-shemesh, he, it was who caused us this great affliction, - but, if not, then shall we know that it was not, his hand, that smote us, a chance, it was, that befell us.

And the golden mice, by the number of all the cities of the Philistines, pertaining to the five lords, both fortified cities, and country villages, - yea, even the great meadow whereon they rested the ark of Yahweh, until this day, is in the field-land of Joshua, the man of Beth-shemesh.

Then said the men of Beth-shemesh, Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? and, unto whom, shall he go up from us?

According to all the doings which they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, even until this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so, are they doing even unto thee.

And he said, This, will be the manner of the king who will reign over you, - Your sons, will he take and appoint for himself, as his charioteers and as his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots;

And he said to him: Lo! I pray thee, a man of God, liveth in this city, and, the man, is held in honour, all that he saith, surely cometh to pass. Now, let us go thither; peradventure he may tell us our way, whereon we should have gone.

They were going up the ascent of the city, when they found young women, coming out to draw water, - so they said unto these, Is, the seer, in this place?

As ye enter the city, so, shall ye surely find him, ere yet he shall go up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he hath come, for, he, doth bless the sacrifice, after that, will they eat who have been bidden. Now, therefore, go up, for, about this very time, shall ye surely find him.

About this time to-morrow, will I send unto thee, a man out of the land of Benjamin, whom thou shalt anoint, to be leader over my people Israel, and he shall save my people, out of the hand of the Philistines, - for I have looked upon the oppression, because their outcry hath come in unto me.

Then answered Saul, and said - Am not I, a man of Benjamin, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and is not , my family, the poorest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore, then, hast thou spoken unto me of such a thing as this?

Then responded one of that place, and said, But who is, their father? For this cause, it became a proverb, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?

But, abandoned men, said - How can this one save us? So they treated him with contempt, and brought him no present, - but he was as one that was deaf.

But Saul said, There shall not be put to death a man, this day, - for, to-day, hath Yahweh wrought deliverance in Israel.

Now, therefore, lo! the king going to and fro before you, But, I, am old and grey-headed, and, my sons, lo! they are with you, - But, I, have gone to and fro before you from my youth until this day.

And he said unto them - Witness, is Yahweh against you, and, witness, is his Anointed, this day, that ye have not found in my hand, any thing! And they said: Witness!

How that, when Jacob had come into Egypt, - and your fathers had made outcry unto Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and he caused them to dwell in this place;

Even now, stand still and see this great thing, - which Yahweh is about to do before your eyes:

Then said Samuel unto the people - Do not fear, ye, have done all this wrong, - nevertheless, do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh, with all your heart;

but, if thus, they say, Come up unto us, then will we go up; for Yahweh hath delivered them into our hand, - This, then, is our sign.

Then said Jonathan: My father hath afflicted the land, - See, I pray you, how my own eyes have been brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

Then said Saul, Come near hither, all ye chiefs of the people, - and get to know and see, wherein, hath been this sin, to-day.

But the people said unto Saul - Shall, Jonathan, die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! By the life of Yahweh, there shall not fall a hair of his head to the ground, for, with God, hath he wrought this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.

And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of sheep, in mine ears, - and the lowing of oxen, which I can hear?

Then said Samuel unto Saul, Stay, and let me tell thee, that which Yahweh hath spoken unto me, this night. And he said to him - Speak.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel, - and he said, Neither of this one, hath Yahweh made choice.

Then Jesse made Shammah pass by, - and he said - Nor of this one, hath Yahweh made choice.

So he sent, and brought him in. Now, he, was ruddy, a stripling with handsome eyes, and noble mien. Then said Yahweh - Rise - anoint him, for, this, is, he.

And the Philistine said - I, reproach the ranks of Israel, this day, - give me a man, that we may fight together.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take, I pray thee, unto thy brethren - this ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves, - and run to the camp unto thy brethren;

And the men of Israel said - Have ye seen this man that is coming up? For, to reproach Israel, is he coming. So then it shall be, that, the man that shall smite him, the same, will the king enrich with great riches, and, his own daughter, will give him, and, his father's house, will he make free in Israel.

