And Saul gave his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the edge of the desert, by the highway. And David was staying in the wilderness. And he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched. And David saw the place where Saul lay. And Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army, and Saul were lying within the barricade. And the people pitched all around him.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping in the tent, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head. But Abner and the people lay around him.

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

far be it from me by Jehovah, from putting forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. And now, please take the spear at his head and the cruse of water, and we will go.

And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head. And they went away, and no one saw, and no one knew; and no one was awake; for all of them were sleeping, because a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen on them.

This thing that you have done is not good. As Jehovah lives, because you have not watched over your master, Jehovah's anointed, you also are worthy to die. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

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

May Jehovah give to each his righteousness and his faithfulness. For Jehovah delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.

And behold, as your life was precious in my eyes this day, so let my life be precious in the eyes of Jehovah, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.

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 lived with Achish of Gath, he and his men, each one with his household; David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's former wife.

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 David did not keep alive man or woman to bring news to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So David did, and so has been his custom all the days he lived in the fields of the Philistines.

And Saul saw the army of the Philistines, and he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

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 the woman saw Samuel, and cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!

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 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.

And now please listen also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a bit of bread before you and eat, so that you may have strength when you go on your way.

And return now, and go in peace so that you do not displease the lords of the Philistines.

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 now, rise up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you. And as soon as you have light, depart.

And David's two wives had been seized, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the former wife of Nabal of Carmel.

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.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

And David took all the flock, and the herd. They drove on before those cattle. And they said, This is David's spoil.

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.

For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall be his part that stays by the stuff. They shall divide alike.

And it was so, from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

And the Philistines followed Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

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 when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

And the men of Israel beyond the valley, and who were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons had died. And they abandoned the cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here am I.

And David took hold on his garments, and tore them. And likewise all the men with him did so.

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 David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's wife.

But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.

Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

And each one lay hold on the head, of his companion and thrust his sword in his companion's side, so that they fell together. And one called that place The Field of Rocks, which is in Gibeon.

And Joab blew a ram's horn, and all the people stood still and did not pursue after Israel any more, nor did they fight any more.

And Joab returned from following Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men and Asahel were missing from David's servants.

But the servants of David had stricken three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, who died.

And the sixth was Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?

And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, who shows kindness against Judah this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David? Am I a dog's head that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman today?

So may God do to Abner, and more also, if I do not do to David as Jehovah has sworn,

And he said, Good! I will cut a covenant with you, but one thing I ask of you, saying, You shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and so that you may reign over all that your heart desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Let it whirl about the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. And let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls on the sword, or who lacks bread.

Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell. And all the people wept again over him.

And all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was still day; David swore, saying, So let God do to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else until the sun is down.

And Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron. And his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands. The name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, of the sons of Benjamin. For Beeroth also was counted to Benjamin;

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And as she made haste to flee he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

And David saw that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that He had made his kingdom sure for His people Israel's sake.

And David did so, as Jehovah had commanded him. And he struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.

And when they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen upset it.

And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the ram's horn.

And it happened as the ark of Jehovah came to the city of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Jehovah. And she despised him in her heart.

the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.

Go and tell My servant David, So says Jehovah, Shall you build Me a house for My dwelling?

And now so shall you say to My servant David, So says Jehovah of Hosts: I took you from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.

And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more. Neither shall the sons of wickedness afflict them any more, as before.

And even from the time that I commanded judges to be over My people of Israel, so will I cause you to rest from all your enemies. Also Jehovah tells you that He will make you a house.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God. But You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God?

And what can David say more to You? For You, O Lord Jehovah, know Your servant.

For Your Word's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things to make Your servant know.

And he struck Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground. Even with two lines he measured to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, bringing gifts.

And he put garrisons in Edom. He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the men of Edom became David's servants. And Jehovah preserved David wherever he went.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

And David said, Is there still any that is left from the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

And the king said, Is there not still any of the house of Saul, so that I may show the kindness of God to him? And Ziba said to the king, Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.

And David said to him, Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father. And you shall eat bread at my table forever.

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.

And you shall till the land for him, you and your sons and your servants. And you shall bring in the fruits so that your master's son may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's son, shall eat bread always at my table. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

And Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall your servant do. And Mephibosheth was eating at my table like one of the king's sons.

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. For he always sat at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. And David sent to comfort him for his father, by the hand of his servants. And David's servants came to the land of the sons of Ammon.

And Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, to their buttocks, and sent them away.

And the sons of Ammon saw that they had begun to stink before David. And the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and from King Maacah a thousand men, and from Ishtob twelve thousand men.

And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind. And he chose from all the choice ones of Israel, and put them in order against the Syrians.

And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, so that he might set in order against the sons of Ammon.

And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, then they fled also before Abishai, and entered into the city. And Joab returned from the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

And the Syrians saw that they were beaten before Israel, and they gathered together.

And all the kings, the servants of Hadarezer, saw that they were beaten before Israel, and they made peace with Israel and served them. And the Syrians feared to help the sons of Ammon any more.

And it happened one evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing. And the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah left the king's house. And a gift from the king went out after him.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.