David refeueth Keilah. Chap. xxiii. David efcapeth from Keilah. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, Imote he with the edge of the word, both men and women, children and fucklings, and oxen, and affes, and sheep, deftroy the city for my fake. with the edge of the fword. 10 Then faid David, O LORD God of Ifrael, thy fervant hath certainly heard chat Saul feeketh to come to Keilah, to It Will the men of Keilah deliver me 20 And one of the fons of Ahime-up into his hand? will Saul come down lech the fon of Ahitub, named Abiachar, efcaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar fhewed David, that Saul had flain the LORDS priests. 22 And David faid unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would furely tell Saul: I have occafioned the death of all the perfons of thy fathers houfe. 23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he chat fecketh my life, feeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in fafeguard. CHAP. XXIII.. 1 David enquiring of the Lord, refcueth Keilah. God bewing him Sauls coming, and the treachery of the Keilites, he capeth from Keilah. Then they told David, faying. Behold, the Philiftines fight againft Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. 2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, faying, Shall I go and fmite these Philiftines? And the LORD faid unto David, Go, and fmite the Philiftines, and fave Keilah. 3 And Davids men faid unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philiftines? 4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him, and faid, Arife, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philiftines into chine hand. 5 So David and his men went to KeiJah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and fmote them with a great flaughter: fo David faved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 And it came to pafs when Abiathar the fon of Abimelech fled to David to Keilah that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah: and Saul faid, God, bach delivered him into mine hand; for he is fhut in, by entring into a town that hath gates and bars. 8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to befiege David and his men. 9 And David knew that Saul fecretly practifed mifchief against him; and he faid to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. as thy fervant hath heard? O LORD God of Ifrael, I beseech thee, tell thy fervant. And the LORD faid, He will come down. 12 Then faid David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD faid, They will deliver thee up. 13 Then David and his men, which were about fix hundred, arofe and departed out of Keilah, and went whitherfoever they could go and it was told Saul that David was efcaped from Keilah, and he forbare to go forth. 14 And David abode in the wildernefs in ftrong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph: And Saul fought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. 15 And David faw, that Saul was come out to feek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. 16 And Jonathan Sauls fon arofe, and went to David into the wood, and ftrengthned his hand in God. 17 And he faid unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father fhall not find thee, and thou fhalt be king over Ifrael, and I fhall be next unto thee; and that alfo 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, faying, Doth not David hide himself with us in ftrong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the fouth of Jefhimon? 20 Now therefore, O king,come down according to all the defire of thy foul to come down, and our part fhall be to deliver him into the kings hand. 21, And Saul faid, Bleffed be ye of the LORD, or ye have compaffion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and fee his place where his haunt is, and who hath feen him there for it is told me that he dealeth very fubtilly. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again so me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it fhall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will fearch him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. Saul purfueth David: I. Samuel. 24 And they arofe, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the fouth of Jefhimon. 25 Saul alfo and his men went to feek 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 fide of the mountain, and David and his men on that fide of the mountain and David made hafte to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compaffed David and his men round about to take them. 27 But there came a meffenger unto Saul, faying, Hafte thee, and come; for the Philiftines have invaded the land. 28 Wherefore Saul returned from purfuing after David, and went against the Philiftines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammah-lekoth. 29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in ftrong holds at En-gedi. OCHA P. XXIV. 1 David in a cave at En-gedi, having cut off Sauls skirt, fpareth his life. 8 He Sheweth thereby his innocency. A Nd it came to pafs when Saul was returned from following the Philiftines, that it was told him, faying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 Then Saul took three thoufand chofen men out of all Ifrael, and went to feek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the fheep-cotes by the way, where was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the fides of the cave. ( 4 And the men of David faid unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD faid unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayft do to him as it fhall feem good unto thee. Then David arofe, and cut off the skirt of Sauls robe privily. And it came to pafs afterward, that Davids heart fmote him, because he had cut off Sauls skirt.! 16 And he faid unto his men, The LORD forbid, that I fhould do this thing unto my mafter the LORDS anoint ed, to ftretch forth mine hand againft him, feeing he is the anointed of the ORD. He fpareth Sauls life. So David ftayed his fervants with thefe words, and fuffered them not to rife against Saul: but Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 David alfo arofe afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, faying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David fooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. 