But the LORD had told Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

And then Samuel took a box of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "The LORD hath anointed thee to be a captain over his inheritance.

And as soon as he had turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, God gave him another manner of heart, and all those tokens came to pass that same day.

And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the hill.

And when Samuel had brought all the tribes of Israel the tribe of Benjamin was caught.

When he had brought the tribe of Benjamin by their kindreds, the kindred of Matri was caught: and Saul the son of Kish was caught. And they sought him; but he could not be found.

Then they asked the LORD further, whither the man should come thither. And the LORD answered, "Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff."

And Saul also went home to Gibeah. And there went with him a host, such as God had touched their hearts.

But the children of Belial said, "How shall he save us?" And despised him and brought him not presents. And he made as though he had not heard it.

And took a yoke of oxen and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall his oxen be served." Then the fear of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as it had been but one man.

And they said unto the messengers that came, "So say unto the men of Jabesh in Gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun be hot, ye shall have help.'" And the messengers came and showed the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

And on the morrow Saul put the people in three parts. And they came in upon the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites, until the heat of the day. And they that remained, scattered: so that two of them were not left together.

Saul was as a child of a year old, when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel,

And Jonathan slew the Philistines in a hold they had in Gibeah, and it came to the Philistines' ears. And Saul caused the trumpet to be blown throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."

And all Israel heard say, how that Saul had destroyed a hold of the Philistines, and how that Israel stank unto the Philistines. And all the people cried after Saul to Gilgal.

And when the men of Israel saw themselves in a strait, and that the people were encumbered, they hid themselves in caves, in privy holes, in rocks, dens and pits.

And he tarried seven days, as Samuel had appointed. But Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people scattered from him.

And as soon as he had made an end of offering burnt offerings behold, Samuel came. And Saul went against him, to salute him. Then said Samuel to Saul, "What hast thou done?"

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 when they had both showed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, "See, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they had hid themselves in."

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 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.

How then, if all the people had eaten of the spoil of their enemies which they found, had there not been then a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

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 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 Samuel said, "When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed thee king over Israel.

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 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.

But the LORD said unto Samuel, "Look not on his fashion nor on the height of his stature, for I have refused him. Because it is not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance: but the LORD beholdeth the heart."

and had a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail about him. And the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass.

And he had a harness of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders.

And this David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, named Jesse; which Jesse had eight sons, and was an old man in the days of Saul among the people.

And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went, as Jesse had commanded him, and came where the host lay. And the host was going out in array, and shouted in the battle:

for Israel and the Philistines had put themselves in array, the one against the other.

And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him,

and took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of a brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, and in a poke; and took a sling in his hand, and went to the Philistine.

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 so David overcame the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him. And because David had no sword in his hand,

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 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem: But he put his armour in his tent.

And so when David was 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 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 David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely. And when Saul had set him over his men of war, he pleased all the people, and Saul's servants thereto.

And Saul had a spear in his hand, and hurled it; intending to have nailed David to the wall. But David avoided out of his presence two times.

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 told David saying, "Saul my father goeth about to slay thee. Now therefore take heed to thyself betimes and abide in some secret place and hide thyself.

And then she took an image and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goat's hair under the head of it, and covered it with a cloth.

And when the messengers were come in, "Behold there lay an image in the bed, with a pillow of goat's hair under the head of it.

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.

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 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.

But this day three days, come in any wise unto the place where thou shalt hide thyself, when it is workday: even by the stone Ezel.

And so David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon was come, the king sat him down at meat, for to eat.

Then Saul cast a spear at him to hit him, whereby Jonathan wist well, that it was utterly determined of his father to slay David.

And so Jonathan arose from the table in a great anger and did eat no meat the second day of the month, for he was sorry for David, because his father had done him shame.

And when the lad was come to the place whither Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan cried after him and said, "The arrow is beyond thee."

Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which had the oversight of the servants of Saul, and said, "I saw the son of Jesse, when he came to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,

And Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "Who is so faithful among all thy servants as David and thereto the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is had in honour in thine house?

and showed David how that Saul had slain the LORD's priests.

But David had knowledge that Saul imagined mischief against him, and said therefore to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."

And Saul and his men went on the one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other. And David, as a man amazed, made haste to get from Saul. For Saul and his men had compassed David and his men round about, to take them.

And immediately David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the tip of Saul's coat.

Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee this day into mine hand, in the cave. When they bade kill thee, mine eye had compassion on thee: and I said, 'I will not lay my hands on my master, for he is the LORD's anointed.'

When David had made an end of speaking all these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" And he lifted up his voice and wept,

And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt lovingly with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had locked me in thine hands, thou slewest me not.

And there was a man in Maon whose cattle was in Carmel, and the man was exceeding mighty, and had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Now take heed and see what thou hast to do, for it is concluded to do mischief unto our master and to all his household. And he is ungracious to speak to."

And David said, "In vain have I kept all that this fellow had in the wilderness: so that nought was missed that pertained unto him, for he hath quite me with evil for good.

For in very deed - as sure as the LORD God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee - except thou hadst hasted and met me, there had not been left Nabal, by the dawning of the day, a pisser against the wall."

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD that hath judged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and hath turned the wickedness of Nabal again upon his own head." And David sent to commune with Abigail, to the intent to take her to his wife.

Wherefore David arose and went to the place where Saul had pitched, and beheld the place where Saul lay with Abner the son of Ner his chief captain. For Saul lay within a round bank and the people pitched round about him.

And so David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within a round bank and his spear pitched in the ground at his head, Abner and the people lying round about him.

but the LORD keep me from laying mine hand upon the LORD's anointed. Now then take a fellowship the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go."

And David took the spear and the cruse of water that were at Saul's head, and they gat them away, and no man saw or wist it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because the LORD had sent a slumber upon them.

It is not good that thou hast done. As truly as the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have no better kept the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the cruse of water that were at his head."

And David said unto Achish, "If I have found grace in thine eyes, let me have a place in some town in the fields, that I may dwell there. For what should thy servant dwell in the head city of the kingdom with thee?"

And David said again to Achish, "Then thou shalt know what thy servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Then I will make thee keeper of my head forever."

Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah his own city. And Saul had put the soothsayers and expounders of tokens out of the land.

And the woman said unto him, "Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the women that had prophesying spirits, and the sorcerers, out of the land. Wherefore then layest thou a net for my soul to kill me?"

Then Saul fell straightway flat on the earth as long as he was, and was sore a dread of the words of Samuel. And thereto there was no strength in him: for he had not eaten all the day and the night before.

The woman had a fat calf in the house, and that she hasted and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it and did bake him sweet cakes,

and brought them before Saul and before his servants. And when they had eaten, they stood up, and went away the same night.

But yer David and his men were come to Ziklag the third day, the Amalekites had run in a running upon the south and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag and burnt it with fire,

and had taken the women that were therein prisoners, both small and great: but slew not a man, save carried them with them and went their ways.

and gave him a few figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten his spirits came again to him: for he had eaten no bread nor drunk no water in three days and three nights.

And when he had brought him: see, they lay scattered abroad upon the earth, eating and drinking and triumphing over all the great prey that they had carried away out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

And David recovered all the Amalekites had carried away, and his two wives:

so that there was no person lacking, small or great, son or daughter, or of the spoil of all that they had taken away - David brought all again.

And the battle went sore against Saul, insomuch that shooters with bows had found him, and he was sore wounded of the shooters.

And they cut off his head and stripped him out of his harness, and sent unto the land of the Philistines everywhere, to publish in the houses of their gods and to the people.

When the inhabiters of Jabesh in Gilead heard thereof what the Philistines had done to Saul,

After the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and had been two days in Ziklag:

Behold, there came a man the third day out of the host from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the earth and did obeisance.

And I went on him and slew him: for I was sure that he could not live, after that he was fallen. And I took the crown that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them unto my lord hither."

Then said David unto him, "Thy blood upon thine own head; for thine own mouth hath testified against thee, saying, 'I have slain the LORD's anointed.'"

Ye mountains of Gilboa, upon you be neither dew nor rain, nor fields whence heave offerings come: For there the shields of the mighty were cast from them, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil.

And the men of Judah came, and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. When it was told David, how the men of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul,

And they caught each his fellow that came against him, by the head and thrust his sword in his side, and so fell down all at once. Wherefore the place was called Helkathhazzurim which is in Gibeon.

And Joab answered, "As truly as God liveth, if thou hadst so said, then even in the morning had the people departed, each from following his brother."

But the servants of David had slain, of Benjamin and of Abner's men, three hundred and three score men.