1 Samuel

Chapter 1

¹ Now {there} was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name {was} Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² And two wives {were} to him. The name of the one {was} Hannah, and the name of the second {was} Peninnah. And children were to Peninnah, but to Hannah children {were} not. ³ And that man went up from his city from days to days to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Armies in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, {were} there. ⁴ And it was the day, and Elkanah sacrificed, and he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all of her sons and her daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he gave one portion {for} two faces, for he loved Hannah but Yahweh had shut her womb, ⁶ but her adversary also provoked her {with} provocation in order to make her thunder, because Yahweh had shut up her womb. ⁷ And thus he did year by year; according to her going up to the house of Yahweh, thus she would provoke her. And she wept and did not eat. ⁸ And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart bad? {Am} I not better for you than ten sons?” ⁹ And Hannah arose after eating and after drinking in Shiloh. (Now Eli the priest was sitting on a seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh.) ¹⁰ And she {was} bitter of soul, and she prayed to Yahweh, and weeping, she wept. ¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and she said, “Yahweh of Armies, if looking, you will look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me and not forget your maidservant and give to your maidservant a seed of men, then I will give him to Yahweh all of the days of his life, and a razor will not go up on his head.” ¹² And it happened, as she made much to pray to the face of Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³ Now Hannah, she was speaking in her heart. Only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard. So Eli considered her to {be} drunk. ¹⁴ And Eli said to her, “Until when will you make yourself drunk? Remove your wine from you!” ¹⁵ And Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, a woman sorrowful of spirit {am} I. And wine and beer I have not drunk, but I have been pouring out my soul to the face of Yahweh. ¹⁶ Do not give your maidservant to the face of a daughter of wickedness. For from the abundance of my complaint and my provocation I have been speaking until now.” ¹⁷ And Eli answered and said, “Go in peace. And may the God of Israel grant your request that you requested from him.” ¹⁸ And she said, “May your maidservant find favor in your eyes.” And the woman went on her way, and she ate. And her face was no longer to her. ¹⁹ And they arose early in the morning and worshiped to the face of Yahweh. Then they returned and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her. ²⁰ And it happened, in the turning of the days, that Hannah conceived and bore a son. And she called his name Samuel, for “I requested him from Yahweh.” ²¹ And the man Elkanah and all of his house went up to sacrifice to Yahweh the sacrifice of the days and his vow. ²² But Hannah did not go up. For she said to her husband, “Until the boy is weaned, then I will bring him. And he will be seen at the face of Yahweh and dwell there forever.” ²³ And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do the good in your eyes. Stay until you have weaned him. Only may Yahweh raise up his word.” And the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. ²⁴ And she brought him up with her when she had weaned him, with three bulls and one ephah {of} flour and a skin of wine. And she brought him {to} the house of Yahweh {at} Shiloh. (Now the boy was a boy.) ²⁵ And they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶ And she said, “Please, my lord! The life of your soul, my lord, I {am} the woman having stationed herself with you in this {place} to pray to Yahweh. ²⁷ For this boy I prayed, and Yahweh gave to me my request that I requested from him. ²⁸ And also I have granted him to Yahweh; all of the days that he is, he {is} granted to Yahweh.” And he worshiped Yahweh there.

Chapter 2

¹ And Hannah prayed and said,

     “My heart rejoices in Yahweh,

         my horn is high in Yahweh.

     My mouth {is} wide against my enemies,

         for I rejoice in your salvation.

     ² None {is} holy like Yahweh.

         Indeed, {there is} none besides you,

         and {there is} no rock like our God.

     ³ May you not multiply, may you {not} speak, haughty, haughty!

         Let the arrogant go out from your mouth.

     For Yahweh {is} a God of knowledge,

         and by him actions are weighed.

     ⁴ The bow of the mighty are broken,

         but the stumbling ones gird on strength.

     ⁵ The satisfied hire themselves out for bread,

         but the hungry cease.

     Even the barren bears seven,

         but the plenteous of sons languishes.

     ⁶ Yahweh makes die and makes alive,

         causing to go down to Sheol and causing to come up.

     ⁷ Yahweh is making poor and making rich,

         bringing down yet bringing up.

     ⁸ Raising the poor from the dust,

         he lifts up the needy from the trash heap

     to make {them} sit with nobles,

         and he makes them inherit a seat of honor.

     For the pillars of the earth {are} to Yahweh,

         and he has set the world on them.

     ⁹ He will keep the feet of his faithful ones,

         but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.

     For not by strength does a man prevail.

         ¹⁰ {By} Yahweh, the ones opposing him will be shattered.

     He will make thunder against him in the heavens.

         Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.

     And he will give strength to his king

         and lift up the horn of his anointed one.”

¹¹ Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. And the boy was serving Yahweh at the face of Eli the priest. ¹² Now the sons of Eli {were} sons of wickedness. They did not know Yahweh. ¹³ Now the custom of the priests with the people {was}, {when} any man was sacrificing a sacrifice, that the servant of the priest would come at the boiling of the meat, and a fork {with} three prongs {was} in his hand, ¹⁴ and he would thrust {it} into the pan or into the kettle or into the cauldron or into the pot. All that the fork brought up, the priest would take with him. Thus they did to all of Israel, {to} the ones coming there at Shiloh. ¹⁵ Also, before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would come, and he would say to the man sacrificing, “Give meat to the priest to roast, and he will not take boiled meat from you, if not raw.” ¹⁶ And the man would say to him, “Burning, let them burn the fat as the day, then take for yourself what your soul desires.” But he would say, “No, but you shall give now, and if not, I will take by force.” ¹⁷ So the sin of the young men {was} very great at the face of Yahweh. For the men disdained the offering of Yahweh. ¹⁸ Now Samuel was serving at the face of Yahweh, a boy girded {with} an ephod of linen. ¹⁹ And his mother would make a small robe for him, and she would bring {it} to him from days to days, in her coming up with her husband to sacrifice the sacrifice of the days. ²⁰ And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and would say, “May Yahweh give seed to you from this woman in place of the request that one requested of Yahweh.” And they would go to his place. ²¹ For Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew with Yahweh. ²² Now Eli was very old. And he heard all that his sons were doing to all of Israel and that they were lying with the women serving {at} the entrance of the tent of meeting. ²³ And he said to them, “Why do you do like these things, that I am hearing evil things of you from all of these people? ²⁴ No, my sons! For the report {is} not good that I am hearing the people of Yahweh passing on. ²⁵ If a man sins against a man, then God will intercede for him, but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for Yahweh desired to make them die. ²⁶ But the boy Samuel was going and growing and {was} good both with Yahweh and also with men. ²⁷ And a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Revealing myself, did I {not} reveal myself to the house of your father in their being in Egypt, to the house of Pharaoh? ²⁸ And I chose him from all of the tribes of Israel for myself for a priest, to go up on my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod to my face. And I gave to the house of your father all of the gifts of the sons of Israel. ²⁹ Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering that I commanded {for} the Dwelling and honor your sons more than me by the fattening of yourselves from the first of every offering of Israel, of my people? ³⁰ ‘Therefore’—the declaration of Yahweh, the God of Israel—‘saying, I said your house and the house of your father would walk about to my face forever. But now’—the declaration of Yahweh—‘profane to me! For the ones honoring me, I will honor, but the ones disdaining me, they will despise. ³¹ Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your arm and the arm of the house of your father from the being of an old man in your house. ³² And you will see the distress of the Dwelling, in all that he will do good with Israel. And an old man will not be in your house all of the days. ³³ But I will not cut off a man to you from near my altar, to make your eyes fail and to make your soul grieve. And all of the increase of your house will die {as} men. ³⁴ And this {is} the sign for you that will come to the two of your sons, to Hophni and Phinehas: in one day the two of them will die. ³⁵ And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do just as {is} in my heart and in my soul. And I will build for him an established house, and he will walk about to the face of my anointed all of the days. ³⁶ And it will happen that every remaining one in your house will come to bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and he will say, “Please assign me to one of the priestly positions to eat a piece of bread.”’”

Chapter 3

¹ Now the boy Samuel was serving Yahweh to the face of Eli. And the word of Yahweh was rare in those days; vision {was} not spread. ² And it happened in that day that Eli was lying down in his place. Now his eyes had begun {to be} dim; he was not able to see. ³ And the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where the Box of God was there. ⁴ And Yahweh called to Samuel. And he said, “Behold me.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Behold me, for you called to me.” But he said, “I did not call. Go back, lie down.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ And Yahweh resumed calling Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Behold me, for you called to me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son. Go back, lie down.” ⁷ (Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, for the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him.) ⁸ And Yahweh resumed calling Samuel for a third {time}. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Behold me, for you called to me.” Then Eli understood that Yahweh was calling to the boy. ⁹ And Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. And it will happen that, if he calls to you, then you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰ And Yahweh came and stationed himself and called as time upon time, “Samuel, Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” ¹¹ And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Behold, I am doing a thing in Israel that everyone hearing it, the two of his ears will tingle. ¹² In that day I will raise up against Eli all of what I have spoken against his house, beginning and ending. ¹³ Now I have declared to him that I am judging his house forever for the iniquity that he knew. For his sons have been cursing themselves, but he has not restrained them. ¹⁴ And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘If forever the iniquity of the house of Eli will cover itself by sacrifice or by offering!’” ¹⁵ And Samuel lay until the morning, then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. But Samuel was afraid of telling the vision to Eli. ¹⁶ But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Behold me.” ¹⁷ And he said, “What {was} the word that he spoke to you? Please do not hide {it} from me. Thus may God do to you, and thus may he add, if you hide from me a word from all of the word that he spoke to you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel declared to him all of the words, and he did not hide {anything} from him. And he said, “It {is} Yahweh. May he do the good in his eyes.” ¹⁹ And Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and he did not cause {anything} from all of his words to fall to the ground. ²⁰ So all of Israel, from Dan and unto Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of Yahweh. ²¹ And Yahweh continued to appear in Shiloh. For Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Yahweh.

