And Saul said, Cast lots between me, and Jonathan my son. Then was, Jonathan, taken.

And Saul said unto Jonathan, Come tell me, what thou hast done. So Jonathan told him, and said, I, just tasted, with the end of the staff that was in my hand, a little honey, here I am - I must die!

Then said Saul: So, may God do, and, so, may he add, surely thou must, die, Jonathan!

But the people said unto Saul - Shall, Jonathan, die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! By the life of Yahweh, there shall not fall a hair of his head to the ground, for, with God, hath he wrought this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.

Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, - and, the Philistines, departed unto their own place.

And, Saul, took possession of the kingdom over Israel, - and made war round about against all his enemies - against Moab, and against the sons of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and, whomsoever he turned against, he was victorious.

And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua, - and, the names of his two daughters, were, the name of the firstborn, Merab, and, the name of the younger, Michal, -

and, the name of Saul's wife, was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, - and the name of the prince of his host, Abner, son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

And, Kish, was Saul's father, and, Ner, Abner's father, was son of Abiel.

And the war was severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul, - and, whensoever Saul saw any mighty man, or any son of valour, he drew him unto himself.

And Samuel said unto Saul, It was, me, Yahweh sent to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel, - now, therefore, hearken thou to the voice of Yahweh's words.

Now, go and smite Amalek, and devote ye to destruction all that he hath, and spare him not, - but thou shalt slay both man and woman, both child and suckling, both ox and sheep, both camel and ass.

So then Saul called together the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, - and ten thousand men of Judah.

And Saul came as far as the city of Amalek, - and stirred up strife in the ravine.

Then said Saul unto the Kenites - Go, depart, get you down out of the midst of the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, yet, ye, dealt in lovingkindness, with all the sons of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed out of the midst of the Amalekites.

And Saul smote Amalek, - from Havilah, till thou enterest Shur, which is over against Egypt.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and the oxen and the lambs, also the fatlings, and all that was good, and would not devote them to destruction, - but, all the cattle that was contemptible and diseased, that, devoted they to destruction.

I am grieved that I made Saul to be king, for he hath turned back from following me, and, my words, hath he not established. And it was vexing to Samuel, so that he made outcry unto Yahweh, all the night.

And Samuel rose early to meet Saul, in the morning, and it was told Samuel, saying - Saul having come to Carmel, and lo! having set him up a sign, hath gone round, and passed over, and descended to Gilgal.

And Samuel came unto Saul, - and Saul said unto him - Blessed, be thou by Yahweh: I have established the word of Yahweh.

Then said Saul - From the Amalekites, have they brought them in; in that the people spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Yahweh thy God, - but, the rest, have we devoted to destruction.

Then said Samuel unto Saul, Stay, and let me tell thee, that which Yahweh hath spoken unto me, this night. And he said to him - Speak.

And Saul said unto Samuel - As indeed I have hearkened unto the voice of Yahweh, and have been on the journey on which Yahweh sent me, - and have brought in Agag, king of Amalek, and, the Amalekites, have I devoted to destruction.

Then said Saul unto Samuel - I have sinned; for I have transgressed the bidding of Yahweh, and thy words, - for I feared the people, and hearkened unto their voice.

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not turn again with thee, - Because thou hast rejected the word of Yahweh, therefore hath Yahweh rejected thee from being king over Israel.

So then Samuel turned again, after Saul - and Saul bowed down unto Yahweh.

Then Samuel departed unto Ramah, - but, Saul, went up unto his own house, at Gibeah of Saul.

And Samuel did no more see Saul, until the day of his death, for Samuel pined for Saul, - but, Yahweh, was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

And Yahweh said unto Samuel - How long, art thou going to pine for Saul, seeing that, I, have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and come! let me send thee unto Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me, among his sons, a king.

And Samuel said, How can I go? As soon as Saul heareth, he will slay me. Then said Yahweh, A heifer, take thou with thee, and say, To sacrifice unto Yahweh, am I come.

But, the spirit of Yahweh, departed from Saul, - and there terrified him a sad spirit, from Yahweh.

