1 Samuel 21-31

New Life Version

David Runs from Saul

21 David came to Ahimelech the religious leader at Nob. Ahimelech came shaking in fear to meet David, and said to him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” ² David said to Ahimelech the religious leader, “The king has given me something to do. And he has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about what I have sent you to do.’ I have told the young men to meet at a certain place. ³ Now, what do you have ready? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you may have.” ⁴ The religious leader answered David, “I only have bread which has been set apart as holy, if only the young men have kept themselves from women.” ⁵ And David told the religious leader, “For sure women have been kept from us while we have traveled. The bodies of the young men are holy even on everyday trips. How much more they are today!” ⁶ So the religious leader gave him holy bread. For there was no bread there but the bread before the Lord. It was taken from before the Lord, so hot bread could be put in its place. ⁷ Now one of Saul’s servants happened to be there that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the head of Saul’s shepherds.

⁸ David said to Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword? I did not bring my sword or any spears with me, because I had to hurry to do the king’s work.” ⁹ The religious leader said, “The sword is here that belonged to Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah. See, it is behind the linen vest, with a cloth around it. Take it, if you will. For it is the only one here.” And David said, “There is none like it. Give it to me.”

¹⁰ Then David got up and ran that day from Saul. He went to Achish king of Gath. ¹¹ The servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to each other about him as they danced, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” ¹² David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. ¹³ So he changed the way he acted in front of them. He pretended to be crazy while he was with them. He made marks on the doors of the gate. He let his spit run down into the hair of his face. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “See, you see the man is crazy. Why have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ Do I need any crazy men, that you bring this one to act crazy in front of me? Will this one come into my house?”

Religious Leaders Are Killed

22 So David left there and ran to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all those of his father’s house heard about it, they went down there to him. ² Then everyone who was in trouble, everyone who owed money, and everyone who was not happy with the way he was living, came together to him. He became their captain. There were about 400 men with him.

³ David went from there to Mizpah of Moab. He said to the king of Moab, “I beg of you, let my father and mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” ⁴ Then he left them with the king of Moab. They stayed with him all the time that David was in his safe place. ⁵ The man who told what will happen in the future, Gad, said to David, “Do not stay in this strong place. Leave, and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went among the trees of Hereth.

⁶ Now Saul heard that David and the men with him had been found. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the high place with his spear in his hand. All his servants were standing around him. ⁷ Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and grape fields? Will he make you all leaders of thousands and hundreds? ⁸ For all of you have made plans against me. No one lets me know when my son makes an agreement with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or lets me know that my son has caused my servant to be against me and hide and wait, as it is this day.” ⁹ Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by Saul’s servants, said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ Ahimelech asked the Lord what David should do. He gave David food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent someone to call Ahimelech the religious leader, son of Ahitub, and all those of his father’s family, the religious leaders who were in Nob. And all of them came to the king. ¹² Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.” ¹³ Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse planned against me? Why have you given him bread and a sword, and have asked the Lord what he should do, so he could rise against me and wait in hiding, as it is this day?” ¹⁴ Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law. He is captain of the soldiers who keep you safe, and is honored in your house. ¹⁵ Is today the first time that I have asked things of God for him? No! Do not let the king do anything wrong to his servant or any of those of my father’s family. For your servant knows nothing at all about this.” ¹⁶ But the king said, “You will die for sure, Ahimelech, you and all those of your father’s family!” ¹⁷ The king said to the soldiers who stood around him, “Turn and put the religious leaders of the Lord to death. Because they are on David’s side. They knew he was running away, and did not tell me.” But the servants of the king were not willing to go against the religious leaders of the Lord. ¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the religious leaders.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and killed the religious leaders. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen vest. ¹⁹ Then he destroyed Nob, the city of the religious leaders, with the sword. He killed men and women, children and babies, cattle, donkeys and sheep, with the sword.

²⁰ But Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, got away and ran after David. ²¹ Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the religious leaders of the Lord. ²² David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would be sure to tell Saul. I am to blame for the death of every person in your father’s family. ²³ Stay with me. Do not be afraid. For he who wants to kill me wants to kill you. But you are safe with me.”