Chapter 4

¹ And the word of Samuel was to all of Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle. And they camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek. ² And the Philistines arrayed to meet Israel, and the battle spread, and Israel was struck to the face of the Philistines. And they struck in the array in the field about 4,000 men. ³ And the people came into the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why did Yahweh strike us today to the face of the Philistines? Let us take for ourselves from Shiloh the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh, and it will come in our midst, and it will save us from the palm of our enemies.” ⁴ So the people sent to Shiloh, and they lifted from there the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh of Armies, sitter on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, {were} there with the Box of the Covenant of God. ⁵ And it happened at the coming of the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh into the camp that all of Israel shouted a great shout, and the earth resounded. ⁶ And the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, and they said, “What {is} the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they learned that the Box of Yahweh had come into the camp. ⁷ And the Philistines feared, for they said, “A god has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For it was not like this yesterday {or} the third day! ⁸ Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are they, the gods who struck the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness. ⁹ Strengthen yourselves and be men, Philistines, lest you serve for the Hebrews, just as they have served for you. So be men and fight!” ¹⁰ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck and fled, a man to his tent. And it was a very great striking, for 30,000 foot soldiers from Israel fell. ¹¹ And the Box of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. ¹² And a man of Benjamin ran from the array and entered Shiloh on that day. And his clothes were torn, and earth was on his head. ¹³ And he came, and behold, Eli was sitting on a seat at the side of the road, watching, for his heart {was} afraid concerning the Box of God. And the man came into the city to report, and all of the city cried out. ¹⁴ And Eli heard the sound of the outcry, and he said, “What {is} the sound of this tumult?” And the man hurried and came and reported to Eli. ¹⁵ Now Eli {was} a son of 98 years. And his eyes had set, and he was not able to see. ¹⁶ And the man said to Eli, “I {am} the one coming from the array, and I myself fled from the array today.” And he said, “What was the event, my son?” ¹⁷ And the one bringing news answered and said, “Israel fled to the face of the Philistines. And also a great slaughter has been among the people. And also the two of your sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have died, and the Box of God has been taken.” ¹⁸ And it happened, in his mentioning of the Box of God, that he fell backward from upon the seat at the side of the gate. And his neck was broken, and he died, for the man {was} old and heavy. And he had judged Israel 40 years. ¹⁹ Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, {was} pregnant, {about} to give birth. And she heard the report about the Box of God being taken and {that} her father-in-law had died and her husband. And she knelt down and gave birth, for her pangs turned themselves upon her. ²⁰ And about the time of her dying, then the ones standing over her said, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, for she did not set her heart. ²¹ And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” about the Box of God being taken and about her father-in-law and her husband. ²² Now she said “the glory has departed from Israel” because the Box of God had been taken.

Chapter 5

¹ Now the Philistines had taken the Box of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ² And the Philistines took the Box of God and caused it to enter the house of Dagon. And they placed it beside Dagon. ³ And the Ashdodites arose early on the next day, and behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground to the face of the Box of Yahweh. And they took Dagon and returned him to his place. ⁴ And they arose early in the morning on the next day, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground to the face of the Box of Yahweh. And the head of Dagon and the two of the palms of his hands were cut off, on the threshold. Only Dagon was left on him. ⁵ (Therefore the priests of Dagon and all of the ones entering the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, up to this day.) ⁶ And the hand of Yahweh was heavy on the Ashdodites, and he devastated them and struck them with tumors, Ashdod and its borders. ⁷ And the men of Ashdod saw that {it was} thus, and they said, “The Box of the God of Israel should not stay with us, for his hand is severe against us and against Dagon our god.” ⁸ So they sent and gathered all of the lords of the Philistines to them, and they said, “What shall we do with the Box of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Let the Box of the God of Israel go around {to} Gath.” So they brought around the Box of the God of Israel. ⁹ And it happened after they brought it around that the hand of Yahweh was on the city, a very great tumult. And he struck the men of the city from small and unto great. And tumors broke out on them. ¹⁰ So they sent the Box of God {to} Ekron. And it happened as the Box of God entered Ekron that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought around to me the Box of the God of Israel to kill me and my people!” ¹¹ And they sent and gathered all of the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send away the Box of the God of Israel that it may return to its place, and it will not kill me and my people!” For there was a tumult of death in all of the city. The hand of God {was} very heavy there. ¹² And the men who did not die were struck with tumors. And the cry of the city went up to the heavens.

Chapter 6

¹ And the Box of Yahweh was in the field of the Philistines seven months. ² And the Philistines called to the priests and to the diviners, saying, “What should we do with the Box of Yahweh? Cause us to know with what we should send it to its place.” ³ And they said, “If you are sending away the Box of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but returning, return to him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand has not turned from you.” ⁴ And they said, “What {is} the guilt offering that we should return to him?” And they said, “From the number of the lords of the Philistines, five tumors of gold and five mice of gold, for one plague was to all of them and to your lords. ⁵ And you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice, the ones destroying the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from upon you and from upon your gods and from upon your land. ⁶ And why do you make your heart heavy, just as the Egyptians and Pharaoh made their heart heavy? When he dealt severely with them, did they not send them away, and they went? ⁷ And now, take and make a new cart, and two nursing cows upon which a yoke has not gone up. And you shall harness the cows to the cart, but you shall return their calves from behind them to the house. ⁸ And you shall take the Box of Yahweh and put it into the cart, and you shall set the objects of gold that you are returning to him {as} a guilt offering in a box by its side. And you shall send it away, that it may go. ⁹ And you shall look; if it goes up the way of its border, {to} Beth Shemesh, he has done this great harm to us. But if not, then we will know that his hand has not touched us; it has happened to us {by} chance.” ¹⁰ And the men did thus, for they took two nursing cows, and they harnessed them to the cart, but they shut up their calves in the house. ¹¹ And they set the Box of Yahweh in the cart and the box and the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. ¹² And the cows went straight in the way on the way of Beth Shemesh. They went in one path, going and lowing, and they did not turn {to} the right or {to} the left. And the lords of the Philistines were going after them unto the border of Beth Shemesh. ¹³ Now Beth Shemesh was harvesting the harvest of wheat in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes, and they saw the Box, and they rejoiced to see {it}. ¹⁴ And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Bethshemite, and it stood still there. Now a great stone was there. And they broke up the wood of the cart, and they offered the cows {as} a burnt offering to Yahweh. ¹⁵ Now the Levites had taken down the Box of Yahweh and the box that {was} with it, in which were the objects of gold, and they had set {them} on the great stone. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to Yahweh. ¹⁶ And the five lords of the Philistines saw, and they returned {to} Ekron on that day. ¹⁷ And these {are} the tumors of gold that the Philistines returned {as} a guilt offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod, one; for Gaza, one; for Ashkelon, one; for Gath, one; for Ekron, one. ¹⁸ And the mice of gold {were} from the number of all of the cities of the Philistines {that were} to the five lords, from the city of fortification and to the village of the countryside and to the great Abel, on which they rested the Box of Yahweh. {It is} in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite up to this day. ¹⁹ But he struck among the men of Beth Shemesh because they looked into the Box of Yahweh. And he struck among the people 70 men, 50,000 men. And the people mourned because Yahweh had struck a great striking among the people. ²⁰ And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand to the face of Yahweh, this holy God? And to whom will he go up from upon us?” ²¹ And they sent messengers to the dwellers of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the Box of Yahweh. Come down and bring it up to you.”

Chapter 7

¹ And the men of Kiriath Jearim came and lifted up the Box of Yahweh and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the Box of Yahweh. ² And it happened from the day of the dwelling of the Box in Kiriath Jearim that the days were many, and they were 20 years. And all of the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh. ³ And Samuel spoke to all of the house of Israel, saying “If with all of your heart you are returning to Yahweh, remove the gods of the foreigner and the Ashtoreths from your midst and direct your heart toward Yahweh and serve him alone, and he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ And the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and they served Yahweh alone. ⁵ And Samuel said, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to Yahweh.” ⁶ And they gathered at Mizpah, and they drew water and poured {it} to the face of Yahweh. And they fasted on that day, and they said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah. ⁷ And the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered themselves at Mizpah, and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And the sons of Israel heard, and they feared from the face of the Philistines. ⁸ And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease from crying out for us to Yahweh our God, and may he save us from the hand of the Philistines!” ⁹ And Samuel took a lamb of milk, and he offered it, a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. And Samuel cried out to Yahweh for Israel, and Yahweh answered him. ¹⁰ And Samuel was offering the burnt offering, and the Philistines approached for battle with Israel. And Yahweh thundered with a great sound on that day against the Philistines, and he panicked them, and they were beaten to the face of Israel. ¹¹ For the men of Israel went out from Mizpah, and they pursued the Philistines, and they struck them unto below Beth Kar. ¹² And Samuel took a stone and set {it} up between Mizpah and between Shen. And he called its name Ebenezer, for he said, “Unto here has Yahweh helped us.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not resume again to enter into the border of Israel. And the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all of the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ And the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel returned to Israel, from Ekron and unto Gath, and Israel delivered their border from the hand of the Philistines. And peace was between Israel and between the Amorite. ¹⁵ And Samuel judged Israel all of the days of his life. ¹⁶ And he went according to year by year and went around Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel {in} all of those places. ¹⁷ And his return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and there he judged Israel. And he built an altar there to Yahweh.

Chapter 8

¹ And it happened, when Samuel had aged, that he appointed his sons judges of Israel. ² And the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah, judges in Beersheba. ³ But his sons did not walk in his ways, for they turned aside after dishonest gain, and they took a bribe, and they turned aside justice. ⁴ And all of the elders of Israel gathered together, and they came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ And they said to him, “Behold, you yourself have aged, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us, like all of the nations.” ⁶ And the thing was bad in the eyes of Samuel when they said, “Give to us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to Yahweh. ⁷ And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people according to all that they have said to you. For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from reigning over them. ⁸ According to all of the deeds that they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt and up to this day, that they have forsaken me and served other gods, thus they are doing also to you. ⁹ And now, listen to their voice, only that warning, you shall warn them and declare to them the custom of the king who will reign over them.” ¹⁰ And Samuel told all of the words of Yahweh to the people requesting a king from him. ¹¹ And he said, “This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint {them} for himself in his chariot and among his horsemen, and they will run to the face of his chariot. ¹² And {he will} appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and to plow his plowing, and to harvest his harvest, and to make the implements of his war and the implements of his chariot. ¹³ And he will take your daughters for perfumers and for cooks and for bakers. ¹⁴ And your fields and your vineyards and your olive trees, the best {ones}, he will take and give to his servants. ¹⁵ And your seeds and your vintages, he will tithe and give to his officials and to his servants. ¹⁶ And your male servants and your female servants and your young men, the best {ones}, and your donkeys, he will take and use for his work. ¹⁷ Your flock, he will tithe, and you yourselves will be to him for servants. ¹⁸ And you will cry out on that day from to the face of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you on that day.” ¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But surely a king will be over us. ²⁰ And we ourselves shall also be like all of the nations. And our king shall judge us and go out to our face and fight our battles.” ²¹ And Samuel heard all of the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of Yahweh. ²² And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and you shall make a king reign over them.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, a man to his city.”

