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even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, s because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new-moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be 9 empty.

Before CHRIST, 1062.

8-or, by his
love to-
wards him.

9 Heb. miss

ed.

19 And when thou hast stayed three | days, then thou shalt go down 10 11 quick-10 or, dilily, and come to the place where thou gently. didst hide thyself 12 when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the 11 Heb. greatly. stone 13 Ezel.

20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at mark.

a

21 And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and 14 no hurt; as the LORD liveth.

22 But if I say thus to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; gol thy way for the LORD hath sent thee

away.

23 And as to the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

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

25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

father, and said to him, Why shall he be slain? what hath he done?

33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to slay David.

34 So 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 done him shame.

35 ¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

36 And he said to his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the day of the lad ran, he shot an arrow, 18 beyond

12 Heb. in

the busi
ness.

13 or, that
showeth the
way.

14 Heb. not

him.

37 And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? .

38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonany thing.athan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 15 or, Thou

perverse
rebel.

16 Heb. Son
of perverse
rebellion.

son of
death.

39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the mat

ter.

40 And Jonathan gave his 19 arms to 20 his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 ¶ And as soon as the lad was gone, 17 Heb. is the David arose out of a place towards the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Some-18 Heb. to thing hath befallen him, he is not clean; pass over him. surely he is not clean.

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty and Saul 19 Heb. insaid to Jonathan his son, Why cometh struments. not the son of Jesse to eat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?

28 And Jonathan answered Saul, Da-20 Heb. that vid earnestly asked leave of me to go to was his. Beth-lehem:

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29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother he hath com-21 or, the manded me to be there: and now if I have found favor in thy eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. There fore he cometh not to the king's table. 30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, 15 16 Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast cho-1 Heb. sen the son of Jesse to thy own confusion, found. and to the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and bring him to me, for he 17 shall surely die.

32 And Jonathan answered Saul his

Ex. 25. 30.
Lev. 24. 5.
Matt. 12. 4.

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, 21 forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, Saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

CHAP. XXI.

1 David at Nob obtuineth of Ahimelech hallowed bread. 7 Doeg was present. 8 David taketh Goliath's sword. 10 David at Gath feigneth himself mad.

TH

HEN came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

3 Now therefore what is under thy hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or what there is present.

4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is a hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

5 And David answered the priest, and Isaid to him, Of a truth women have been

kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, 2 yes, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the show-bread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

8 And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand

Before
CHRIST,

1062.

2 or, espe
cially when
this day
there is
other sanc-
tified in the

vessel.

b c. 17. 2.

29. 5.

3¶ And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

5 And the prophet Gad said to David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and come into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

6¶ When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a 3 tree in Ramah, having his spear in his

about him ;)

a spear or sword? for I have neither c. 18. 7. & hand, and all his servants were standing brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

marks.

9 And the priest said, The sword of 3 or, made Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to

me.

4 or, playeth
the mad-
man.

10 And David arose, and fled that 1 Heb. had day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish creditor. the king of Gath.

a

2 Heb. bitter

11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the of soul. land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and 3 scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14 Then said Achish to his servants, Lo, ye see the man 4 is mad: why then have ye brought him to me?

3

or, grove in a high place.

4 Hcb. un-
covereth
ear.

my

5 Heb. Be

15 Have I need of mad-men, that ye hold me. have brought this man to play the madman in my presence? shall this man come into my house?

CHAP. XXII.

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7 Then Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth to me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

9¶ Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

10 And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, 5 Here I am, my lord.

13 And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful

1 Companies resort to David at Adullam. 3
At Mizpeh he commendeth his parents to the
king of Moab.
cometh to Hareth. 6 Saul going to pursue
him, complaineth of his servants' unfaithful
ness. 9 Doeg accuseth Ahimelech. 11 Saul
commandeth to kill the priests. 17 The foot-
men refusing, Doeg executeth the order. 20
Abiathar escaping, bringeth David the news.

5 Admonished by Gad, he Heb. little among all thy servants as David, who is

Dand escaped to the cave Adullam

AVID therefore departed thence,

and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.

2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that i was in debt, and every one that was 2 discontented, resorted

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not show it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day eighty and five persons that wore a linen ephod.

19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

Before CHRIST, 1061.

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, es- |« c. 22. 20. caped, and fled after David.

21 And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests.

22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Deeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.

23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

CHAP. XXIII.

1 David inquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescueth Keilah. 7 God showing him the com ing of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites, he escapeth from Keilah. 14 In Ziph, Jona than cometh and comforteth him. 19 The Ziphites discover him to Saul. 25 At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines. 29 He dwelleth at En-gedi.

HEN they told David, saying, Be

Thold, the Philistines fight against Heb.

