And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people scattered from me, and yet thou camest not within the days appointed - and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash -

But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and hath commanded him to be a captain over his people: because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."

And Samuel arose and gat him from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about a six hundred men.

And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were found with them, had their abiding in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines had pitched in Michmash.

And there came out of the host of the Philistines three companies, to destroy: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah unto the land of Shual;

and another company turned the way to Bethhoron; and the third company turned to the way of the coast that turneth to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears.

And so in time of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hands of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: save for Saul and Jonathan his son was there somewhat found.

And it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto his young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over to the watchmen of the Philistines that are yonder on the other side" - and told not his father.

But Saul tarried in the utmost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree, that was in Migron, and the people that were with him were upon a six hundred men.

And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was the LORD's priest in Shiloh and bare an ephod. But the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

Then said Jonathan to the young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over unto the standing of these uncircumcised, peradventure the LORD will work with us: for the LORD is free to save with many or with few."

And his harness bearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thine heart. Set thee forward; and see, I am with thee, as thine heart lusteth."

And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his harness bearer made was upon a twenty men, within the compass as it were about a half acre of land.

And there was a fear in the host that was in the field, and among all the people: insomuch that they that kept the hold, and they that were gone to rob, were afraid also: and the earth trembled and there was a fear sent of God.

Then said Saul unto the people that was with him, "Number, and see who is gone away from us." And when they had told: behold, Jonathan and his harness bearer were not there.

And while Saul talked unto the priest, the people that were in the host of the Philistines ran more and more. And Saul said unto the priest, "Withdraw thine hand."

And Saul cried, and all the people that were with him, and went to battle. And behold every man's sword was against his fellow, with a mighty great slaughter.

Moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, and were come with them in all parts of the host, joined themselves unto Israel which were with Saul and Jonathan.

And they also which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, as soon as they heard how that the Philistines were fled, they followed after them in battle.

And so God helped Israel that day. And the battle continued until they came unto Bethaven.

And the men of Israel joined themselves together that day: and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be he that eateth any food until night, that I may be avenged of mine enemies." And so there was none of the people that tasted any sustenance.

And when the people were come into the wood: Behold, the honey dropped. Howbeit, there was no man that moved his hand to his mouth, because that the people feared the curse.

But Jonathan heard not when his father adjured the people, wherefore he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honey comb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes received sight.

Then spake one of the people, and said, "Thy father adjured the people, saying, 'Cursed be the man that eateth any sustenance this day.'" And yet the people were fainty.

And they laid on the Philistines that day, from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were exceeding fainty.

Then men told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have trespassed. But roll a great stone unto me now,

And Saul made an altar unto the LORD. And that was the first altar that he made unto the LORD.

And Saul asked of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hands?" But he answered him not at that time.

Then he said unto all Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on another." And the people said unto Saul, "What thou thinkest best, that do."

Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I tasted a little honey upon the end of my staff that was in mine hand, and see, I must die."

Then said Saul, "God do so and so to me, except that thou die Jonathan."

But the people said unto Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, which hath so mightily helped Israel? God forbid. As truly as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day." And so the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.

And whithersoever he turned himself, there he won, and played the man and slew the Amalekites, and rid Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts: 'I have called to remembrance that which Amalek did to Israel; how they lay in wait for them in the way, as they came out of Egypt.

Now therefore go and smite the Amalekites, and only destroy ye all that pertaineth unto them, and see thou have no compassion on them. But slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, and ox, sheep, camel and ass.'"

And Saul slew the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur that lieth before Egypt,

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and they left of the sheep and of the oxen and fat things and the lambs and all that was good, and would not destroy them. But all that was nought worth and flaggy, that they destroyed utterly.

"It repenteth me that I have made Saul king. For he is turned from me and hath not performed my commandments." Wherefore Samuel was evil apaid and cried unto the LORD all night.

And Samuel rose early, to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel that Saul was come to Carmel, and had set him up a pillar of triumph, and was turned and departed and gone to Gilgal.

And then the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said unto thee, 'See that thou utterly destroy those sinners, the Amalekites and fight against them until ye have utterly destroyed them.'

Then said Samuel, "Hath the LORD as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offerings, as he hath that thou shouldest obey his voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to give heed is better than the fat of rams.

But now take away my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD."

Then said Samuel unto Saul, "I will not return with thee: for thou hast cast away the bidding of God, and therefore the LORD hath cast away thee also, that thou shalt not be king over Israel."

Then Samuel said, "The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou.

And thereto he that giveth victory to Israel, will not beguile nor repent: for he is not a man, that can repent."

Then he said, "I have sinned. But yet honour me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may pray unto the LORD thy God."

But Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, because the LORD repented that he had made him king over Israel.

And Samuel took the horn with the ointment and anointed him in the presence of his brethren. And the spirit of the LORD came upon David, from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

Let our lord therefore command his servants to seek a man that is a cunning player with a harp. And then when the evil spirit sent of God cometh upon thee, that he may play with his hand and thou shalt be eased."

And Saul said unto his servants, "Seek me a man that can well play, and bring him to me."

