So David's young men came, and spake unto Nabal, according to all these words, in the name of David, - and waited.

So the young men of David turned away for their journey, - and came back, and drew near, and told him, according to all these words.

Then said David unto his men - Gird on you every man his sword. And they girded on them, every man his sword, and, David also, girded on his sword, - and there went up after David - about four hundred men, and, two hundred, abode by the stores.

But a certain one of her young men told, Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, - Lo! David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our lord, and he treated them with contempt.

But, the men, were exceeding good to us, - and we were not harmed, neither missed we, anything, all the days we went to and fro with them, while we were in the fields:

A wall, became they unto us, both by night and by day, all the days we were with them, tending the flock.

Now, therefore, know thou, and see, what thou canst do, for mischief is determined against our lord, and against all his household, - but, he, is such an abandoned man, that one cannot speak unto him.

Then Abigail hastened - and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep made ready, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, - and put them on the asses.

And she said to her young men - Pass on before me, behold me coming after you; but, to her husband, Nabal, told she nothing.

Now, David, had said - Surely, in vain, did I guard all that pertained to this man in the wilderness, so that there was, nothing, missed of all that he had, - seeing he hath returned to me evil for good.

So may God do to David and so may he add, if I leave remaining, of all that he hath, until the morning, - so much as a little boy.

Now, therefore, this blessing which thy maid-servant hath brought to my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who are going to and fro at the feet of my lord.

yea, though there hath arisen a sun of earth to pursue thee, and to seek thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of the living, with Yahweh thy God, but, as for the life of thine enemies, he shall sling it out with the middle of the hollow of the sling.

And it shall be, when Yahweh shall do for my lord, according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, - and shall put thee in charge as leader over Israel,

then shall this not become to thee a staggering and stumbling of heart, unto my lord - that thou didst either shed blood without need, or that the hand of my lord saved himself. And, when Yahweh hath dealt well with my lord, then remember thou thy handmaid.

Then said David unto Abigail, - Blessed, be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who hath sent thee this day, to meet me;

and, blessed, be thy discreet judgment, and, blessed, be thou thyself, - who hast kept me, this day, from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving myself, with mine own hand.

Nevertheless, by the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, who hath restrained me from harming, thee, surely, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, there had not been left unto Nabal, by the light of the morning, so much as a little boy.

And it came to pass, in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.

And it came to pass, in about ten days, that Yahweh smote Nabal, that he died.

And, when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said - Blessed, be Yahweh, who hath maintained the plea of my reproach, at the hand of Nabal, and hath restrained, his servant, from wrong, yea, the wrong of Nabal, hath Yahweh turned back on his own head. Then sent David, and spake with Abigail, to take her to himself wife.

And the servants of David came unto Abigail the Carmelitess, - and spake unto her, saying, David, hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to himself to wife.

And she arose, and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, - and said - Lo! thy handmaid, as serving-woman to bathe the feet of the servants of my lord.

And Abigail hastened, and mounted, and rode upon her ass, with her five damsels that used to journey at her feet, - and she went her way after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

David took, Ahinoam also, out of Jezreel, - and, they two, became his wives.

Saul, indeed, had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, - to Palti, sun of Laish, who was of Gallim.

Then Saul arose, and went down into the wilderness of Ziph, and, with him, three thousand chosen men of Israel, - to seek David in the wilderness of Zip.

So then David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and David saw the place where Saul was lying, with Abner, son of Ner, prince of his host, - and, Saul, was lying within the circular trench, with, the people, encamped round about him.

Then said Abishai unto David, God hath surrendered, to-day, thine enemy, into thy hand: Now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth, at one stroke, I, will not do it twice.

But David said unto Abishai, Do not destroy him, - for who that hath thrust forth his hand against the Anointed of Yahweh, shall be guiltless?

And David said - By the life of Yahweh, surely, Yahweh himself, must smite him, - or, his day, must come that he die, or, into battle, must he go down, and be swept away.

Then David crossed over to the other side, and took his stand on the top of the mountain, afar off, - a great space, being between them.

And David said unto Abner - Art not thou, a man? Who indeed is like thee, in Israel? Wherefore, then, hast thou not kept watch over thy lord, the king? For one of the people hath entered, to destroy the king - thy lord.

Now, therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant, - If, Yahweh, have goaded thee on against me, let him accept the sweet smell of a gift, but, if the sons of men, accursed, they are before Yahweh, for they have driven me out, to-day, from joining myself with the inheritance of Yahweh, saying - Go, serve other gods!

