And David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah named Jesse. And to him were eight sons. And the man was old among men in the days of Saul.

And the three oldest sons of Jesse went out, and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born; and his second, Abinadab; and the third Shammah.

And David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul.

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

And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.

And the words which David spoke were heard. And they were told before Saul. And he sent for him.

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

And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.

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 David said, Jehovah who has delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and may Jehovah be with you.

And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of bronze on his head. He also armed him with scaled armor.

And David girded his sword on his armor, and he tried to go. But he had not tested it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them. And David put them off him.

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 as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.

And it happened when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as he did his own soul.

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 as they came in, as David returned from striking the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.

And the women answered as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

And Saul was very angry, and this thing was evil in his eyes. And he said, They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given only thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom?

And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

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 Saul threw the spear. For he said, I will strike David even to the wall. And David drew back out of his presence twice.

And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him and had departed from Saul.

And Saul moved him away from himself, and made him his commander over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people.

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 the servants of Saul told him saying, This is the way David spoke.

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 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.

And Saul said to his son Jonathan, and to all his servants, to kill David.

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 Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works are very good toward you.

And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, As Jehovah lives, he shall not die.

And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

And the evil spirit from Jehovah was on Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David played with his hand.

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 when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

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 David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel, to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.

And it was told to Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

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 they told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers the third time, and they prophesied also.

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 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 Saul did not speak anything that day. For he thought, Something has happened to him; he is not clean. Surely he is not clean.

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 Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked of me to go to Bethlehem,

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 answered Saul his father and said to him, Why shall he be killed? What has he done?

And Saul threw a spear at him to strike him, and by this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.

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 arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

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?

And Saul heard that David and the men with him had been discovered. And Saul was staying in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing about him.

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 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 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 Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

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 David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he did not go forth.

And David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in the stronghold in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul looked for him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

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 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 the men of Ziph came up to Saul, to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the wilderness?

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

And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, on the south of the desert.

Saul and his men also went to look for him. And they told David. And he came down from the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard, he followed after David in the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away before Saul. For Saul and his men were encircling David and his men, to take them.

And a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come! For the Philistines have invaded the land.

And Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place, The Rock of the Division.

And it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

And Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the front of the rocks of the wild goats.

And he came to the folds of the flock on the way, where there was a cave. And Saul went in to cover his feet. And David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

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 David held back his men with words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

And David arose afterward and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And Saul looked behind him. And David bowed his face to the earth and prostrated himself.

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

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.