Then spake David unto the men that were standing by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that shall smite yonder Philistine, and so shall take away reproach from off Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God?

And the people answered him, according to this word saying, - So, shall it be done to the man that shall smite him.

Then turned he from him unto another, and said - according to this word, - and the people returned him an answer, like the first.

And David said unto Saul, Let not the heart of my lord fail, because of him, - thy servant, will go, and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said unto David - Thou art not able to go against this Philistine, to fight with him, - for, a youth, art, thou, but, he, a man of war, from his youth.

Thy servant could slay, either a lion or a bear, - and, this uncircumcised Philistine, shall become, as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God.

And David said, Yahweh, who hath rescued me out of the power of the lion, and out of the power of the bear, he, will rescue us out of the hand of this Philistine. Then said Saul unto David - Go! and, Yahweh, will be with thee.

This day, will Yahweh deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee, and will give thy dead body and the dead bodies of the host of Philistines, this day, unto the birds of heaven, and unto the wild beasts of the earth, - that all the earth may know that Israel hath a God;

and that all this gathered host may know that, not with sword and with spear, doth Yahweh save, - for, unto Yahweh, belongeth the battle, and he will deliver you into our hand.

Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said, - They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands, - What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom?

And Saul said unto Michal - Wherefore, in this way, hast thou deceived me, and let go mine enemy, that he hath escaped? Then said Michal unto Saul, He, himself, said unto me - Let me go, wherefore should I put thee to death?

And, even he, stripped off his upper garments, and, even he, was moved to prophesy before Samuel, and lay prostrate, disrobed, all that day, and all the night. For this cause, do they say, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?

And he said unto him - Far be it! thou shalt not die. Lo! my father doeth nothing, great or small, without unveiling mine ear, - wherefore, then, should my father hide from me, this thing? There is, nothing, in this.

But David sware yet further, and said - Thy father, doth know, that I have found favour in thine eyes, therefore saith he, - Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he grieve; but, indeed, by the life of Yahweh, and by the life of thine own soul, surely there is but as it were a step betwixt me and death!

Then said Jonathan unto David - Witness be Yahweh God of Israel, that I will sound my father about this time to-morrow or the third day, and lo! if there he good towards David, will I not, then, send unto thee, and unveil thine ear?

and, when thou hast tarried three days, thou shalt come down quickly and enter the place, where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the deed, and shall remain by the side of this mound.

And lo! I will send the boy saying , Go, find the arrow! If I, say, to the boy - Lo! the arrows, are on this side of thee - take them, then come, for there is peace for thee, and no cause for fear , by the life of Yahweh.

and said - Let me go, I pray thee, for, a family sacrifice, have we in the city, and my brethren have commanded me, now, therefore, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me slip away, I pray thee, that I may see my brethren. For this cause, hath he not come in unto the table of the king.

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not, this, David, king of the land? Was it not, of this man, that they kept responding in the dances, saying, Saul, hath smitten his, thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands?

Lacking of madmen, am I that ye should bring in this one to play his mad pranks, unto me? Shall, this, one enter my household?

That ye have conspired, all of you, against me, and there is none to uncover mine ear as to the covenanting of my son with the son of Jesse? And none from among you that taketh pity upon me, and that uncovereth mine ear to this , - that, mine own son, hath stirred up, my servants, against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

And Saul said unto him, Wherefore have ye conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse, - in that thou gavest him bread and a sword, and didst enquire for him of God, that he might rise up against me, that he might lie in wait, as at this day?

Did I, that day, begin to enquire for him of God? Far from me! Let not the king impute to his servant such a thing, nor to any of the household of my father, for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.

and said unto him, - Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, but, thou, shalt become king over Israel, and, I, shall be, next, unto thee, yea and, Saul my father, knoweth this.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and, David and his men, on that side of the mountain, - wherefore David became hurried, to get away from the presence of Saul, but, Saul and his men, were surrounding David and his men, to capture then:

And he said unto his men - Far be it from me, of Yahweh, that I should do this thing unto my lord, unto the Anointed of Yahweh, to thrust forth my hand against him, - for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he!

