The Family of Elkanah
1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the amountains of Ephraim, and his name was bElkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of 1Elihu, the son of 2Tohu, the son of Zuph, can Ephraimite.
2And he had dtwo wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3This man went up from his city eyearly fto worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in gShiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
4And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an hoffering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.
5But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, ialthough the LORD had closed her womb.
6And her rival also jprovoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb.
7So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
Hannah’s Vow
8Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not kbetter to you than ten sons?”
9So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of lthe 3tabernacle of the LORD.
10mAnd she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and 4wept in anguish.
11Then she nmade a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed olook on the affliction of Your maidservant and premember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and qno razor shall come upon his head.”
12And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
13Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
14So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
15But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have rpoured out my soul before the LORD.
16“Do not consider your maidservant a swicked5 woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
17Then Eli answered and said, t“Go in peace, and uthe God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
18And she said, v“Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman wwent her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born and Dedicated
19Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah xknew Hannah his wife, and the LORD yremembered her.
20So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name 6Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
21Now the man Elkanah and all his house zwent up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.
22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will atake him, that he may appear before the LORD and bremain there cforever.”
23So dElkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the LORD 7establish 8His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24Now when she had weaned him, she etook him up with her, with 9three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to fthe house of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young.
25Then they slaughtered a bull, and gbrought the child to Eli.
26And she said, “O my lord! hAs your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.
27i“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
28“Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be 10lent to the LORD.” So they jworshiped the LORD there.
Hannah’s Prayer
(cf. Luke 1:46–55)
b“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
cMy 1horn is exalted in the LORD.
2I smile at my enemies,
Because I drejoice in Your salvation.
2“Noe one is holy like the LORD,
For there is fnone besides You,
Nor is there any grock like our God.
3“Talk no more so very proudly;
hLet no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of iknowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4“Thej bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even kthe barren has borne seven,
And lshe who has many children has become feeble.
6“Them LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7The LORD nmakes poor and makes rich;
oHe brings low and lifts up.
8pHe raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
qTo set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
r“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9sHe will guard the feet of His saints,
But the twicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10The adversaries of the LORD shall be ubroken in pieces;
vFrom heaven He will thunder against them.
wThe LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
11Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child 4ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
The Wicked Sons of Eli
12Now the sons of Eli were acorrupt;5 bthey did not know the LORD.
13And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.
14Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in cShiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
15Also, before they dburned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
17Therefore the sin of the young men was very great ebefore the LORD, for men fabhorred6 the offering of the LORD.
Samuel’s Childhood Ministry
18gBut Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, hwearing a linen ephod.
19Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she icame up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20And Eli jwould bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the 7loan that was kgiven to the LORD.” Then they would go to their own home.
21And the LORD lvisited8 Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel mgrew before the LORD.
Prophecy Against Eli’s Household
22Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, 9and how they lay with nthe women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
23So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.
24“No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’s people transgress.
25“If one man sins against another, oGod10 will judge him. But if a man psins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, qbecause the LORD desired to kill them.
26And the child Samuel rgrew in stature, and sin favor both with the LORD and men.
27Then a tman of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: u‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
28‘Did I not vchoose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And wdid I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
29‘Why do you xkick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My ydwelling place, and honor your sons more than zMe, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’
30“Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: a‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: b‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and cthose who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31‘Behold, dthe days are coming that I will cut off your 11arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32‘And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be ean old man in your house forever.
33‘But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
34‘Now this shall be fa sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: gin one day they shall die, both of them.
35‘Then hI will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. iI will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before jMy anointed forever.
36k‘And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, 12put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”
Samuel’s First Prophecy
1Now athe boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And bthe word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
2And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow cso dim that he could not see,
3and before dthe lamp of God went out in the 1tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,
4that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”
5So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
6Then the LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”
7(Now Samuel edid not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)
8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy.
9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, f‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
11Then the LORD said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel gat which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12“In that day I will perform against Eli hall that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
13i“For I have told him that I will jjudge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because khis sons made themselves vile, and he ldid not 2restrain them.
14“And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house mshall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15So Samuel lay down until 3morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.
16Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.”
17And he said, “What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. nGod do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.”
18Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, o“It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19So Samuel pgrew, and qthe LORD was with him rand let none of his words 4fall to the ground.
20And all Israel sfrom Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been 5established as a prophet of the LORD.
21Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by tthe word of the LORD.
1And the word of Samuel came to all 1Israel.