David Saves Keilah

23 Then they told David, “See, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah. They are taking the grain from the grain-floors.” ² So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go, fight the Philistines, and save Keilah.” ³ But David’s men said to him, “See, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” ⁴ Then David asked the Lord again. The Lord answered him, “Get ready and go down to Keilah. For I will give the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. He killed many of them and took away their cattle. And David saved the people of Keilah.

⁶ When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech ran to David at Keilah, he came with a linen vest in his hand. ⁷ When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, he said, “God has given him to me. For he has shut himself in by going into a city with iron gates.” ⁸ Saul called all the men for war, to go down to Keilah to trap David and his men. ⁹ David knew that Saul was planning against him, so he said to Abiathar the religious leader, “Bring the linen vest here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for sure that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. ¹¹ Will the men of Keilah give me to him? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” ¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah give me and my men to Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will give you up.” ¹³ Then David and his men, about 600, got up and left Keilah. They went where they could go. When Saul was told that David had run away from Keilah, he gave up going there.

David Stays in the Hill Country

¹⁴ David stayed in the safe places in the desert. He stayed in the hill country in the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him every day, but God did not give David to him. ¹⁵ David saw that Saul had come out to try to kill him. David was in the desert of Ziph at Horesh. ¹⁶ Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and gave him strength in God. ¹⁷ He said to him, “Do not be afraid, because my father Saul will not find you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be next to you. My father Saul knows this also.” ¹⁸ So the two of them made an agreement before the Lord. And David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

¹⁹ Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding with us in the strong places at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now come, O king, as you desire to come. And we will give David into the king’s hand.” ²¹ Saul said, “May the Lord bring good to you. For you have had pity on me. ²² Go and make sure. See where he is, and who has seen him there. For I am told that he is very good at fooling people. ²³ Look and learn about all his hiding places, and return to me with news that is sure. Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.” ²⁴ Then they got up and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah, south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ Saul and his men went to look for him, and David was told about it. So he went down to the rock in the desert of Maon. ²⁶ Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was in a hurry to get away from Saul. For Saul and his men were closing in upon David and his men to take them. ²⁷ But a man came with news to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have come into the land by surprise to fight us.” ²⁸ So Saul returned from going after David, and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Getting Away. ²⁹ David went from there and stayed in the strong places of Engedi.

David Did Not Kill Saul

24 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “See, David is in the desert of Engedi.” ² Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel, and went to find David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³ He came to the places where the sheep were kept on the way. There was a cave there, and Saul went in to get rid of his body waste. Now David and his men were sitting farther back in the cave. ⁴ David’s men said to David, “See, this is the day the Lord told you, ‘See, I am about to give the one who hates you into your hand. You will do to him what you think is best.’” Then David got up and cut off a piece of Saul’s clothing in secret. ⁵ After this, David felt guilty in his heart because he had cut off a piece of Saul’s clothing. ⁶ So he said to his men, “May the Lord not let me put out my hand against my leader, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.” ⁷ David stopped his men with these words. He did not let them go against Saul. So Saul stood up and left the cave, and went on his way.

⁸ After this David got up and went out of the cave and called to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David put his face to the ground, showing much respect. ⁹ David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘David wants to hurt you’? ¹⁰ See, your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you to me today in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity on you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my leader, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.’ ¹¹ Now, my father, see the piece of your clothing in my hand. I cut off the piece of your clothing but did not kill you. So know and understand that I have no desire to do wrong to you. I have not sinned against you, yet you come wanting to kill me. ¹² May the Lord judge between you and me. May He punish you for your action against me. But my hand will not be against you. ¹³ As the men of long ago said in their wisdom, ‘Out of the sinful comes sin,’ but my hand will not be against you. ¹⁴ After whom has the king come out? After whom are you running? After a dead dog? After a little bug? ¹⁵ May the Lord be the One to judge between you and me. May He see and help me, and save me from you.” ¹⁶ When David had finished speaking to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul gave a loud cry. ¹⁷ He said to David, “You are more right and good than I. For you have brought good to me, while I have done wrong to you. ¹⁸ You have said today that you have done good to me. The Lord gave me to you and you did not kill me. ¹⁹ If a man finds the one who hates him, will he let him go away safe? May the Lord bring good to you for what you have done for me this day. ²⁰ Now I know that you will be king for sure. The nation of Israel will be made strong under your power. ²¹ So promise to me by the Lord that you will not destroy my children after me. Promise that you will not destroy my name from my father’s family.” ²² David gave Saul his promise, and Saul went home. But David and his men went up to the safe place.