Then said the servants of Saul unto him, - Lo! we pray thee, a sad superhuman spirit, doth terrify thee:

And Saul said unto his servants, - I pray you, look out for me a man that excelleth in playing, and bring him in unto me.

So Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, - and said, Send, unto me - David thy son, who is with the sheep.

Then took Jesse an ass laden with bread, and a skin of wine, and one kid, - and sent by the hand of David his son, unto Saul.

And David came in unto Saul, - and stood before him, - and he loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer.

And Saul sent unto Jesse, saying, - I pray thee, let David stand before me, for he hath found favour in mine eyes.

And so it used to be, when a superhuman spirit came unto Saul, then would David take the lyre, and play with his hand, - and Saul would be refreshed, and be joyful, and, the sad spirit, would depart from him.

and, Saul and the men of Israel, gathered themselves together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the army in array against the Philistines.

And he took his stand, and cried unto the ranks of Israel, and said unto them, Wherefore should ye come out, to set in array for battle? Am not, I, a Philistine, while, ye, are servants unto Saul? Choose you a man, and let him come down unto me:

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and feared exceedingly.

Now, David, was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose, name, was Jesse, and, who, had eight sons, - and, the man, in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.

And the three eldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle, - and, the names of his three sons who went into the battle, were Eliab the firstborn, and, the next to him, Abinadab, and, the third, Shammah.

But, as for David, he, was the youngest, - and, the three eldest, followed Saul;

whereas, David, kept going and returning from Saul, - to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

Now, Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, ready to fight with the Philistines.

And the words which David spake were overheard, - and, when they told them before Saul, he summoned him.

And David said unto Saul, Let not the heart of my lord fail, because of him, - thy servant, will go, and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said unto David - Thou art not able to go against this Philistine, to fight with him, - for, a youth, art, thou, but, he, a man of war, from his youth.

Then said David unto Saul, Thy servant used to tend his father's sheep, - and there would come a lion, or a bear, and carry off a lamb out of the flock;

and I would go out after him, and smite him, and rescue it out of his mouth, - and, if he rose against me, I would catch him by his beard, and smite him, and slay him.

Thy servant could slay, either a lion or a bear, - and, this uncircumcised Philistine, shall become, as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God.

And David said, Yahweh, who hath rescued me out of the power of the lion, and out of the power of the bear, he, will rescue us out of the hand of this Philistine. Then said Saul unto David - Go! and, Yahweh, will be with thee.

And Saul clad David with his own military coat, and set a helmet of bronze upon his head, - and clad him with a coat of mail.

And David girded his sword above his military coat, but was reluctant to go, for he had not proved them, - so David said unto Saul - I cannot go in these, for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

Thus David prevailed over the Philistine, with the sling and with the stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him, - but, sword, was there none in the hand of David.

So David ran, and stood by the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off, therewith, his head, - and, when the Philistines saw that their hero was slain, they fled.

And, when Saul saw David going forth to meet the Philistine, he said unto Abner, prince of the host, Whose son is the young man, Abner? And Abner said, By the life of thy soul, O king! I know not.

And, when David returned from smiting the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul, - with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

And Saul said unto him, Whose son art, thou, O young man? And David said, Son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite.

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that, the soul of Jonathan, was knit with, the soul of David, so that Jonathan loved him, as his own soul.

And Saul took him, that day, - and suffered him not to return unto the house of his father.

And Jonathan and David solemnised a covenant, - because he loved him as his own soul.

And David went forth - whithersoever Saul sent him, he behaved himself prudently, so Saul set him over the men of war, - and he became a favourite in the eyes of all the people, yea even in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

But so it was, when they came in on the return of David from the smiting of the Philistine, that the women went forth out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king, - with timbrels, with rejoicing, and with instruments of three strings.

And the women that made merry responded to each other in song, and said, - Saul, hath smitten, his thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands.

Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said, - They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands, - What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom?

And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward.

And, when it came to pass, on the morrow, that a superhuman spirit of sadness came suddenly upon Saul, and he was moved to raving in the midst of the house, - and, David, began playing with his hand, as he had done day by day, that a spear being in Saul's hand,

Saul hurled the spear, and said to himself - I will smite David, even to the wall! But David moved round from before him, twice.