The Ark of God Captured
Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside aEbenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2Then the bPhilistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was 2defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? cLet us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, dwho dwells between ethe cherubim. And the ftwo sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
7So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, g“Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
8“Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9h“Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, ias they have been to you. 3Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”
10So the Philistines fought, and jIsrael was 4defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11Also kthe ark of God was captured; and lthe two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Death of Eli
12Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and mcame to Shiloh with his clothes torn and ndirt on his head.
13Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on oa seat 5by the wayside watching, for his heart 6trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out.
14When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the sound of this tumult mean?” And the man came quickly and told Eli.
15Eli was ninety-eight years old, and phis eyes were so 7dim that he could not see.
16Then the man said to Eli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.” And he said, q“What happened, my son?”
17So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.”
18Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
Ichabod
19Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her.
20And about the time of her death rthe women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she 8regard it.
21Then she named the child sIchabod,9 saying, t“The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
The Philistines and the Ark
1Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it afrom Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of bDagon1 and set it by Dagon. Dagon
3And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, cfallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and dset it in its place again.
4And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. eThe head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only 2Dagon’s torso was left of it.
5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house ftread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6But the ghand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He hravaged them and struck them with itumors,3 both Ashdod and its jterritory.
7And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the kGod of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.”
8Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the llords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to mGath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away.
9So it was, after they had carried it away, that nthe hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, 4and tumors broke out on them.
10Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!”
11So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12And the men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the ocry of the city went up to heaven.
The Ark Returned to Israel
1Now the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2And the Philistines acalled for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”
3So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it bempty; but by all means return it to Him with ca trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”
4Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?” They answered, d“Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of 1you and on your lords.
5“Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that eravage the land, and you shall fgive glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will glighten2 His hand from you, from hyour gods, and from your land.
6“Why then do you harden your hearts ias the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, jdid they not let the people go, that they might depart?
7“Now therefore, make ka new cart, take two milk cows lwhich have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them.
8“Then take the ark of the LORD and set it on the cart; and put mthe articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away, and let it go.
9“And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to nBeth Shemesh, then He has done 3us this great evil. But if not, then owe shall know that it is not His hand that struck us—it happened to us by chance.”
10Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. Capture and Return of the Ark
12Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the phighway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
13Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their qwheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.
15The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the LORD.
16So when rthe five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17sThese are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for tGath, one for Ekron;
18and the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages, even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they set the ark of the LORD, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
19Then uHe struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. 4He vstruck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.
The Ark at Kirjath Jearim
20And the men of Beth Shemesh said, w“Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall it go up from us?”
21So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of xKirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up with you.”
1Then the men of aKirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of bAbinadab on the hill, and cconsecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.
Samuel Judges Israel
2So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
3Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you dreturn to the LORD with all your hearts, then eput away the foreign gods and the fAshtoreths1 from among you, and gprepare your hearts for the LORD, and hserve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4So the children of Israel put away the iBaals and the 2Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.
5And Samuel said, j“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and kI will pray to the LORD for you.”
6So they gathered together at Mizpah, ldrew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they mfasted that day, and said there, n“We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. Image
7Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8So the children of Israel said to Samuel, o“Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9And Samuel took a psuckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then qSamuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.
10Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. rBut the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.
11And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and 3drove them back as far as below Beth Car.
12Then Samuel stook a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name 4Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
13tSo the Philistines were subdued, and they udid not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15And Samuel vjudged Israel all the days of his life.
16He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
17But whe always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he xbuilt an altar to the LORD.
Israel Demands a King
1Now it came to pass when Samuel was aold that he bmade his csons judges over Israel.
2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3But his sons ddid not walk in his ways; they turned aside eafter dishonest gain, ftook bribes, and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now gmake us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6But the thing hdispleased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel iprayed to the LORD.
7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for jthey have not rejected you, but kthey have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
8“According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9“Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and lshow them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king.
11And he said, m“This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your nsons and appoint them for his own ochariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
12“He will pappoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13“He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
14“And qhe will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.
15“He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
16“And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest 1young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17“He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.
18“And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD rwill not hear you in that day.”
19Nevertheless the people srefused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us,
20“that we also may be tlike all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.
22So the LORD said to Samuel, u“Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”
Saul Chosen to Be King
1There was a man of Benjamin whose name was aKish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of 1power.
2And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. bFrom his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, “Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”
4So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of cShalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5When they had come to the land of dZuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let eus return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us.”