Chapter 9

¹ Now {there} was a man from Benjamin, and his name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a man, a Benjaminite, mighty of valor. ² And a son was to him, and his name {was} Saul, a youth and good, and no man from the sons of Israel {was} better than him. From his shoulder and upward {he was} taller than all of the people. ³ Now the female donkeys of Kish, the father of Saul, became lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, “Please take one of the servants with you and arise, go seek the female donkeys.” ⁴ And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and he passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find {them}. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but nothing. And he passed through the land of the Benjaminite, but they did not find {them}. ⁵ They came into the land of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father cease from the female donkeys and become concerned about us.” ⁶ And he said to him, “Behold, please, a man of God {is} in this city, and the man is honored. All that he speaks, coming, it comes. Now let us go there. Perhaps he will declare to us our way on which we have gone.” ⁷ And Saul said to his servant, “Now behold, we shall go, but what shall we bring to the man? For the bread has gone from our sacks and {there is} no gift to bring to the man of God. What {is} with us?” ⁸ And the servant resumed to answer Saul, and he said, “Behold, one fourth of a shekel of silver has been found in my hand. And I will give {it} to the man of God, and he will declare to us our way.” ⁹ (Previously in Israel, a man said thus in his going to seek God: “Come, and let us go to the seer.” For the prophet today was called the seer previously.) ¹⁰ And Saul said to his servant, “Your word is good. Come, let us go.” And they went to the city where the man of God was there. ¹¹ They were going up on the ascent of the city, and they found young women going out to draw water. And they said to them, “Is the seer in this {place}?” ¹² And they answered them and said, “He is, behold, to your face. Hurry now, for he has come to the city today because the sacrifice of the day {is} to the people at the high place. ¹³ In your entering the city, thus you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, for he himself will bless the sacrifice; after this, the invited {ones} will eat. And now, go up, for him, according to today you will find him.” ¹⁴ So they went up {to} the city. They were entering into the midst of the city, and behold, Samuel was coming out to meet them to go up {to} the high place. ¹⁵ Now Yahweh had uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying: ¹⁶ “About {this} time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him as ruler over my people Israel. And he will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, for its cry has come to me.” ¹⁷ And Samuel saw Saul, and Yahweh answered him, “Behold the man {about} whom I spoke to you! This {one} will restrain my people.” ¹⁸ And Saul approached Samuel in the midst of the gate. And he said, “Please declare to me, where {is} this, the house of the seer?” ¹⁹ And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I {am} the seer. Go up to my face to the high place, and you shall eat with me today. And I will send you away in the morning, and I will declare to you all that {is} in your heart. ²⁰ Now as for the female donkeys to you having become lost today, three days, do not set your heart to them, for they have been found. Now to whom is all of the desire of Israel? {Is it} not to you and to all of the house of your father?” ²¹ And Saul answered and said, “{Am} I not a Benjamite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and {is not} my clan the least of all of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? So why have you spoken to me according to this word?” ²² But Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them to the room. And he gave to them a place at the head of the invited {ones}. (Now they {were} about 30 men.) ²³ And Samuel said to the cook, “Give the portion that I gave to you, {about} which I said to you, ‘Set it with you.’” ²⁴ And the cook lifted the thigh and the {thing} on it, and he set {it} to the face of Saul. And he said, “Behold, the reserved {thing} is set to your face. Eat, for {it has been} kept for you for the appointed time, saying, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel on that day. ²⁵ And they came down from the high place {to} the city. And he spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶ And they arose early. And it happened, as the dawn came up, that Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Arise, and I will send you away.” And Saul arose, and the two of them went out, he and Samuel, to the outside. ²⁷ They were going down to the end of the city, and Samuel said to Saul, “Speak to the servant, that he may pass on to our face” (and he passed on), “but you, stand according to today, and I will make you hear the word of God.”

Chapter 10

¹ And Samuel took a flask of oil and poured {it} on his head, and he kissed him. And he said, “{Is it} not that Yahweh has anointed you as ruler over his inheritance? ² In your going today from with me, then you will find two men near the tomb of Rachel in the border of Benjamin in Zelzah. And they will say to you, ‘The female donkeys that you went to seek have been found. And behold, your father has abandoned the matters of the female donkeys and has become concerned about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ ³ And you will go on from there and farther, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. And three men going up to God {at} Bethel will find you there, one carrying three young goats and one carrying three loaves of bread and one carrying a skin of wine. ⁴ And they will ask about you regarding peace, and they will give to you two {loaves of} bread, and you shall take {them} from their hand. ⁵ After this you will come {to} Gibeah of God, where the garrisons of the Philistines {are} there. And it will happen, in your coming there {to} the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place. And to their face {will be} a harp and a tambourine and a flute and a lyre. And they will be prophesying. ⁶ And the Spirit of Yahweh will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them. And you will be changed into another man. ⁷ And let it be, when these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds, for God is with you. ⁸ But go down to my face {to} Gilgal. And behold, I will be coming down to you to offer burnt offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. May you wait seven days until my coming to you, and I will make known to you what you shall do.” ⁹ And it happened, as he turned his shoulder to go from with Samuel, that God changed to him another heart. And all of these signs came on that day. ¹⁰ And they came there to Gibeah, and behold, a group of prophets met him. And the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied in their midst. ¹¹ And it happened that every {one} knowing him from yesterday and the third day saw, and behold, {he was} prophesying with the prophets, and the people said, a man to his neighbor, “What {is} this {that} has happened to the son of Kish? {Is} Saul also among the prophets?” ¹² And a man from there answered and said, “And who {is} their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³ And he ceased from prophesying, and he came to the high place. ¹⁴ And the uncle of Saul said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the female donkeys. And we saw that {they were} not, so we came to Samuel.” ¹⁵ And the uncle of Saul said, “Please declare to me what Samuel said to you.” ¹⁶ And Saul said to his uncle, “Declaring, he declared to us that the female donkeys had been found.” But he did not declare to him the word of the kingship that Samuel had said. ¹⁷ And Samuel summoned the people to Yahweh at Mizpah. ¹⁸ And he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘I myself brought up Israel from Egypt. And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all of the kingdoms oppressing you.’ ¹⁹ But you today have rejected your God, him who is saving you from all of your calamities and your distresses. And you have said to him that ‘you shall set a king over us.’ And now, station yourselves to the face of Yahweh according to your tribes and according to your thousands.” ²⁰ And Samuel brought near all of the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. ²¹ And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans, and the clan of the Matrite was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken, so they sought him, but he was not found. ²² So they asked of Yahweh again, “Has the man come here yet?” And Yahweh said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the bags.” ²³ And they ran, and they took him from there. And he stationed himself in the midst of the people. And he was taller than any of the people from his shoulder and upward. ²⁴ And Samuel said to all of the people, “Do you see upon whom Yahweh has chosen? For {there is} no one like him among all of the people!” And all of the people shouted and said, “May the king live!” ²⁵ And Samuel spoke to the people the custom of the kingship, and he wrote {it} in a book, and he made {it} rest to the face of Yahweh. And Samuel sent away all of the people, a man to his house. ²⁶ And Saul also went to his house at Gibeah. And with him went the mighty whom God had touched upon their hearts. ²⁷ But some sons of wickedness said, “How shall this {one} save us?” And they despised him, and they did not bring a gift to him. But he was like one being silent.

Chapter 11

¹ Now Nahash the Ammonite came up and camped against Jabesh Gilead. And all of the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Cut a covenant for us, and we will serve you.” ² And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “By this I will cut for you, in the gouging of every right eye of you. And I will set it {as} a disgrace against all of Israel.” ³ And the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone seven days, and let us send messengers through all of the border of Israel. And if {there is} no one saving us, then we will go out to you.” ⁴ And the messengers came {to} Gibeah of Saul, and they spoke the words in the ears of the people. And all of the people lifted up their voice and wept. ⁵ And behold, Saul was coming behind the oxen from the field. And Saul said, “What {is} to the people, that they are weeping?” And they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶ And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul in his hearing these words. And his nose burned greatly. ⁷ And he took a pair of cattle and cut it into pieces, and he sent through all of the border of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever is not going out behind Saul and behind Samuel, thus shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of Yahweh fell on the people, and they went out as one man. ⁸ And he mustered them at Bezek. And the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah {were} 30,000. ⁹ And they said to the messengers having come, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow deliverance will be for you, at the heat of the sun.’” And the messengers went and declared {this} to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced. ¹⁰ And the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will go out to you. And you may do to us according to all of the good in your eyes.” ¹¹ And it happened on the next day that Saul put the people {into} three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp during the watch of the morning, and they struck Ammon until the heat of the day. And it happened that the {ones} being left scattered, and two among them were not left together. ¹² And the people said to Samuel, “Who {are} the {ones} having said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Give the men, that we may make them die.” ¹³ But Saul said, “A man shall not be made to die on this day. For today Yahweh has done deliverance in Israel.” ¹⁴ And Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go {to} Gilgal, and let us renew the kingship there.” ¹⁵ And all of the people went {to} Gilgal, and there they caused Saul to reign to the face of Yahweh at Gilgal. And there they sacrificed sacrifices, peace offerings, to the face of Yahweh. And Saul and all of the men of Israel rejoiced there unto abundance.