The Death of Samuel

25 Now Samuel died. All Israel gathered together and was filled with sorrow for him. They buried him at his house in Ramah.

Then David got ready and went down to the desert of Paran. ² There was a man in Maon who worked in Carmel. The man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. He was cutting the wool from his sheep in Carmel. ³ The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful. But the man was bad and sinful in his ways. He was a Calebite. ⁴ David heard in the desert that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. ⁵ So David sent ten young men, saying to them, “Go up to Carmel. Visit Nabal and greet him for me. ⁶ Say to him, ‘Have a long life. Peace be to you. Peace be to your family. And peace be to all that you have. ⁷ I have heard that you have men who cut the wool from your sheep. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we have not done them any wrong. And they have not missed anything all the time they were in Carmel. ⁸ Ask your young men and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a special day. I ask you to give whatever you have ready to your servants and to your son David.’”

⁹ When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in David’s name. Then they waited. ¹⁰ But Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are leaving their owners. ¹¹ Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my wool cutters, and give it to men when I do not know where they came from?” ¹² So David’s young men turned away and returned to David and told him all this. ¹³ David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” So every man put on his sword, and David put on his sword also. About 400 men went up behind David, while 200 stayed with their things.

¹⁴ But one of the young men told Nabal’s wife Abigail, “See, David sent men from the desert to greet our owner, and he spoke against them. ¹⁵ But David’s men were very good to us. They did not do anything wrong to us. And we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. ¹⁶ They were a wall to us night and day, all the time we were with them taking care of the sheep. ¹⁷ So know this and think about what you should do. For bad plans have been made against our owner and all his family. He is such a sinful man that no one can speak to him.”

¹⁸ In a hurry Abigail took 200 loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready to eat, five baskets of dry grain, 100 vines of dried grapes and 200 loaves of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ¹⁹ She said to her young men, “Go on before me. See, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. ²⁰ As she went on her donkey and came down hidden by the mountain, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. ²¹ Now David had said, “It was for nothing that I have watched over all this man has in the desert, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. He has paid me bad for good. ²² May God do the same to David and more, if I leave until morning as much as one male alive of all who belong to him.”

²³ When Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey in a hurry. Then she put her face to the ground in front of David. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said, “Let the sin be on me alone, my lord. I beg you, let your woman servant speak to you. Listen to the words of your woman servant. ²⁵ I beg you, do not let my lord think about this sinful man, Nabal. For he is like his name. Nabal is his name and he is foolish. But I your woman servant did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent. ²⁶ So now, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, let the Lord keep you from being guilty of blood. Let Him keep you from punishing with your own hand. And let those who hate you and those who want to hurt my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷ Now let this gift which your woman servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸ I beg you, forgive the sin of your woman servant. For the Lord will be sure to make my lord a family that will last. Because my lord is fighting the Lord’s battles. Sin will not be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ If men rise up to come after you and try to kill you, then the life of my lord will be taken care of by the Lord your God. But He will throw away the lives of those who hate you, as a rock is thrown from a sling. ³⁰ The Lord will do to my lord all the good that He has promised you. He will make you ruler over Israel. ³¹ Then my lord will have no reason to feel sorry or guilty because of killing without cause or punishing by my lord’s own hand. When the Lord does good things for my lord, remember your woman servant.”