6And he said to him, “Look now, there is in this city fa man of God, and he is an honorable man; gall that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go.”
7Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, hwhat shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
8And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.”
9(Formerly in Israel, when a man iwent 2to inquire of God, he spoke thus: “Come, let us go to the seer”; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called ja seer.)
10Then Saul said to his servant, 3“Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11As they went up the hill to the city, kthey met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
12And they answered them and said, “Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because lthere is a sacrifice of the people today mon the high place.
13“As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him.”
14So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.
15nNow the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying,
16“Tomorrow about this time oI will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, pand you shall anoint him 4commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have qlooked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”
17So when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, r“There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.”
18Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer’s house?”
19Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart.
20“But as for syour donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And 5on whom tis all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?”
21And Saul answered and said, u“Am I not a Benjamite, of the vsmallest of the tribes of Israel, and wmy family the least of all the families of the 6tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”
22Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons.
23And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it apart.’ ”
24So the cook took up xthe thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25When they had come down from the high place into the city, 7Samuel spoke with Saul on ythe top of the house.
26They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, “Get up, that I may send you on your way.” And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.
Saul Anointed King
27As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you stand here 8awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.”
1Then aSamuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, band kissed him and said: “Is it not because cthe LORD has anointed you commander over dHis 1inheritance?
2“When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by eRachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin fat Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about gyou, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’
3“Then you shall go on forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor. There three men going up hto God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
4“And they will 2greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands.
5“After that you shall come to the hill of God iwhere the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down jfrom the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; kand they will be prophesying.
6“Then lthe Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and myou will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
7“And let it be, when these nsigns come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for oGod is with you.
8“You shall go down before me pto Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. qSeven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.”
9So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God 3gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.
10rWhen they came there to the hill, there was sa group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? tIs Saul also among the prophets?”
12Then a man from there answered and said, “But uwho is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
14Then Saul’s vuncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” So he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15And Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me, please, what Samuel said to you.”
16So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been wfound.” But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.
Saul Proclaimed King
17Then Samuel called the people together xto the LORD yat Mizpah,
18and said to the children of Israel, z“Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.’
19a“But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your 4clans.”
20And when Samuel had bcaused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
21When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found.
22Therefore they cinquired of the LORD further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”
23So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, dhe was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
24And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him ewhom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, f“Long5 live the king!”
25Then Samuel explained to the people gthe behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26And Saul also went home hto Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
27iBut some jrebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, kand brought him no presents. But he 6held his peace.
Saul Saves Jabesh Gilead
1Then aNahash the Ammonite came up and 1encamped against bJabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, c“Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
2And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring dreproach on all Israel.”
3Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to 2save us, we will come out to you.”
4So the messengers came eto Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And fall the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
6gThen the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.
7So he took a yoke of oxen and hcut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, i“Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out 3with one consent.
8When he numbered them in jBezek, the children kof Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9And they said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.
10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever seems good to you.”
11So it was, on the next day, that lSaul put the people min three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12Then the people said to Samuel, n“Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ oBring the men, that we may put them to death.”
13But Saul said, p“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today qthe LORD has accomplished salvation in Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go rto Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.”
15So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king sbefore the LORD in Gilgal. tThere they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Samuel’s Address at Saul’s Coronation
1Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have 1heeded ayour voice in all that you said to me, and bhave made a king over you.
2“And now here is the king, cwalking before you; dand I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.
3“Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before eHis anointed: fWhose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any gbribe with which to hblind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
4And they said, i“You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”
5Then he said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, jthat you have not found anything kin my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness.”
6Then Samuel said to the people, l“It is the LORD who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.
7“Now therefore, stand still, that I may mreason with you before the LORD concerning all the nrighteous acts of the LORD which He did to you and your fathers:
8o“When Jacob had gone into 2Egypt, and your fathers pcried out to the LORD, then the LORD qsent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
9“And when they rforgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of sSisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the tPhilistines, and into the hand of the king of uMoab; and they fought against them.
10“Then they cried out to the LORD, and said, v‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD wand served the Baals and 3Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’
11“And the LORD sent 4Jerubbaal, 5Bedan, xJephthah, and ySamuel,6 and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety.
12“And when you saw that zNahash king of the Ammonites came against you, ayou said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when bthe LORD your God was your king.
13“Now therefore, chere is the king dwhom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, ethe LORD has set a king over you.
14“If you ffear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God.