9 And David faid to Saul, Wherefore heareft thou mens words, faying, Behold, David fecketh thy hurt? 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have feen, how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and fome bade me kill thee, but mine eye fpared thee, and I faid, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he i the LORDS anointed. 11 Moreover, my father fee, yea fee, 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 fee, that there is neither evil nor tranfgreffion in mine hand, and I have not finned against thee; yet thou hunteft my foul, to take it. 12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand fhall not be upon thee. 13 As faith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the king of Ifrael come out? after whom doft thou purfue? after a dead dog, after a flea. 15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and fee and plead my caufe, and deliver me out of thine hand.. 16 And it came to pafs when David had made an end of speaking thefe words unto Saul, that Saul faid, Is this thy voice, my fon David? And Saul lift up his voice and wept. 17 And he faid to David, Thou are more righteous than I; for thou haft rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 18 And thou haft fhewed this day how that thou haft dealt well with me: forafmuch as when the LORD had deli-' vered me into thine hand, thou killedft me not. 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou haft done unto me this day. 20 And now behold, I know well that i Samuel dieth 10 David provoked by Nabals churlishness, mindeth to destroy 11 him, 14 Abigail by her wisdom pacifieth David. 36 Nabal hearing there of dieth elites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his houfe at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 2 And there was a man in Maon, whofe poffeffions were in Carmel, and the man was very great, and he had three thoufand fheep, and a thoufand goats: and he was fheering his fheep in Carmel. fervants now a days that break away 12 So Davids young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all thofe fayings. 13 And David faid unto his men, Gird you on every man his fword. And they girded on every man his fword, and David alfo girded on his fword: and there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the ftuff. 14 But one of the young men told Abigail Nabals wife, faying, Behold, nefs to falute our master ; and he railed on them. 15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither miffed we any thing as long as we were conver fant with them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the theep. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail:17 Now therefore know and confider and he was a woman of good under ftanding,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 wilder nefs, that Nabal did fhear his sheep. 5 And David fent out ten young men, and David faid unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name; 6 And thus fhall yefay to him that liveth in profperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine houfe, and peace be unto all that thou haft. 7 And now I have heard that thou haft fhearers: now thy Thepherds which we hurt them not, neiwere what thou wilt do: for evil is determined againft our mafter, and against all his houfhold: for he is fuch a fon of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him. 18 Then Abigail made hafte, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five fheep ready dreffed, and five meafures of parched corn, and an hundred elufters of raifins, and two Hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on affes. 19 And fhe faid unto her fervants, Go on before me, behold, I come after you: but fhe told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was fe, as the rode on the afs, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold, David and his men came ther wought misling unto them, down against her, and the met them. all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask thy young men, and they will fhew thee: wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes? (for we come in a good day) give, I pray thee, what foever cometh to thine hand, unto thy fervants, and to thy fon David. 9 And when Davids young men came, they fpake to Nabal according to all thofe words in the name of David, and ceafed. 10 And Nabal anfwered Davids fervants, and faid, Who David? and who is the fon of Jeffe è diere be many 21 (Now David had faid, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, fo that nothing was miffed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath required me evil for good. i 22 So and more alfo do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light, any that piffeth against the wall.) 23 And when Abigail faw David, she hafted, and lighted off the afs, and fell before David on her face, and bowed her felf to the grounds 24 And fell at his feet, and said, Up 4 Abigail pacifieth David. I. Samuel. Nabal dieth. Davids wives. en me, my lord, upon me let this iniqui- unto her, Go up in peace to thine houfe; ty be, and let thine handmaid, I pray fee, I have hearkned to thy voice, and thee, fpeak in thine audience, and have accepted thy perfon.. hear the words of thine handmaid. 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, fo is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid faw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didft fend 36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feaft in his houfe, like the feaft of a king and Nabals heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken:wherefore she told him nothing lefs 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 rold him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the, LORD liveth, and as thy foul liveth, feeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to feed blood, and from avenging thy felf with thine own hand: 38 And it came to pass about ten now let thine enemies, and they that days after, that the LORD fmote Nabal, feek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. A that he died. 27 And now this bleffing which thine handmaid hach brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. 