And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no man with you?

And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have sent you. And I have sent servants to such and such a place.

And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

And David answered the priest and said to him, Truly women have been kept from us for about three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and in a way the holy bread is common. Also surely today it is sanctified in the vessels.

And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? For I have not brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business needed haste.

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth under the ephod, if you will take, take it for yourself, for there is no other here except that one. And David said, There is none like that. Give it to me.

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?

Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, you see the man is mad. Why have you brought him to me?

And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother come forth and be with you until I know what God will do for me.

And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth.

And Saul said to his servants standing by him, Now hear, Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give to any of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

And answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

And Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

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?

And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and who goes at your bidding, and who is honorable in your house?

And the king said, Ahimelech, you shall surely die, you and all your father's house.

And the king said to the guard that stood around him, Turn and kill the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not reveal it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah.

And the king said to Doeg, You turn and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell on the priests. And on that day he killed eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod.

And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house.

And David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go? And shall I strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.

And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

And David inquired of Jehovah once again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.

And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hands, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.

And David knew that Saul secretly planned evil against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.

And David said, O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beg of You, tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.

And David said, Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will shut you up.

And he said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. And you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. And my father Saul knows that also.

And Saul said, Blessed are you from Jehovah, for you have pity on me.

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 David said to Saul, Why do you hear man's words, saying, Behold, David seeks to do you evil?

Behold, your eyes have seen today how Jehovah had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. And one said to kill you. But I had pity on you. And I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is Jehovah's anointed.

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 he said to David, You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, but I have rewarded you evil.

And David sent out ten young men. And David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? The servants who have broken away, each man from his master, have multiplied.

And David said to his men, Let each man gird on his sword. And they each one girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, and two hundred stayed by the stuff.

And she said to her servants, Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

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.

And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me.

And David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your voice and have accepted your person.

And David heard that Nabal had died, and he said, Blessed is Jehovah who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil. For Jehovah has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head. And David sent and spoke with Abigail, to take her to him for a wife.

And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

And 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 the camp to Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.

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.

And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed and be guiltless?

And David said, As Jehovah lives, except Jehovah strike him, or his day shall come, and he dies, or he goes down to battle and is consumed,

And David cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Do you not answer, Abner? And Abner answered and said, Who are you that cries to the king?

And David said to Abner, Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? But why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

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 David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! And let one of the young men come over and get it.

And Saul said to David, Blessed are you, my son David. You shall both do great things and also shall still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. Nothing is better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines. And Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of Israel, and so I shall escape out of his hand.

And David said to Achish, If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country so that I may live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?

And Achish said, Where have you made a raid today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

And in those days it happened that the Philistines gathered their armies for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, You surely know that you shall go with me to battle, you and your men.

And David said to Achish, Surely you shall know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, And I will make you keeper of my head forever.

And Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium, at Endor.

And Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing. And he went. And two men went with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, Please divine for me calling up the dead, and bring me up the man whom I shall name to you.

And the woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off mediums, and the spirit-knowers, out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

And the woman said, Whom shall I bring up to you? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

And the king said to her, Do not be afraid. For what did you see? And the woman said to Saul, I saw gods coming up out of the earth.

And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up, and he is covered with a cloak. And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and he bowed his face to the ground, and prostrated himself.

And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am grievously distressed, for the Philistines are warring against me. And God has left me and does not answer me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. And I have called you so that you may make known to me what I should do.

And Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, since Jehovah has left you and has become your enemy?

And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was sorely troubled, and said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.

But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, forced him, and the woman also. And he listened to their voices and arose from the earth and sat on the bed.

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?

And the rulers of the Philistines were angry with him. And the Philistine rulers said to him, Send the man back, and he shall return to his place where you have appointed him. And he shall not go down with us to battle, and shall not become an enemy to us in battle. For with what should he reconcile himself to his master? Should it not be with the heads of these men?

And Achish called David and said to him, Surely, as Jehovah lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me until today. But you are not good in the eyes of the lords.

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 Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of God. But the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod there to David.

And David said to him, Whose are you? And where do you come from? And he said, I am an Egyptian youth, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick.

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.

And every evil and worthless man of the men who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them from a thing the spoil that we have seized, except to every man his wife and his sons. Let them take them, and go.

And David said, My brothers, you shall not do so with that which Jehovah has given us. For He has protected us, and has delivered into our hand the company that came against us.

And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised ones come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was very much afraid. So Saul took a sword and fell on it.

And David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.

And David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.

And David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?

And the young man who told him said, As I happened to be upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear. And, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, because all my life is still in me.

And David said to the young man who told him, From where are you? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

And David said, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed?

And David called one of the young men and said, Go near; fall on him. And he struck him so that he died.

And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

And he said to teach the sons of Judah The Song of the Bow. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher:

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 Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

And Abner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? And he answered, I am.

And Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take for yourself. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?