e Ge.40.14. Lu.23.42. Ex. 18.10. Ezra 7.27. 32 T And David said to Abigail,f Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sentthee this day to meet me: f Ge.24.27. 33 And blessed be thy advice, gl and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept h me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go i upin peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. 36 And Abigail came to Nabal : and behold, he held a feast k in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry / within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing,less or more, until the morning light. 37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart m died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote n Nabal that he died. Saul cometh against David. But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to 18 Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.u CHAPTER XXVI. Saul cometh to Hachilah against Ps.41.13. AND the Ziphites came unto Luke 1.68. g Ps. 141.5. Pr.9.9. h ver.26. i 2Sa.15.9. Luke 7.50. k 2Sa.13.23. 7 Pr.20.1. Ec.10.19. Is.28.3,7. m Job 15.21. Pr.23.2935. n 2Ki. 15.5. Acts 12.23. o ver.32. P Pr.22.23. q ver.26,34. r IKI.2.44. Ps.7.16. Ru.2.10,13, Pr. 15.33. 17 at her feet, ver.27. t ch.27.3. 18 Phaltiel, 25a.3.15. u Is. 10.30. (CHAP. 26.) a ch.23.19. Ps.54, title. 39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed of be the LORD, that hath pleaded p the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept q his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returnedr the wickedness of b ch.14.50. Nabal upon his own head. And 1 or, midst David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife. 41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let s thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. of his car- c 1Ch.2.16. d ch.24.6,&c. 2Sa,1.16. e Ps.94.23. Luke 18.7. De.31.14. f Job 7.1. Ps.37.13. Ec.3.2. Heb.9.27. g ch.31.6. 42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of her's that went 17 after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and t they were also both h ch.24.6.12. of them his wives. Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? 2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wild erness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 5 T And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abnerb the son of Ner, the captain of his host. And Saul lay in the 1trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David, and said Abishaic the son of Zeruiah, broto Ahimelech the Hittite, and to ther to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground as his bolster : but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath 2 delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; ford who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD e shall smite him; or his day f shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.g 11 The LORD forbid h that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. i Ge.2.21. Saul blesseth David. 12 So David took the spear and B. C. 1060. [but I would not stretch forth mine the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from i the LORD was fallen upon them. 13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: 15.12. 3 the sons of 24.1. Ge.8.21. 14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, say-4 smell, ing, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? 15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and whon is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the peo- 5 cleaving. ple in to destroy the king thy lord. m Ps. 119.10S. 16 This thing is not good that o 2Sa. 14. 16. thou hast done. As the LORD liv-p ch.15.24. eth, ye are 3 worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master 9 ver.24. the LORD's anointed. And nowr Ps.7.8. see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 17 And Saul knew David's voice, 18.20. hand against the LORD's anointed. 24 And behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver s me out of all tribulation. 25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still t prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. CHAPTER XXVII. Saul hearing David to be in Gath, seeketh no more for him. AND David Simhas one day shall now 1 perish a one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in the coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men b that were with him unto Achish, c the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David and said, Isk this thy voice, my s Ps. 18, title, with his two wives, d Ahinoam the son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. 18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? 34.17,18. 144.2. 2Co. 1.9,10. 2Th.3.2. t Ge.32.28. (CHAP. 27.) Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5 And David said unto Achish, Ro.8.35,37. If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place e in some town in the country, that I may dwell there for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? 1 be con- 19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him 4 accept m an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they na have driven me out this day from 5 abiding in the inheritance o of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods. 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. 21 T Then said Saul, Ip have sinned return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious q in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The LORD r render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to-day, Is.40.27.31. 51.12. b ch.25. 13. e Ge.46.34. 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag f that day wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. 7 And 2 the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was 3 a full year and four months. 8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, g and the 4 Gezerites, h and the Amalekites: i for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, k even unto the land of Egypt. 9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive. and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said 5 Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of Saul seeketh a witch. 1 SAMUEL, XXVIII. the Jerahmeelites, and against B. C. 1060. the south of the Kenites. m 6 to stink, Ge.34.30. 11 And David saved neither man 1 ICh.2.9,25. nor woman alive, to bring tidings m Ju. 1.16. to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country (CHAP. 28.) of the Philistines. 12 And Achish believed David, a ch.25.1. saying, He hath made his people b Le.20.27. Israel 6 utterly to abhor him; there fore he shall be my servant for ever. CHAPTER XXVIII. The witch, encouraged by Saul, raiseth up Samuel. De. 18.10, 11. c Jos. 19. 18. 2Ki.4.8. d ch.31.1. e Job 18.11. Lam.2.9. days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for f Pr. 1.28. warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thoug Nu. 12.6. assuredly, that thou shalt go out h Nu.27.21. with me to battle,thou and thy men. 2 And David said to Achish, Sure-i Lev. 19.31. ly thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee k ver.3. keeper of mine head for ever. 1Ch. 10.13. Is.8.19. Ps.82.6,7. 3 Now Samuel a was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and 1 Ex.22.28. buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those b that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land, 4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: c and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. d 5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid,e and his heart greatly trembled. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, f neither by dreams, g nor by Urim, h nor by prophets. 