And Saul feared because of David, - for Yahweh was with him, whereas, from Saul, he had departed.

So Saul removed him from him, and appointed him to be for him the captain of a thousand, - and he went out and came in before the people.

And, when Saul saw that, he, was acting very prudently, he was afraid of him.

So then Saul said unto David - Lo! my elder daughter Merab, her, will I give thee to wife, only, approve thyself unto me as a son of valour and fight the battles of Yahweh. Saul, however, had said to himself - Let not, my own hand, be upon him, but let, the hand of the Philistines, be upon him.

And David said unto Saul - Who am, I, or who are my kinsfolk, the family of my father, in Israel, - that I should become son-in-law, to the king?

But it came to pass, within the time for giving Merab daughter of Saul to David, that, she, was given to Adriel the Meholathite, to wife.

Then did Michal, Saul's daughter, love David, - and it was told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.

And Saul said to himself - I will give her unto him, that she may prove to him a snare, and that, the hand of the Philistines, may be upon him. So then Saul said unto David, A second time, mayest thou become my son-in-law to-day.

And Saul commanded his servants - Speak ye unto David quietly saying, Lo! the king delighteth in thee, and, all his servants, love thee, - now, therefore, become thou son-in-law to the king.

And the servants of Saul spake, in the ears of David, these words. And David said - Seemeth it a light thing, in your eyes, to become son-in-law to the king, seeing that, I, am a poor man and lightly esteemed?

So the servants of Saul told him, saying, - According to these words, spake David,

Then said Saul - Thus, shall ye say unto David - The king hath no delight in purchase-price, but rather in a hundred foreskins of Philistines, by avenging himself on the enemies of the king. But, Saul, thought to let David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Wherefore David arose, and went - he and his men, and smote among the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought in their foreskins, and gave them in full tale unto the king, that he might become son-in-law unto the king, and Saul gave him Michal his daughter, to wife.

And Saul saw and knew that, Yahweh, was with David, and that, all Israel, loved him.

So then Saul went on to fear because of David, yet more, - and it came to pass that Saul was hostile to David, all the days.

And, when the princes of the Philistines came forth, so it was, that, as often as they came forth, David was more circumspect than any of the servants of Saul, so that his name was, precious exceedingly.

Then spake Saul unto Jonathan his son, and unto all his servants, that they should put David to death;

but, Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted in David, exceedingly, - so Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father, is seeking to put thee to death, - now, therefore, take heed to thyself I pray thee, in the morning, and abide thou in concealment, and hide thyself;

So then Jonathan spake of David things that were good, unto Saul his father, - and said unto him - May the king not sin against his servant - against David; for he hath not sinned against, thee, nay, indeed, his doings have been good to theeward exceedingly.

And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, - and Saul sware, By the life of Yahweh, he shall not be put to death!

And Jonathan called for David, and Jonathan told him all these things, - and Jonathan brought in David unto Saul, and so he was in his presence, as aforetime.

then came there a sad spirit of Yahweh unto Saul, he being in his house, seated, with his spear in his hand, - while, David, played with his hand,

Saul sought to smite David with the spear, even to the wall, but he slipped away from before Saul, who smote the spear into the wall, - whereas, David, fled and escaped, that night.

And Saul sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to put him to death, in the morning! And Michal his wife told David, saying, If thou do not deliver thyself to-night, to-morrow, art thou to be put to death.

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

So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, - Bring him up in the bed unto me, that I may put him to death.

And Saul said unto Michal - Wherefore, in this way, hast thou deceived me, and let go mine enemy, that he hath escaped? Then said Michal unto Saul, He, himself, said unto me - Let me go, wherefore should I put thee to death?

So, David, fled, and escaped, and came in unto Samuel in Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him, - and he and Samuel departed, and dwelt in Naioth.

And it was told Saul, saying, - Lo! David, is in Naioth, in Ramah.

So Saul sent messengers to take David, but, when they saw the assembly of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, then came the Spirit of God upon the messengers of Saul, and, they also, were, moved to prophesy.