And Samuel never again saw Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul. And Jehovah repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.

And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer of the herd in your hand with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

And it happened as they came in, he saw Eliab and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Jehovah.

But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look on his face, nor on his height, because I have refused him. For He does not see as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart.

And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifies you.

And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And the shield bearer went in front of him.

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

And carry these ten cuttings of cheeses to the commander of their thousand, and see how your brothers are faring, and take their pledge.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, they ran from him and were very much afraid.

And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be, the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

And the people answered him in this way, saying, So shall it be done to the man who kills him.

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 to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

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 he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones out of the brook for himself, and put them in a shepherd's vessel which he had, even in a bag. And his sling was in his hand. And he drew near the Philistine.

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

Jehovah will deliver you into my hand today, and I will strike you and take your head from you and give the bodies of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the air today, and to the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this multitude shall know that Jehovah does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and He will give you into our hands.

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 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 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 Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house any more.

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 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 when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

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 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.

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 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk about you with my father. And I will tell you what I see.

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

And Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me so, and sent away my enemy so that he has escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go; why should I kill you?

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 stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel, even he. And he lay down disrobed all that day and all that night. Because of this they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And he said to him, Far be it. You shall not die! Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small that he will not show to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.

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.

If he says so, It is well, peace will be to your servant, but if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.

So may Jehovah do to Jonathan and more if it seem good to my father to do you evil, then I will reveal it in your ear and send you away, and you may go in peace. And may Jehovah be with you, as He was with my father.

And you shall not only show me the kindness of Jehovah while I still live, so that I do not die,

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

And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go find the arrows. If I carefully say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them, then you may come, for there is peace to you, and no hurt, as Jehovah lives.

But if I say this to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond you, go your way, for Jehovah has sent you away.

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 he said, Please send me away, for we have a family sacrifice in the city. And my brother commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, I pray you let me get away and see my brothers. And he does not come to the king's table.

And Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Hurry, make haste, do not stand. And Jonathan's lad gathered the arrow and came to his master.

And a man from the servants of Saul was there that day, held before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

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.

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

And David left there and escaped to the cave Adullam. And his brothers and all his father's house heard, and went down to him there.

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 the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests in Nob. And they came, all of them, to the king.

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 Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests.

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'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 saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a woods.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.

And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul. Come down, and it is for us to shut him up into the king's hand.

Please go, make more sure, and know and see the place where his foot is. Who has seen him there? For I am told that he is very subtle.

And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself there, and return to me prepared. And I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

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 it happened afterward David's heart struck him because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

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, my father, behold! Yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my soul to take it.

May Jehovah therefore be judge, and judge between you and me, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.

And swear therefore to me before Jehovah that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.

And the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful form. But the man was cruel and evil in his dealings. And he was of Caleb.

And you shall say this, Long life and peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have.

And David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and stopped.

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's young men turned their way and went again, and came and told him all those things.

And one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold! David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he screamed at them.

And now know and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is a son of worthlessness, so that none can speak to him.

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.

So and more also may God do to the enemies of David, if I leave to the light of the morning any that is his of one who urinates against the wall.

And Abigail saw David and hurried and dismounted from the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.

Please do not let my lord regard this man of worthlessness, Nabal. For as his name is, so he is. Nabal is his name, and foolishness is with him. And I, your handmaid, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.

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 Abigail came to Nabal. And behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. And she did not tell him anything, more or less, until the morning light.

And it happened about ten days afterward Jehovah struck Nabal so that he died.

And David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David sent us to you to take you to him for a wife.