Now, therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth, away from the presence of Yahweh, - for the king of Israel hath come out to hunt for a single flea, as when one pursueth a partridge among the mountains.

Then said Saul - I have sinned, Return, my son David, for I will harm thee no more, because my life was precious in thine eyes, this day, - lo! I have acted foolishly and, greatly, erred.

And let, Yahweh, give back to each man, his righteousness, and his faithfulness, - in that Yahweh delivered thee, to-day, into my hand, but I would not thrust forth my hand against the Anointed of Yahweh.

Lo! then, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so, let my life be much set by in the eyes of Yahweh, and let him rescue me out of all tribulation.

Then said Saul unto David - Blessed, be thou, my son David, thou shalt both, do, and shalt, prevail. And David went on his way, but, Saul, returned unto his own place.

And David said, unto his own heart, Now, shall I be swept off, in a single day, by the hand of Saul, - there is nothing for me better than that I, escape, into the land of the Philistines, so shall Saul give up seeking for me any more, in any of the bounds of Israel, so shall I escape out of his hand.

And David abode with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, - David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal, the Carmelite.

And, when it was told Saul, that David had fled to Gath, he added no more, to seek him.

So Achish gave him, on that day, Ziklag, - wherefore Ziklag hath pertained unto the kings of Judah, unto this day.

Now, when David would smite a land, he used to save alive neither man nor woman, - but took sheep and oxen, and asses and camels, and apparel, and returned, and came in unto Achish.

Then said Achish, Whither have ye made a raid, to-day? And David said - Against the South of Judah, or against the South of the Jerahmeelites, or as far as the South of the Kenites.

But, neither man nor woman, used David to save alive, to bring into Gath, for he said, Lest they tell of us, saying, - So, hath David done, and, such, his manner, all the days that he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

And it came to pass, in those days, when the Philistines gathered together their hosts for war, to fight with Israel, that Achish said unto David, Thou must, know, that, with me, shalt thou go forth in the host, thou and thy men.

And David said unto Achish, Therefore, now, shalt thou know what thy servant can do. And Achish said unto David, Therefore, keeper of my head, will I appoint thee, all the days.

Saul therefore disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and departed - he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, - and he said - Divine for me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring up for me - whomsoever I shall name unto thee.

And the woman said unto him - Lo! thou, knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off them who have familiar spirits and him who is an oracle, out of the land, - wherefore, then, art thou striking at my life, to put me to death?

And he said to her - What was his form? And she said - An old man, coming up, he being wrapped about with a robe. Then Saul knew, that it was, Samuel, so he inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himself down.

And Samuel said unto Saul, Wherefore hast thou disquieted me, by bringing me up? And Saul said - I am in sore distress, for, the Philistines, are making war against me, and, God, hath turned away from me, and answereth me no more - either by means of the prophets, or by dreams, therefore have I even called for thee, to let me know, what I am to do.

Then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, shouldst thou ask me, - when, Yahweh, hath turned away from thee, and hath come to be with thy neighbour?

Therefore hath Yahweh done for him, as he spake by me, - yea Yahweh hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to a neighbour of thine - to David.

As thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh, neither didst execute the glow of his anger upon Amalek, therefore, this thing, hath Yahweh done unto thee this day;

that Yahweh may deliver, Israel also, with thee, into the hand of the Philistines, and, to-morrow, thou and thy sons with thee are about to fall, - the host of Israel also, will Yahweh deliver, into the hand of the Philistines.

Then Saul hastened, and fell prostrate - the whole length of him - to the earth, and was sore afraid, at the words of Samuel, and indeed, no, strength, was left in him, for he had not eaten food all the day and all the night.

Then said the princes of the Philistines, What are these Hebrews doing ? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines - Is not this David, servant of Saul king of Israel, who hath been with me this year, or two, and I have found in him nothing, from the day of his coming over unto me unto this day?

But the princes of the Philistines raged against him, and the princes of the Philistines said unto him - Let the man go back, that he may return unto the place which thou didst appoint him, and let him not go down with us, into battle, so shall he not become to us a traitor, in the battle, - for, wherewith, should this fellow gain favour with his lord? Would it not be with the heads of those men?

