Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Arrow » Shot by jonathan as a sign to david
I will shoot three arrows at a target off to the side of the rock. Then I will send my servant to find the arrows. You will know if it is safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living God Jehovah that I will say: 'The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up! If it is not safe, I will say to the boy: The arrows are farther away! This will mean that Jehovah wants you to leave. You must go. read more.
He will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.' David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on! Do not just stand there! Hurry up! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. The boy did not know what it all meant. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town. After the boy left, David got up from behind the pile of stones. He fell on his knees and bowed with his face to the ground three times. Both he and Jonathan cried as they kissed each other. David's grief was even greater than Jonathan's. Jonathan said to David: God be with you. Jehovah will make sure that you and I, and your descendants and mine, will keep the sacred promise we have made to each other for as long as we live. Then David left and Jonathan went back to town.
He will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.' David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on! Do not just stand there! Hurry up! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. The boy did not know what it all meant. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town. After the boy left, David got up from behind the pile of stones. He fell on his knees and bowed with his face to the ground three times. Both he and Jonathan cried as they kissed each other. David's grief was even greater than Jonathan's. Jonathan said to David: God be with you. Jehovah will make sure that you and I, and your descendants and mine, will keep the sacred promise we have made to each other for as long as we live. Then David left and Jonathan went back to town.
Bible stories for children » David the giant killer 1sa 17 » The boy helper
Then I will send my servant to find the arrows. You will know if it is safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living God Jehovah that I will say: 'The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up! If it is not safe, I will say to the boy: The arrows are farther away! This will mean that Jehovah wants you to leave. You must go. He will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.' read more.
David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on! Do not just stand there! Hurry up! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. The boy did not know what it all meant. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town.
David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on! Do not just stand there! Hurry up! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. The boy did not know what it all meant. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town.
Entertainments » Given on occasions of » Festivals
Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, David replied, and I am supposed to eat with the king. But if it is all right with you, I will go and hide in the fields until the evening of the day after tomorrow.
Verse Concepts
David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened.
Jealousy » Instances of » Saul, of david
Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. He said: To David they credit tens of thousands but to me they credit only a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom. He was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on. The next day Jehovah let a distressing spirit take control of Saul. He began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual. This time Saul had a spear in his hand. read more.
Saul balanced the spear in his hand and said: I will give David a blow! I will pin him to the wall. David got away from him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with David but left Saul. So Saul sent him away. He put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle. Jehovah helped David. He and his soldiers always won their battles. Saul saw how wisely David behaved. This made him fear him. Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David. He led them in and out of battle. Finally, Saul said to David: Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight Jehovah's battles. Saul thought: I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that. David answered: Who am I? What is my family that I should be the king's son-in-law? The time came for Merab to be given to David. Instead, she was given to a man named Adriel from Meholah. Saul's daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul heard of this he was pleased. He said to himself: I will give Michal to David. I will use her to trap him. The Philistines will kill him. So for the second time Saul said to David: You will be my son-in-law. Saul ordered his officials to speak to David in private. They went to David and said: Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you may marry his daughter Michal? Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said: I am not rich or famous enough to marry Princess Michal. Saul's servants told him: David asked, do you think it is easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person. When the officers told Saul what David had said, Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said. David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, David and his men killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him. This was so he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David. Saul knew she loved David. He also realized that Jehovah was helping David. Knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David. He was David's enemy for the rest of his life. The Philistine rulers kept coming to fight Israel. David always won when he fought them. He won more battles against the Philistines than any of Saul's other officers. This made him famous.
Saul balanced the spear in his hand and said: I will give David a blow! I will pin him to the wall. David got away from him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with David but left Saul. So Saul sent him away. He put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle. Jehovah helped David. He and his soldiers always won their battles. Saul saw how wisely David behaved. This made him fear him. Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David. He led them in and out of battle. Finally, Saul said to David: Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight Jehovah's battles. Saul thought: I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that. David answered: Who am I? What is my family that I should be the king's son-in-law? The time came for Merab to be given to David. Instead, she was given to a man named Adriel from Meholah. Saul's daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul heard of this he was pleased. He said to himself: I will give Michal to David. I will use her to trap him. The Philistines will kill him. So for the second time Saul said to David: You will be my son-in-law. Saul ordered his officials to speak to David in private. They went to David and said: Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you may marry his daughter Michal? Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said: I am not rich or famous enough to marry Princess Michal. Saul's servants told him: David asked, do you think it is easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person. When the officers told Saul what David had said, Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said. David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, David and his men killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him. This was so he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David. Saul knew she loved David. He also realized that Jehovah was helping David. Knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David. He was David's enemy for the rest of his life. The Philistine rulers kept coming to fight Israel. David always won when he fought them. He won more battles against the Philistines than any of Saul's other officers. This made him famous.
Then there was a war with the Philistines. David fought hard and forced them to retreat. One night, David was in Saul's home, playing the harp for him. Saul sat there with a spear in his hand. The distressing spirit from Jehovah took control of him. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David dodged it, and Saul's spear struck the wall. David escaped from Saul that night. read more.
Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife advised him: If you do not save yourself tonight, you will be dead tomorrow! Michal lowered David through a window. He ran away to escape. Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goat-hair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment. Saul sent messengers to get David. Michal said: He is sick. Then Saul sent messengers to see David. They said: Bring him up to me on his bed. I will put him to death. The messengers entered. There, on the bed was the household idol with the quilt of goats' hair at its head. Saul said to Michal: Why have you deceived me like this? You let my enemy go. He has escaped! Michal said to Saul: He said to me: 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' David escaped to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel stayed in Naioth. Saul was told: David is at Naioth in Ramah. Saul sent messengers to get David. They saw a group of prophets prophesying with their leader Samuel. God's Spirit came over Saul's messengers so that they also prophesied. Saul heard what happened. So he sent another group of messengers, but they prophesied the same way. He sent a third group of messengers, but the same thing happened to them. Finally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far as the deep pit at the town of Secu. He asked: Where are Samuel and David? The people answered: At Prophets Village in Ramah. He went on from there to Naioth in Ramah. The spirit of God came on him and he acted like a prophet. Then he arrived at Naioth in Ramah. He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay there naked all day and all night. The saying: Is Saul one of the prophets? came from there.
Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife advised him: If you do not save yourself tonight, you will be dead tomorrow! Michal lowered David through a window. He ran away to escape. Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goat-hair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment. Saul sent messengers to get David. Michal said: He is sick. Then Saul sent messengers to see David. They said: Bring him up to me on his bed. I will put him to death. The messengers entered. There, on the bed was the household idol with the quilt of goats' hair at its head. Saul said to Michal: Why have you deceived me like this? You let my enemy go. He has escaped! Michal said to Saul: He said to me: 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' David escaped to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel stayed in Naioth. Saul was told: David is at Naioth in Ramah. Saul sent messengers to get David. They saw a group of prophets prophesying with their leader Samuel. God's Spirit came over Saul's messengers so that they also prophesied. Saul heard what happened. So he sent another group of messengers, but they prophesied the same way. He sent a third group of messengers, but the same thing happened to them. Finally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far as the deep pit at the town of Secu. He asked: Where are Samuel and David? The people answered: At Prophets Village in Ramah. He went on from there to Naioth in Ramah. The spirit of God came on him and he acted like a prophet. Then he arrived at Naioth in Ramah. He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay there naked all day and all night. The saying: Is Saul one of the prophets? came from there.
David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. read more.
David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day.
David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day.
Kings » Exercised great hospitality
Each governor also supplied his share of barley and straw as needed for the chariot horses and the work animals.
Verse Concepts
He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today!
David replied: Do not be afraid. I will be kind to you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. You will always be welcome at my table. Mephibosheth bowed again and said: I am no better than a dead dog! Why should you be so good to me? The king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said: I am giving Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, everything that belonged to Saul and his family. read more.
You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land for your master Saul's family and bring in the harvest. This will provide food for them. Mephibosheth will always be a guest at my table. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Ziba answered: I will do everything Your Majesty commands. So Mephibosheth ate at the king's table, just like one of the king's sons. Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. Everyone who lived at Ziba's home became Mephibosheth's servant. Mephibosheth was disabled. He lived in Jerusalem. He always ate at the king's table.
You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land for your master Saul's family and bring in the harvest. This will provide food for them. Mephibosheth will always be a guest at my table. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Ziba answered: I will do everything Your Majesty commands. So Mephibosheth ate at the king's table, just like one of the king's sons. Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. Everyone who lived at Ziba's home became Mephibosheth's servant. Mephibosheth was disabled. He lived in Jerusalem. He always ate at the king's table.
The king said to him: Come with me to Jerusalem. I will take care of you.
Verse Concepts
The supplies Solomon needed each day were one hundred and fifty bushels of fine flour and three hundred bushels of meal. Also needed were ten stall-fed cattle, twenty pasture-fed cattle, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fowl (cuckoo).
Kings » Who reigned over all israel » saul
So all the people went to Gilgal. In Gilgal they made Saul king before Jehovah. Peace offerings were offered before Jehovah. Saul and all the men of Israel were glad with great joy. Samuel said to all Israel: I listened to everything you said to me and established a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. I am old and gray and my sons are with you. I walked before you (served as your leader) from childhood until this day. read more.
Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right. The people answered: You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone. Samuel replied: Jehovah and the king he has chosen are witnesses today that you have found me to be completely innocent. They answered: That is right, Jehovah is our witness! Samuel continued: Jehovah chose Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt. Now stand where you are. I will judge you before Jehovah by reminding you of all the mighty actions Jehovah did to save you and your ancestors. When Jacob and his family went to Egypt the Egyptians oppressed them. Your ancestors cried to Jehovah for help. He sent Moses and Aaron, who brought them out of Egypt and settled them in this land. But the people forgot Jehovah their God. So he let the Philistines and the king of Moab and Sisera, commander of the army of the city of Hazor, fight against your ancestors and conquer them. Again they cried to Jehovah for help! They said: 'We have sinned, because we turned away from you, Jehovah. We worshiped the idols of the Baals and the Ashtoreth (Greek: Astarte). Rescue us from our enemies. We will worship you!' Jehovah sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and finally me. Each of us rescued you from your enemies. You lived in safety. But when you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was about to attack you, you rejected Jehovah as your king. You said to me: 'We want a (human) king to rule us.' Now here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him. Now Jehovah gives him to you. All will go well with you if you honor Jehovah your God, serve him, listen to him, and obey his commands. If you and your king follow Jehovah all will be well. But if you do not listen to Jehovah but disobey his commands, he will be against you and your king. He was against your fathers because they disobeyed. So then, stand where you are, and you will see the great thing that Jehovah will do. It is the dry season and the wheat harvest. I will pray and Jehovah will send thunder and rain. When this happens, you will realize that you committed a great sin against Jehovah when you asked him for a king. Samuel prayed. That same day Jehovah sent thunder and rain. Then all the people became afraid of Jehovah and of Samuel. They said to Samuel: Please pray to Jehovah your God for us, that we will not die. We now realize that we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a (human) king. Do not be afraid! Samuel answered. Even though you have done such an evil thing, do not turn away from Jehovah. Serve him with all your heart. Do not go after false gods and empty things. They cannot help you or save you. They are useless. Jehovah made a solemn promise. He will not abandon you. You are his people for his great name's sake. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah by no longer praying for you. Instead, I will teach you what is good and right for you to do. Reverence Jehovah and serve him in truth with all your heart. Remember the great things he has done for you. If you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed. Saul was thirty years old when he became king. He was king of Israel forty-two years. Saul chose three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of them were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel. One thousand were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people home. Jonathan defeated the Philistine troops at Geba. The Philistines heard about it. With the sounding of the trumpet throughout the land, Saul announced: Let the Hebrews listen! All Israel listened as Saul told that he had defeated the Philistine troops. Now Israel has gone on the offensive against the Philistines. All the troops rallied behind Saul at Gilgal. The Philistines assembled to fight Israel. They had thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves, thickets and rocks. Others hid in tombs or in deep dry pits. Some of them went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River. Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers trembled with fear. They were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do. But Samuel did not come. Saul commanded: Bring me some animals so we can offer sacrifices to please Jehovah. Then we can ask for his help. Saul slaughtered one of the animals, and just as he was placing it on the altar, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to welcome him. Samuel asked: What have you done? Saul replied: I saw the troops were scattering. You did not come when you said you would and the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. So I thought the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal. I have not sought Jehovah's favor. I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering. You did a foolish thing, Samuel told Saul. You did not follow the command of Jehovah your God. If you had, Jehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel from generation to generation (for a very long time). Your kingdom will not last. Jehovah searched for a man after his own heart. Jehovah appointed him as ruler of his people. This is because you did not follow the command of Jehovah. Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to meet the soldiers. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the troops who were still with him. There were about six hundred men. Saul and his son Jonathan and the troops with them stayed at Geba (Gebeah) in Benjamin. The Philistines camped at Michmash. Raiding parties left the Philistine camp in three companies. One company turned on the road to Ophrah to the region of Shual. Another company turned to the road to Beth Horon. Another turned onto the road toward the region that overlooks the valley of Zeboim and the desert. No blacksmith could be found in all of Israel. In this way the Philistines kept the Hebrews from making swords and spears. Everyone in Israel had to go to the Philistines to sharpen the blade of his plow, his mattock, ax, or sickle. The charge for sharpening plowshares and for the mattocks, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes was a pim. So in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear. The garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor: Come and let us go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side. He did not tell his father. Saul stayed on the edge of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. There were about six hundred men with him. Ahiah son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, Jehovah's priest in Shiloh, who was wearing an ephod were with him. The people did not know that Jonathan was gone. Johathan tried to go over to the Philistines garrison between the passes. There was a rocky crag on each side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other crag was Seneh. One cliff was on the north side of the pass facing Michmash. The other was on the south side facing Geba. Jonathan said to the young man: Let us cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe Jehovah will help us. If he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory no matter how few of us there are. His armor bearer answered him: Do whatever you have in mind. Go ahead! I agree with you. We will do this, Jonathan said. We will go across so they can see us. If they agree to come to us down the hill and fight where we are, then we will not climb up to their camp. But we will go to them if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean Jehovah will help us win. So they let the Philistines see them. The Philistines said: Some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they were hiding in! They called out to Jonathan and the young man: Come up here! We have something to tell you! Jonathan said to the young man: Follow me, for Jehovah gives Israel victory over them. Jonathan climbed out of the pass on his hands and knees. The young man followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and knocked them down. The young man killed them. In that first slaughter Jonathan and the young man killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre. There was panic among the army in the field. All the troops in the military post trembled with fear. The raiding party also trembled in fear. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God. Saul's watchmen at Gibeah of Benjamin could see the crowd in the Philistine camp dispersing in all directions. Call the roll, Saul told the troops who were with him, See who has left our camp. They looked and found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. Then Saul said to Ahijah: Bring the Ark of God here. At that time it was with the Israelites. While Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew worse. Then Saul said to the priest: Remove your hand. Saul and all the people with him came together and went forward to the battle. Every man's sword was turned against the man at his side. There was a very great noise. The Hebrews who had been with the Philistines for some time went to their camp. They joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. All the men of Israel who had taken cover in the mountains of Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines had been put to flight chased them and attacked them. Jehovah made Israel safe that day. The battle shifted to Beth-aven. And all the people were with Saul. There were about twenty thousand men. The fight was general through all the mountains of Ephraim. Saul made a great error that day. He put the people under an oath, saying: Let that man be cursed who eats any food before evening. I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So the people did not eat. All the people came to the forest. There was honey on the ground. The bees had gone from it. When the people entered the woods, the honey was flowing. But no one put his hand to his mouth. The people were afraid of violating their oath. Jonathan had not heard that his father forced the people to take an oath. So he stretched out the tip of the staff he had in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he put it to his mouth his eyes lit up. Then one of the people told him: Your father forced the people to take a solemn oath, saying: 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today.' That is why the people were exhausted. Jonathan answered: My father brought trouble to the country. See how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey? If only the people had eaten some of the enemies' food they found today. We would have killed more Philistines. That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, but the people were thoroughly exhausted. They grabbed the food they had captured from the Philistines and started eating. They even killed sheep and cows and calves right on the ground and ate the meat without draining the blood. Someone told Saul: The army is disobeying Jehovah by eating meat before the blood drains out. You are right, Saul answered. They are being unfaithful to Jehovah! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here. Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock and then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey Jehovah by eating meat with blood still in it. That night the people brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there. It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to Jehovah. Saul said: Let us attack the Philistines again while it is still dark. We can fight them all night. Let us kill them and take everything they own! The people answered: We will do whatever you want. Ahijah the priest said: Wait! Let us ask God what we should do. Saul asked God: Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win? This time God did not answer. Saul called his army officers together and said: We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering. I promise by the living Jehovah, who gives Israel victory, that the guilty one will be put to death, even if he is my son Jonathan. But no one said anything. Then Saul said to them: All of you stand over there. Jonathan and I will stand over here. Do whatever you think best, they answered. Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel, give a perfect lot. Jonathan and Samuel were taken, but the people escaped. Then Saul said: Cast lots to decide between my son Jonathan and me. And Jonathan was indicated. Then Saul asked Jonathan: What have you done? Jonathan answered: I ate a little honey with the stick I was holding. Here I am. I am ready to die. Saul said: May God strike me dead if you are not put to death! But the people said to Saul: Will Jonathan, who won this great victory for Israel, be put to death? No! We promise by the living Jehovah that he will not lose even a hair from his head. What he did today was done with God's help. So the people saved Jonathan from being put to death. After that, Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines. The Philistines went back to their own territory. After Saul became king of Israel, he fought all his enemies everywhere: the people of Moab, of Ammon, and of Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. He was victorious wherever he fought. He fought heroically and defeated even the people of Amalek. He saved the Israelites from all attacks. Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab the firstborn daughter and Michal the younger daughter. The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul's uncle Ner. Kish, Saul's father and Ner, Abner's father, were the sons of Abiel. There was intense warfare with the Philistines as long as Saul lived. Whenever any warrior or any skilled fighting man came to Saul's attention, Saul would enlist him in the army. Samuel told Saul: Jehovah sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to Jehovah's words: The Israelites were on their way out of Egypt when the nation of Amalek attacked them. I am Jehovah All-Powerful. I am going to make Amalek pay for what he did to Israel! Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Do not have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.' Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem. There were two hundred thousand soldiers from Israel and ten thousand from Judah. Then he and his men went to the city of Amalek. They waited in ambush in a dry riverbed. He sent a warning to the Kenites, a people whose ancestors had been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt: Go away and leave the Amalekites. That way I will not kill you along with them. So the Kenites left. Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt. He captured King Agag of Amalek alive and with the sword he killed all the people. Saul and his men spared Agag's life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good. They destroyed only what was useless or worthless. Jehovah spoke to Samuel: I am sorry that I made Saul king. He has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands. Samuel was angry. All night long he pleaded with Jehovah. Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel. There in Carmel he built a monument to himself. Then he went to Gilgal. Samuel went up to Saul. Saul said: Jehovah bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed Jehovah's command. Samuel asked: Why do I hear the sound of cows and sheep? Saul answered: The army brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cows to sacrifice to Jehovah your God. But the rest they claimed for God and destroyed them. Be quiet, Samuel told Saul, Let me tell you what Jehovah told me last night. Speak, Saul replied. Samuel said to Saul: You are little in your own eyes. Even though you are a leader of all of the tribes of Israel that Jehovah anointed king over Israel. Jehovah sent you on a mission. He said: Go and destroy those sinners, the Amalekites. Fight against them until every one is dead. Why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah? Why did you pounce on the plunder? Why did you do evil in the sight of Jehovah? Then Saul said to Samuel: I did obey the voice of Jehovah. I went on the mission Jehovah sent me. I brought back Agag the king of Amalek. I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. The people took from the plunder of the flock the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal. Samuel said: What is more pleasing to Jehovah, burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obeying is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams. The sin of divination is rebellion. Wickedness and idolatry are arrogance. They are evil. Because you rejected the word of Jehovah, he rejects you as king. Then Saul told Samuel: I have sinned by not following Jehovah's command or your instructions. I was afraid of the people and listened to them. But now I beg you, forgive my sin and return with me, so that I can worship Jehovah. I will not return with you, Samuel answered. You rejected Jehovah's command. He has rejected you as king of Israel. Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. Samuel said to him: Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He gave it to someone who is a better man than you. The Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind. He is not a mortal who changes his mind. Saul replied: I have sinned! Now please honor me in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me. Let me worship Jehovah your God! Then Samuel turned and followed Saul. Saul worshiped Jehovah. Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites, Samuel said. Agag came to him trembling. Surely, the bitterness of death is past, Agag said. But Samuel said: As your sword made women childless, so your mother will be made childless among women. Samuel cut Agag in pieces in the presence of Jehovah at Gilgal. Samuel went to Ramah. Saul went up to his house in Gibeah, in the land of Saul. Samuel never saw Saul again until the day of his death. Samuel went into mourning for Saul. It was no longer Jehovah's pleasure for Saul to be king over Israel. Jehovah said to Samuel: How long will you mourn for Saul? After all I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go. I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite. I have a king from among his sons. How can I go? Samuel asked. When Saul hears about it he will kill me Jehovah said: Take a heifer with you and say: 'I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.' Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. I will reveal to you what you should do. You will anoint the one I point out to you. Samuel did what Jehovah told him. When he came to Bethlehem the elders of the city trembled at his coming. They greeted him and said: May peace be with you. Greetings, he replied, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy, and come with me to the sacrifice. He performed the ceremonies for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they entered he looked at Eliab and thought: Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Him. But Jehovah said to Samuel: Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature. I have rejected him. God does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance. Jehovah looks at the heart (inner man). Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. Samuel said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. He said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. So Jesse brought seven more of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel told Jesse: Jehovah has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have? Samuel asked. There is still the youngest one, Jesse answered. He is tending sheep. Samuel responded: Send someone to get him. We will not continue until he gets here. Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. Jehovah said to Samuel: This is the one. Anoint him! Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the Spirit of Jehovah took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. Jehovah's Spirit left Saul, and a distressing spirit sent by Jehovah tormented him. His servants said to him: We know that a distressing spirit sent by God is tormenting you. So give us the order and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the distressing spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again. Saul ordered: Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me. One of his attendants said: Jesse of the town of Bethlehem has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. Jehovah is with him. Saul sent a message to Jesse: Tell your son David to leave your sheep and come here to me. Jesse loaded a donkey with bread and a goatskin full of wine. He told David to take the donkey and a young goat to Saul. David went to Saul and worked for him. Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons. Not long after this, Saul sent another message to Jesse: I really like David. Please let him stay with me. Whenever the distressing spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better. The distressing spirit would go away. The Philistines got ready for war and brought their troops together to attack the town of Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes-Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the men of Israel came together and took up their position in the valley of Elah. They drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines were stationed on the mountain on one side. Israel was on the mountain on the other side. There was a valley between them. A fighter came out from the tents of the Philistines. His name was Goliath of Gath. He was over nine feet tall. He had a headdress of copper on his head. He was dressed in a coat of metal that weighed one hundred twenty five pounds. He had copper shin guards on his legs and on his back a copper javelin. The shaft of his spear was like the beam used by weavers. The head of his spear was made of fifteen pounds of iron. The man who carried his shield walked ahead of him. Goliath stood and called to the Israelites: Why do you form a battle line? Am I not a Philistine? Are you Saul's servants? Choose a man, and let him come down to fight me. If he can fight me and kill me we will be your slaves. But if I overpower him and kill him you will be our slaves and serve us. The Philistine added: I challenge the Israelite battle line today. Send out a man so we can fight each other. Saul and all the Israelites were overcome with fear when they heard what this Philistine said. David was a son of a man named Jesse from the region of Ephrath and the city of Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons. In Saul's day he was an old man. Jesse's three oldest sons joined Saul's army for the battle. The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. David was the youngest. The three oldest joined Saul's army. David went back and forth from Saul's camp to Bethlehem, where he tended his father's flock. Each morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and made his challenge. Jesse told his son David: Take this half-bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Take them to your brothers in the camp right away. Also take these ten slices of cheese to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting along. Bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well. King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in Elah Valley fighting the Philistines. David obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left someone else in charge of the sheep. He loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry. The army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other. David left his things with the man in charge of supplies. He ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well. David talked to his brothers. Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and boasted as usual. David heard him. When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath they were afraid and ran off. They said to each other: Look how he keeps coming out to insult us. The king offers a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man will even get to marry the king's daughter. No one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again. David asked some soldiers standing nearby: What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He makes fun of the army of the living God! The soldiers repeated to David how the man who kills Goliath would be treated. Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. Then Eliab became angry with David. Why did you come here, he asked him, and with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how overconfident and headstrong you are. You came here just to see the battle. What have I done now? David snapped at him. Did I just ask a question? He turned to face another man and asked the same question. The other soldiers gave him the same answer. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul. Saul sent for him. David told Saul: No one should be discouraged because of this. I will go and fight this Philistine. Saul responded to David: You cannot fight this Philistine. You are just a boy. He has been a warrior since he was your age. David replied to Saul: I am a shepherd for my father's sheep. When a lion or a bear comes and carries off a sheep from the flock, I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. If the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. I have killed lions and bears. I will do the same to this heathen Philistine. He has defied the army of the living God. Jehovah saved me from lions and bears. He will save me from this Philistine. Saul answered: Go and Jehovah be with you. He gave his own armor to David for him to wear. It consisted of a copper helmet, which he put on David's head, and a coat of armor. David strapped Saul's sword over the armor and tried to walk. But he could not walk. I cannot fight with all this, he said to Saul. I am not used to it. So he took it all off. He took his shepherd's stick and picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath. The Philistine, preceded by the man carrying his shield came closer and closer to David. The Philistine got a good look at David and he despised him. David was only a young man with a healthy complexion and good looks. The Philistine asked David: Am I a dog that you come to attack me with sticks? So the Philistine called on his gods to curse David. Come here, the Philistine told David, and I will give your body to the birds. David answered: You come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I come out to fight you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts. He is the Almighty God of Israel's army. You have insulted him! Today Jehovah will help me defeat you. I will knock you down and cut off your head! I will feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. Everybody here will see that Jehovah does not need swords or spears to save his people. Jehovah always wins his battles. He will help us defeat you! Goliath started forward and David ran toward him. He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull. He fell facedown on the ground. So David overcame the Philistine with his leather band and a stone. The Philistine was wounded and laying on the ground. But David had no sword in his hand. He ran to him and stood over him. David took Goliath's sword out of its sheath and cut off his head to kill him. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead they ran away. The men of Israel and Judah shouted and ran after them. They pursued them all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron. The Philistines fell wounded all along the road that leads to Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. The sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines. They plundered their tents. David took the head of the Philistine to Jerusalem. But he put his armor in his tent. When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army: Abner, whose son is this young man? Abner said: By your life, O king, I do not know. The king said: Find out whose son the young man is. When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head in his hand. Saul said: Whose son are you, young man? David answered: I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. David finished talking to Saul. Jonathan became David's closest friend. He loved David as much as he loved himself. Saul kept him with him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house any more. Jonathan made a covenant with David. He loved him as himself. Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing. He gave it to David along with his armor, including his sword, his bow and his belt. So David did everything Saul sent him to do successfully. Saul made him a commander in his army. This pleased the people and Saul's servants. David returned from a campaign against the Philistines. That same day women from all of Israel's cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced. Tambourines, joyful music, and triangles accompanied them. The women who celebrated sang: Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands! Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. He said: To David they credit tens of thousands but to me they credit only a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom. He was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on. The next day Jehovah let a distressing spirit take control of Saul. He began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual. This time Saul had a spear in his hand. Saul balanced the spear in his hand and said: I will give David a blow! I will pin him to the wall. David got away from him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with David but left Saul. So Saul sent him away. He put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle. Jehovah helped David. He and his soldiers always won their battles. Saul saw how wisely David behaved. This made him fear him. Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David. He led them in and out of battle. Finally, Saul said to David: Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight Jehovah's battles. Saul thought: I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that. David answered: Who am I? What is my family that I should be the king's son-in-law? The time came for Merab to be given to David. Instead, she was given to a man named Adriel from Meholah. Saul's daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul heard of this he was pleased. He said to himself: I will give Michal to David. I will use her to trap him. The Philistines will kill him. So for the second time Saul said to David: You will be my son-in-law. Saul ordered his officials to speak to David in private. They went to David and said: Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you may marry his daughter Michal? Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said: I am not rich or famous enough to marry Princess Michal. Saul's servants told him: David asked, do you think it is easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person. When the officers told Saul what David had said, Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said. David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, David and his men killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him. This was so he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David. Saul knew she loved David. He also realized that Jehovah was helping David. Knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David. He was David's enemy for the rest of his life. The Philistine rulers kept coming to fight Israel. David always won when he fought them. He won more battles against the Philistines than any of Saul's other officers. This made him famous. Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David. Jonathan told David: My father Saul is seeking to kill you. Please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. I will stand beside my father in the field where you will be. I will speak with my father about you. If I find out anything I will tell you. Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. You should not commit a sin against your servant David, he said. He has not sinned against you. He has in fact done some very fine things for you. He risked his life and killed the Philistine Goliath. Jehovah gave all Israel a great victory. You rejoiced when you saw it. Why should you sin by shedding David's innocent blood for no reason? Jonathan convinced Saul, so Saul made a vow in Jehovah's name that he would not kill David. Jonathan called to David and told him what Saul said. Then he brought David to Saul. David served in Saul's army just as he had done before. Then there was a war with the Philistines. David fought hard and forced them to retreat. One night, David was in Saul's home, playing the harp for him. Saul sat there with a spear in his hand. The distressing spirit from Jehovah took control of him. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David dodged it, and Saul's spear struck the wall. David escaped from Saul that night. Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife advised him: If you do not save yourself tonight, you will be dead tomorrow! Michal lowered David through a window. He ran away to escape. Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goat-hair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment. Saul sent messengers to get David. Michal said: He is sick. Then Saul sent messengers to see David. They said: Bring him up to me on his bed. I will put him to death. The messengers entered. There, on the bed was the household idol with the quilt of goats' hair at its head. Saul said to Michal: Why have you deceived me like this? You let my enemy go. He has escaped! Michal said to Saul: He said to me: 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' David escaped to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel stayed in Naioth. Saul was told: David is at Naioth in Ramah. Saul sent messengers to get David. They saw a group of prophets prophesying with their leader Samuel. God's Spirit came over Saul's messengers so that they also prophesied. Saul heard what happened. So he sent another group of messengers, but they prophesied the same way. He sent a third group of messengers, but the same thing happened to them. Finally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far as the deep pit at the town of Secu. He asked: Where are Samuel and David? The people answered: At Prophets Village in Ramah. He went on from there to Naioth in Ramah. The spirit of God came on him and he acted like a prophet. Then he arrived at Naioth in Ramah. He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay there naked all day and all night. The saying: Is Saul one of the prophets? came from there. David fled from the pastures at Ramah. He went to Jonathan and asked: What have I done? What crime am I guilty of? What sin have I committed against your father that he tries to kill me? He said to him: It will not happen. You will not die! My father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so! David again said: Your father has certainly known that I have found favor in your eyes. He said: Do not let Jonathan know this, that he not be grieved. And yet, as Jehovah lives, and you live, there is only a step between death and me. Jonathan said: I will do anything you want. Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, David replied, and I am supposed to eat with the king. But if it is all right with you, I will go and hide in the fields until the evening of the day after tomorrow. If your father notices that I am not at the table, tell him that I begged your permission to hurry home to Bethlehem. It is after all the time for the annual sacrifice there for my whole family. If he says: 'It is well. I will be safe.' But if he becomes angry, you will know that he is determined to harm me. Therefore deal kindly with your servant. You brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. But if there is iniquity in me kill me yourself. Why should you take me to your father?' Jonathan replied: Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn my father decided to bring evil on you then would I not tell you about it? David asked: Who will tell me whether or not your father gives you a harsh answer? Jonathan said: Let us go out to the field. So they went to the field. As Jehovah God of Israel is my witness, Jonathan continued, I will find out in the next two or three days how my father feels about you. If he does feel kindly toward you I will send someone to tell you. If my father plans to harm you and I do not send you away safely, may Jehovah harm me even more. Jehovah should be with you just as he used to be with my father. Someday Jehovah will wipe out all of your enemies. Then if I am still alive, please be as kind to me as Jehovah has been. But if I am dead, be kind to my family. Show the same kind of loyalty to my family as long as you live. When Jehovah has completely destroyed all your enemies, May our promise to each other still be unbroken. If it is broken, Jehovah will punish you. Once again Jonathan made David promise to love him. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself. Jonathan said to him: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival. Your absence will be noticed if you are not at the meal. The day after tomorrow you will be missed even more. So go to the place where you hid on that other occasion. Stay by the rock. I will shoot three arrows at a target off to the side of the rock. Then I will send my servant to find the arrows. You will know if it is safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living God Jehovah that I will say: 'The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up! If it is not safe, I will say to the boy: The arrows are farther away! This will mean that Jehovah wants you to leave. You must go. He will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.' David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on! Do not just stand there! Hurry up! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. The boy did not know what it all meant. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town. After the boy left, David got up from behind the pile of stones. He fell on his knees and bowed with his face to the ground three times. Both he and Jonathan cried as they kissed each other. David's grief was even greater than Jonathan's. Jonathan said to David: God be with you. Jehovah will make sure that you and I, and your descendants and mine, will keep the sacred promise we have made to each other for as long as we live. Then David left and Jonathan went back to town. David went to the priest Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech was afraid when he met David. Why are you alone? He asked David. Why is no one with you? The king ordered me to do something, David answered the priest Ahimelech, and he told me: No one must know anything about this mission I am sending you to do. I have stationed my young men at a certain place. David added: What do you have to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever you can find. The high priest answered David: I do not have any ordinary bread here. But there is holy bread for the young men if they have not had sexual intercourse today. David answered the priest: Women have been kept away from us as usual when we go on a mission. The young men's bodies are kept holy even on ordinary campaigns. How much more then are their bodies holy today? The priest gave him holy bread. For he only had the bread of the presence that had been taken from Jehovah's presence and replaced with warm bread that day. That same day one of Saul's servants who was obligated to stay in Jehovah's presence was there. His name was Doeg. He was chief herdsman for Saul's shepherds from Edom. David asked Ahimelech: Do you have a spear or a sword here? I did not take either my spear or any other weapon because the king's business was urgent. The high priest answered: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Elah Valley, is here. It is wrapped in a cloth behind the priestly ephod. Take it if you want. There is no other weapon here. David said: There is none like it. Let me have the sword. David kept running from Saul that day until he came to Gath. There he met with King Achish. The officers of King Achish were also there. They asked Achish: Is David a king back in his own country? Do the Israelites not dance and sing: 'Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies?' David thought about what they said. It made him afraid of Achish. Right there in front of everyone, he pretended to be insane. He acted confused and scratched up the doors of the town gate. He drooled in his beard. Look at him! Achish said to his officers. You can see he is crazy. Why did you bring him to me? I have enough crazy people without your bringing another one here. Keep him away from my palace! David escaped from the town of Gath and he went to Adullam Cave. Once they found out where he was his brothers and the rest of his family followed him there. A lot of other people joined him too. Some were in trouble. Others were angry or in debt. David was soon the leader of four hundred men. David went from there to Mizpah in Moab. He said to the king of Moab: Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me. He left them with the king of Moab. So they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Do not live in your stronghold, the prophet Gad told David. Go to the land of Judah. So David went to the forest of Hereth. Saul heard that David and his men were found. Saul stayed in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at the worship site. He held his spear in his hand. All his officials stood around him. He said to his officials: Listen to me men of Benjamin! Will Jesse's son give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all officers over a regiment or a battalion of soldiers? All of you are plotting against me. No one informed me when my son entered into a loyalty pledge with Jesse's son. No one felt sorry for me. And no one informed me that my son has encouraged my servant David to ambush me, as he is doing now. Doeg from Edom, standing with Saul's officials, answered him: I saw Jesse's son when he came to Ahimelech, Ahitub's son, in Nob. Ahimelech prayed to Jehovah for David. He gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub's and his entire family who were the priests in Nob. All of them came to the king. Saul said: Listen here, son of Ahitub! He responded: Here I am lord. Saul asked him: Why did you and Jesse's son plot against me? You gave him bread and a sword. You even prayed to God that he could rise up against me and ambush me, as he is doing now. Ahimelech asked the king: But whom among all your officials can you trust like David? Your Majesty, he is your son-in-law, the commander of your bodyguard. He is honored in your own household. Is this the first time I have prayed to God for him? Not at all! You should not blame my family or me for this. I knew nothing at all about this. The king said: Ahimelech, you and your entire family are going to die. The king said to the guards who were attending him: Turn around and kill the priests of Jehovah! They are also with David. They knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me. But the servants of the king were not willing to lift a hand to attack the priests of Jehovah. The king said to Doeg: You turn around and attack the priests. Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. Using his sword, he killed men and women, children and infants, cows, donkeys, and sheep. Ahimelech, Ahitub's son had one son who escaped. His name was Abiathar. He fled to David. Abiathar told David that Saul killed Jehovah's priests. David told Abiathar: I knew that day when Doeg from Edom was there that he would be certain to tell Saul. I am the one responsible for all the lives of your family. Stay with me. Do not be afraid. The one who is seeking my life is also seeking your life. You will be under my protection. David heard that the Philistines attacked the town of Keilah. They robbed the threshing floors of the newly harvested grain. He asked Jehovah: Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Jehovah answered: Yes, Attack them and save Keilah. David's men said to him: We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah. It will be worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces! David consulted Jehovah once again, and Jehovah said to him: Go attack Keilah! I will give you victory over the Philistines. David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They drove off their livestock, and overwhelmingly defeated them. So David rescued the people who lived in Keilah. When Ahimelech's son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephod with him. When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said: God has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has a gate with a double door held shut by a bar. So Saul called all the troops to go to war. They wanted to blockade Keilah, where David and his men were. David learned that Saul was planning to harm him. He told the priest Abiathar: Bring the ephod! Then David said: Jehovah God of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? Jehovah God of Israel, please tell me. Jehovah answered: He will come. Will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul? David asked. Jehovah answered: They will hand you over. David and his men, about six hundred in all, left Keilah. They went wherever they could go. Then Saul was told: David has escaped from Keilah! So he gave up the campaign. David lived in fortified camps in the desert. He lived in fortified camps in the mountains of the desert of Ziph. Saul was always searching for him. But God did not let him capture David. David was afraid because Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. Jonathan went to see David. God helped him encourage David. Do not be afraid, Jonathan said. My father Saul will never get his hands on you. In fact, you are going to be the next king of Israel. I will be your highest official. Even my father knows it is true. They both promised Jehovah that they would always be loyal to each other. Then Jonathan went home while David stayed at Horesh. Some people from the town of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah. They said: Your Majesty, David has a hideout not far from us! It is near Horesh. It is somewhere on Mount Hachilah south of Jeshimon. We know how much you want to capture him. Come to our territory and we will make sure you catch him. Saul answered: May Jehovah bless you for being so kind to me! Go and make sure once more. Find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. Find out exactly the places where he hides. Be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you. If he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah. So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon. They were in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. Saul and his men set out to look for David. David heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this he went after David. Saul and his men were on one side of the hill. They were separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul: Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country! Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill. From there David went to stay in the fortified camps of En Gedi. Saul returned from fighting the Philistines. He declared: I have heard that David is in the desert around En-Gedi. Saul led three thousand of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. There were some sheep pens along the side of the road. One of them was built around the entrance to a cave. So Saul went into the cave to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. They whispered to David: Jehovah told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day Jehovah was talking about. David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul's robe and Saul did not notice. Later David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe. He told his men: Stop talking foolishly. We are not going to attack Saul. He is my king. I pray that Jehovah will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king. David stopped his men by saying this to them. He did not let them attack Saul. Saul left the cave and went out onto the road. Then David got up and left the cave. He called to Saul: My lord! When Saul looked back. David knelt down with his face touching the ground. David asked Saul: Why do you listen to rumors that I am trying to harm you? Today you saw how Jehovah handed you over to me in the cave. Although I was told to kill you I spared you. I said: 'I will not raise my hand against my lord because you are Jehovah's anointed.' My master, look at this! The border of your robe is in my hand! I cut off the border of your robe and did not kill you. You should know and be able to see I mean no harm or rebellion. I have not sinned against you! But you are trying to ambush me in order to take my life. I will let Jehovah decide which one of us has done right. I pray that Jehovah will punish you for what you are doing to me. However, I will not do anything to you. An old proverb says: 'Only evil people do evil things.' So I will not harm you. Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I am as worthless as a dead dog or a flea. I pray that Jehovah will help me escape and show that I am in the right. David, my son is that you? Saul asked. Then he started crying. He said: David, you are a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness when I was cruel to you. You have shown me how you were kind enough not to kill me when Jehovah gave you the chance. You would not let me live if you were my enemy. I pray that Jehovah will reward you for what you did today. I know now you will be the next king. You will be a powerful king too. Promise me with Jehovah as your witness, that you will not destroy my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive. David promised and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout. Samuel died. All Israel gathered to mourn him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went to the desert of Paran. There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. He sheared his sheep in Carmel. His name was Nabal. He was of the family of Caleb. His wife's name was Abigail. She was a woman of good sense and pleasing looks. The man was cruel and dishonest in his dealings. While David was in the desert he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. David sent ten young men to Nabal. David said to them: Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and say kind words to him in my name. Say to him: 'May you live long! May you, your home, and all you have prosper! I hear that your sheepshearers are with you. Your shepherds have been with us. We have not mistreated them. Nothing of theirs has been missing as long as they have been in Carmel. Ask your shepherds. They will tell you the same thing. My servants are your servants. You are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating. Please be kind and share some of your food with us.' David's men went to Nabal and gave him David's message. They waited for Nabal's answer. This is what he said: Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master. There are too many of them now days. What makes you think I would give you the bread and water, and the meat that I cooked for my own servants? I do not even know where you are from. The men returned to their camp and told David everything Nabal said. David ordered: Everyone get your swords! They strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp. The other four hundred followed David. One of Nabal's servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: Have you heard? David sent some messengers from the wilderness with greetings for our master. He insulted them. Yet they were very good to us. They never bothered us. Nothing belonging to us was stolen at the time we were with them in the fields. They protected our sheep and us day and night the whole time we were with them. Consider what you should do because our master and his whole household are doomed. He is such a worthless man that it is useless to talk to him. So Abigail quickly took two hundred loaves of bread, two full wineskins, five butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, one hundred bunches of raisins, and two hundred fig cakes and loaded them on donkeys. Lead the way, she told her young men, and I will follow you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal about it. She rode her donkey down a hidden mountain path. David and his men came to her. David thought: I guarded this man's possessions in the desert for nothing! Not one of his possessions was missing. Yet, he paid me back with evil when I was good to him. May God punish me if I do not kill every one of those men before morning! Abigail saw David and quickly got down from her donkey. She immediately bowed down in front of David with her face touching the ground. She fell at his feet and said: Let me be held responsible for this wrong. Please let me speak with you. Please listen to me. You should not take this worthless person Nabal seriously. He is like his name. His name is Nabal (Godless Fool). He is foolish. But I did not see the young men you sent. Jehovah kept you from spilling innocent blood and from getting a victory by your own efforts. As Jehovah lives and you live, may your enemies and those who are trying to harm you end up like Nabal. Please accept this gift from your maidservant. And give it to the young men who accompany my lord. Also please forgive the transgression of your maidservant. Jehovah will certainly give you a lasting dynasty, because my lord is fighting the battles of Jehovah. Evil will not be found in you all your days. Even if someone pursues you to take your life, your life is wrapped securely in the bundle (purse) (bag) of the living from Jehovah your God (God will keep you safe). He will dispose of the lives of your enemies. They will be hurled like stones from a sling. When Jehovah does all the good he promised and makes you ruler of Israel, you should not have a troubled conscience because you spilled blood for no good reason and claimed your own victory. When Jehovah gives you success, remember me. David said to Abigail: Blessed is Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. Blessed is your good judgment and blessed are you for keeping me from slaughtering people today and from getting a victory by my own efforts. I solemnly promise as Jehovah the God of Israel lives that if you had not come to meet me Nabal would not have had one of his men alive at dawn. Then David accepted what she brought him. He said: Go home in peace. I have listened to what you said and I grant your request. When Abigail came to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his home. It was like a king's banquet. He was in a good mood and very drunk, so she did not tell him anything until dawn. In the morning after the effects of the wine wore off his wife told him what had happened. Nabal had a stroke. He could not move. Ten days later Jehovah made him sicker and Nabal died. David heard Nabal was dead. He said: Blessed is Jehovah who defended me against the insults of Nabal. He kept me from doing wrong. Jehovah has turned Nabal's own wickedness back on him. David sent men on his behalf to propose marriage to Abigail. David's servants approached Abigail at Carmel. They told her: David sent us to you to take you to him to be his wife. She bowed down with her face touching the ground. I am ready to serve, she said. I am willing to wash the feet of my master's servants. Abigail quickly got up and rode on a donkey with five of her female servants following her. So she went with David's messengers and became his wife. Earlier David married Ahinoam from the town of Jezreel. Now both she and Abigail were David's wives. Meanwhile, Saul arranged for Michal to marry Palti the son of Laish, who came from the town of Gallim. Some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul, they said: David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert. Saul went to the desert of Ziph. He took three thousand of Israel's best-trained men to search for David. Saul camped by the road at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon. David camped in the desert. He discovered that Saul come to the desert after him. David sent spies to confirm Saul's arrival. Then David went to the place where Saul camped. David saw the place where Saul and Ner's son Abner, the commander of the army, were lying. Saul was lying in the camp. The troops were camped around him. David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab: Who will go to Saul's camp with me? I will, Abishai answered. David and Abishai entered Saul's camp at night. They found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. Abishai said to David: God put your enemy in your power tonight. Let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground. I will do it with just one blow. I will not have to strike twice! But David said: Do not harm him! Jehovah will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. By the living God Jehovah, David declared, I know that Jehovah will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. Jehovah forbid that I should try to harm the one Jehovah anointed to be king. Just take his spear and his water jar and go. David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul's head. Then he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what happened. No one woke up. They were all sound asleep, because Jehovah sent a heavy sleep on them all. Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley. He went to the top of the hill a great distance away. David shouted to Saul's troops and to Abner: Abner! Can you hear me? Who is calling to the king? Abner asked. David answered, Abner, are you the greatest man in Israel? Why are you not protecting your master, the king? Someone entered the camp to kill your master. You failed in your duty, Abner! I swear by the living God Jehovah all of you deserve to die. You have not protected your master, whom Jehovah made king. Look for the king's spear? Where is the water jar that was near his head? Saul recognized David's voice and said: Is that your voice my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord the king. He also said: Why are you my lord pursuing your servant? What have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? Please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If Jehovah has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. If it is men, cursed are they before Jehovah. They have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of Jehovah, saying: 'Go serve other gods.' Do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of Jehovah. The king of Israel comes to search for a flea. Yet he hunts me down like a partridge on the mountains. My servant David, Saul said, I have sinned. Come back. I will not harm you again. You valued my life today. I have acted like a fool. I made a terrible mistake. David answered: Here is the king's spear. Have one of your soldiers come and get it. Jehovah put you in my power today. But you are his chosen king. I would not harm you. Jehovah rewards the righteous and faithful. I valued and saved your life today. I pray that you will value and save my life and that Jehovah will deliver me out of tribulation. Saul said: David, my son, I pray that Jehovah will bless you and make you successful! Saul went back home. David also left. David thought to himself: One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is escape to Philistia. Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. Then I will be safe. David and his six hundred men went over at once to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. David and his men and their families lived with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. Word soon reached Saul that David fled to Gath. So he stopped hunting for him. David said to Achish: If it is all right with you, let me live in one of the outlying towns. Why should I live in the royal city with you? Achish immediately gave him Ziklag. This is why Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah today. David lived in Philistine territory for one year and four months. David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Their territory extends from Telaim to Shur and Egypt. David attacked the territory and left no man or woman alive. He also took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and returned to Achish. Achish would ask: Whom did you raid today? David would answer: The south country (Negev) in Judah, or the south country of the Jerahmeelites, or the south country of the Kenites. He did not bring a single man or woman back to Gath alive. He thought, they could tell Achish what I really did. This was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. Achish trusted David and thought: David's people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me. One day the Philistines brought their soldiers together to attack Israel. Achish told David: You and your men must fight as part of our Philistine army. David answered: That will give you a chance to see for yourself just how well we can fight! Achish said: You and your men will always be my bodyguards. After Samuel died all the Israelites mourned for him. They buried him in his hometown of Ramah. Saul forced all the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. The Philistine troops assembled and camped near the town of Shunem. Saul gathered the Israelites and camped at Mount Gilboa. Saul was terrified when he saw the Philistine army. So he asked Jehovah what to do. But Jehovah did not answer him. He did not answer by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets. Saul ordered his officials: Find me a woman who is a medium. I will go and consult her. There is one in Endor, they answered. Saul disguised himself. He put on different clothes. After dark he went with two of his men to see the woman. Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is going to happen, he said to her: Call up the spirit of the man I name. The woman answered: You know what King Saul has done? He forced the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. Are you trying to trap me and get me killed? Saul made a sacred vow. By the living God Jehovah I promise that you will not be punished for doing this, he told her. Whom shall I call up for you? The woman asked. Samuel, he answered. The woman saw Samuel. She screamed and said to Saul, Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul! Do not be afraid! The king said to her. What do you see? She answered: I see a spirit coming up from the earth. The spirit, what does it look like? He asked. It is an old man, she answered. He wears a cloak. Saul knew it was Samuel. So he bowed to the ground in respect. Samuel said to Saul: Why have you disturbed me? Why did you make me come back? Saul answered: I am in great trouble! The Philistines are at war with me. God has abandoned me. He does not answer me any more by prophets or by dreams. Please tell me what to do. Samuel said: Why do you call me when Jehovah has abandoned you and become your enemy? Jehovah did to you what he told you through me. He took the kingdom away from you and gave it to David instead. You disobeyed Jehovah's command and did not completely destroy the Amalekites. That is why Jehovah is doing this to you. He will give you and Israel over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will join me. Jehovah will also give the army of Israel over to the Philistines. At once Saul fell down and lay stretched out on the ground. He was terrified by what Samuel said. He was weak because he had not eaten anything all day and all night. The woman went to him. She saw that he was terrified. So she said to him: I risked my life by doing what you asked. Now please do what I ask. Let me fix you some food. You must eat so that you will be strong enough to travel. Saul refused. He said he would not eat. But his officers also urged him to eat. He finally gave in, got up from the ground, and sat on the bed. The woman quickly butchered a calf she had fattened. Then she took some flour and prepared it. She baked some bread without yeast. She set the food before Saul and his officers and they ate. They left that same night. The Philistines gathered all their troops at Aphek. The Israelites camped by the spring in Jezreel Valley. The five Philistine kings marched with units of a hundred and of a thousand men. David and his men marched in the rear with King Achish. The Philistine commanders saw them and asked: What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish answered: This is David. He is the man who ran away from King Saul of Israel. He has been with me for more than a year. He has done nothing I can find fault with since the day he came to me. The Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said to him: Send that fellow back to the town you gave him. Do not let him go into battle with us. He might turn against us during the fight. What better way is there for him to win back his master's favor than by causing the death of our men? This is David, the one about whom the women sang, as they danced: Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands. Achish called David and said: I swear by the living God of Israel that you have been loyal to me. I would be pleased to have you go with me and fight in this battle. I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me. But the other kings do not approve of you. Go home in peace. Do not do anything that would displease them. David answered: What have I done wrong? As you say, you have not found any fault in me since the day I started serving you. Why should I not go with you, my master and king, and fight your enemies? I agree, Achish replied. I consider you as loyal as an angel of God. But the other kings say you may not go with us into battle. Tomorrow morning all of you who left Saul and came over to me must get up early and leave at first light. David and his men started out early the following morning. They went back to Philistia. The Philistines went on to Jezreel. Two days later David and his men came to Ziklag. The Amalekites raided the south country (Negev) including Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it. They captured the women young and old. However they killed no one. Instead, they took the women as prisoners. When David and his men came to Zikleg they found it completely destroyed by fire. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. David and his men cried loudly until they did not have the strength to cry anymore. The Amalekites also captured David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel. The people in their bitterness said David should be stoned. This caused him great distress. They were thinking of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in Jehovah his God. David told Abiathar the priest: Please bring me the priestly ephod. So Abiathar brought David the ephod. David asked Jehovah: Should I pursue these troops? Will I catch up with them? Pursue them! Jehovah told him: You will certainly catch up with them and rescue the captives. So David and his six hundred men went to the Besor Valley, where some were left behind. David and four hundred men went in pursuit. Two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley stayed behind. David's men found an Egyptian in the open country and took him to David. They gave him food to eat and water to drink. He also ate some dried figs, and two bunches of raisins. After he ate his strength returned. He had not eaten nor did he drank for three days. Who is your master? Where are you from? David asked. I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite, he answered. My master left me behind three days ago when I got sick. We raided the territory of the Cherethites in the southern part of Judah. We also raided the territory of the clan of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag. Will you lead me to those raiders? David asked him. He answered, I will if you promise me in God's name that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master. He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating, drinking and celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. David attacked just before sunrise the next day. They fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels. They were the only ones to escape. David rescued his two wives. They rescued everyone else the Amalekites captured at Ziklag. Young and old, sons and daughters alike, no one was missing. David brought back everything that had been stolen. They even brought back their livestock. David also took the sheep and cattle that the Amalekites had with them. He kept these separate from the others. Everyone agreed that these would be David's reward. On the way back, David met the two hundred men he left at Besor Gorge. They were too tired to keep up with him. They approached David and the people who were with him. He greeted the two hundred men and asked how they were doing. Then every wicked and worthless man who had gone with David said: Since they did not go with us, they should not be given any of the loot we recovered. Each of them should take only his wife and children and leave. David said: My brothers, do not do that with the things Jehovah has given us. He kept us safe and helped us defeat the enemy. Besides, who is going to pay attention to what you have to say in this matter? The share of those who go into battle must be like the share of those who stay with the supplies. They will all share alike. From that time on he made this a rule and a custom in Israel as it is to this day. When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the goods to the elders of Judah, and to his friends. He said: Here is an offering for you from the spoil of those who fought against Jehovah. He sent the offering to the people in Bethel, to the people in Ramah in the southern part of Judah, and to the people in the towns of Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, and Racal; to the clan of Jerahmeel, to the Kenites, and to the people in the towns of Hormah, Borashan, Athach, and Hebron. He sent it to all the places where he and his men had been. When the Philistines fought Israel, the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and were killed in battle on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines caught up to Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. The heaviest fighting was against Saul. When the archers got him in their range, he was badly wounded by them. He said to the young man carrying his weapons: Draw your sword and kill me. That way these godless Philistines will not gloat over me and kill me. But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. The young man saw that Saul was dead. Then he too threw himself on his own sword and died with Saul. That is how Saul, his three sons, and the young man died. All of Saul's men died that day. The Israelites on the other side of Jezreel Valley and east of the Jordan River heard that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had been killed. They abandoned their towns and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied the towns. The next day the Philistines came to strip the dead. They found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor. Then they sent men throughout Philistine territory to tell the people this good news in their idols' temples. They put his armor in the temple of their goddesses the Asherahs and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan. The people living in Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. All the fighting men marched all night and took the dead bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. They came back to Jabesh and burned the bodies. They buried the bones under a small tree in Jabesh. Then for seven days, they went without eating to show their sorrow.
Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right. The people answered: You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone. Samuel replied: Jehovah and the king he has chosen are witnesses today that you have found me to be completely innocent. They answered: That is right, Jehovah is our witness! Samuel continued: Jehovah chose Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt. Now stand where you are. I will judge you before Jehovah by reminding you of all the mighty actions Jehovah did to save you and your ancestors. When Jacob and his family went to Egypt the Egyptians oppressed them. Your ancestors cried to Jehovah for help. He sent Moses and Aaron, who brought them out of Egypt and settled them in this land. But the people forgot Jehovah their God. So he let the Philistines and the king of Moab and Sisera, commander of the army of the city of Hazor, fight against your ancestors and conquer them. Again they cried to Jehovah for help! They said: 'We have sinned, because we turned away from you, Jehovah. We worshiped the idols of the Baals and the Ashtoreth (Greek: Astarte). Rescue us from our enemies. We will worship you!' Jehovah sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and finally me. Each of us rescued you from your enemies. You lived in safety. But when you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was about to attack you, you rejected Jehovah as your king. You said to me: 'We want a (human) king to rule us.' Now here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him. Now Jehovah gives him to you. All will go well with you if you honor Jehovah your God, serve him, listen to him, and obey his commands. If you and your king follow Jehovah all will be well. But if you do not listen to Jehovah but disobey his commands, he will be against you and your king. He was against your fathers because they disobeyed. So then, stand where you are, and you will see the great thing that Jehovah will do. It is the dry season and the wheat harvest. I will pray and Jehovah will send thunder and rain. When this happens, you will realize that you committed a great sin against Jehovah when you asked him for a king. Samuel prayed. That same day Jehovah sent thunder and rain. Then all the people became afraid of Jehovah and of Samuel. They said to Samuel: Please pray to Jehovah your God for us, that we will not die. We now realize that we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a (human) king. Do not be afraid! Samuel answered. Even though you have done such an evil thing, do not turn away from Jehovah. Serve him with all your heart. Do not go after false gods and empty things. They cannot help you or save you. They are useless. Jehovah made a solemn promise. He will not abandon you. You are his people for his great name's sake. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah by no longer praying for you. Instead, I will teach you what is good and right for you to do. Reverence Jehovah and serve him in truth with all your heart. Remember the great things he has done for you. If you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed. Saul was thirty years old when he became king. He was king of Israel forty-two years. Saul chose three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of them were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel. One thousand were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people home. Jonathan defeated the Philistine troops at Geba. The Philistines heard about it. With the sounding of the trumpet throughout the land, Saul announced: Let the Hebrews listen! All Israel listened as Saul told that he had defeated the Philistine troops. Now Israel has gone on the offensive against the Philistines. All the troops rallied behind Saul at Gilgal. The Philistines assembled to fight Israel. They had thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves, thickets and rocks. Others hid in tombs or in deep dry pits. Some of them went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River. Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers trembled with fear. They were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do. But Samuel did not come. Saul commanded: Bring me some animals so we can offer sacrifices to please Jehovah. Then we can ask for his help. Saul slaughtered one of the animals, and just as he was placing it on the altar, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to welcome him. Samuel asked: What have you done? Saul replied: I saw the troops were scattering. You did not come when you said you would and the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. So I thought the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal. I have not sought Jehovah's favor. I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering. You did a foolish thing, Samuel told Saul. You did not follow the command of Jehovah your God. If you had, Jehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel from generation to generation (for a very long time). Your kingdom will not last. Jehovah searched for a man after his own heart. Jehovah appointed him as ruler of his people. This is because you did not follow the command of Jehovah. Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to meet the soldiers. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the troops who were still with him. There were about six hundred men. Saul and his son Jonathan and the troops with them stayed at Geba (Gebeah) in Benjamin. The Philistines camped at Michmash. Raiding parties left the Philistine camp in three companies. One company turned on the road to Ophrah to the region of Shual. Another company turned to the road to Beth Horon. Another turned onto the road toward the region that overlooks the valley of Zeboim and the desert. No blacksmith could be found in all of Israel. In this way the Philistines kept the Hebrews from making swords and spears. Everyone in Israel had to go to the Philistines to sharpen the blade of his plow, his mattock, ax, or sickle. The charge for sharpening plowshares and for the mattocks, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes was a pim. So in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear. The garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor: Come and let us go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side. He did not tell his father. Saul stayed on the edge of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. There were about six hundred men with him. Ahiah son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, Jehovah's priest in Shiloh, who was wearing an ephod were with him. The people did not know that Jonathan was gone. Johathan tried to go over to the Philistines garrison between the passes. There was a rocky crag on each side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other crag was Seneh. One cliff was on the north side of the pass facing Michmash. The other was on the south side facing Geba. Jonathan said to the young man: Let us cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe Jehovah will help us. If he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory no matter how few of us there are. His armor bearer answered him: Do whatever you have in mind. Go ahead! I agree with you. We will do this, Jonathan said. We will go across so they can see us. If they agree to come to us down the hill and fight where we are, then we will not climb up to their camp. But we will go to them if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean Jehovah will help us win. So they let the Philistines see them. The Philistines said: Some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they were hiding in! They called out to Jonathan and the young man: Come up here! We have something to tell you! Jonathan said to the young man: Follow me, for Jehovah gives Israel victory over them. Jonathan climbed out of the pass on his hands and knees. The young man followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and knocked them down. The young man killed them. In that first slaughter Jonathan and the young man killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre. There was panic among the army in the field. All the troops in the military post trembled with fear. The raiding party also trembled in fear. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God. Saul's watchmen at Gibeah of Benjamin could see the crowd in the Philistine camp dispersing in all directions. Call the roll, Saul told the troops who were with him, See who has left our camp. They looked and found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. Then Saul said to Ahijah: Bring the Ark of God here. At that time it was with the Israelites. While Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew worse. Then Saul said to the priest: Remove your hand. Saul and all the people with him came together and went forward to the battle. Every man's sword was turned against the man at his side. There was a very great noise. The Hebrews who had been with the Philistines for some time went to their camp. They joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. All the men of Israel who had taken cover in the mountains of Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines had been put to flight chased them and attacked them. Jehovah made Israel safe that day. The battle shifted to Beth-aven. And all the people were with Saul. There were about twenty thousand men. The fight was general through all the mountains of Ephraim. Saul made a great error that day. He put the people under an oath, saying: Let that man be cursed who eats any food before evening. I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So the people did not eat. All the people came to the forest. There was honey on the ground. The bees had gone from it. When the people entered the woods, the honey was flowing. But no one put his hand to his mouth. The people were afraid of violating their oath. Jonathan had not heard that his father forced the people to take an oath. So he stretched out the tip of the staff he had in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he put it to his mouth his eyes lit up. Then one of the people told him: Your father forced the people to take a solemn oath, saying: 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today.' That is why the people were exhausted. Jonathan answered: My father brought trouble to the country. See how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey? If only the people had eaten some of the enemies' food they found today. We would have killed more Philistines. That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, but the people were thoroughly exhausted. They grabbed the food they had captured from the Philistines and started eating. They even killed sheep and cows and calves right on the ground and ate the meat without draining the blood. Someone told Saul: The army is disobeying Jehovah by eating meat before the blood drains out. You are right, Saul answered. They are being unfaithful to Jehovah! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here. Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock and then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey Jehovah by eating meat with blood still in it. That night the people brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there. It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to Jehovah. Saul said: Let us attack the Philistines again while it is still dark. We can fight them all night. Let us kill them and take everything they own! The people answered: We will do whatever you want. Ahijah the priest said: Wait! Let us ask God what we should do. Saul asked God: Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win? This time God did not answer. Saul called his army officers together and said: We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering. I promise by the living Jehovah, who gives Israel victory, that the guilty one will be put to death, even if he is my son Jonathan. But no one said anything. Then Saul said to them: All of you stand over there. Jonathan and I will stand over here. Do whatever you think best, they answered. Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel, give a perfect lot. Jonathan and Samuel were taken, but the people escaped. Then Saul said: Cast lots to decide between my son Jonathan and me. And Jonathan was indicated. Then Saul asked Jonathan: What have you done? Jonathan answered: I ate a little honey with the stick I was holding. Here I am. I am ready to die. Saul said: May God strike me dead if you are not put to death! But the people said to Saul: Will Jonathan, who won this great victory for Israel, be put to death? No! We promise by the living Jehovah that he will not lose even a hair from his head. What he did today was done with God's help. So the people saved Jonathan from being put to death. After that, Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines. The Philistines went back to their own territory. After Saul became king of Israel, he fought all his enemies everywhere: the people of Moab, of Ammon, and of Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. He was victorious wherever he fought. He fought heroically and defeated even the people of Amalek. He saved the Israelites from all attacks. Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab the firstborn daughter and Michal the younger daughter. The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul's uncle Ner. Kish, Saul's father and Ner, Abner's father, were the sons of Abiel. There was intense warfare with the Philistines as long as Saul lived. Whenever any warrior or any skilled fighting man came to Saul's attention, Saul would enlist him in the army. Samuel told Saul: Jehovah sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to Jehovah's words: The Israelites were on their way out of Egypt when the nation of Amalek attacked them. I am Jehovah All-Powerful. I am going to make Amalek pay for what he did to Israel! Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Do not have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.' Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem. There were two hundred thousand soldiers from Israel and ten thousand from Judah. Then he and his men went to the city of Amalek. They waited in ambush in a dry riverbed. He sent a warning to the Kenites, a people whose ancestors had been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt: Go away and leave the Amalekites. That way I will not kill you along with them. So the Kenites left. Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt. He captured King Agag of Amalek alive and with the sword he killed all the people. Saul and his men spared Agag's life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good. They destroyed only what was useless or worthless. Jehovah spoke to Samuel: I am sorry that I made Saul king. He has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands. Samuel was angry. All night long he pleaded with Jehovah. Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel. There in Carmel he built a monument to himself. Then he went to Gilgal. Samuel went up to Saul. Saul said: Jehovah bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed Jehovah's command. Samuel asked: Why do I hear the sound of cows and sheep? Saul answered: The army brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cows to sacrifice to Jehovah your God. But the rest they claimed for God and destroyed them. Be quiet, Samuel told Saul, Let me tell you what Jehovah told me last night. Speak, Saul replied. Samuel said to Saul: You are little in your own eyes. Even though you are a leader of all of the tribes of Israel that Jehovah anointed king over Israel. Jehovah sent you on a mission. He said: Go and destroy those sinners, the Amalekites. Fight against them until every one is dead. Why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah? Why did you pounce on the plunder? Why did you do evil in the sight of Jehovah? Then Saul said to Samuel: I did obey the voice of Jehovah. I went on the mission Jehovah sent me. I brought back Agag the king of Amalek. I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. The people took from the plunder of the flock the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal. Samuel said: What is more pleasing to Jehovah, burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obeying is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams. The sin of divination is rebellion. Wickedness and idolatry are arrogance. They are evil. Because you rejected the word of Jehovah, he rejects you as king. Then Saul told Samuel: I have sinned by not following Jehovah's command or your instructions. I was afraid of the people and listened to them. But now I beg you, forgive my sin and return with me, so that I can worship Jehovah. I will not return with you, Samuel answered. You rejected Jehovah's command. He has rejected you as king of Israel. Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. Samuel said to him: Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He gave it to someone who is a better man than you. The Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind. He is not a mortal who changes his mind. Saul replied: I have sinned! Now please honor me in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me. Let me worship Jehovah your God! Then Samuel turned and followed Saul. Saul worshiped Jehovah. Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites, Samuel said. Agag came to him trembling. Surely, the bitterness of death is past, Agag said. But Samuel said: As your sword made women childless, so your mother will be made childless among women. Samuel cut Agag in pieces in the presence of Jehovah at Gilgal. Samuel went to Ramah. Saul went up to his house in Gibeah, in the land of Saul. Samuel never saw Saul again until the day of his death. Samuel went into mourning for Saul. It was no longer Jehovah's pleasure for Saul to be king over Israel. Jehovah said to Samuel: How long will you mourn for Saul? After all I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go. I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite. I have a king from among his sons. How can I go? Samuel asked. When Saul hears about it he will kill me Jehovah said: Take a heifer with you and say: 'I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.' Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. I will reveal to you what you should do. You will anoint the one I point out to you. Samuel did what Jehovah told him. When he came to Bethlehem the elders of the city trembled at his coming. They greeted him and said: May peace be with you. Greetings, he replied, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy, and come with me to the sacrifice. He performed the ceremonies for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they entered he looked at Eliab and thought: Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Him. But Jehovah said to Samuel: Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature. I have rejected him. God does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance. Jehovah looks at the heart (inner man). Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. Samuel said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. He said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. So Jesse brought seven more of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel told Jesse: Jehovah has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have? Samuel asked. There is still the youngest one, Jesse answered. He is tending sheep. Samuel responded: Send someone to get him. We will not continue until he gets here. Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. Jehovah said to Samuel: This is the one. Anoint him! Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the Spirit of Jehovah took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. Jehovah's Spirit left Saul, and a distressing spirit sent by Jehovah tormented him. His servants said to him: We know that a distressing spirit sent by God is tormenting you. So give us the order and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the distressing spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again. Saul ordered: Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me. One of his attendants said: Jesse of the town of Bethlehem has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. Jehovah is with him. Saul sent a message to Jesse: Tell your son David to leave your sheep and come here to me. Jesse loaded a donkey with bread and a goatskin full of wine. He told David to take the donkey and a young goat to Saul. David went to Saul and worked for him. Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons. Not long after this, Saul sent another message to Jesse: I really like David. Please let him stay with me. Whenever the distressing spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better. The distressing spirit would go away. The Philistines got ready for war and brought their troops together to attack the town of Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes-Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the men of Israel came together and took up their position in the valley of Elah. They drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines were stationed on the mountain on one side. Israel was on the mountain on the other side. There was a valley between them. A fighter came out from the tents of the Philistines. His name was Goliath of Gath. He was over nine feet tall. He had a headdress of copper on his head. He was dressed in a coat of metal that weighed one hundred twenty five pounds. He had copper shin guards on his legs and on his back a copper javelin. The shaft of his spear was like the beam used by weavers. The head of his spear was made of fifteen pounds of iron. The man who carried his shield walked ahead of him. Goliath stood and called to the Israelites: Why do you form a battle line? Am I not a Philistine? Are you Saul's servants? Choose a man, and let him come down to fight me. If he can fight me and kill me we will be your slaves. But if I overpower him and kill him you will be our slaves and serve us. The Philistine added: I challenge the Israelite battle line today. Send out a man so we can fight each other. Saul and all the Israelites were overcome with fear when they heard what this Philistine said. David was a son of a man named Jesse from the region of Ephrath and the city of Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons. In Saul's day he was an old man. Jesse's three oldest sons joined Saul's army for the battle. The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. David was the youngest. The three oldest joined Saul's army. David went back and forth from Saul's camp to Bethlehem, where he tended his father's flock. Each morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and made his challenge. Jesse told his son David: Take this half-bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Take them to your brothers in the camp right away. Also take these ten slices of cheese to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting along. Bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well. King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in Elah Valley fighting the Philistines. David obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left someone else in charge of the sheep. He loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry. The army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other. David left his things with the man in charge of supplies. He ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well. David talked to his brothers. Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and boasted as usual. David heard him. When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath they were afraid and ran off. They said to each other: Look how he keeps coming out to insult us. The king offers a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man will even get to marry the king's daughter. No one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again. David asked some soldiers standing nearby: What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He makes fun of the army of the living God! The soldiers repeated to David how the man who kills Goliath would be treated. Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. Then Eliab became angry with David. Why did you come here, he asked him, and with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how overconfident and headstrong you are. You came here just to see the battle. What have I done now? David snapped at him. Did I just ask a question? He turned to face another man and asked the same question. The other soldiers gave him the same answer. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul. Saul sent for him. David told Saul: No one should be discouraged because of this. I will go and fight this Philistine. Saul responded to David: You cannot fight this Philistine. You are just a boy. He has been a warrior since he was your age. David replied to Saul: I am a shepherd for my father's sheep. When a lion or a bear comes and carries off a sheep from the flock, I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. If the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. I have killed lions and bears. I will do the same to this heathen Philistine. He has defied the army of the living God. Jehovah saved me from lions and bears. He will save me from this Philistine. Saul answered: Go and Jehovah be with you. He gave his own armor to David for him to wear. It consisted of a copper helmet, which he put on David's head, and a coat of armor. David strapped Saul's sword over the armor and tried to walk. But he could not walk. I cannot fight with all this, he said to Saul. I am not used to it. So he took it all off. He took his shepherd's stick and picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath. The Philistine, preceded by the man carrying his shield came closer and closer to David. The Philistine got a good look at David and he despised him. David was only a young man with a healthy complexion and good looks. The Philistine asked David: Am I a dog that you come to attack me with sticks? So the Philistine called on his gods to curse David. Come here, the Philistine told David, and I will give your body to the birds. David answered: You come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I come out to fight you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts. He is the Almighty God of Israel's army. You have insulted him! Today Jehovah will help me defeat you. I will knock you down and cut off your head! I will feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. Everybody here will see that Jehovah does not need swords or spears to save his people. Jehovah always wins his battles. He will help us defeat you! Goliath started forward and David ran toward him. He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull. He fell facedown on the ground. So David overcame the Philistine with his leather band and a stone. The Philistine was wounded and laying on the ground. But David had no sword in his hand. He ran to him and stood over him. David took Goliath's sword out of its sheath and cut off his head to kill him. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead they ran away. The men of Israel and Judah shouted and ran after them. They pursued them all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron. The Philistines fell wounded all along the road that leads to Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. The sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines. They plundered their tents. David took the head of the Philistine to Jerusalem. But he put his armor in his tent. When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army: Abner, whose son is this young man? Abner said: By your life, O king, I do not know. The king said: Find out whose son the young man is. When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head in his hand. Saul said: Whose son are you, young man? David answered: I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. David finished talking to Saul. Jonathan became David's closest friend. He loved David as much as he loved himself. Saul kept him with him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house any more. Jonathan made a covenant with David. He loved him as himself. Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing. He gave it to David along with his armor, including his sword, his bow and his belt. So David did everything Saul sent him to do successfully. Saul made him a commander in his army. This pleased the people and Saul's servants. David returned from a campaign against the Philistines. That same day women from all of Israel's cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced. Tambourines, joyful music, and triangles accompanied them. The women who celebrated sang: Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands! Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. He said: To David they credit tens of thousands but to me they credit only a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom. He was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on. The next day Jehovah let a distressing spirit take control of Saul. He began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual. This time Saul had a spear in his hand. Saul balanced the spear in his hand and said: I will give David a blow! I will pin him to the wall. David got away from him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with David but left Saul. So Saul sent him away. He put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle. Jehovah helped David. He and his soldiers always won their battles. Saul saw how wisely David behaved. This made him fear him. Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David. He led them in and out of battle. Finally, Saul said to David: Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight Jehovah's battles. Saul thought: I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that. David answered: Who am I? What is my family that I should be the king's son-in-law? The time came for Merab to be given to David. Instead, she was given to a man named Adriel from Meholah. Saul's daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul heard of this he was pleased. He said to himself: I will give Michal to David. I will use her to trap him. The Philistines will kill him. So for the second time Saul said to David: You will be my son-in-law. Saul ordered his officials to speak to David in private. They went to David and said: Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you may marry his daughter Michal? Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said: I am not rich or famous enough to marry Princess Michal. Saul's servants told him: David asked, do you think it is easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person. When the officers told Saul what David had said, Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said. David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, David and his men killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him. This was so he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David. Saul knew she loved David. He also realized that Jehovah was helping David. Knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David. He was David's enemy for the rest of his life. The Philistine rulers kept coming to fight Israel. David always won when he fought them. He won more battles against the Philistines than any of Saul's other officers. This made him famous. Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David. Jonathan told David: My father Saul is seeking to kill you. Please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. I will stand beside my father in the field where you will be. I will speak with my father about you. If I find out anything I will tell you. Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. You should not commit a sin against your servant David, he said. He has not sinned against you. He has in fact done some very fine things for you. He risked his life and killed the Philistine Goliath. Jehovah gave all Israel a great victory. You rejoiced when you saw it. Why should you sin by shedding David's innocent blood for no reason? Jonathan convinced Saul, so Saul made a vow in Jehovah's name that he would not kill David. Jonathan called to David and told him what Saul said. Then he brought David to Saul. David served in Saul's army just as he had done before. Then there was a war with the Philistines. David fought hard and forced them to retreat. One night, David was in Saul's home, playing the harp for him. Saul sat there with a spear in his hand. The distressing spirit from Jehovah took control of him. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David dodged it, and Saul's spear struck the wall. David escaped from Saul that night. Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife advised him: If you do not save yourself tonight, you will be dead tomorrow! Michal lowered David through a window. He ran away to escape. Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goat-hair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment. Saul sent messengers to get David. Michal said: He is sick. Then Saul sent messengers to see David. They said: Bring him up to me on his bed. I will put him to death. The messengers entered. There, on the bed was the household idol with the quilt of goats' hair at its head. Saul said to Michal: Why have you deceived me like this? You let my enemy go. He has escaped! Michal said to Saul: He said to me: 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' David escaped to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel stayed in Naioth. Saul was told: David is at Naioth in Ramah. Saul sent messengers to get David. They saw a group of prophets prophesying with their leader Samuel. God's Spirit came over Saul's messengers so that they also prophesied. Saul heard what happened. So he sent another group of messengers, but they prophesied the same way. He sent a third group of messengers, but the same thing happened to them. Finally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far as the deep pit at the town of Secu. He asked: Where are Samuel and David? The people answered: At Prophets Village in Ramah. He went on from there to Naioth in Ramah. The spirit of God came on him and he acted like a prophet. Then he arrived at Naioth in Ramah. He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay there naked all day and all night. The saying: Is Saul one of the prophets? came from there. David fled from the pastures at Ramah. He went to Jonathan and asked: What have I done? What crime am I guilty of? What sin have I committed against your father that he tries to kill me? He said to him: It will not happen. You will not die! My father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so! David again said: Your father has certainly known that I have found favor in your eyes. He said: Do not let Jonathan know this, that he not be grieved. And yet, as Jehovah lives, and you live, there is only a step between death and me. Jonathan said: I will do anything you want. Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, David replied, and I am supposed to eat with the king. But if it is all right with you, I will go and hide in the fields until the evening of the day after tomorrow. If your father notices that I am not at the table, tell him that I begged your permission to hurry home to Bethlehem. It is after all the time for the annual sacrifice there for my whole family. If he says: 'It is well. I will be safe.' But if he becomes angry, you will know that he is determined to harm me. Therefore deal kindly with your servant. You brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. But if there is iniquity in me kill me yourself. Why should you take me to your father?' Jonathan replied: Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn my father decided to bring evil on you then would I not tell you about it? David asked: Who will tell me whether or not your father gives you a harsh answer? Jonathan said: Let us go out to the field. So they went to the field. As Jehovah God of Israel is my witness, Jonathan continued, I will find out in the next two or three days how my father feels about you. If he does feel kindly toward you I will send someone to tell you. If my father plans to harm you and I do not send you away safely, may Jehovah harm me even more. Jehovah should be with you just as he used to be with my father. Someday Jehovah will wipe out all of your enemies. Then if I am still alive, please be as kind to me as Jehovah has been. But if I am dead, be kind to my family. Show the same kind of loyalty to my family as long as you live. When Jehovah has completely destroyed all your enemies, May our promise to each other still be unbroken. If it is broken, Jehovah will punish you. Once again Jonathan made David promise to love him. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself. Jonathan said to him: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival. Your absence will be noticed if you are not at the meal. The day after tomorrow you will be missed even more. So go to the place where you hid on that other occasion. Stay by the rock. I will shoot three arrows at a target off to the side of the rock. Then I will send my servant to find the arrows. You will know if it is safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living God Jehovah that I will say: 'The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up! If it is not safe, I will say to the boy: The arrows are farther away! This will mean that Jehovah wants you to leave. You must go. He will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.' David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on! Do not just stand there! Hurry up! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. The boy did not know what it all meant. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town. After the boy left, David got up from behind the pile of stones. He fell on his knees and bowed with his face to the ground three times. Both he and Jonathan cried as they kissed each other. David's grief was even greater than Jonathan's. Jonathan said to David: God be with you. Jehovah will make sure that you and I, and your descendants and mine, will keep the sacred promise we have made to each other for as long as we live. Then David left and Jonathan went back to town. David went to the priest Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech was afraid when he met David. Why are you alone? He asked David. Why is no one with you? The king ordered me to do something, David answered the priest Ahimelech, and he told me: No one must know anything about this mission I am sending you to do. I have stationed my young men at a certain place. David added: What do you have to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever you can find. The high priest answered David: I do not have any ordinary bread here. But there is holy bread for the young men if they have not had sexual intercourse today. David answered the priest: Women have been kept away from us as usual when we go on a mission. The young men's bodies are kept holy even on ordinary campaigns. How much more then are their bodies holy today? The priest gave him holy bread. For he only had the bread of the presence that had been taken from Jehovah's presence and replaced with warm bread that day. That same day one of Saul's servants who was obligated to stay in Jehovah's presence was there. His name was Doeg. He was chief herdsman for Saul's shepherds from Edom. David asked Ahimelech: Do you have a spear or a sword here? I did not take either my spear or any other weapon because the king's business was urgent. The high priest answered: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Elah Valley, is here. It is wrapped in a cloth behind the priestly ephod. Take it if you want. There is no other weapon here. David said: There is none like it. Let me have the sword. David kept running from Saul that day until he came to Gath. There he met with King Achish. The officers of King Achish were also there. They asked Achish: Is David a king back in his own country? Do the Israelites not dance and sing: 'Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies?' David thought about what they said. It made him afraid of Achish. Right there in front of everyone, he pretended to be insane. He acted confused and scratched up the doors of the town gate. He drooled in his beard. Look at him! Achish said to his officers. You can see he is crazy. Why did you bring him to me? I have enough crazy people without your bringing another one here. Keep him away from my palace! David escaped from the town of Gath and he went to Adullam Cave. Once they found out where he was his brothers and the rest of his family followed him there. A lot of other people joined him too. Some were in trouble. Others were angry or in debt. David was soon the leader of four hundred men. David went from there to Mizpah in Moab. He said to the king of Moab: Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me. He left them with the king of Moab. So they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Do not live in your stronghold, the prophet Gad told David. Go to the land of Judah. So David went to the forest of Hereth. Saul heard that David and his men were found. Saul stayed in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at the worship site. He held his spear in his hand. All his officials stood around him. He said to his officials: Listen to me men of Benjamin! Will Jesse's son give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all officers over a regiment or a battalion of soldiers? All of you are plotting against me. No one informed me when my son entered into a loyalty pledge with Jesse's son. No one felt sorry for me. And no one informed me that my son has encouraged my servant David to ambush me, as he is doing now. Doeg from Edom, standing with Saul's officials, answered him: I saw Jesse's son when he came to Ahimelech, Ahitub's son, in Nob. Ahimelech prayed to Jehovah for David. He gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub's and his entire family who were the priests in Nob. All of them came to the king. Saul said: Listen here, son of Ahitub! He responded: Here I am lord. Saul asked him: Why did you and Jesse's son plot against me? You gave him bread and a sword. You even prayed to God that he could rise up against me and ambush me, as he is doing now. Ahimelech asked the king: But whom among all your officials can you trust like David? Your Majesty, he is your son-in-law, the commander of your bodyguard. He is honored in your own household. Is this the first time I have prayed to God for him? Not at all! You should not blame my family or me for this. I knew nothing at all about this. The king said: Ahimelech, you and your entire family are going to die. The king said to the guards who were attending him: Turn around and kill the priests of Jehovah! They are also with David. They knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me. But the servants of the king were not willing to lift a hand to attack the priests of Jehovah. The king said to Doeg: You turn around and attack the priests. Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. Using his sword, he killed men and women, children and infants, cows, donkeys, and sheep. Ahimelech, Ahitub's son had one son who escaped. His name was Abiathar. He fled to David. Abiathar told David that Saul killed Jehovah's priests. David told Abiathar: I knew that day when Doeg from Edom was there that he would be certain to tell Saul. I am the one responsible for all the lives of your family. Stay with me. Do not be afraid. The one who is seeking my life is also seeking your life. You will be under my protection. David heard that the Philistines attacked the town of Keilah. They robbed the threshing floors of the newly harvested grain. He asked Jehovah: Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Jehovah answered: Yes, Attack them and save Keilah. David's men said to him: We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah. It will be worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces! David consulted Jehovah once again, and Jehovah said to him: Go attack Keilah! I will give you victory over the Philistines. David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They drove off their livestock, and overwhelmingly defeated them. So David rescued the people who lived in Keilah. When Ahimelech's son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephod with him. When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said: God has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has a gate with a double door held shut by a bar. So Saul called all the troops to go to war. They wanted to blockade Keilah, where David and his men were. David learned that Saul was planning to harm him. He told the priest Abiathar: Bring the ephod! Then David said: Jehovah God of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? Jehovah God of Israel, please tell me. Jehovah answered: He will come. Will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul? David asked. Jehovah answered: They will hand you over. David and his men, about six hundred in all, left Keilah. They went wherever they could go. Then Saul was told: David has escaped from Keilah! So he gave up the campaign. David lived in fortified camps in the desert. He lived in fortified camps in the mountains of the desert of Ziph. Saul was always searching for him. But God did not let him capture David. David was afraid because Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. Jonathan went to see David. God helped him encourage David. Do not be afraid, Jonathan said. My father Saul will never get his hands on you. In fact, you are going to be the next king of Israel. I will be your highest official. Even my father knows it is true. They both promised Jehovah that they would always be loyal to each other. Then Jonathan went home while David stayed at Horesh. Some people from the town of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah. They said: Your Majesty, David has a hideout not far from us! It is near Horesh. It is somewhere on Mount Hachilah south of Jeshimon. We know how much you want to capture him. Come to our territory and we will make sure you catch him. Saul answered: May Jehovah bless you for being so kind to me! Go and make sure once more. Find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. Find out exactly the places where he hides. Be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you. If he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah. So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon. They were in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. Saul and his men set out to look for David. David heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this he went after David. Saul and his men were on one side of the hill. They were separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul: Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country! Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill. From there David went to stay in the fortified camps of En Gedi. Saul returned from fighting the Philistines. He declared: I have heard that David is in the desert around En-Gedi. Saul led three thousand of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. There were some sheep pens along the side of the road. One of them was built around the entrance to a cave. So Saul went into the cave to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. They whispered to David: Jehovah told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day Jehovah was talking about. David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul's robe and Saul did not notice. Later David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe. He told his men: Stop talking foolishly. We are not going to attack Saul. He is my king. I pray that Jehovah will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king. David stopped his men by saying this to them. He did not let them attack Saul. Saul left the cave and went out onto the road. Then David got up and left the cave. He called to Saul: My lord! When Saul looked back. David knelt down with his face touching the ground. David asked Saul: Why do you listen to rumors that I am trying to harm you? Today you saw how Jehovah handed you over to me in the cave. Although I was told to kill you I spared you. I said: 'I will not raise my hand against my lord because you are Jehovah's anointed.' My master, look at this! The border of your robe is in my hand! I cut off the border of your robe and did not kill you. You should know and be able to see I mean no harm or rebellion. I have not sinned against you! But you are trying to ambush me in order to take my life. I will let Jehovah decide which one of us has done right. I pray that Jehovah will punish you for what you are doing to me. However, I will not do anything to you. An old proverb says: 'Only evil people do evil things.' So I will not harm you. Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I am as worthless as a dead dog or a flea. I pray that Jehovah will help me escape and show that I am in the right. David, my son is that you? Saul asked. Then he started crying. He said: David, you are a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness when I was cruel to you. You have shown me how you were kind enough not to kill me when Jehovah gave you the chance. You would not let me live if you were my enemy. I pray that Jehovah will reward you for what you did today. I know now you will be the next king. You will be a powerful king too. Promise me with Jehovah as your witness, that you will not destroy my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive. David promised and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout. Samuel died. All Israel gathered to mourn him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went to the desert of Paran. There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. He sheared his sheep in Carmel. His name was Nabal. He was of the family of Caleb. His wife's name was Abigail. She was a woman of good sense and pleasing looks. The man was cruel and dishonest in his dealings. While David was in the desert he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. David sent ten young men to Nabal. David said to them: Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and say kind words to him in my name. Say to him: 'May you live long! May you, your home, and all you have prosper! I hear that your sheepshearers are with you. Your shepherds have been with us. We have not mistreated them. Nothing of theirs has been missing as long as they have been in Carmel. Ask your shepherds. They will tell you the same thing. My servants are your servants. You are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating. Please be kind and share some of your food with us.' David's men went to Nabal and gave him David's message. They waited for Nabal's answer. This is what he said: Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master. There are too many of them now days. What makes you think I would give you the bread and water, and the meat that I cooked for my own servants? I do not even know where you are from. The men returned to their camp and told David everything Nabal said. David ordered: Everyone get your swords! They strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp. The other four hundred followed David. One of Nabal's servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: Have you heard? David sent some messengers from the wilderness with greetings for our master. He insulted them. Yet they were very good to us. They never bothered us. Nothing belonging to us was stolen at the time we were with them in the fields. They protected our sheep and us day and night the whole time we were with them. Consider what you should do because our master and his whole household are doomed. He is such a worthless man that it is useless to talk to him. So Abigail quickly took two hundred loaves of bread, two full wineskins, five butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, one hundred bunches of raisins, and two hundred fig cakes and loaded them on donkeys. Lead the way, she told her young men, and I will follow you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal about it. She rode her donkey down a hidden mountain path. David and his men came to her. David thought: I guarded this man's possessions in the desert for nothing! Not one of his possessions was missing. Yet, he paid me back with evil when I was good to him. May God punish me if I do not kill every one of those men before morning! Abigail saw David and quickly got down from her donkey. She immediately bowed down in front of David with her face touching the ground. She fell at his feet and said: Let me be held responsible for this wrong. Please let me speak with you. Please listen to me. You should not take this worthless person Nabal seriously. He is like his name. His name is Nabal (Godless Fool). He is foolish. But I did not see the young men you sent. Jehovah kept you from spilling innocent blood and from getting a victory by your own efforts. As Jehovah lives and you live, may your enemies and those who are trying to harm you end up like Nabal. Please accept this gift from your maidservant. And give it to the young men who accompany my lord. Also please forgive the transgression of your maidservant. Jehovah will certainly give you a lasting dynasty, because my lord is fighting the battles of Jehovah. Evil will not be found in you all your days. Even if someone pursues you to take your life, your life is wrapped securely in the bundle (purse) (bag) of the living from Jehovah your God (God will keep you safe). He will dispose of the lives of your enemies. They will be hurled like stones from a sling. When Jehovah does all the good he promised and