Chapter 12

¹ And Samuel said to all of Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice according to all of what you said to me, and I have made a king reign over you. ² And now, behold, the king is walking to your faces. Now I myself have aged and have become gray-headed and my sons, behold them with you. Now I myself have walked to your faces from my youth up to this day. ³ Behold me! Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. The ox of whom have I taken, or the donkey of whom have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from the hand of whom have I taken a bribe and I veiled my eyes with it? And I will restore {it} to you.” ⁴ And they said, “You have not defrauded us, and you have not oppressed us, and you have not taken anything from the hand of a man.” ⁵ And he said to them, “Yahweh {is} a witness against you, and his anointed {is} a witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And he said, “Witness.” ⁶ And Samuel said to the people, “{It was} Yahweh who made Moses and Aaron and who brought up your fathers from the land of Egypt. ⁷ And now, station yourselves and let me be judged with you to the face of Yahweh with all of the righteousness of Yahweh that he has done with you and with your fathers. ⁸ When Jacob had entered Egypt and your fathers cried out to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought out your fathers from Egypt and they made them dwell in this place. ⁹ But they forgot Yahweh their God. So he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought with them. ¹⁰ Then they cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. And now, deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹ So Yahweh sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel. And he delivered you from the hand of your enemies from all around, and you dwelled in security. ¹² But you saw that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, was coming against you, and you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ though Yahweh your God {was} your king. ¹³ But now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have requested. And behold, Yahweh has given a king over you. ¹⁴ If you fear Yahweh and serve him and listen to his voice and do not rebel against the mouth of Yahweh, then you will be, both you and the king who reigns over you, after Yahweh your God. ¹⁵ But if you do not listen to the voice of Yahweh and you rebel against the mouth of Yahweh, then the hand of Yahweh will be against you and against your fathers. ¹⁶ Even now station yourselves and see this great thing that Yahweh is doing before your eyes. ¹⁷ {Is it} not the harvest of wheat today? I will call to Yahweh, and he will give thunder and rain. And know and see that your evil that you have done is great in the eyes of Yahweh, to request a king for yourselves.” ¹⁸ Then Samuel called upon Yahweh, and Yahweh gave thunder and rain on that day. And all of the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel. ¹⁹ And all of the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we may not die. For we have added evil onto all of our sins by the requesting of a king for ourselves.” ²⁰ And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You yourselves have done all of this evil, but do not turn aside from after Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all of your heart. ²¹ And do not turn aside, for after the nothingness that does not profit and does not deliver, for they {are} nothingness. ²² For Yahweh will not forsake his people, because of his great name. For Yahweh was pleased to make you into a people for himself. ²³ Also, {for} me, profane to me from sinning against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you! And I will instruct you in the good and straight way. ²⁴ But fear Yahweh and serve him in faithfulness with all of your heart. For see what he has made great with you! ²⁵ But if doing wickedly, you do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”

Chapter 13

¹ Saul {was} a son of a year in his becoming king, and he reigned over Israel two years. ² And Saul chose for himself 3,000 from Israel. And 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people, he sent away, a man to his tent. ³ And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that {was} at Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew upon a shofar in all of the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” ⁴ And all of Israel heard, saying, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines, and now Israel has made itself stink among the Philistines.” And the people were summoned after Saul {to} Gilgal. ⁵ And the Philistines gathered themselves to fight with Israel: 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea for abundance. And they went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. ⁶ And a man of Israel saw that it was narrow to him, for the people were distressed. And the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in cliffs and in pits and in cisterns. ⁷ And Hebrews crossed the Jordan {to} the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul, he {was} still at Gilgal, and all of the people trembled after him. ⁸ And he waited seven days to the appointed time that Samuel. But Samuel did not come {to} Gilgal, and the people were scattering from beside him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰ And it happened, as he finished offering the burnt offering that, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him to bless him. ¹¹ And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people had scattered from beside me and you yourself had not come by the appointed time of days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, ¹² then I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me {at} Gilgal, but I have not entreated the face of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself, and I offered the burnt offering.” ¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the command of Yahweh your God that he commanded you. For now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom will not stand. Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his heart, and Yahweh has commanded him to {be} ruler over his people, for you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.” ¹⁵ And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people being found with him, about 600 men. ¹⁶ Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the people being found with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines had camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ And the destroyer went out from the camp of the Philistines, three companies. One company turned to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual, ¹⁸ and one company turned the way of Beth Horon, and one company turned the way of the border looking down upon the Valley of Zeboyim, toward the wilderness. ¹⁹ Now a blacksmith was not found in all of the land of Israel. For the Philistines had said, “Lest the Hebrews make a sword or a spear.” ²⁰ And all of Israel went down {to} the Philistines, a man to sharpen his plow blade and his pick and his axe and his sickle. ²¹ And the charge was a pim for plowshares and for picks and for a three-fork and for axes and for straightening the goad. ²² So it was on the day of battle that a sword or spear {was} not found in the hand of any of the people who {were} with Saul and with Jonathan, but one was found for Saul and for his son Jonathan. ²³ Now a garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Chapter 14

¹ And it happened one day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man carrying his equipment, “Come, and let us cross over to the garrison of the Philistines that {is} across from here.” But he did not declare {this} to his father. ² Now Saul was staying at the edge of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that {is} in Migron. And the people who {were} with him {were} about 600 men ³ and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh at Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. ⁴ Now within the passes that Jonathan sought to pass through to the garrison of the Philistines {were} the tooth of a rock on the side from that and the tooth of a rock on the side from this. And the name of the one {was} Bozez, and the name of the {other} one {was} Seneh. ⁵ The tooth of the one {was} a pillar from the north before Michmash, and the {other} one {was} from the south before Geba. ⁶ And Jonathan said to the young man carrying his equipment, “Come, and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised {ones}! Perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for {there is} no hindrance to Yahweh to save by many or by few.” ⁷ And the carrier of his equipment said to him, “Do all that {is} in your heart. Turn yourself; behold me, with you according to your heart.” ⁸ And Jonathan said, “Behold, we will be crossing over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them. ⁹ If thus they say to us, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stand under us, and we will not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if thus they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hand, and this {will be} the sign for us.” ¹¹ And the two of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Behold, Hebrews are coming out from the holes where they have hidden themselves there.” ¹² And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and the carrier of his equipment and said, “Come up to us, and let us make you know a thing.” And Jonathan said to the carrier of his equipment, “Come up after me, for Yahweh has given them into the hand of Israel.” ¹³ And Jonathan went up on his hands and on his feet, and the carrier of his equipment {was} behind him. And they fell to the face of Jonathan, and the carrier of his equipment was killing behind him. ¹⁴ And the first striking that Jonathan and the carrier of his equipment struck was about 20 men {in} about half of a furrow {of} a yoke of a field. ¹⁵ And {there} was trembling in the camp in the field and among all of the people. The garrison and the destroyer, even they trembled. And the earth quaked, and it became a trembling of God. ¹⁶ And the watchmen {who were} to Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was being melted and went, even here. ¹⁷ And Saul said to the people who {were} with him, “Muster, please, and see who has gone from with us.” And they mustered, and behold, {there was} no Jonathan or the carrier of his equipment. ¹⁸ And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the Box of God.” For the Box of God was with the sons of Israel on that day. ¹⁹ And it happened, while Saul spoke to the priest, that the tumult that {was} in the camp of the Philistines, that going, it went and became great. And Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” ²⁰ And Saul and all of the people who {were} with him were called together, and they came to the battle. And behold, the sword of a man was against his fellow, a very great tumult. ²¹ Now some Hebrews were to the Philistines according to yesterday and the third day who had gone up with them into the camp all around. But even they {became} to be with Israel who {was} with Saul and Jonathan. ²² And all of the men of Israel having hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, and they pursued after them, they too, in the battle. ²³ And Yahweh saved Israel on that day. And the battle passed over Beth Aven. ²⁴ But the men of Israel were distressed on that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed {is} the man who eats bread until the evening and I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So all of the people had not tasted bread. ²⁵ And the whole land came into a forest, and honey was on the face of the ground. ²⁶ And the people came into the forest, and behold, the flowing of honey! But no one was reaching his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people. So he extended the end of the staff that {was} in his hand, and he dipped it into a comb of honey. And he returned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ And a man from the people answered and said, “Adjuring, your father adjured the people, saying, ‘Cursed {is} the man who eats bread today.’ So the people are faint.” ²⁹ And Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See, please, that my eyes have brightened because I have tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much more that if eating, the people had eaten today from the plunder of their enemies that they found! For now the striking against the Philistines has not been great.” ³¹ And on that day they struck the Philistines from Michmash {to} Aijalon. But the people were very faint. ³² And the people swooped down upon the plunder, and they took sheep and cattle and sons of cattle, and they slaughtered {them} on the ground. And the people ate with the blood. ³³ Then they declared to Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh by eating with the blood!” And he said, “You have acted unfaithfully. Roll a great stone to me today.” ³⁴ And Saul said, “Disperse among the people and say to them, ‘Bring to me, a man his ox and a man his sheep, and slaughter {them} here and eat. But you shall not sin against Yahweh by eating with the blood.’” And all of the people brought, a man his ox by his hand that night, and they slaughtered {them} there. ³⁵ And Saul built an altar to Yahweh. He began to build it, an altar to Yahweh. ³⁶ And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines {by} night, and let us plunder them until the light of morning. And let us not leave a man among them.” And they said, “Do all of the good in your eyes.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” ³⁷ And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him on that day. ³⁸ Then Saul said, “Come near here, all of the cornerstones of the people! And know and see by what this sin has happened today. ³⁹ For, the life of Yahweh, the one having saved Israel, that {even} if it is by Jonathan my son, that dying, he shall die.” But {there was} no one answering him from all of the people. ⁴⁰ So he said to all of Israel, “You will be to one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be to one side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do the good in your eyes.” ⁴¹ Then Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Give a perfect {one}!” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people went out. ⁴² And Saul said, “Cause it to fall between me and between Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken. ⁴³ And Saul said to Jonathan, “Declare to me what you have done.” And Jonathan declared to him and said, “Tasting, I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that {was} in my hand. Behold me, I shall die.” ⁴⁴ And Saul said, “May God do thus, and may he add thus, for dying, you shall die, Jonathan.” ⁴⁵ But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has done this great salvation in Israel? Profane! The life of Yahweh, if a hair of his head shall fall to the ground! For he has done with God this day.” So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die. ⁴⁶ Then Saul went up from after the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their place. ⁴⁷ Now Saul had taken the kingship over Israel. And he fought with all of his enemies all around, with Moab and with the sons of Ammon and with Edom and with the kings of Zobah and with the Philistines. And upon all where he turned, he inflicted punishment. ⁴⁸ And he did valor, and he struck Amalek. And he delivered Israel from the hand of its plunderers. ⁴⁹ Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malki-Shua. And the names of the two of his daughters {were}: the name of the firstborn, Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal. ⁵⁰ And the name of the wife of Saul {was} Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army {was} Abner, the son of Ner, the uncle of Saul. ⁵¹ Now Kish the father of Saul and Ner the father of Abner {were} the son of Abiel. ⁵² And the battle was strong against the Philistines all of the days of Saul. When Saul saw any man, a warrior, or any son of strength, then he gathered him to himself.