Then answered one of his servants and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that can play upon instruments, and is an active fellow and a man of war and prudent and well made, and the LORD is with him."

And David went to Saul and came before him, and he loved him very well; so that he was made his harness bearer.

And he stood and called unto the host of Israel, and said unto them, "What needeth that ye should come out in array to battle? Am not I a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose you a man, and let him come down to me:

And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to battle. And the names of his three sons that went to battle were: Eliab the eldest, and the next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

And as he talked with them, behold, there stood a man in the midst: Goliath the Philistine by name, of Gath, which came out of the array of the Philistines, and spake of the manner above rehearsed, that David heard it.

And every man of Israel said, "See ye this man that is come forth; even to revile Israel is he come. And to him that beateth him will the king give great riches, and will give him his daughter thereto: yea and make his father's house free in Israel."

Then spake David to the men that stood by and said, "What shall be done to the man that beateth this Philistine and taketh away the shame from Israel? For what is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should revile the host of the living God?"

And the people answered as it is rehearsed, saying, "So shall it be done to the man that beateth him."

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the man and was angry with David and said, "Why camest thou away, and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the malice of thine heart, that thou art come to see the battle."

And they that heard the words which David spake, rehearsed them before Saul, which caused him to be fetched.

And David spake moreover, "The LORD that delivered me out of the hands of the Lion and out of the hands of the Bear, he shall deliver me also out of the hands of the Philistine." Then said Saul to David, "Go, and the LORD be with thee."

And the Philistine came and drew near to David, with the man that bare a shield before him.

And the Philistine said unto David, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff?" And he cursed David in the name of his gods.

This day shall the LORD deliver thee into my hand, and I shall smite thee and take thine head from thee, and will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the earth - and all the world shall know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this congregation shall know that the LORD saveth not with the sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he shall give you into our hands."

And David put his hand in his poke and took out a stone and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell groveling to the earth.

he ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of his sheath and slew him and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

And when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David; insomuch that Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

And Saul took him that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

And Jonathan put off his own coat that was upon him, and gave it David, and thereto his mantle, his sword, his bow and his girdle.

And it happened as they went, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that women came out of all cities of Israel singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with fiddles.

And the women that played sang thereto, and said, "Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand."

Then was Saul exceeding wroth and that saying displeased him, and he said, "They have ascribed unto David ten thousand, and to me but a thousand. And what more can he have, save the kingdom?"

Wherefore Saul looked sourly upon David from that day forward.

And it happened on the morrow, that the evil spirit sent of God came upon Saul, so that he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played on the instrument with his hand as he was daily wont.

And David was wise in all that he took in hand, and the LORD was with him.

Wherefore, when Saul saw that he was so exceeding wise, he was afraid of him.

And David answered Saul, "What am I? And what is my life or the kindred of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

Howbeit, when the time was come that Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David she was given unto Adriel, a Meholathite, to wife.

And he said, "I will give him her that she may be a snare to him, to bring the hand of the Philistines upon him." And Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law again."

And shortly after that, David arose with his men, and went, and slew of the Philistines, two hundred men; and brought their foreskins, and satisfied the king thereof to be his son-in-law. And so Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

And when Saul saw and understood, how that the LORD was with David, and that Michal his daughter loved him,

And when the Philistines went out to war, David behaved himself wiselier than all the servants of Saul: so that his name was much set by.

Then Saul communed with Jonathan his son, and with all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son had a great favour to David,

And Saul intended to nail David to the wall with the Javelin: But David rid himself out of Saul's presence and he smote the spear into the wall. But David fled and saved himself that same night.

And when Saul sent messengers to fetch David, she said that he was sick.

Then Saul sent the messengers to see David saying, "Bring him to me, bed and all, that he may be slain."

Then said Saul to Michal, "Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said unto me, 'Let me go, or else I will kill thee.'"

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

Then went he himself to Ramah, and when he came to a great well that is in Secu, he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And they said, "See, they be at Naioth in Ramah."

And he stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and fell naked all that day and all that night, wherefore it is a common saying, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah and went and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? Wherein am I faulty? What is the sin that I have committed before thy father that he seeketh my life?"

And Jonathan answered him, "God forbid, thou shalt not die. For see, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me. For why should my father hide this thing from me? There shall be no such thing."

And David sware again and said, "Thy father knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes and therefore he thinketh, 'Jonathan shall not know it, lest he be sorry.' For in very deed even as truly as the LORD liveth, and as truly as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."

Then said Jonathan unto David, "Whatsoever thy soul desireth, that I will do unto thee."

And David said unto Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the first day of the month, and I should sit with the king at meat. But let me go that I may hide myself in the fields unto this day three days at evening.

If thy father miss me, then say, 'David asked leave of me, that he might go to Bethlehem to his own city, for there is holden a yearly feast for all his kin.'

And if thy father say thus, 'It is well done,' then thy servant shall have peace. But and if he be angry, then be sure that wickedness is utterly concluded of him.

And Jonathan answered, "God keep that from thee: that I should know that wickedness were concluded of my father to come upon thee, and should not tell it thee."