³² Then David said to Abigail, “Thanks be to the Lord God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me. ³³ May thanks be given for your wisdom, and thanks be to you. You have kept me this day from being guilty of blood, and from punishing with my own hand. ³⁴ The Lord God of Israel has kept me from hurting you. And as the Lord lives, if you had not been quick to come to meet me, for sure not one male would have been left to Nabal until the morning.” ³⁵ So David received what she had brought him. He said to her, “Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and have done what you asked.”

³⁶ Abigail came to Nabal and saw that he was having a special supper in his house, like the special supper of a king. Nabal’s heart was full of joy, because he was very drunk. So she did not tell him anything until the morning. ³⁷ But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things. And his heart died within him so that he became like a stone. ³⁸ The Lord made Nabal die about ten days later.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Thanks be to the Lord, Who has punished Nabal for putting me to shame. He has kept His servant from sin. And the Lord has turned the sin of Nabal upon himself.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to be his wife. ⁴⁰ When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you, to take you as his wife.” ⁴¹ She stood up and then put her face to the ground, and said, “See, your woman servant will serve you by washing the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Then she got ready in a hurry and traveled on a donkey, with her five young women who followed her. She followed the men David had sent, and became his wife.

⁴³ David had taken Ahinoam of Jezreel also. They both became his wives.

⁴⁴ Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

David Keeps from Killing Saul the Second Time

26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, east of Jeshimon?” ² So Saul got ready and went down to the desert of Ziph. He had 3,000 chosen men of Israel with him, to look for David in the desert of Ziph. ³ Saul stayed on the hill of Hachilah, beside the road east of Jeshimon. And David was staying in the desert. When he saw that Saul came after him in the desert, ⁴ David sent out spies and learned that Saul was coming for sure. ⁵ Then David got ready and came to the place where Saul was staying. He saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul was lying in the center of the tents, and the people were sleeping around him.

⁶ Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me to the tents of Saul?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” ⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people during the night. Saul lay sleeping in the center of the tents, with his spear in the ground at his head. Abner and the people were lying around him. ⁸ Abishai said to David, “Today God has given the one who hates you into your hand. Now let me nail him to the earth with the spear, hitting him just once. I will not hit him a second time.” ⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him. For who can put his hand out against the Lord’s chosen one and not be guilty?” ¹⁰ David said, “As the Lord lives, He will destroy him. Or his day will come to die. Or he will be killed in battle. ¹¹ May the Lord keep me from putting out my hand against the Lord’s chosen one. But take the spear that is at his head and the bottle of water, and let us go.” ¹² So David took the spear and the bottle of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away. But no one saw it, or knew it, and no one woke, for they were all sleeping. A deep sleep from the Lord had come upon them.

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side and stood far away on top of the mountain, with much land between them. ¹⁴ David called to the army and to Ner’s son Abner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” ¹⁵ David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord. ¹⁶ This thing you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you must die for sure. Because you did not watch over your lord, the Lord’s chosen one. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the bottle of water that was beside his head.”

¹⁷ Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king. ¹⁸ Why is my lord coming after his servant? What have I done? What am I guilty of? ¹⁹ Now I beg you, let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has made you come against me, let Him receive a gift. But if men have done this, may bad come to them before the Lord. For they have driven me out this day, that I should have no share of what the Lord has given. They say, ‘Go, worship other gods.’ ²⁰ So do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to look for one little bug, just as one looks for a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not hurt you again. Because my life was of great worth in your eyes this day. See, I have played the fool, and have made a big mistake.” ²² David answered, “See the spear of the king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. ²³ The Lord will pay each man for being right and good and faithful. For the Lord gave you into my hand today. But I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s chosen one. ²⁴ Now see, as your life was of great worth in my eyes today, so may my life be of great worth in the eyes of the Lord. May He save me from all trouble.” ²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “May good come to you, my son David. You will do many things and do them well.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