Chapter 15

¹ And Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you as king over his people, over Israel. And now, listen to the voice of the words of Yahweh.

² Thus says Yahweh of Armies, ‘I observed what Amalek did to Israel when he set against him in the way in his coming up from Egypt. ³ Now go and strike Amalek and devote all that {is} to him, and do not have compassion on him, but kill from man to woman, from child and to infant, from ox and to sheep, from camel and to donkey.’” ⁴ And Saul made the people hear, and he mustered them at Telaim, 200,000 footsoldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. ⁵ Then Saul came to the city of Amalek, and he lay in ambush in the wadi. ⁶ And Saul said to the Kenite, “Go, depart, go down from the midst of the Amalekite, lest I remove you with him. For you yourself did kindness with all of the sons of Israel in their coming up from Egypt.” And the Kenite departed from the midst of Amalek. ⁷ And Saul struck Amalek from Havilah {to} your coming {to} Shur, which {is} on the face of Egypt. ⁸ Now he seized Agag, the king of Amalek, alive, but he devoted all of the people to the mouth of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people had compassion on Agag and on the best of the sheep and the cattle and the second ones and on the lambs and on all of the good, and they were not willing to devote them. But all of the despised and weakened property, they devoted it. ¹⁰ And the word of Yahweh was to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ “I regret that I have made Saul reign as king, for he has turned from after me and has not raised up my words.” And it was hot to Samuel, and he cried out to Yahweh all of the night. ¹² And Samuel arose early in the morning to meet Saul. And it was declared to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he was setting up a hand for himself, then he turned and passed on and went down {to} Gilgal.” ¹³ And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “{May} you {be} blessed by Yahweh! I have raised up the word of Yahweh.” ¹⁴ And Samuel said, “Then what {is} this sound of a flock in my ears? And the sound of cattle that I am hearing?” ¹⁵ And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekite. For the people had compassion on the best of the flock and the cattle, to sacrifice {them} to Yahweh your God. But the remainder, we devoted.” ¹⁶ And Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me declare to you what Yahweh spoke to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.” ¹⁷ And Samuel said, “{Is it} not, if you {were} small in your eyes, you {are} the head of the tribes of Israel? For Yahweh has anointed you as king over Israel. ¹⁸ And Yahweh sent you on your way, and he said, ‘Go, and you shall devote the sinners, Amalek. And you shall fight with him until the finishing of them.’ ¹⁹ So why did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh? But you swooped down on the plunder, and you did evil in the eyes of Yahweh.” ²⁰ But Saul said to Samuel that, “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me. And I have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and I have devoted Amalek. ²¹ And the people took from the plunder sheep and cattle, the first of the devoted thing, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.” ²² And Samuel said,

     “{Is} the delight of Yahweh in burnt offerings and sacrifices

         as in listening to the voice of Yahweh?

     Behold, listening {is} better than sacrifice,

         to pay attention than the fat of rams.

     ²³ For rebellion {is} the sin of divination,

         and to insist {is} iniquity and teraphim.

     Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh,

         he has rejected you from {being} king.”

²⁴ And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. For I have crossed over the mouth of Yahweh and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. ²⁵ But now, please take away my sin and return with me so I may worship Yahweh.” ²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of Yahweh, so Yahweh has rejected you from {being} king over Israel.” ²⁷ And Samuel turned to go, but he seized the edge of his robe, and it was torn. ²⁸ And Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from upon you today, and he has given it to your fellow, {one} better than you. ²⁹ For indeed the Glory of Israel does not lie and does not change his mind. For he {is} not a man, to change his mind.” ³⁰ And he said, “I have sinned! Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may worship Yahweh your God.” ³¹ So Samuel returned behind Saul, and Saul worshiped Yahweh. ³² And Samuel said, “Bring Agag, the king of Amalek, to me.” And Agag went to him {in} bonds. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death has turned aside.” ³³ But Samuel said,

     “Just as your sword has made women childless,

         so your mother will be childless among women.”

And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces to the face of Yahweh at Gilgal. ³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house {at} Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ And Samuel did not resume to see Saul up to the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. And Yahweh regretted that he had made Saul reign over Israel.

Chapter 16

¹ And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Until when will you be mourning for Saul, since I myself have rejected him from {being} king over Israel? Fill your horn {with} oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have seen among his sons a king for me.” ² But Samuel said, “How shall I go? If Saul hears, then he will kill me.” So Yahweh said, “Take a heifer of cattle in your hand and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ ³ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will make you know what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me whom I say to you.” ⁴ And Samuel did what Yahweh had spoken, and he came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city trembled to meet him, and they said, “{Is} your coming {in} peace?” ⁵ And he said, “{In} peace. I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and he invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ And it happened, in their coming, that he saw Eliab and said, “Surely his anointed one {is} before Yahweh.” ⁷ But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For not what man sees, for man looks at the eyes, but Yahweh looks at the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called for Abinadab and made him pass over to the face of Samuel, but he said, “Yahweh has also not chosen this {one}.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass over, but he said, “Yahweh has also not chosen this {one}.” ¹⁰ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass over to the face of Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen among these.” ¹¹ So Samuel said to Jesse, “Are your young men complete?” And he said, “The youngest still remains, but behold, he is tending among the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not go around until he comes here.” ¹² So he sent and brought him. Now he {was} ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a good appearance. And Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him, for this {is} he.” ¹³ And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day and onward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of Yahweh turned from with Saul, and a bad spirit from with Yahweh terrified him. ¹⁵ And the servants of Saul said to him, “ “Behold, please, a bad spirit from God is terrifying you. ¹⁶ May our master please say to your servants to your face, ‘Seek a man knowing playing upon the lyre.’ And it will happen, when the bad spirit from God is upon you, that he will play by his hand, and it will be good for you.” ¹⁷ And Saul said to his servants, “Please look for a man for me being good at playing, and bring him to me.” ¹⁸ And one from the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, knowing playing and mighty of valor and a man of war and discerning of word and a man of appearance. And Yahweh {is} with him.” ¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse. And he said, “Send to me David your son, who {is} with the flock.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey, bread, and a skin of wine and one kid of goats, and he sent {them} by the hand of David his son to Saul. ²¹ And David came to Saul, and he stood to his face. And he loved him greatly, and he became to him a carrier of equipment. ²² And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand to my face, for he has found favor in my eyes.” ²³ And it happened, when the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the lyre and played {it} by his hand. And it breathed to Saul, and it was good for him, and the bad spirit turned away from upon him.

Chapter 17

¹ Now the Philistines gathered their camps for battle, and they were gathered {at} Sokoh, which {is} to Judah. And they camped between Sokoh and between Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. ² And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and they camped by the Valley of Elah. And they arrayed for battle to meet the Philistines. ³ Now the Philistines were standing on the mountain from this, and Israel were standing on the mountain from that, and the valley {was} between them. ⁴ And a man of the betweens came out from the camp of the Philistines, Goliath {was} his name, from Gath. His height {was} six cubits and a span. ⁵ And a helmet of bronze {was} on his head, and he was clothed {with} a coat of scales. And the weight of the coat {was} 5,000 shekels of bronze. ⁶ And greaves of bronze {were} on his legs, and a curved sword of bronze {was} between his shoulders. ⁷ And the wood of his spear {was} like a beam of weavers, and the flame of his spear {was} 600 iron shekels. And the carrier of his shield was going to his face. ⁸ And he stood and called out to the arrays of Israel, and he said to them, “Why have you come out to array for battle? {Am} I not the Philistine, and you, servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and he strikes me, then we will become servants to you. But if I am able against him and I strike him, then you will become servants to us, and you will serve us.” ¹⁰ And the Philistine said, “I myself taunt the arrays of Israel this day! Give to me a man, and let us fight together!” ¹¹ And Saul and all of Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed and feared greatly. ¹² Now David {was} the son of this Ephrathite man from Bethlehem {in} Judah, and his name {was} Jesse. And eight sons {were} to him. And in the days of Saul the man had aged, having come among men. ¹³ And the oldest three of the sons of Jesse went, they went after Saul to the battle. And the names of the three of his sons who went into the battle {were} Eliab, the firstborn, and his second, Abinadab, and the third, Shammah. ¹⁴ And David, he {was} the youngest. And the three oldest went after Saul. ¹⁵ But David was going and returning from with Saul to tend the flock of his father {at} Bethlehem. ¹⁶ And the Philistine approached {when} it was early and {when} it was getting dark. And he stationed himself 40 days. ¹⁷ Now Jesse said to David his son, “Please take to your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and ten {loaves of} this bread, and rush {them} {to} the camp, to your brothers. ¹⁸ And bring these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of the thousand. And observe your brothers about peace, and take their pledge. ¹⁹ Now Saul and they and all of the men of Israel {are} in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.” ²⁰ So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper. And he carried and went, just as Jesse had commanded him. And he came {to} the wagon-track, and the army was going out to the array, and they shouted for the battle. ²¹ And Israel and the Philistines arrayed, array to meet array. ²² And David left the vessels from upon him in the hand of the keeper of the vessels, and he ran {to} the array. And he came and asked his brothers about peace. ²³ And he was speaking with them, and behold, the man of the betweens was coming up, Goliath the Philistine {was} his name, from Gath, from the array of the Philistines, and he spoke like these words. And David heard. ²⁴ And all of the men of Israel, when they saw the man, then they fled from his face and feared greatly. ²⁵ And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man coming up? Indeed {he is} coming up to taunt Israel! And it will be, the man who strikes him, the king will make him wealthy {with} great wealth, and he will give his daughter to him, and he will make the house of his father free in Israel.” ²⁶ And David spoke to the men standing with him, saying, “What will be done for the man who strikes this Philistine and turns away the disgrace from upon Israel? For who {is} this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the arrays of the living God?” ²⁷ And the people spoke to him like this word, saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who strikes him.” ²⁸ Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And the nose of Eliab burned against David, and he said, “Why {is} this, you have come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I myself know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down in order to see the battle!” ²⁹ And David said, “What have I done now? {Was} it not a word?” ³⁰ And he turned from beside him toward the front of another, and he spoke like this word. And the people returned to him a word like the first word. ³¹ And they heard the words that David spoke. And they declared to the face of Saul, and he got him. ³² And David said to Saul, “Do not let the heart of a man fall because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” ³³ But Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you {are} a youth, but he, a man of war from his youth.” ³⁴ And David said to Saul, “Your servant has been tending the flock for his father. And a lion or a bear has come and carried away a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ but I have gone out after it and struck it and delivered from its mouth. If it arose against me, then I would seize its beard and strike it and kill it. ³⁶ Your servant has struck both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has taunted the arrays of the living God.” ³⁷ And David said, “Yahweh who delivered me from the hand of the lion and from the hand of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may Yahweh be with you.” ³⁸ Then Saul clothed David {with} his garments and put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clothed him {with} a coat. ³⁹ And David strapped on his sword over his garments, and he tried to walk, for he had not tested {them}. And David said to Saul, “I am not able to walk with these, for I have not tested {them}.” And David removed them from on him. ⁴⁰ And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the wadi, and he put them in the bag of shepherds that {was} to him, even in the pouch, and his sling {was} in his hand. And he approached toward the Philistine. ⁴¹ And the Philistine came, coming and near to David. And the man carrying the shield {was} to his face. ⁴² And the Philistine looked and saw David, and he despised him, for he was a youth, and ruddy with a beautiful appearance. ⁴³ And the Philistine said to David, “{Am} I a dog, that you are coming to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and let me give your flesh to the bird of the heavens and to the beast of the field.” ⁴⁵ And David said to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with a sword and with a spear and with a curved sword. But I am coming to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the arrays of Israel, which you have taunted. ⁴⁶ This day Yahweh will enclose you in my hand, and I will strike you and remove your head from upon you. And this day I will give the corpse of the camp of the Philistines to the bird of the heavens and to the animal of the earth. And all of the earth will know that there is a God to Israel. ⁴⁷ And all of this assembly will know that Yahweh does not save by sword or by spear. For the battle {is} to Yahweh, and he will give you into our hand.” ⁴⁸ And it happened, when the Philistine arose and went and approached to meet David, that David hurried and ran {toward} the array to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ And David put his hand into the bag and took a stone from there, and he slung {it}. And it struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. ⁵⁰ So David was stronger than the Philistine with the sling and with the stone. And he struck the Philistine and killed him. Now no sword {was} in the hand of David. ⁵¹ But David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it from its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. And the Philistines saw that their warrior had died, and they fled. ⁵² And the men of Israel and Judah arose, and they shouted and pursued the Philistines unto your coming {to} the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the pierced of the Philistines fell on the way of Shaaraim and unto Gath and unto Ekron. ⁵³ And the sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. ⁵⁴ And David took the head of the Philistine, and he brought it {to} Jerusalem, and he put his equipment in his tent. ⁵⁵ Now as Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Of whom {is} this youth the son, Abner?” And Abner said, “The life of your soul, O king, if I know!” ⁵⁶ And the king said, “You ask of whom this youth {is} the son.” ⁵⁷ So as David returned from striking the Philistine, then Abner took him and brought him to the face of Saul. And the head of the Philistine {was} in his hand. ⁵⁸ And Saul said to him, “Of whom {are} you the son, O young man?” And David said, “The son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Chapter 18