15“However, if you do gnot obey the voice of the LORD, but hrebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16“Now therefore, istand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes:
17“Is today not the jwheat harvest? kI will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and lrain, that you may perceive and see that myour wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.”
18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and nall the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
19And all the people said to Samuel, o“Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”
20Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; pyet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
21“And qdo not turn aside; rfor then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.
22“For sthe LORD will not forsake tHis people, ufor His great name’s sake, because vit has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
23“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD win ceasing to pray for you; but xI will teach you the ygood and the right way.
24z“Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for aconsider what bgreat things He has done for you.
25“But if you still do wickedly, cyou shall be swept away, dboth you and your king.”
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
1Saul 1reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in aMichmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with bJonathan in cGibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
3And Jonathan attacked dthe garrison of the Philistines that was in eGeba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become 2an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.
5Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, 3thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people fas the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of gBeth Aven.
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hhid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.
7And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the iland of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8jThen he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might 4greet him.
11And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,
12“then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13And Samuel said to Saul, k“You have done foolishly. lYou have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14m“But now your kingdom shall not continue. nThe LORD has sought for Himself a man oafter His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have pnot kept what the LORD commanded you.”
15Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of 5Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, qabout six hundred men.
No Weapons for the Army
16Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in 6Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road to rOphrah, to the land of Shual,
18another company turned to the road to sBeth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of tZeboim toward the wilderness.
19Now uthere was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”
20But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle;
21and the charge for a sharpening was a 7pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.
22So it came about, on the day of battle, that vthere was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23wAnd the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
Jonathan Defeats the Philistines
1Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who 1bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
2And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of aGibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men.
3bAhijah the son of Ahitub, cIchabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, was dwearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
4Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over eto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.
6Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these funcircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD gfrom saving by many or by few.”
7So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”
8Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
9“If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.
10“But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and hthis will be a sign to us.”
11So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have ihidden.”
12Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will 2show you something.” Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
13And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they jfell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them.
14That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about 3half an acre of land.
15And kthere was 4trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and lthe raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was ma very great trembling.
16Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they nwent here and there.
17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.” And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.
18And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the 5ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel).
19Now it happened, while Saul otalked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”
20Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed pevery man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.
21Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22Likewise all the men of Israel who qhad hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23rSo the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted sto Beth Aven.
Saul’s Rash Oath
24And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had tplaced the people under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.
25uNow all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was vhoney on the ground.
26And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
27But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his 6countenance brightened.
28Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the people were faint.
29But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
30“How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
31Now they had 7driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint.
32And the people rushed on the 8spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them wwith the blood.
33Then they told Saul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!” So he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day.”
34Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring me here every man’s ox and every man’s sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.
35Then Saul xbuilt an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
36Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”
37So Saul yasked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But zHe did not answer him that day.
38And Saul said, a“Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.
39“For bas the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not a man among all the people answered him.
40Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, c“Give9 a perfect lot.” dSo Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
42And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken.
43Then Saul said to Jonathan, e“Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, f“I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!”
44Saul answered, g“God do so and more also; hfor you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
45But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! iAs the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked jwith God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
46Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
Saul’s Continuing Wars
47So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of kAmmon, against Edom, against the kings of lZobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he 10harassed them.
48And he gathered an army and mattacked11 the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.
49nThe sons of Saul were Jonathan, 12Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger oMichal.
50The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s puncle.
51qKish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, rhe took him for himself.
Saul Spares King Agag
1Samuel also said to Saul, a“The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD.
2“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, bhow he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt.
3‘Now go and cattack1 Amalek, and dutterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
4So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.
5And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
6Then Saul said to ethe Kenites, f“Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For gyou showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7hAnd Saul attacked the Amalekites, from iHavilah all the way to jShur, which is east of Egypt.
8kHe also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and lutterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9But Saul and the people mspared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
Saul Rejected as King
10Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
11n“I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has oturned back from following Me, pand has not performed My commandments.” And it qgrieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.
12So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to rCarmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.”
13Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, s“Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”
14But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
15And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; tfor the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.”
17So Samuel said, u“When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?
18“Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are 2consumed.’
19“Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the 3spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”
20And Saul said to Samuel, v“But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21w“But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”
22So Samuel said:
x“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, yto obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is as the sin of 4witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
zHe also has rejected you from being king.”
24aThen Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I bfeared the people and obeyed their voice.
25“Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.”
26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, cfor you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27And as Samuel turned around to go away, dSaul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.