David with the Philistines

27 David said to himself, “Some day Saul will kill me. There is nothing better for me than to run to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will become tired of looking for me any more in the land of Israel. And I will get away from him.” ² So David got up and crossed over with his 600 men to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³ David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men. Each man had those of his family with him. David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, who had been Nabal’s wife. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had run to Gath, he looked for him no more.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place in one of the country towns, that I may live there. For why should your servant live with you in the city of the king?” ⁶ So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag that day. Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷ David lived in the country of the Philistines for a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up to fight the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. For they had been living in the land a long time, as you come to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹ David destroyed the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive. He took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰ Achish said, “Where have you gone to battle today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah, the Negev of the Jerahmeelites, and the Negev of the Kenites.” ¹¹ David did not leave a man or woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “They might tell about us. They might say, ‘This is what David has done all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’” ¹² And Achish believed David, saying, “He has made the people of Israel hate him. So he will become my servant forever.”

Saul and the Woman of Endor

28 In those days the Philistines gathered their armies for war against Israel. Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me to battle.” ² David said to Achish, “Very well, you will know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you the soldier who stands by me and keeps me safe for life.”

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had been filled with sorrow for him. They buried him in his own city of Ramah. And Saul had put out of the land those who spoke with spirits by using their secret ways. ⁴ The Philistines gathered together and came and stayed at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel together and they stayed at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid. His heart shook with much fear. ⁶ Saul asked the Lord what he should do. But the Lord did not answer him, by dreams or by Urim or by those who speak for God. ⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Find a woman for me who can speak with spirits, that I may go to her and ask her what I should do.” His servants said to him, “See, there is a woman at Endor who can speak with spirits.”

⁸ So Saul dressed up to look like somebody else and went with two other men to the woman during the night. He said, “Use your secret ways for me, I beg you, and bring up for me whom I will name to you.” ⁹ But the woman said to him, “See, you know what Saul has done. He has put out of the land those who speak with spirits by using their secret ways. Why do you lay a trap for my life to cause my death?” ¹⁰ But Saul promised her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” ¹¹ Then the woman said, “Whom should I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” ¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. She said to Saul, “Why have you fooled me? For you are Saul!” ¹³ The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ He said to her, “What does he look like?” And she said, “An old man is coming up. He is dressed in a long piece of clothing.” Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he put his face to the ground to show honor.

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you troubled my rest by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am very troubled. The Philistines are making war against me. And God has left me and answers me no more, by those who speak for Him or by dreams. So I have called you to tell me what I should do.” ¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has left you and has turned against you? ¹⁷ The Lord has done what He said He would do through me. The Lord has torn the rule of Israel out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. ¹⁸ You did not obey the Lord and bring His burning anger upon Amalek. So the Lord has done this to you now. ¹⁹ What is more, the Lord will give Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines. So tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel to the Philistines.”

²⁰ At once Saul fell to the ground with his whole body. He was very afraid because of Samuel’s words. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night. ²¹ The woman came to Saul and saw that he was filled with fear. She said to him, “See, your woman servant has obeyed you. I have put my life in danger and have listened to what you said to me. ²² So now I beg you, let me give you a piece of bread. Eat, so you may have strength when you go on your way.” ²³ But he said, “I will not eat.” But his servants together with the woman begged him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fat calf in the house and was quick to kill it. She took flour, made it into dough, and made bread without yeast. ²⁵ She brought it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and went away that night.

David Is Sent Back to Ziklag

29 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek. The Israelites were staying by the well in Jezreel. ² The leaders of the Philistines were moving toward them with their hundreds and their thousands. And David and his men were moving behind them with Achish. ³ Then the captains of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish said to the captains of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years? I have found nothing wrong in him since the day he left to come to me.” ⁴ But the Philistine captains were angry with him. They said to him, “Make the man return. Have him go again to his place which you have given him. Do not let him go down to battle with us. He might fight against us in the battle. For how could this man make his lord receive him again? Would it not be with the heads of these men? ⁵ Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” ⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest. You go out and come in with me in the army and it is good in my eyes. I have found nothing wrong in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you are not pleasing in the eyes of the leaders. ⁷ So now return. Go in peace, that you may not make the Philistine leaders angry.” ⁸ David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I came to you until now, that I may not go and fight against those who hate my lord the king?” ⁹ Achish answered David, “I know that you are pleasing in my eyes, like an angel of God. But the captains of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ Now get up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you. Leave as soon as you are up and have light.” ¹¹ So David and his men left early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Battle with the Amalekites