¹ And it happened, when he finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his soul. ² And Saul took him on that day, and he did not allow him to return {to} the house of his father.

³ And Jonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ And Jonathan stripped himself {of} the robe that {was} on him, and he gave it to David, and his garments, and even his sword and even his bow and even his belt. ⁵ And David went out. In all that Saul sent him, he succeeded. And Saul set him over the men of war. And he was good in the eyes of all of the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul. ⁶ And it happened, when they came, when David returned from striking the Philistine, that the women came out from all of the cities of Israel to sing and the dances to meet Saul the king with tambourines, with joy, and with triples. ⁷ And the women celebrating sang and said,

     “Saul has struck his thousands,

         and David his myriads.”

⁸ And it burned greatly to Saul, and this thing was bad in his eyes. And he said, “They have given myriads to David, but to me they have given thousands. And only the kingship is yet for him!” ⁹ And it happened that Saul was eyeing David from that day and beyond. ¹⁰ And it happened on the next day that a bad spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David was playing by his hand, as day by day. And a spear {was} in the hand of Saul. ¹¹ And Saul hurled the spear, and he said, “I will strike David, and into the wall!” But David turned from his face two times. ¹² And Saul was afraid from the face of David. For Yahweh was with him, but he had turned from with Saul. ¹³ So Saul removed him from with him and made him a commander of a thousand for himself. And he went out and came in to the face of the people. ¹⁴ And David was succeeding in all of his ways, for Yahweh {was} with him. ¹⁵ And Saul saw that he was succeeding greatly. And he dreaded from his face. ¹⁶ But all of Israel and Judah were loving David, for he was going out and coming in to their face. ¹⁷ And Saul said to David, “Behold my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be for me a son of valor and fight the battles of Yahweh.” And Saul said, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who {am} I, and what {is} my family, the clan of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹ And it happened, at the time to give Merab, the daughter of Saul to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. ²⁰ But Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved David. And they declared to Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes. ²¹ And Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David for a second {time}, “You may make yourself a son-in-law of mine today.” ²² And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in secrecy, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all of his servants love you. And now, make yourself a son-in-law of the king.’” ²³ And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem light in your eyes to make oneself a son-in-law of the king? And I {am} a poor man, and I am lightly esteemed.” ²⁴ And the servants of Saul declared to him, saying, “Like these words David spoke.” ²⁵ And Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘{There is} no desire to the king for a bride-price except for a hundred foreskins of Philistines, to be avenged against the enemies of the king.’” (Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.) ²⁶ And his servants declared these words to David, and the thing was right in the eyes of David, to make himself son-in-law of the king. And the days were not full, ²⁷ and David arose and went, he and his men, and he struck two hundred men among the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they filled them to the king, to make himself son-in-law of the king. And Saul gave Michal, his daughter, to him for a wife. ²⁸ And Saul saw and knew that Yahweh {was} with David and {that} Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved him, ²⁹ and Saul added to be more afraid from the face of David. And Saul was opposing David all of the days. ³⁰ And the commanders of the Philistines came out, and it happened that, whenever they came out, David was more successful than all of the servants of Saul, and his name became greatly precious.

Chapter 19

¹ And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all of his servants to kill David. But Jonathan, the son of Saul, delighted greatly in David, ² so Jonathan declared to David, saying, “Saul my father is seeking to kill you. And now, please guard yourself in the morning and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. ³ And I myself will go out and stand at the hand of my father in the field where you {are} there, and I myself will speak about you to my father, and I will see what, and I will declare to you.” ⁴ And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and he said to him, “May the king not sin against his servant, against David, for he has not sinned against you, but surely his deeds {have been} very good for you. ⁵ And he put his life in his palm and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh made a great salvation for all of Israel. You saw and rejoiced. So why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” ⁶ And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “The life of Yahweh, he shall not be killed” ⁷ And Jonathan called to David, and Jonathan declared to him all of these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was to his face as yesterday and the third day. ⁸ And there resumed to be war, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and he struck a great striking against them, and they fled from his face. ⁹ And a bad spirit from Yahweh came upon Saul, and he was sitting in his house, and his spear {was} in his hand, and David was playing by hand. ¹⁰ And Saul sought to strike David with the spear, and into the wall, but he escaped from the face of Saul, and he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and rescued himself on that night. ¹¹ And Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal his wife declared to David, saying, “If you are not rescuing your life tonight, tomorrow you will be being killed.” ¹² And Michal lowered David through the window. And he went and fled and rescued himself. ¹³ And Michal took the teraphim and put {it} on the bed. And she put a weaving of goats at its head, and she covered {it} with clothing. ¹⁴ And Saul sent messengers to take David. But she said, “He {is} sick.” ¹⁵ So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed to kill him.” ¹⁶ And the messengers came, and behold, the teraphim {was} on the bed, and the weaving of goats {was} at its head. ¹⁷ And Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he rescued himself?” And Michal said to Saul, “He himself said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’” ¹⁸ Now David fled and rescued himself, and he came to Samuel in Ramah, and he declared to him all that Saul had done to him. And he went, and Samuel, and they stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ And it was declared to Saul, saying, “Behold, David {is} in Naioth in Ramah.” ²⁰ And Saul sent messengers to take David. And one saw a group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel was standing, having stationed himself over them. And the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. ²¹ And they declared {this} to Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul added and sent messengers a third {time}, and they also prophesied. ²² So he went, he also, to Ramah, and he came to the great cistern that {is} in Seku. And he asked and said, “Where {are} Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, in Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ So he went thence, to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him, him also, and going, he went, and he prophesied until he entered into Naioth in Ramah. ²⁴ And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied to the face of Samuel. And he lay naked all of that day and all of the night. Therefore they said, “{Is} Saul also among the prophets?”