So Achish called for David, and said unto him - By the life of Yahweh, surely, upright, thou art, and, pleasing in mine eyes, have been thy going out and thy coming in with me, in the host, for I have found in thee no wrong, from the day of thy coming in unto me, until this day, - but, in the eyes of the lords, displeasing, thou art.

Now, therefore, return, and go in peace, - so shalt thou not do wrong in the eyes of the lords of the Philistines.

Then said David unto Achish - But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant, from the day that I came before thee, unto this day, - that I may not go in and fight, with the enemies of my lord the king.

So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines, - but, the Philistines, went up to Jezreel.

And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that, the Amalekites, had made a raid into the South, and into Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, from small even unto great, they had not put one to death, - but had driven them forth, and gone their way.

So, when David and his men came to the city, lo! it was burnt with fire, - and, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, had been taken captive.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice, and wept, - until they had no more strength to weep.

And, the two wives of David, had been taken captive, - Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

Then said David to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, Do bring near me, I pray thee, the ephod. So Abiathar brought near the ephod, unto David.

So David went, he, and the six hundred men, who were with him, and they came in as far as the ravine of Besor, - where, they who had to be left behind, stayed.

But David pursued, he. and four hundred men, - but the two hundred men stayed, because they were too wearied to cross over the ravine of Besor.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and took him unto David, - and gave him food, and he did eat, and they gave him water to drink;

and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two cakes of raisins, and, when he had eaten, his spirit came back unto him, - for he had neither eaten food, nor drunk water, three days and three nights.

Then David said to him - Whose art thou? and whence art thou? And he said, A young man of Egypt, am I, servant to an Amalekite, and my lord left me behind, because I fell sick, three days ago.

And David said unto him, Wilt thou bring me down unto this troop? And he said - Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt not put me to death, neither wilt thou surrender me into the hand of my lord, and I will bring thee down unto this troop.

So he brought him down, and lo! they were left to themselves over the face of all the land, - eating, and drinking, and dancing around, for all the great spoil which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

And David smote them, from the closing twilight even unto the evening of the next day, - and there escaped not of them a man, save four hundred young men who rode upon camels, and fled.

And David rescued all whom the Amalekites had taken, - his two wives also, did David rescue;

and there was nothing missing to them - whether small or great, whether spoil, or sons or daughters, or, any thing which they had taken unto themselves, - the whole, did David recover.

And David came unto the two hundred men, who had been too wearied to follow David, and whom they had suffered to remain at the ravine of Besor, - and they came forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him, and when David came near unto the people, they enquired of his success.

Then responded every man who was bad and abandoned, from among the men who had been with David, and said - Because they went not with me there shall not be given them of the spoil that we have rescued, - save, to every man, his wife and his children, let them put them forth, then, and go.

Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, - with that which Yahweh hath given to us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

And so it came to pass, from that day forward, that he appointed it, for a statute and for a custom unto Israel, until this day.

And, when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil, unto the elders of Judah, unto his friends, saying, - Lo! for you, a blessing, out of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh:

to them who were in Bethel, and to them who were in Ramoth of the South, and to them who were in Jattir,

and to them who were in Aroer, and to them who were in Siphmoth, and to them who were in Eshtemoa,

and to them who were in Racal, and to them who were in the cities of the Jerameelites, and to them who were in the cities of the Kenites,

and to them who were in Hormah, and to them who were in Cor-ashan, and to them who were in Athach,

and to them who were in Hebron, - and to all the places where David had been to and fro, he and his men.

Then said Saul to his armour-bearer - Draw thy sword and pierce me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come, and pierce me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer was not willing, for he was sore afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell thereon.

Thus died Saul, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, yea all his men, on that day, together.

And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul, and his three sons, lying prostrate in Mount Gilboa.

So they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, - and sent throughout the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and unto the people.

then arose all the men of valour, and journeyed all the night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Beth-shan, - and came to Jabesh, and burned them there;

And so it was, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the smiting of the Amalekites, and David had abode in Ziklag two days,

yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.

And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, - even for as long as my life shall be in me.

So I took my stand by him, and put him to death, for I perceived that he could not survive his fall, - so I took the crown that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them in unto my lord, here.

And David said unto him, - How wast thou not afraid to thrust forth thy hand, to destroy the Anointed of Yahweh?

And David said unto him, Thy blood, be upon thine own head, - for, thine own mouth, hath testified against thee, saying, I myself, put to death the Anointed of Yahweh.