And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn, for behold, I am with you according to your heart.

If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.

But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.

And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel.

And Saul said to the people with him, Number now and see who is gone from us. And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

And the men of Israel were distressed on that day. For Saul had commanded the people, saying, Cursed is the man that eats food until evening, so that I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

And one from the people answered and said, Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed is the man who eats food this day. And the people were weary.

And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do all that seems good to you. Then the priest said, Let us draw near here to God.

For, as Jehovah lives, He who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered.

And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked out this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! As Jehovah lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he did not die.

Now go and strike Amalek, and completely destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

And Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah, as you come to Shur, which is over across from Egypt.

And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the flock in my ears? And what is the sound of the herd which I hear?

And Samuel said, Does Jehovah delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice! To listen is better than the fat of rams!

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idol-worship. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king!

And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent, for He is not a man that He should repent.

And Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him daintily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.

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 he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and good form. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he.

Let our lord now command his servants before you to seek out a man who knows to play on a harp. And it shall be, when the evil spirit from God is on you, then he shall play with his hand, and it shall be well with you.

And one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, and a mighty warrior and a man of battle, and prudent in speech. And he is a person of good form, and Jehovah is with him.

And Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.

And Jesse took an ass loaded with bread and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our slaves and serve us.

And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and got up and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the barricade, and to the army which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle.

And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away this shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

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.

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 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 the king said, You go ask whose son the young man is.

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 Jonathan and David cut a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

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

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 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 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

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 swore again and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes. And he said, Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be full of sorrow. But truly as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, only a step is between me and death.

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.

And you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, kill me yourself. For why should you bring me to your father?

And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go into the field. And both of them went out into the field.

And Jonathan said to David, By Jehovah, the God of Israel, when I search my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, then shall I not send to you and reveal it in your ear?

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 Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him. For he loved him as he loved his own soul.

And Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon. And you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty.

And I will shoot three arrows on the side, as though I shot at a mark.

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.

And as to the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, may Jehovah be between you and me forever.

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.

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. And now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.

And he said to this lad, Run now, find the arrows which I shoot. As the lad ran, he shot an arrow, causing it to pass over him.

And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad and said, Is not the arrow beyond you?

As soon as the lad had gone, David rose from the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David exceeded.

And therefore, what is under your hand? Give five loaves of bread in my hand, or what there is to be found.

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?

But all of you have conspired against me, and none of you was revealing in my ear when my son cut a covenant with the son of Jesse? And not one of you is sorry for me, even to reveal in my ear that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as today.

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 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 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.

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

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.

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.

As the ancient proverb says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked. But my hand shall not be on you.

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 now I have heard that you have shearers. And we did not hurt your shepherds who were with us; neither was there anything missing to them all the while they were in Carmel.

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.

But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither did we miss anything as long as we were going to and fro among them, when we were in the fields.