Chapter 20

¹ And David fled from Naioth in Ramah. And he came and said to the face of Jonathan, “What have I done? What {is} my iniquity? And what {is} my sin to the face of your father, that {he is} seeking my life?” ² And he said to him, “Profane! You will not die. Behold, my father does not do a great thing or a small thing and not uncover my ear. So why would my father hide this thing from me? {There is} not this!” ³ And David swore besides and said, “Knowing, your father knows that I have found favor in your eyes. So he said, ‘May Jonathan not know this, lest he be grieved.’ But indeed, the life of Yahweh, and the life of your soul, surely like a step {is} between me and between death!” ⁴ And Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul says, I will do for you.” ⁵ And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, the new moon {is} tomorrow, and sitting, I should sit with the king to eat. But you shall let me go, and I shall hide myself in the field until the third evening. ⁶ If missing, your father misses me, then you shall say, ‘Asking, David asked from me to run {to} Bethlehem, his city, for the sacrifice of days {is} there for all of the clan.’ ⁷ If thus he says, ‘Good,’ peace {is} to your servant. But if burning, it burns to him, know that harm has completed from with him. ⁸ Then you shall do covenant faithfulness with your servant. For you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you. But if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself. For why this, that should you bring me to your father?” ⁹ And Jonathan said, “Profane to you! For if knowing, I know that harm has completed from with my father to come upon you, then will I not declare it to you?” ¹⁰ And David said to Jonathan, “Who will declare to me whether what your father answers you {is} harsh?” ¹¹ And Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out {to} the field.” And the two of them went out to the field. ¹² And Jonathan said to David, “{By} Yahweh, the God of Israel, that I will examine my father around this time tomorrow, the third day. And behold, {if} good {is} to David, then will I not then send to you and uncover your ear? ¹³ Thus may Yahweh do to Jonathan, and thus may he add: if harm upon you is good to my father, then I will uncover your ear and send you away so you may go in peace. And may Yahweh be with you just as he was with my father. ¹⁴ And if I am not still alive, then you shall not do the covenant faithfulness of Yahweh with me, so I do not die, ¹⁵ but you shall not cut off your covenant faithfulness from with my house forever, not even when Yahweh cuts off the enemies of David, a man from upon the face of the ground.” ¹⁶ And Jonathan cut with the house of David, “And may Yahweh seek from the hand of the enemies of David!” ¹⁷ And Jonathan added to make David swear by his love for him, for he loved him {like} the loving of his soul. ¹⁸ And Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow {is} the new moon. And you will be missed, for your seat will be missed. ¹⁹ And you shall stay three days, {then} you shall come down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself there on the day of the deed. And you shall stay beside the stone Ezel. ²⁰ And I myself will shoot three arrows {to} the side of it, to send forth for me to a target. ²¹ And behold, I will send a boy, ‘Go find the arrows.’ If saying, I say to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows {are} from you, and hither, get them,’ then come, for peace {is} for you and there is no matter, the life of Yahweh. ²² But if I say thus to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows {are} from you, and beyond,’ go, for Yahweh has sent you away. ²³ And the word that I and you have spoken, behold, Yahweh {is} between me and between you forever.” ²⁴ And David hid himself in the field, and it was the new moon, and the king sat down at the food to eat. ²⁵ And the king sat on his seat, as time by time, on the seat {by} the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by the side of Saul. And the place of David was missing. ²⁶ But Saul did not say anything on that day, for he said, “It {is} an accident. He {is} not clean, surely not clean.” ²⁷ And it happened on the next day of the new moon, the second, that the place of David was missing. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come, both yesterday and today, to the food?” ²⁸ And Jonathan answered Saul, “Asking, David asked from me to Bethlehem. ²⁹ And he said, ‘Please let me go. For the sacrifice of our clan {is} in the city, and my brother himself has commanded me. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, may I please go away, and may I see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the table of the king.” ³⁰ And the nose of Saul burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “Son of one perverting herself in rebellion! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your shame and to the shame of the nakedness of your mother? ³¹ For all of the days that the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor your kingdom. And now, send and take him to me, for he {is} a son of death.” ³² And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?” ³³ And Saul hurled the spear at him to strike him. And Jonathan knew that it had completed from with his father to kill David. ³⁴ And Jonathan arose from the table with burning of nose. And he did not eat bread on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David, because his father had dishonored him. ³⁵ And it happened in the morning that Jonathan went out {to} the field to the appointment with David, and a small boy {was} with him. ³⁶ And he said to his boy, “Run, please find the arrows that I am shooting.” The boy ran, and he shot the arrow to pass over him. ³⁷ And the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called after the boy and said, “{Is} not the arrow from you, and beyond?” ³⁸ And Jonathan called after the boy, “Quickly, hurry! Do not stay!” And the boy of Jonathan picked up the arrows and came to his master. ³⁹ Now the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. ⁴⁰ And Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy who {was} to him. And he said to him, “Go, bring {these} {to} the city.” ⁴¹ The boy went, and David arose from beside the south, and he fell on his nostrils to the ground, and he prostrated himself three times. And they kissed, a man with his companion. And they wept, a man with his companion, until David made great. ⁴² And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we, the two of us, have sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and between you, and between my seed and between your seed, forever.’” And he arose and went, and Jonathan entered the city.

Chapter 21

¹ And David came {to} Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. And Ahimelek trembled to meet David, and he said to him, “Why {are} you by yourself and no man {is} with you?” ² And David said to Ahimelek the priest, “The king has commanded me {regarding} a matter and has said to me, ‘May a man not know anything {about} the matter {for} which I am sending you and {about} which I have commanded you.’ And I have informed the young men about a certain unnamed place. ³ And now, what is there under your hand? Give five {loaves of} bread into my hand, or the {thing} being found.” ⁴ And the priest answered David and said, “{There is} no common bread toward under my hand, but there is holy bread. If the young men have only kept themselves from women.” ⁵ And David answered the priest and said to him, “Surely a woman has been kept from us as yesterday and the third day in my going out. If the vessels of the men have been holy when it {was} a common journey, then indeed that it will be holy today with the vessels!” ⁶ So the priest gave to him the holy. For no bread was there except the bread of the face having been removed from to the face of Yahweh to put hot bread on the day of its being taken away. ⁷ Now a man {was} there from the servants of Saul on that day. He was detained to the face of Yahweh. And his name {was} Doeg the Edomite, the chief of the herders who {were} to Saul. ⁸ And David said to Ahimelek, “And is there not here under your hand a spear or a sword? For both my sword and also my weapons I did not take in my hand, because the matter of the king was being urged.” ⁹ And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck in the Valley of Elah, behold, it {is} wrapped in a cloak behind the ephod. If you would take it for yourself, take, for no other except it {is} in this {place}.” And David said, “{There is} none like it. Give {it} to me.” ¹⁰ And David arose and fled on that day from the face of Saul. And he came to Achish, the king of Gath. ¹¹ But the servants of Achish said to him, “{Is} not this David the king of the land? Do they not sing about this {one} in the dances, saying,

     ‘Saul has struck his thousands,

         and David his myriads’?”

¹² And David put these words in his heart, and he was very afraid from the face of Achish, the king of Gath. ¹³ So he changed his behavior in their eyes, and he acted insane in their hand. And he made marks on the doors of the gate, and he caused his saliva to go down to his beard. ¹⁴ And Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see a man raving. Why did you bring him to me? ¹⁵ Am I lacking ravers, that you have brought this {one} to rave near me? Should this {one} enter into my house?”

Chapter 22

¹ And David went from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And his brothers and all of the house of his father heard, and they went down to him there. ² And they gathered themselves to him, every man of distress and every man for whom {was} a creditor and every man bitter of soul. And he became a commander over them. And they {were} with him, about 400 men. ³ And David went from there {to} Mizpah of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come out {and be} with you until when I know what God will do for me.” ⁴ And he led them to the face of the king of Moab. And they stayed with him all of the days of David being in the stronghold. ⁵ And the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and enter for yourself the land of Judah.” And David left and entered the forest of Hereth. ⁶ And Saul heard that David had become known, and the men who {were} with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height, and his spear {was} in his hand, and all of his servants had stationed themselves beside him. ⁷ And Saul said to his servants having stationed themselves beside him, “Listen now, Benjaminite! Will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards even to all of you? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ For all of you have conspired against me! And {there was} no uncovering my ear when my son cut with the son of Jesse. And {there was} no grieving from you for me or uncovering my ear that my son had raised up my servant against me to lie in ambush as this day.” ⁹ And Doeg the Edomite answered (now he had stationed himself beside the servants of Saul) and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ And he inquired of Yahweh for him, and he gave provisions to him. And he gave to him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” ¹¹ And the king sent to call Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub, the priest, and all of the house of his father, the priests who {were} in Nob. And all of them came to the king. ¹² And Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he said, “Behold me, my master.” ¹³ And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, by your giving to him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, to rise up against me, to lie in ambush, as this day?” ¹⁴ And Ahimelek answered the king and said, “Now who among all of your servants is being faithful like David, and the son-in-law of the king, and commander over your bodyguard, and being honored in your house? ¹⁵ Did I begin to inquire of God for him today? Profane to me! May the king not set a word against his servant, against all of the house of my father. For your servant does not know about any of this matter, small or great.” ¹⁶ And the king said, “Dying, you shall die, Ahimelek, you and all of the house of your father!” ¹⁷ And the king said to the runners having stationed themselves beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because their hand {is} also with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing but they did not uncover my ear.” But the servants of the king were not willing to stretch out their hand to attack the priests of Yahweh. ¹⁸ So the king said to Doeg, “You turn and attack the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and he himself attacked the priests. And on that day he killed 85 men wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁹ And Nob, the city of the priests, he struck to the mouth of the sword, from man and to woman, from child and to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep, to the mouth of the sword. ²⁰ But a son of Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub, escaped, and his name {was} Abiathar. And he fled after David. ²¹ And Abiathar declared to David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahweh. ²² And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite {was} there, that declaring, he would declare to Saul. I myself have turned against every soul of the house of your father! ²³ Stay with me, do not be afraid. For {he} who seeks my life seeks your life. Surely protection {for} you {is} with me.”

Chapter 23

¹ And they declared to David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting with Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors!” ² And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah.” ³ But the men of David said to him, “Behold, we {are} afraid here in Judah. And much more if we go to Keilah against the arrays of the Philistines!” ⁴ So David added yet to inquire of Yahweh. And Yahweh answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. And he drove off their livestock and struck a great striking against them. And David saved the dwellers of Keilah. ⁶ And it happened that when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelek, fled to David {at} Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand. ⁷ And it was declared to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand. For he has enclosed himself by entering into a city of doors and a bar.” ⁸ And Saul made all of the people hear for battle, to go down {to} Keilah, to besiege against David and against his men. ⁹ But David knew that Saul was devising harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring near the ephod.” ¹⁰ And David said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, hearing, your servant has heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah, to destroy the city because of me. ¹¹ Will the lords of Keilah enclose me in his hand? Will Saul come down, just as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, please declare to your servant.” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.” ¹² And David said, “Will the lords of Keilah enclose me and my men in the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “They will enclose.” ¹³ So David and his men, about 600 men, arose and went out from Keilah. And they went about in wherever they could go about. And it was declared to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, so he ceased to go out. ¹⁴ And David stayed in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and he stayed in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all of the days, but God did not give him into his hand. ¹⁵ And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. Now David {was} in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest. ¹⁶ And Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David in the forest. And he strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷ And he said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you. And you yourself will reign over Israel, and I myself will be to you for a second. And even Saul my father is knowing so.” ¹⁸ And the two of them cut a covenant to the face of Yahweh. And David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house. ¹⁹ And Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself among us in strongholds in the forest on the hill of Hakilah, which {is} from the south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ And now, O king, according to all of the desire of your soul to come down, come down, and {it will be} to us to enclose him in the hand of the king.” ²¹ And Saul said, “Blessed {be} you by Yahweh! For you have had compassion on me. ²² Please go, confirm again, and know and see his place, where his foot is. Who has seen him there? For one has said to me, ‘Being craftly, he is crafty.’ ²³ And see and know about all of the hiding places where he hides himself there. Then return to me with a confirmed {thing}, and I will go with you. And it will happen, if he is in the land, that I will search for him among all of the thousands of Judah.” ²⁴ And they arose and went {to} Ziph to the face of Saul. Now David and his men {were} in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah at the south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ And Saul and his men went to seek. And they declared to David, and he went down {to} a crag and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard, and he pursued after David from the wilderness of Maon. ²⁶ And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men {were} on that side of the mountain. And it happened that David was hastening himself to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men were encircling upon David and upon his men to capture them. ²⁷ And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and go, for the Philistines have raided against the land.” ²⁸ And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went to meet the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth. ²⁹ And David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