30 When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had come to fight in the Negev and Ziklag. They had destroyed Ziklag, and burned it with fire. ² They took the women and all who were in it, without killing anyone. They carried them out and went on their way. ³ David and his men came to the city and saw that it was burned. Their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away. ⁴ Then David and the people with him cried out in a loud voice until they had no more strength to cry. ⁵ David’s two wives had been taken away, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.

⁷ David said to Abiathar the religious leader, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the linen vest.” So Abiathar brought the linen vest to David. ⁸ Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after this army? Should I meet them in battle?” The Lord said to him, “Go after them, for you will catch them for sure. And you will be sure to save all the people.” ⁹ So David and the 600 men who were with him went out and came to the river of Besor. There those stayed who were left behind. ¹⁰ But David kept going after them, with 400 men. For 200 were too tired to cross the river of Besor and stayed behind.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread and he ate, and he was given water to drink. ¹² They gave him a piece of a fig loaf and two vines of dried grapes. When he had eaten, his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³ David said to him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite. My owner left me behind when I became sick three days ago. ¹⁴ We had gone to fight in the Negev of the Cherethites, and in the land of Judah, and in the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag with fire.” ¹⁵ Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to his army?” And he said, “Promise me by God that you will not kill me or give me to my owner, and I will bring you down to this army.”

¹⁶ When he had taken David down, he saw the soldiers spread over all the land. They were eating and drinking and dancing because of all the good things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. ¹⁷ And David killed them from the evening until the evening of the next day. None of them got away, except 400 young men who ran away on camels. ¹⁸ David took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing, small or large, sons or daughters, food or anything that had been taken. David returned with all of it. ²⁰ And he took all the sheep and cattle. The people drove those animals in front of him, and said, “This is what belongs to David.”

²¹ David came to the 200 men who had been too tired to follow him and had been left at the river of Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. David came near the people and said hello to them. ²² Then all the sinful men of no worth who had gone with David said, “They did not go with us. So we will not give them anything of what we have taken, except for each man’s wife and children. Each man may take them and go.” ²³ David said, “You must not do so with what the Lord has given us, my brothers. He has kept us safe and has given us the army that came against us. ²⁴ Who would listen to you about this? The share of those who stay by our things will be the same as the share of those who go to the battle. They will share alike.” ²⁵ He made it a law for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the things he had taken in battle to the leaders of Judah, his friends. He said, “See, here is a gift for you from what was taken from those who hate the Lord. ²⁷ It is for those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir, ²⁸ Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, ²⁹ and Racal. It is for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, ³⁰ Hormah, Borashan, Athach, ³¹ Hebron, and all the places where David and his men have gone many times.”

Saul Kills Himself

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. And the men of Israel ran from the Philistines and were killed and fell on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines came after Saul and his sons. They killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua. ³ The battle went against Saul. The men who used the bow hit him with arrows and hurt him very much. ⁴ Then Saul said to the one who carried his battle-clothes, “Take your sword and cut through me with it. Or these men who have not gone through our religious act will come and kill me with the sword and make fun of me.” But the one who carried his battle-clothes would not do it, for he was filled with fear. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the one who carried his battle-clothes saw that Saul was dead, he fell on his sword also, and died with him. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, the one who carried his battle-clothes, and all his men, died that day together.

⁷ The men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left the cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in them. ⁸ When the Philistines came to rob the dead the next day, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off Saul’s head and took his sword and battle-clothes, and sent them through the land of the Philistines. They sent them to carry the good news to the house of their gods and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his sword and battle-clothes in the house of their god Ashtaroth. And they tied his body to the wall of Beth-shan. ¹¹ When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the men with strength of heart went and walked all night. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh. There they burned them. ¹³ They took

their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh. And they did not eat for seven days.