makes you ruler of Israel, you should not have a troubled conscience because you spilled blood for no good reason and claimed your own victory. When Jehovah gives you success, remember me. David said to Abigail: Blessed is Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. Blessed is your good judgment and blessed are you for keeping me from slaughtering people today and from getting a victory by my own efforts. I solemnly promise as Jehovah the God of Israel lives that if you had not come to meet me Nabal would not have had one of his men alive at dawn. Then David accepted what she brought him. He said: Go home in peace. I have listened to what you said and I grant your request. When Abigail came to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his home. It was like a king's banquet. He was in a good mood and very drunk, so she did not tell him anything until dawn. In the morning after the effects of the wine wore off his wife told him what had happened. Nabal had a stroke. He could not move. Ten days later Jehovah made him sicker and Nabal died. David heard Nabal was dead. He said: Blessed is Jehovah who defended me against the insults of Nabal. He kept me from doing wrong. Jehovah has turned Nabal's own wickedness back on him. David sent men on his behalf to propose marriage to Abigail. David's servants approached Abigail at Carmel. They told her: David sent us to you to take you to him to be his wife. She bowed down with her face touching the ground. I am ready to serve, she said. I am willing to wash the feet of my master's servants. Abigail quickly got up and rode on a donkey with five of her female servants following her. So she went with David's messengers and became his wife. Earlier David married Ahinoam from the town of Jezreel. Now both she and Abigail were David's wives. Meanwhile, Saul arranged for Michal to marry Palti the son of Laish, who came from the town of Gallim. Some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul, they said: David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert. Saul went to the desert of Ziph. He took three thousand of Israel's best-trained men to search for David. Saul camped by the road at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon. David camped in the desert. He discovered that Saul come to the desert after him. David sent spies to confirm Saul's arrival. Then David went to the place where Saul camped. David saw the place where Saul and Ner's son Abner, the commander of the army, were lying. Saul was lying in the camp. The troops were camped around him. David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab: Who will go to Saul's camp with me? I will, Abishai answered. David and Abishai entered Saul's camp at night. They found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. Abishai said to David: God put your enemy in your power tonight. Let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground. I will do it with just one blow. I will not have to strike twice! But David said: Do not harm him! Jehovah will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. By the living God Jehovah, David declared, I know that Jehovah will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. Jehovah forbid that I should try to harm the one Jehovah anointed to be king. Just take his spear and his water jar and go. David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul's head. Then he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what happened. No one woke up. They were all sound asleep, because Jehovah sent a heavy sleep on them all. Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley. He went to the top of the hill a great distance away. David shouted to Saul's troops and to Abner: Abner! Can you hear me? Who is calling to the king? Abner asked. David answered, Abner, are you the greatest man in Israel? Why are you not protecting your master, the king? Someone entered the camp to kill your master. You failed in your duty, Abner! I swear by the living God Jehovah all of you deserve to die. You have not protected your master, whom Jehovah made king. Look for the king's spear? Where is the water jar that was near his head? Saul recognized David's voice and said: Is that your voice my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord the king. He also said: Why are you my lord pursuing your servant? What have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? Please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If Jehovah has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. If it is men, cursed are they before Jehovah. They have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of Jehovah, saying: 'Go serve other gods.' Do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of Jehovah. The king of Israel comes to search for a flea. Yet he hunts me down like a partridge on the mountains. My servant David, Saul said, I have sinned. Come back. I will not harm you again. You valued my life today. I have acted like a fool. I made a terrible mistake. David answered: Here is the king's spear. Have one of your soldiers come and get it. Jehovah put you in my power today. But you are his chosen king. I would not harm you. Jehovah rewards the righteous and faithful. I valued and saved your life today. I pray that you will value and save my life and that Jehovah will deliver me out of tribulation. Saul said: David, my son, I pray that Jehovah will bless you and make you successful! Saul went back home. David also left. David thought to himself: One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is escape to Philistia. Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. Then I will be safe. David and his six hundred men went over at once to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. David and his men and their families lived with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. Word soon reached Saul that David fled to Gath. So he stopped hunting for him. David said to Achish: If it is all right with you, let me live in one of the outlying towns. Why should I live in the royal city with you? Achish immediately gave him Ziklag. This is why Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah today. David lived in Philistine territory for one year and four months. David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Their territory extends from Telaim to Shur and Egypt. David attacked the territory and left no man or woman alive. He also took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and returned to Achish. Achish would ask: Whom did you raid today? David would answer: The south country (Negev) in Judah, or the south country of the Jerahmeelites, or the south country of the Kenites. He did not bring a single man or woman back to Gath alive. He thought, they could tell Achish what I really did. This was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. Achish trusted David and thought: David's people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me. One day the Philistines brought their soldiers together to attack Israel. Achish told David: You and your men must fight as part of our Philistine army. David answered: That will give you a chance to see for yourself just how well we can fight! Achish said: You and your men will always be my bodyguards. After Samuel died all the Israelites mourned for him. They buried him in his hometown of Ramah. Saul forced all the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. The Philistine troops assembled and camped near the town of Shunem. Saul gathered the Israelites and camped at Mount Gilboa. Saul was terrified when he saw the Philistine army. So he asked Jehovah what to do. But Jehovah did not answer him. He did not answer by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets. Saul ordered his officials: Find me a woman who is a medium. I will go and consult her. There is one in Endor, they answered. Saul disguised himself. He put on different clothes. After dark he went with two of his men to see the woman. Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is going to happen, he said to her: Call up the spirit of the man I name. The woman answered: You know what King Saul has done? He forced the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. Are you trying to trap me and get me killed? Saul made a sacred vow. By the living God Jehovah I promise that you will not be punished for doing this, he told her. Whom shall I call up for you? The woman asked. Samuel, he answered. The woman saw Samuel. She screamed and said to Saul, Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul! Do not be afraid! The king said to her. What do you see? She answered: I see a spirit coming up from the earth. The spirit, what does it look like? He asked. It is an old man, she answered. He wears a cloak. Saul knew it was Samuel. So he bowed to the ground in respect. Samuel said to Saul: Why have you disturbed me? Why did you make me come back? Saul answered: I am in great trouble! The Philistines are at war with me. God has abandoned me. He does not answer me any more by prophets or by dreams. Please tell me what to do. Samuel said: Why do you call me when Jehovah has abandoned you and become your enemy? Jehovah did to you what he told you through me. He took the kingdom away from you and gave it to David instead. You disobeyed Jehovah's command and did not completely destroy the Amalekites. That is why Jehovah is doing this to you. He will give you and Israel over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will join me. Jehovah will also give the army of Israel over to the Philistines. At once Saul fell down and lay stretched out on the ground. He was terrified by what Samuel said. He was weak because he had not eaten anything all day and all night. The woman went to him. She saw that he was terrified. So she said to him: I risked my life by doing what you asked. Now please do what I ask. Let me fix you some food. You must eat so that you will be strong enough to travel. Saul refused. He said he would not eat. But his officers also urged him to eat. He finally gave in, got up from the ground, and sat on the bed. The woman quickly butchered a calf she had fattened. Then she took some flour and prepared it. She baked some bread without yeast. She set the food before Saul and his officers and they ate. They left that same night. The Philistines gathered all their troops at Aphek. The Israelites camped by the spring in Jezreel Valley. The five Philistine kings marched with units of a hundred and of a thousand men. David and his men marched in the rear with King Achish. The Philistine commanders saw them and asked: What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish answered: This is David. He is the man who ran away from King Saul of Israel. He has been with me for more than a year. He has done nothing I can find fault with since the day he came to me. The Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said to him: Send that fellow back to the town you gave him. Do not let him go into battle with us. He might turn against us during the fight. What better way is there for him to win back his master's favor than by causing the death of our men? This is David, the one about whom the women sang, as they danced: Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands. Achish called David and said: I swear by the living God of Israel that you have been loyal to me. I would be pleased to have you go with me and fight in this battle. I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me. But the other kings do not approve of you. Go home in peace. Do not do anything that would displease them. David answered: What have I done wrong? As you say, you have not found any fault in me since the day I started serving you. Why should I not go with you, my master and king, and fight your enemies? I agree, Achish replied. I consider you as loyal as an angel of God. But the other kings say you may not go with us into battle. Tomorrow morning all of you who left Saul and came over to me must get up early and leave at first light. David and his men started out early the following morning. They went back to Philistia. The Philistines went on to Jezreel. Two days later David and his men came to Ziklag. The Amalekites raided the south country (Negev) including Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it. They captured the women young and old. However they killed no one. Instead, they took the women as prisoners. When David and his men came to Zikleg they found it completely destroyed by fire. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. David and his men cried loudly until they did not have the strength to cry anymore. The Amalekites also captured David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel. The people in their bitterness said David should be stoned. This caused him great distress. They were thinking of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in Jehovah his God. David told Abiathar the priest: Please bring me the priestly ephod. So Abiathar brought David the ephod. David asked Jehovah: Should I pursue these troops? Will I catch up with them? Pursue them! Jehovah told him: You will certainly catch up with them and rescue the captives. So David and his six hundred men went to the Besor Valley, where some were left behind. David and four hundred men went in pursuit. Two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley stayed behind. David's men found an Egyptian in the open country and took him to David. They gave him food to eat and water to drink. He also ate some dried figs, and two bunches of raisins. After he ate his strength returned. He had not eaten nor did he drank for three days. Who is your master? Where are you from? David asked. I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite, he answered. My master left me behind three days ago when I got sick. We raided the territory of the Cherethites in the southern part of Judah. We also raided the territory of the clan of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag. Will you lead me to those raiders? David asked him. He answered, I will if you promise me in God's name that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master. He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating, drinking and celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. David attacked just before sunrise the next day. They fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels. They were the only ones to escape. David rescued his two wives. They rescued everyone else the Amalekites captured at Ziklag. Young and old, sons and daughters alike, no one was missing. David brought back everything that had been stolen. They even brought back their livestock. David also took the sheep and cattle that the Amalekites had with them. He kept these separate from the others. Everyone agreed that these would be David's reward. On the way back, David met the two hundred men he left at Besor Gorge. They were too tired to keep up with him. They approached David and the people who were with him. He greeted the two hundred men and asked how they were doing. Then every wicked and worthless man who had gone with David said: Since they did not go with us, they should not be given any of the loot we recovered. Each of them should take only his wife and children and leave. David said: My brothers, do not do that with the things Jehovah has given us. He kept us safe and helped us defeat the enemy. Besides, who is going to pay attention to what you have to say in this matter? The share of those who go into battle must be like the share of those who stay with the supplies. They will all share alike. From that time on he made this a rule and a custom in Israel as it is to this day. When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the goods to the elders of Judah, and to his friends. He said: Here is an offering for you from the spoil of those who fought against Jehovah. He sent the offering to the people in Bethel, to the people in Ramah in the southern part of Judah, and to the people in the towns of Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, and Racal; to the clan of Jerahmeel, to the Kenites, and to the people in the towns of Hormah, Borashan, Athach, and Hebron. He sent it to all the places where he and his men had been. When the Philistines fought Israel, the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and were killed in battle on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines caught up to Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. The heaviest fighting was against Saul. When the archers got him in their range, he was badly wounded by them. He said to the young man carrying his weapons: Draw your sword and kill me. That way these godless Philistines will not gloat over me and kill me. But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. The young man saw that Saul was dead. Then he too threw himself on his own sword and died with Saul. That is how Saul, his three sons, and the young man died. All of Saul's men died that day. The Israelites on the other side of Jezreel Valley and east of the Jordan River heard that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had been killed. They abandoned their towns and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied the towns. The next day the Philistines came to strip the dead. They found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor. Then they sent men throughout Philistine territory to tell the people this good news in their idols' temples. They put his armor in the temple of their goddesses the Asherahs and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan. The people living in Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. All the fighting men marched all night and took the dead bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. They came back to Jabesh and burned the bodies. They buried the bones under a small tree in Jabesh. Then for seven days, they went without eating to show their sorrow.
Symbols and similitudes » Bow-shot » By jonathan
Then I will send my servant to find the arrows. You will know if it is safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living God Jehovah that I will say: 'The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up! If it is not safe, I will say to the boy: The arrows are farther away! This will mean that Jehovah wants you to leave. You must go. He will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other.' read more.
David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on!
David hid there in the field. It was the New Moon Festival. Saul sat down to eat. He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul was in deep thought. So he did not say anything that day. Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened. David's place was still empty the day after the New Moon Festival. Saul asked Jonathan: Why has that son of Jesse not come to eat with us? He was not here yesterday, and he still is not here today! Jonathan answered Saul: David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. David said to me: 'Please let me go, since our family must make a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to attend. If I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.' Saul got angry with Jonathan and he said, You are Son of a crooked and rebellious woman Jonathan! I know you have sided with Jesse's son, Saul accused. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son not mine. As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Send some men to bring him to me. He is a dead man! Jonathan asked his father: Why should he be killed? What has he done? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David. He got up and left the table. He did not eat anything all that day. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along. Jonathan told him: When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me. The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy reached the place where the arrow fell Jonathan shouted to him: The arrow is farther on!
Walls » Of houses » The seat next, was the place of distinction
He ate by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty.
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