1

Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. shut up. 2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said to David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

3 And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

2 Heb. on the right hand.

3 Heb.

ness.

10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilaht deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.

13 T Then David and his men who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah: and he forbore to go forth.

14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 And he said to him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou wilt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.

18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is 2 on the south of 3 Jeshimon?

20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know, and see his place where his 4 haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told to me that he dealeth very subtilly. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with

6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the wilder the certainty, and I will go with you: the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

7¶ And it was told to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 And David knew that Saul secretly plotted mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

shall be.

and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

25 Saul also and his men went to seek 4 Heb. foot him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on

that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men around to take them.

27 But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have 5 invaded the land.

Before CHRIST,

1061.

spread

28 Wherefore Saul returned from pur-5 Heb. suing after David, and went against the Philistines therefore they called that place Sela-hammah-lekoth.

29 Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi. CHAP. XXIV.

1 David in a cave at En-gedi, having cut off

themselves upon, &c.

6 That is, The rock of

my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.

12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but my hand shall not be upon thee.

13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but my hand shall not be upon hee.

14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea?

15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and divisions. plead my cause, and deliver 4 me out of thy hand.

16 And it came to pass when David

Saul's skirt, spareth his life: 8 He showeth by that his innocence. 16 Saul acknowledg ing his fault, taketh an oath of David, and 1 Heb. after. had made an end of speaking these words departeth.

AND it came to pass, when Saul had returned from 1 following the Philistines, that it was told to him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

3 And he came to the sheep-cotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

4 And the men of David said to him, Behold the day of which the LORD said to thee, Behold, I will deliver thy enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. Then David arose, and privately cut off the skirt of 2 Saul's robe.

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5 And it came to pass afterward, that judge. David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

6 And he said to his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

7 So David 3 restrained his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose out of the cave, and went on his way.

5 Heb.

shut up.

8 David also rose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed a c. 28. 3. himself.

9 And David said to Saul, Why hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

10 Behold, this day thy eyes have seen how the LORD hath delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave; and some bade me kill thee: but my eye spared thee; and 1 or, I said, I will not put forth my hand business. against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.

11 Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor trangression in

to Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

17 And he said to David, thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded thee with evil.

18 And thou hast showed this day how thou hast dealt with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had 5 delivered me into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.

19 For if a man findeth his enemy, will he let him go away well? wherefore the LORD reward thee with good, for what thou hast done to me this day.

20 And now, behold, I know well that thou wilt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in thy hand.

21 Swear now therefore to me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out my father's house.

And

22 And David swore to Saul. Saul went home; but David and his men repaired to the hold.

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him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

2 And there was a man in Maon, whose 1 possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, Go up to

Carmel, and go to Nabal, and 2 greet him in my name:

6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be to all that thou hast.

7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds who were with us, we 3 hurt them not, neither was there aught missing to them, all the while they were in Carmel.

Before CHRIST, 1060.

2 Heb. ask him in my name of peace.

3 Heb.

8 Ask thy young men, and they will shamed. show thee. Wherefore let the young men find favor in thy eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, what- Heb. ever cometh to thy hand, to thy servants, and to thy son David.

9 And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal in the name of David, according to all these words, and 4 ceased.

10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants in these days that break away every man from his master.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my 5 flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men, whom I know not whence they are?

12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all these sayings.

13 And David said to his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there

rested.

5 Heb.

slaughter.

6 or, vessels, or, uten

7

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sils.

Heb. few upon them.

Heb.

shamed.

9 or, lumps.

21 (Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this man hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

22 So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any male person.)

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.

24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thy 10 audience, and hear the words of thy handmaid.

25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, 11 regard this man of Belial, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send."

26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withheld thee from coming to shed blood, and from 12 avenging thyself with thy own hand, now let thy enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

27 And now this 13 blessing which thy handmaid hath brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men that 14 follow my lord.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy handmaid: for the LORD will cer

went up after David about four hundred 10 Heb. ears. tainly make my lord a sure house; be

men; and two hundred abode by the 6 goods.

14 T But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to salute our master; and he 7 railed at them.

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15 But the men were very good to us, and we were not 8 hurt, neither missed 12 Heb. we any thing, as long as we were con- saving versant with them, when we were in the thyself. fields:

16 They were a wall to us both by 13 or, night and day, all the while we were present. with them keeping the sheep.

17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do: for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on

asses.

19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down over against her; and she met them.

14 Heb. walk at the feet of, &c.

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cause my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

29 Yet alman hath risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thy enemies, them shall he sling out, 15 as from the middle of a sling.

30 And it will come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

31 That this will be 16 no grief to thee, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that thou hast shed blood without cause, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid.

32 ¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me:

33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand.

34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, who hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any male person.

35 So David received from her hand

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