28 I pray thee forgive the trefpafs of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a fure houfe: because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 29 Yet a man is rifen to purfue thee, and to feek thy foul: but the foul of my lord fhall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the fouls of thine enemies, them fhall be fling out as out of the middle of a fling. 30 And it fhall come to pals when the LORD fhall have done to my lord,according to all the good that he hath fpoken concerning thee, and fhall have appointed thee ruler over Ifrael; 31 That this fhall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou haft fhed blood caufelefs, or that my lord hath avenged himfelf: but when the LORD fhall have dealt well with my lord, then remem ber thine handmaid. 32 And David faid to Abigail, Bleffed be the LORD God of Ifrael, which fent thee this day to meet me : 33 And bleffed be thy advice,and bleffed be thou, which haft kept me this day 39¶ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his feryant from evil: for the LORD hach returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David fent and communed with Abigail to take her to him to wife. 40 And when the fervants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they fpake unto her, faying, David fent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife. 41 And the arofe, and bowed hér felf on her face to the earth,and faid, Behold, let thine handmaid be a fervant to wash the feet of the fervants of my lord. 42 And Abigail hafted and arofe, and rode upon an afs, with five damfels of hers that went after her; and fhe went after the meffengers of David, and, became his wife, 43 David alfo took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives. 44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, Davids wife, to Phalti the fon of Laith, which was of Gallim. CHAP. XXVI. Chap. xxvi, xxvii. David Spareth Sauls life. and he faw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. : 5 And David arofe, and came to the place where Saul had pitched and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the fon of Ner, the captain of his hoft: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David, and faid to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abifhai the fon of Zeruiah brother to Joab, faying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abifhai faid, I will go down with thee. 7 So David and Abifhai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay fleeping within the trench, and his fpear ftuck in the ground at his bolfter: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8 Then faid Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore let me fmite 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 faid to Abifhai, Deftroy him not: for who can ftretch forth his hand against the LORDS anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David faid furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD fhall fmite him, or his day fhall come to die, or he fhall defcend into battle, and perish. II The LORD forbid that I should ftretch forth mine hand against the LORDS anointed: but I pray thee, take thou now the fpear that is at his bolfter, and the crufe of water, and let us go. 12 So David took the spear, and the crufe of water from Sauls bolfter, and they gat them away, and no man faw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all afleep, because a deep fleep from the LORD was fallen upon them. 13 Then David went over to the other fide, and ftood on the top of an hill afar off, (a great space being between them) 14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the fon of Ner, faying, Anfwereft thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and faid, Who art thou that crieft to the king? 15 And David faid to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? And who is like to thee in Ifrael? wherefore then haft thou not kept thy lord the king? for there Saul confeffeth hi errour. came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. 16 This thing is not good that thou haft done as the LORD livech, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your mafter the LORDS anointed: and now fee where the kings fpear is, and the crufe of water, that was at his bolfter 17 And Saul knew Davids voice, and faid, Is this thy voice, my fon David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. 18 And he faid, Wherefore doth my lord thus purfue after his fervant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? 19 Now therefore, I pray thee. let my lord the king hear the words of his fervant: If the LORD have ftirred thee up againft me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, curfed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, faying, Go ferve other gods. 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Ifrael is come out to feek a flea, as when one doth hune a partridge in the mountains. 21 Then faid Saul, I have finned: return, my fon David, for I will no more do thee harm, becaufe my foul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and faid,Behold the kings fpear, and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The LORD render to every man his righteoufnefs,and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not ftretch forth mine hand against the LORDS anointed. 24 And behold, as thy life was much fet by this day in mine eyes; fo let my life be much fet by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. 25 Then Saul faid to David, Bleffed be thou, my fon David: thou shalt both do great things, and alfo fhalt ftill prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. CHAP. XXVII. 1 Saul hearing David to be in Gath, seeketh no more for him. 5 David beggerh Ziklag of Achifo. A Nd David faid in his heart, I hall How perish one day by the band N |