And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, There is born a son to Naomi, - So they called his name Obed, he, was, the father of Jesse, the father of David.

And, Obed, begat, Jesse, and, Jesse, begat, David.

And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon David, from that day forward. Then arose Samuel, and went his way unto Ramah.

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.

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.

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.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take, I pray thee, unto thy brethren - this ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves, - and run to the camp unto thy brethren;

So then David rose up early in the morning, and entrusted the sheep to a keeper, and took up the provisions and went his way, as Jesse had commanded him, - and came into the circular rampart, as, the force, was going forth into the ranks, and shouted for the fight.

Then David entrusted the provisions that were upon him to the care of the keeper of the stores, and ran unto the ranks, - and came and asked for the welfare of his brethren.

Now, as he was speaking with them, lo! the champion coming up, Goliath the Philistine, by name, of Gath, coming up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and he spake according to these words, - and David heard them .

Then spake David unto the men that were standing by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that shall smite yonder Philistine, and so shall take away reproach from off Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God?

Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men, - then was kindled the anger of Eliab against David, and he said - Wherefore is it that thou hast come down? and to whom hast thou entrusted those few sheep in the wilderness? I, know thy pride, and the foolishness of thy heart, for, to see the battle, hast thou come down.

And David said, What have I done, now? Was there not, a cause?

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 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.

And the Philistine came on and on, and drew near unto David, - and the man carrying the shield was before him.

And, when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him, - for he was a youth, and ruddy, a stripling of fair countenance.

Then said the Philistine unto David, A dog, am, I, that thou art coming unto me, with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David, by his god.

And the Philistine said unto David, - Come, unto me, that I may give thy flesh to the birds of heaven, and to the beasts of the field.

Then said David unto the Philistine - Thou, art coming unto me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin, - but, I, am coming unto thee in the name of Yahweh of hosts, God of the ranks of Israel which thou hast reproached.

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the ranks to meet the Philistine.

And David thrust his hand into his pouch, and took from thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine, in his forehead, - that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face, to the earth.

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 David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it into Jerusalem, - but, his armour, put he into his tent.

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

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe which was upon him, and gave it to David, - and his equipments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

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.

And it came to pass that David, in all his ways, acted prudently, - and, Yahweh, was with him.

But, all Israel and Judah, were in love with David, - for he was going out and coming in before them.

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.

So, when his servants told David these words, the thing was right in the eyes of David, to become son-in-law unto the king, - and the days had not expired.

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, when he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and Yahweh wrought a great victory for all Israel, thou sawest, and didst rejoice. Wherefore, then, shouldst thou sin against innocent blood by putting David to death, without cause?

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.

But, when the war again brake out, - and David went forth and fought with the Philistines, and smote them with a great smiting, and they fled before him,

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.

So Michal let down David, through the window, and he departed and fled, and escaped.

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.

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.

Then went, he also himself, to Ramah, and came in as far as the well of the threshing-floor which is in Sephi, and asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said - Lo! in Naioth, in Ramah.

And David fled from Naioth, in Ramah, - and came in, and said before Jonathan - What have I done? What is my transgression, and what my sin, before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

But David sware yet further, and said - Thy father, doth know, that I have found favour in thine eyes, therefore saith he, - Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he grieve; but, indeed, by the life of Yahweh, and by the life of thine own soul, surely there is but as it were a step betwixt me and death!

And Jonathan said unto David, - Whatsoever thy soul shall desire, I will do for thee.

And David said unto Jonathan - Lo! the new moon, is to-morrow, and, I, must not sit with the king, to eat, - let me go then, and hide myself in the field, until the evening.

If thy father, enquire, for me, then shalt thou say - David, did ask leave, of me, to run to Bethlehem, his own city, for, a yearly sacrifice, is to be held there for all the family.

Then said David unto Jonathan, Who shall tell me, - if thy father answer thee aught that is, harsh?

And Jonathan said unto David, Come! and let us go out into the field. And they two went out into the field.

Then said Jonathan unto David - Witness be Yahweh God of Israel, that I will sound my father about this time to-morrow or the third day, and lo! if there he good towards David, will I not, then, send unto thee, and unveil thine ear?

but thou shalt not cut off thy lovingkindness from my house, unto times age-abiding, - no! not when Yahweh hath cut off the enemies of David, every one from off the face of the ground.

Thus Jonathan solemnised a covenant with the house of David saying , - So let Yahweh require it, at the hand of the enemies of David.

And again Jonathan sware unto David, by his love to him, - for, as he loved his own soul, so loved he him.

So David hid himself in the field - and, when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat, food,

yea the king sat down on his seat, as at other times, by the seat against the wall, and, when Jonathan arose, Abner seated himself by the side of Saul, - but David's place was empty.

And it came to pass, on the morrow, the second of the month, that David's place was empty, - and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore hath not the son of Jesse come in, either yesterday or to-day, to meat?

And Jonathan answered Saul, - David, asked leave, of me, to go as far as Bethlehem;

And Saul hurled his spear at him, to smite him. So Jonathan knew that it was, determined, of his father, to put David to death.

Jonathan therefore rose up from the table, in a glow of anger, - and did eat no food on the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had reviled him.

And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went forth into the field, to the place appointed with David, - a little lad, being with him.

But, the lad, knew, nothing, only Jonathan and David, knew the matter.