28So Samuel said to him, e“The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
29“And also the Strength of Israel fwill not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
30Then he said, “I have sinned; yet ghonor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”
31So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.
32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33But Samuel said, h“As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went to iRamah, and Saul went up to his house at jGibeah of Saul.
35And kSamuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
David Anointed King
1Now the LORD said to Samuel, a“How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? bFill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to cJesse the Bethlehemite. For dI have 1provided Myself a king among his sons.” Image
2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, e‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
3“Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
4So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town ftrembled at his coming, and said, g“Do you come peaceably?”
5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. hSanctify2 yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6So it was, when they came, that he looked at iEliab and jsaid, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!”
7But the LORD said to Samuel, k“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have 3refused him. lFor4 the LORD does not see as man sees; for man mlooks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the nheart.”
8So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”
11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the osheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not 5sit down till he comes here.”
12So he sent and brought him in. Now he was pruddy, qwith 6bright eyes, and good-looking. rAnd the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and sthe Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. David’s Family Tree
A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul
14tBut the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and ua distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.
15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.
16“Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will vplay it with his hand when the 7distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.” Harp
17So Saul said to his servants, 8“Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and wthe LORD is with him.”
19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
20And Jesse xtook a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.
21So David came to Saul and ystood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.
22Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”
23And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
David and Goliath
1Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at aSochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.
2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. Image
3The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
4And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named bGoliath, from cGath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was 1armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
7Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.
8Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the dservants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9“If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and eserve us.”
10And the Philistine said, “I fdefy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12Now David was gthe son of that hEphrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had ieight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.
13The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The jnames of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul.
15But David occasionally went and returned from Saul kto feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.
17Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.
18“And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and lsee how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”
19Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.
21For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.
22And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.
23Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke maccording to the same words. So David heard them.
24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.
25So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, nwill give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”
26Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away othe reproach from Israel? For who is this puncircumcised Philistine, that he should qdefy the armies of rthe living God?”
27And the people answered him in this manner, saying, s“So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s tanger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29And David said, “What have I done now? uIs2 there not a cause?”
30Then he turned from him toward another and vsaid the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.
31Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him.
32Then David said to Saul, w“Let no man’s heart fail because of him; xyour servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33And Saul said to David, y“You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a zlion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35“I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36“Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
37Moreover David said, a“The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, b“Go, and the LORD be with you!”
38So Saul clothed David with his 3armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. Combat by Champions
39David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
40Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
41So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he cdisdained4 him; for he was only a youth, druddy and good-looking.
43So the Philistine esaid to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44And the Philistine fsaid to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. gBut I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have hdefied.
46“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give ithe carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, jthat all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD kdoes not save with sword and spear; for lthe battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
48So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and mran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a nsling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
51Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his osword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, pthey fled.
52Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of 5the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to qShaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron.
53Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.
54And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
55When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to rAbner, the commander of the army, “Abner, swhose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
56So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”
57Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul twith the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, u“I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
Saul Resents David
1Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, athe 1soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, band Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2Saul took him that day, cand would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.
3Then Jonathan and David made a dcovenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
5So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and 2behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the 3Philistine, that ethe women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
7So the women fsang as they danced, and said:
g“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”
8Then Saul was very angry, and the saying hdispleased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but ithe kingdom?”
9So Saul 4eyed David from that day forward.
10And it happened on the next day that jthe distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, kand he prophesied inside the house. So David lplayed music with his hand, as at other times; mbut there was a spear in Saul’s hand.
11And Saul ncast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.
12Now Saul was oafraid of David, because pthe LORD was with him, but had qdeparted from Saul.
13Therefore Saul removed him from 5his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and rhe went out and came in before the people.
14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and sthe LORD was with him.
15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16But tall Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
David Marries Michal
17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; uI will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight vthe LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, w“Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18So David said to Saul, x“Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”
19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to yAdriel the zMeholathite as a wife.
20aNow Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may 6be a snare to him, and that bthe hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, c“You shall be my son-in-law today.”
22And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
23So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?”
24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, 7“In this manner David spoke.”
25Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any ddowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take evengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul fthought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now gthe days had not expired;
27therefore David arose and went, he and hhis men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And iDavid brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
28Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him;
29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy 8continually.
30Then the princes of the Philistines jwent out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David kbehaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.
Saul Persecutes David
1Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill aDavid; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, bdelighted greatly in David.
2So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.
3“And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell cyou.”
