and said unto him, "Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I must be next unto thee: And Saul my father thereto knoweth that it shall be so."

And the men of David said unto him, "See, the day is come of which the LORD said unto thee, 'Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do with him what it pleaseth thee.'" Then David arose and cut off the tip of Saul's coat privily.

and said to Saul, "Wherefore giveth thou an ear to men's words, that say, 'David seeketh thee evil?'

And moreover my father, see yet the tip of thy coat in my hand. And inasmuch as I killed thee not too, when I cut off the tip of thy coat; understand and see that there is neither evil nor rebelliousness in me, and that I have not sinned against thee. And yet thou huntest after my soul to take it.

After whom art thou come out, thou king of Israel? After whom chasest thou? Even after a dead dog, and after a flea!

and said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me with good, and I have rewarded thee with evil.

And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt lovingly with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had locked me in thine hands, thou slewest me not.

For who shall find his enemy, and let him depart a good way? Wherefore the LORD reward thee with good, for that thou hast done unto me this day.

And now I know well that thou shalt be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

Swear therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou shalt not destroy my seed after me, and that thou shalt not destroy my name out of my father's house."

And thus wise say unto my friend, "Peace be to thee, peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

I have heard say that thou hast shearers. Now the shepherds were with us, and we did them no spite, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel:

Now take heed and see what thou hast to do, for it is concluded to do mischief unto our master and to all his household. And he is ungracious to speak to."

Let not my lord regard this unthrifty man Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him. But I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord which thou sendest.

then shall it be no grudge of conscience unto thee or discourage of heart unto my lord, that thou sheddest blood causeless and didst avenge thyself. And moreover when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then think on thine handmaid."

And blessed be thy behaviour, and blessed be thou which hath kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

For in very deed - as sure as the LORD God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee - except thou hadst hasted and met me, there had not been left Nabal, by the dawning of the day, a pisser against the wall."

and cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Answerest thou not Abner?" And Abner answered, and said, "What art thou that criest to the king?"

And David said to Abner, "Art not thou a man? And who is like thee in Israel? But wherefore hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For there came one of the folk to destroy the king thy lord.

It is not good that thou hast done. As truly as the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have no better kept the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the cruse of water that were at his head."

And Saul said to David, "Blessed art thou, my son David: for thou shalt be a doer and prevail." And so David went his way, and Saul turned to his place again.

And it chanced in those days, that the Philistines gathered their host together to war, intending to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, "Be sure: thou shalt go out with me in the host, and thy men also."

And David said again to Achish, "Then thou shalt know what thy servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Then I will make thee keeper of my head forever."

And the woman said unto him, "Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the women that had prophesying spirits, and the sorcerers, out of the land. Wherefore then layest thou a net for my soul to kill me?"

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice and spake to Saul, saying, "Why hast thou mocked me? For thou art Saul."

And the king said unto her, "Be not afraid. But what seest thou?" And the woman said unto Saul, "I see a god ascending up out of the earth."

And Samuel said to Saul, "Why hast thou unquieted me, to make me be brought up?" And Saul answered, "I am sore encumbered. For the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me and answered me no more, neither by prophets, neither by dreams. And therefore have I called thee, to tell me what I shall do."

Then said Samuel, "Wherefore dost thou ask of me? While the LORD is gone from thee and is thine enemy,

because thou obeyedest not the voice of the LORD, nor executedest his fierce wrath upon the Amalekites. Therefore hath the LORD done this unto thee this day.

And moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines. And tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me, and the LORD shall give the host of Israel into the hands of the Philistines."

And the woman came unto Saul and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, "See, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice and have put my soul in thy hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou saidst unto me.

Now therefore hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee, and eat, and get the strength to go thy journey."

Nevertheless the lords of the Philistines were wroth with him and said unto him, "Make this fellow return, and let him go again to his place which thou hast appointed him. For he shall not go with us to do battle, lest he be an adversary to us in the battle. For wherewith could he better obtain the favour of his master, than upon the heads of our men?

Then Achish called David and said unto him, "As sure as the LORD liveth thou art honest, and it pleaseth me well that thou shouldest accompany me in the host, for I have found none evil with thee since thou camest to me unto this day. Nevertheless, the lords of the Philistines favour thee not:

wherefore return and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines."

And David said again to Achish, "Why, what have I done? And what hast thou found in thy servant as long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

Achish answered and said to David, "I know well thou pleasest me, as it were an angel of God. Notwithstanding, the lords of the Philistines have said that thou shalt not go with them to battle.

And David asked the LORD, saying, "Shall I follow after this company? And shall I overtake them?" And he said to him, "Follow, for thou shalt overtake them and recover the prey."

Then David said unto him, "To whom belongest thou and whence art thou?" And the lad answered, "I am an Egyptian and servant to an Amalekite: and my master left me behind, because it is three days a gone that I fell sick.

And David said to him, "Canst thou bring me to this company?" And he said, "Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee unto them."

To whom David said, "Whence comest thou?" And the other answered him, "Out of the host of Israel am I escaped."

And David said unto the young man that told him, "How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?"

And he said unto me, 'What art thou?' And I said unto him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

Then said David unto the young man that brought him tidings, "Whence art thou?" And he said, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite."

And David said unto him, "How is it that thou wast not afraid to lay thine hand on the LORD's anointed, to destroy him?"

Woe is me for thee, my brother Jonathan! Delectable to me wast thou, exceeding. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Art thou Asahel?" And he said, "Yea."

And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn from me! Why wilt thou that I smite thee to the ground? For then how should I hold up my face before Joab thy brother?"