1 is his form? m ch. 15.27. 2KI.2.8, 13. n Pr.5.11-13. 14.14. Jer.2.17,19. o ch.18.12. p ver.6. 2 by the r Lam.2.5. Samuel is raised. | LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. 11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. 14 And he said unto her, What 1 form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. m And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. 15 T And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore u distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed o from me, p and answereth me no more, neither 2 by prophets, nor by dreams: thou mayest make known unto me therefore I have called thee, that what I shall do. 16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing q the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? r 17 And the LORD hath done 3 to him, as he spake s by 4 me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: 18 Because t thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore u hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. 19 Moreover the LORD will also v deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to-mor 7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that i I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar 4 mine hand. row shalt thou and thy sons be with spirit at En-dor. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they t ch.13.9-13. IKI.20.42. 1Ch.10.13. Jer.48.10. me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. 20 Then Saul 5 fell straightway came to the woman by night: and u Ps.50.21,22. all along on the earth, and was he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. 9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off k those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? 10 And Saul sware to her by the Philistines suspect David. Ziklag is spoiled. 7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou 2 displease not the lords of the Philistines. 1 SAMUEL, XXIX, XXX. 22 Now therefore, I pray thee, B. C. 1056. hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and (CHAP. 29.) eat, that thou mayest have strength a ch.28. 1,2. when thou goest on thy way. 23 But he refused, and said, I will b ch.4.1. not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; c ch.27.7. and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat d ch.25.28. upon the bed. Dan.6.5. 21 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and e 1Ch. 12.19. killed it, and took flour, and knead ed it, and did bake unleavened fch.14.21. bread thereof: 25 And she brought it before Saul, g ch.18.7. and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night. CHAPTER XXIX. Achish dismisseth David with commendations of his fidelity. TOW a the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: b and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel. NOW h 2Sa.3.25. 2Ki.19.27. i ver.3. 1 thou art not good in the eyes of the lords. 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands: but David and his men 2 do not evil passed on in the rereward with Achish. 3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, c or these years, and I have found no fault d in the 3 before. k 2Sa. 14.17. 19.27. 7 ver.4. 8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant, so long as I have been 3 with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? 9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, ask an angel of God: notwithstanding, the princes of the Philistines have I said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. 10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart. 11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines and the Philistines went m up to Jezreel. CHAPTER XXX. 1 The Amalekites spoil Ziklag. 7 David pursueth them. AND it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein they slew not a any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burn in him since he fell unto me unto (CHAP. 30.) ed with fire; and their wives, and this day? c Ex.17.4. 4 And the princes of the Philisa Ps.76.10. tines were wroth with him; and e the princes of the Philistines said b ch.25.42,43. unto him, make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle f he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? 5 Is not this David, of whom theyg sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 1 bitter, ch. 1. 10. Ju.18.25. 2Sa.17.8. 2Ki.4.27. d Ps. 18.6. 26.1.2. 34.1-8. 40. 1,2. 42.5,11. 56.1-4. Is.25.4. Jer. 16.19. 6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and h thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight for i 1 have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: e ch.23.2-9. nevertheless, 1 the lords favour thee not. 2 Co. 1,9,10. Heb. 13.6. their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives b were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 And David was greatly distressed for c the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was 1 grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but d David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring e me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for The Amalekites pursued. 1 SAMUEL, XXXI. thou shalt surely overtake them, B. C. 1056. and without fail recover all. 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, f ver.21. and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind 5 ch.14.27. stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men for two hundred f abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. 11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; Ju.15.19. h 25.8.18. i Jos. 14.13. k Mat.24.38, 39. 1Th.5.3. 12 And they gave him a piece of a 2 their mor cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins and when he g had eaten row. David sends presents. 21 T And David came to the two hundred n men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he 3 saluted them. 22 Then answered all the wicked men, and men of Belial, o of 4 those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. 23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which his spirit came again to him: for Ge. 14.14-16. the LORD hath given us, who hath he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. m ver.8. 4 men. 13. 15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this com-p Nu.31.27. pany? And he said, Swear unto Jos.22.8. me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the 5 and forhands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. 16 T And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating k and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. ward. 6 blessing, q Jos. 19.8. r Jos. 15.48. s Jos. 13.16. preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. 24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but p as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shail his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25 And it was so from that day 5 forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. 26 T And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a 6 present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD; 27 To them which were in Beth-el, and to them which were in south Ramoth, q and to them which were in Jattir,r 28 And to them which were in Aroer, s and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,t 29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, u and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,v 30 And to them which were in w Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt. CHAPTER XXXI. Saul and his armour-bearer kill themselves. Narainst Israel: and the men OW a the Philistines fought of Israel fled from before the Phi-listines, and fell down 1 slain in mount Gilboa.b 2 And the Philistines followed |