4Thus Jonathan dspoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king esin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you.
5“For he took his flife in his hands and gkilled the Philistine, and hthe LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. iWhy then will you jsin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”
6So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
7Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence kas in times past.
8And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, land struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.
9Now mthe distressing spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand.
10Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.
11nSaul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”
12So Michal olet David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.
13And Michal took 1an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes.
14So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
15Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”
16And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.
17Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! pWhy should I kill you?’ ”
18So David fled and escaped, and went to qSamuel at rRamah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.
19Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!”
20Then sSaul sent messengers to take David. tAnd when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also uprophesied.
21And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
23So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then vthe Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24wAnd he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down xnaked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, y“Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Jonathan’s Loyalty to David
1Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
2So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”
3Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But atruly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
4So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”
5And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the bNew Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may chide in the field until the third day at evening.
6“If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over dto Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
7e“If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that fevil is determined by him.
8“Therefore you shall gdeal kindly with your servant, for hyou have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Nevertheless, iif there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
9But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”
10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?”
11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field.
12Then Jonathan said to David: “The LORD God of Israel is witness! When I have 1sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,
13“may jthe LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And kthe LORD be with you as He has lbeen with my father.
14“And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die;
15“but myou shall not 2cut off your kindness from my 3house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
16So Jonathan made a covenant with the 4house of David, saying, n“Let the LORD require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; ofor he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18Then Jonathan said to David, p“Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19“And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to qthe place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.
20“Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target;
21“and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, ras the LORD lives, there is safety for you and no harm.
22“But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the LORD has sent you away.
23“And as for sthe matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the LORD be between you and me forever.”
24Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast.
25Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And 5Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is tunclean.”
27And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”
28So Jonathan uanswered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
29“And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
30Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31“For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he 6shall surely die.”
32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, v“Why should he be killed? What has he done?” David the Fugitive
33Then Saul wcast a spear at him to 7kill him, xby which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
34So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.
35And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.
36Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master.
39But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.
40Then Jonathan gave his 8weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so.
42Then Jonathan said to David, y“Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
David and the Holy Bread
1Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And aAhimelech was bafraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”
2So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3“Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”
4And the priest answered David and said, “There is no 1common bread on hand; but there is choly2 bread, dif the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”
5Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And 3the evessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated fin the vessel this day.”
6So the priest ggave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread hwhich had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was iDoeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”
9So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in jthe Valley of Elah, kthere it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
David Flees to Gath
10Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11And lthe servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
m‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”
12Now David ntook these words 4to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13So ohe changed his behavior before them, pretended 5madness in their hands, 6scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.
14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?
15“Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
David’s Four Hundred Men
1David therefore departed from there and aescaped bto the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
2cAnd everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was 1discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about dfour hundred men with him.
3Then David went from there to Mizpah of eMoab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.”
4So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
5Now the prophet fGad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
Saul Murders the Priests
6When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered—now Saul was staying in gGibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him—
7then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse hgive every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?
8“All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that imy son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”
9Then answered jDoeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to kAhimelech the son of lAhitub.
10m“And he inquired of the LORD for him, ngave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king.
12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”
14So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as ofaithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?
15“Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”
16And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all pyour father’s house!”
17Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king qwould not lift their hands to strike the priests of the LORD.
18And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and 2struck the priests, and rkilled on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.
19sAlso Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.
20tNow one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, uescaped and fled after David.
21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the LORD’s priests.
22So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s 3house.
23“Stay with me; do not fear. vFor he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”
David Saves the City of Keilah
1Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against aKeilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”
2Therefore David binquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and 1attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
5And David and his men went to Keilah and cfought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech dfled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.
7And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”
8Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, ehe said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
10Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah fto destroy the city for my sake.
11“Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”
12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah 2deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver you.”
13So David and his men, gabout six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.
David in Wilderness Strongholds
14And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in hthe mountains in the Wilderness of iZiph. Saul jsought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
15So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph 3in a forest.
16Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and 4strengthened his hand in God.
17And he said to him, k“Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. lEven my father Saul knows that.”
18So the two of them mmade a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
19Then the Ziphites ncame up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20“Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and oour part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
21And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, for you have compassion on me.
22“Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty.
23“See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the 5clans of Judah.”
24So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness pof Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
25When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down 6to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.
26Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. qSo David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men rwere encircling David and his men to take them.
27sBut a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”
28Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place 7the Rock of Escape.
29Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at tEn Gedi.