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword devour without end? Knowest thou not that bitterness is wont to come in the latter end? How long shall it be, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?"

And Joab answered, "As truly as God liveth, if thou hadst so said, then even in the morning had the people departed, each from following his brother."

And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Wherefore liest thou with my father's concubine?"

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head, then? That I, against Judah, do mercy unto the house of Saul thy father - and unto his brethren and kinsfolk - and have not delivered them into the hand of David? And thou layest a trespass to my charge this day for a woman's sake?

And David answered, "Well said. I will make a bond with thee. But one thing I require of thee, that thou see not my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see me."

Then Abner said unto David, "I will up and go gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make an appointment with thee, that thou mayest be king over all that thine heart desireth." And so David let Abner depart, and he went in peace.

Then Joab went to the king, and said, "What hast thou done? See, Abner came unto thee, why hast thou sent him away, that he should escape quite?

Thou mightest know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to flatter with thee, and to know thy conversation and behaviour, and to know all that thou doest."

Thy hands were not manacled nor thy feet brought into fetters: but as men fall before wicked children, so fellest thou." And all the people wept yet more over him.

And thereto in time past when Saul was king over us, thou leddest Israel in and out. And the LORD hath said to thee, 'Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.'"

Then went the king and his men to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites the inhabiters of the land. And they said unto David, "Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither" - meaning thereby that David should not have come in thither.

And David asked of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go to the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into my hands?" And the LORD said unto David, "Go, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hands."

And when thou hearest the noise of a thing going in the tops of the pear trees, then move. For then the LORD is gone out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines."

And therefore will I play before the LORD, and will yet be more vile than so, and I will be meek in mine own sight: and of the very same maidservants which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour."

"Go and tell my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD, 'Shalt thou go build me a house for the LORD to dwell in?

And I was with thee in all that thou wentest to, and have destroyed all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men of the world.

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou laid to rest with thy fathers, then I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy body, and will establish his kingdom.

then went King David and set him down before the LORD and said, "What am I, Lord Jehovah, and what is my kin, that thou shouldest have brought me this far forth?

And is this a small thing in thy sight Lord Jehovah, but that thou shouldest speak also of thy servant's house for a great while to come? Is this a law among men Lord Jehovah?

And what can David say more unto thee, seeing thou knowest thy servant, Lord Jehovah?

Even for thy word's sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make them known unto thy servant.

Wherefore, thou art great O LORD God and there is none like thee, neither is there any God save thou, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And what one people in the earth is like thy people Israel? Which God went and delivered to be his people, and to make him a name, and to show them great and terrible things in the earth, before thy people which thou redeemest to thee out of Egypt, even from the people and from their gods.

And thou hast ordained thy people Israel to be thy people forever. And thou, LORD, art their God.

And now, LORD God, the thing thou hast said of thy servant and of his house: make it good forever and do as thou hast said.

For thou, LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, hast told in the ear of thy servant, saying, "I will build thee a house. And therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

And now, Lord Jehovah, thou art the God, and thy words must be true: for thou hast told this goodness unto thy servant.

And now go to and bless the household of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. For thou, Lord Jehovah, hast said that of thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed forever."

And there was, of the household of Saul, a servant named Ziba which was called unto David. And the king said unto him, "Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is the man."

And David said, "Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan's sake and will restore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat meat on mine own table always."

And the other bowed himself and said, "What is thy servant that thou shouldst vouchsafe to look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

See therefore that thou and thy sons and thy servants till the land for him, and bring in, that thy master's son may have food to eat. For Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat meat always upon my table." For this Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

the lords of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, because he hath sent to comfort thee? Nay, he hath rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city and to spy it out, even to overthrow it."

Then they told David, saying, "Uriah descended not into his house." Then said David unto Uriah, "Seeing that thou art come from journeying, why dost thou not go down unto thine house?"

and charged the messengers, saying, "When thou hast made an end of telling the story of war unto the king,

Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbosheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from off the walls, that he died in Thebes? Why then went ye nigh the walls?" Then say thou, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

Then said David unto the messenger, "Thus wise say unto Joab, 'Let not that thing trouble thee. For the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city and destroy it, and see that thou courage, Joab."

Then Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man. Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel, 'I anointed thee king over Israel and rid thee out of the hands of Saul.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do wickedness in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, to be thy wife.'

And thou didst it secretly, yet will I do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.'"

Then said David unto Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said again to David, "The LORD hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Howbeit, because in doing this deed thou hast given the enemies of the LORD a cause to rail, the child that is born thee shall die surely."

Then said his servants unto him, "What is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for thy child while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead thou didst rise up and didst eat meat."

And he said unto him, "How cometh it that thou, being the king's son, art thus consumed every morning? Mayest thou not tell it me?" And Amnon answered him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

For whither shall I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. But speak unto the king, and he shall not deny me unto thee."

Then she said unto him, "This great cruelness, that thou puttest me away, passeth the other that thou didst unto me." Nevertheless he would not hear her,

And the woman said, "Wherefore then hast thou determined on this same manner against the people of God? - That the king should speak this thing and be faulty therein, so that the king should not fetch home again his banished.

And thereto he used to rise up early in the mornings and to stand by the wayside that led to the gate of the city. And all the men of Israel that had complaints and came to the king for judgment, he called unto him, and said, "Of what city art thou?" And when the other answered, "thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel,"

Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, "Wherefore shouldest thou go with us also? Return and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and art removed from thine own place.

Thou camest but yesterday, and should I unquiet thee today to go with us? I will go whither I go. But return thou and carry again thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee."

The king said also unto Zadok the priest, "Thou art a seer; return therefore into the city in peace. And take your two sons with you: Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.