Lo! this day, have thine own eyes seen, how Yahweh had delivered thee up, to-day, into my hand in the cave, and, when one bade me slay thee, I looked with compassion upon thee, - and I said - I will not thrust forth my hand against my lord, for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he!

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Thy voice, is this, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

Yet, when a man findeth his enemy, will he let him get easily away? Yahweh, then, give thee, good, reward for what, this day, thou hast done unto me.

Now, David, had said - Surely, in vain, did I guard all that pertained to this man in the wilderness, so that there was, nothing, missed of all that he had, - seeing he hath returned to me evil for good.

Let it not be, I pray thee, that my lord regard this abandoned man - Nabal; For, as his name is, so, is he. Nabal, is his name, and, baseness, is with him, - But, I, thy handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

Now, therefore, this blessing which thy maid-servant hath brought to my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who are going to and fro at the feet of my lord.

then shall this not become to thee a staggering and stumbling of heart, unto my lord - that thou didst either shed blood without need, or that the hand of my lord saved himself. And, when Yahweh hath dealt well with my lord, then remember thou thy handmaid.

Then said David unto Abigail, - Blessed, be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who hath sent thee this day, to meet me;

and, blessed, be thy discreet judgment, and, blessed, be thou thyself, - who hast kept me, this day, from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving myself, with mine own hand.

Not good, is this thing which thou hast done, by the life of Yahweh, verily, worthy of death, ye are, in that ye have not kept watch over your lord, over, the Anointed of Yahweh. Now, therefore, see where the spear of the king is, and the cruse of water, that was at his head?

And Saul knew the voice of David, and said - Thy voice, is this, my son David? And David said, My voice, my lord O king!

Then said Saul - I have sinned, Return, my son David, for I will harm thee no more, because my life was precious in thine eyes, this day, - lo! I have acted foolishly and, greatly, erred.

Lo! then, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so, let my life be much set by in the eyes of Yahweh, and let him rescue me out of all tribulation.

So Achish gave him, on that day, Ziklag, - wherefore Ziklag hath pertained unto the kings of Judah, unto this day.

So then Saul sware unto her by Yahweh, saying, - By the life of Yahweh, there shall no punishment befall thee for this thing.

As thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh, neither didst execute the glow of his anger upon Amalek, therefore, this thing, hath Yahweh done unto thee this day;

Then said the princes of the Philistines, What are these Hebrews doing ? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines - Is not this David, servant of Saul king of Israel, who hath been with me this year, or two, and I have found in him nothing, from the day of his coming over unto me unto this day?

But the princes of the Philistines raged against him, and the princes of the Philistines said unto him - Let the man go back, that he may return unto the place which thou didst appoint him, and let him not go down with us, into battle, so shall he not become to us a traitor, in the battle, - for, wherewith, should this fellow gain favour with his lord? Would it not be with the heads of those men?

Is not this David, of whom they made responses in the dances, saying, - Saul, hath smitten, his thousands, But, David, his, tens of thousands?

So Achish called for David, and said unto him - By the life of Yahweh, surely, upright, thou art, and, pleasing in mine eyes, have been thy going out and thy coming in with me, in the host, for I have found in thee no wrong, from the day of thy coming in unto me, until this day, - but, in the eyes of the lords, displeasing, thou art.

Then said David unto Achish - But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant, from the day that I came before thee, unto this day, - that I may not go in and fight, with the enemies of my lord the king.

And David enquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? shall I overtake it? And he said unto him: Pursue, for thou shalt, overtake, and thou shalt, rescue.

And David said unto him, Wilt thou bring me down unto this troop? And he said - Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt not put me to death, neither wilt thou surrender me into the hand of my lord, and I will bring thee down unto this troop.

And David took all the flocks and the herds, - they drave them before those other cattle, and they said, This, is David's spoil.

Who indeed, could hearken unto you, in this mutter? Surely, like the share of him that went down into the battle, even, so, shall be the share of him that remained by the stores - alike, shall they share.

And so it came to pass, from that day forward, that he appointed it, for a statute and for a custom unto Israel, until this day.