Chapter 24

¹ And it happened, when Saul returned from after the Philistines, that they declared to him, saying, “Behold, David {is} in the wilderness of En Gedi.” ² And Saul took 3,000 men, chosen from all of Israel. And he went to seek David and his men on the face of the cliffs of the wild goats. ³ And he came to some pens of sheep on the way, and a cave {was} there. And Saul entered to cover his feet. Now David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave. ⁴ And the men of David said to him, “Behold, today {is} what Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you will do to him just as is good in your eyes.’” And David arose and cut off the edge of the robe that {was} to Saul, in secrecy. ⁵ And it happened after this that the heart of David struck him because he had cut off the edge that {was} to Saul. ⁶ And he said to his men, “Profane to me from Yahweh if I have done this thing to my master, to the anointed one of Yahweh, to stretch out my hand against him. For he {is} the anointed one of Yahweh.” ⁷ And David dispersed his men with words and did not allow them to arise against Saul. And Saul arose from the cave and went in the way. ⁸ And David arose after this and came out from the cave. And he called out after Saul, saying, “My master the king!” And Saul looked behind him, and David bowed, nostrils to the ground, and prostrated himself. ⁹ And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of a man, saying, ‘Behold, David is seeking your harm’? ¹⁰ Behold, your eyes have seen this day that Yahweh gave you into my hand today in the cave. And one said to slay you, but it had compassion on you. And I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my master, for he {is} the anointed one of Yahweh.’ ¹¹ And see, my father, even see the edge of your robe in my hand! For when I cut off the edge of your robe, I did not kill you. Know and see that no evil or transgression {is} in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, but you are hunting my life, to take it. ¹² May Yahweh judge between you and between me, and may Yahweh avenge me against you, but my hand will not be against you. ¹³ As the proverb of the ancient says, ‘From the wicked comes out wickedness.’ But my hand will not be against you. ¹⁴ After whom does the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog! After one flea! ¹⁵ And may Yahweh be the judge, and may he judge between me and between you. And may he see and conduct my case, and may he judge me out of your hand.” ¹⁶ And it happened, as David finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “{Is} this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. ¹⁷ And he said to David, “You {are} more righteous than I. For you did good to me, but I did evil to you. ¹⁸ For you have declared today that you have done good with me, that Yahweh enclosed me in your hand, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹ Now if a man finds his enemy, will he send him on a good way? So may Yahweh repay you {with} good for what you have done for me this day. ²⁰ And now, behold, I know that reigning, you will reign, and the kingdom of Israel will stand in your hand. ²¹ And now, swear to me by Yahweh, if you shall cut off my seed after me, and if you shall destroy my name from the house of my father!” ²² And David swore to Saul. Then Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up onto the stronghold.

Chapter 25

¹ And Samuel died, and all of Israel gathered and mourned for him, and they buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. ² Now a man {was} in Maon, and his work {was} in Carmel. And the man {was} very great. For to him {were} 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. ³ And the name of the man {was} Nabal, and the name of his wife {was} Abigail. Now the woman {was} good of insight and beautiful of appearance. But the man {was} harsh and evil of deeds, and he {was} a Calebite. 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 you shall go to Nabal, and you shall ask him in my name regarding peace. ⁶ And you shall say thus, ‘To life! And peace {to} you and peace {to} your house and peace {to} all that {is} to you. ⁷ And now, I have heard that shearers {are} to you. Now the shepherds who {are} to you have been with us. We have not hurt them, and anything to them has not been missing all of the days of their being in Carmel. ⁸ Ask your young men, and they will declare to you. So let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a good day. Please give whatever your hand finds to your servants and to your son, to David.’” ⁹ So the young men of David came, and they spoke to Nabal according to all of these words in the name of David. Then they ceased. ¹⁰ And Nabal answered the servants of David and said, “Who {is} David? And who {is} the son of Jesse? Today servants are many {who} are breaking themselves away, a man from the face of his master. ¹¹ So shall I take my bread and my water and my slaughter that I have slaughtered for my shearers and give to men whom I do not know where from this they {are}?” ¹² And the young men of David turned to their way, and they returned and came and declared to him according to all of these words. ¹³ And David said to his men, “Strap on, a man his sword.” And they strapped on, a man his sword. And David also strapped on his sword. And about 400 men went up behind David, and 200 stayed with the equipment. ¹⁴ But one young man from the young men declared to Abigail, the wife of Nabal, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to bless our master, but he screamed at them. ¹⁵ But the men {were} very good to us. And we were not hurt, and we did not miss anything all of the days when we went about with them in our being in the field. ¹⁶ They were a wall for us both night and day, all of the days of our being with them, tending the sheep. ¹⁷ And now, know and see what you shall do, for harm has completed against our master and against all of his house. And he {is} a son of wickedness from speaking to him.” ¹⁸ And Abigail hurried and took 200 {loaves of} bread and two skins of wine and five prepared sheep and five seahs of roasted grain and 100 bunches of raisins and 200 cakes of figs. And she put them on donkeys. ¹⁹ And she said to her young men, “Pass over to my face. Behold me, I will come after you.” But to her husband Nabal she did not declare. ²⁰ And she was riding on the donkey and going down in the cover of the mountain, and behold, David and his men were coming down to meet her. And she encountered them. ²¹ Now David had said, “Surely for a lie I kept all that {was} to this {one} in the wilderness, and not anything was missed from all that {was} to him. For he has returned evil to me for good. ²² Thus may God do to the enemies of David, and thus may he add, if I let remain until the morning any pissing against the wall who {are} to him!” ²³ And Abigail saw David, and she hurried and got down from upon the donkey. And she fell to the face of David on her face and prostrated herself {on} the ground. ²⁴ And she fell at his feet and said, “On me myself, my master, {be} the iniquity. Now please let your female servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your female servant. ²⁵ May my master please not set his heart to this man of wickedness, upon Nabal, for as {is} his name, so [is} he. Nabal {is} his name, and foolishness {is} with him. But I, your female servant, did not see the young men of my master, whom you sent. ²⁶ And now, my master, the life of Yahweh, and the life of your soul, {it is} Yahweh who has restrained you from entering into bloodshed and your hand saving for yourself. And now, may your enemies and the ones seeking harm against my master be like Nabal. ²⁷ And now, may this blessing that your female servant has caused to come to my master be given to the young men going about at the feet of my master. ²⁸ Please lift off the transgression of your female servant. For making, Yahweh will make for my master an established house, because my master is fighting the battles of Yahweh. And evil will not be found in you from your days. ²⁹ If a man arises to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my master will be bound in the bundle of the living by Yahweh your God. But the life of your enemies, he will sling it away in the midst of the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ And it will happen, when Yahweh has done for my master according to all of the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you for a ruler over Israel, ³¹ then this will not be an obstacle for you or a stumbling block of heart for my master, or for the pouring out of blood without cause, or for my master saving himself. And Yahweh will do good for my master, and you will remember your female servant.” ³² And David said to Abigail, “May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be blessed, who sent you this day to meet me. ³³ And blessed be your discernment, and blessed be {you} who have kept me this day from entering into bloodshed and my hand saving for myself! ³⁴ For indeed, the life of Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has retrained me from harming you, that lest you had hurried and come to meet me, that if one pissing against the wall had been left to Nabal until the light of the morning!” ³⁵ And David took from her hand what she had brought to him. And he said to her, “Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to your voice, and I have lifted up your face.” ³⁶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, a feast {was} to him in his house like the feast of a king. And the heart of Nabal was good within him, and he {was} drunk to abundance. So she did not declare to him a thing small or great until the light of the morning. ³⁷ And it happened in the morning, when the wine had gone out from Nabal, that his wife declared to him these things. And his heart died in the midst of him, and he became a stone. ³⁸ And it was about ten days, and Yahweh struck Nabal and he died. ³⁹ And David heard that Nabal had died, and he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has conducted the case of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has withheld his servant from evil. And Yahweh has returned the evil of Nabal on his head.” And David sent and spoke with Abigail, to take her for himself for a wife. ⁴⁰ And the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, and they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you to take you to him for a wife.” ⁴¹ And she arose and bowed down, nostrils to the ground, and she said, “Behold your female servant, for a slave woman for washing the feet of the servants of my master.” ⁴² And Abigail hurried and arose and rode on a donkey, and her five young women were going at her feet. And she went after the messengers of David, and she became to him a wife. ⁴³ And David took Ahinoam from Jezreel, and the two of them also became wives for him. ⁴⁴ But Saul had given his daughter Michal, the wife of David, to Palti the son of Laish, who was {from} Gallim.

Chapter 26

¹ Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “{Is} not David hiding himself on the hill of Hakilah, on the face of Jeshimon?” ² And Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and with him {were} 3,000 men, chosen {ones} of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. ³ And Saul camped on the hill of Hakilah, which {is} on the face of Jeshimon, by the road. But David was staying in the wilderness. And he saw that Saul was coming after him into the wilderness. ⁴ For David sent spies, so he knew as a confirmed {thing} Saul had come. ⁵ And David arose and came to the place where Saul had camped there. And David saw the place where Saul lay there, and Abner, the son of Ner, the commander of his army. And Saul lay within the wagon-track, and the people were camped around him. ⁶ And David answered and said to Ahimelek the Hittite and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul, to the camp?” And Abishai said, “I myself will go down with you.” ⁷ And David and Abishai came to the people {at} night. And behold, Saul was lying asleep in the wagon-track, and his spear was pressed into the ground by his head. And Abner and the people were lying around him. ⁸ And Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. And now, please let me strike him with the spear even into the earth one time. And I will not do again to him.” ⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him. For who has stretched out his hand against the anointed one of Yahweh and been innocent?” ¹⁰ And David said, “The life of Yahweh—but rather Yahweh will strike him, or his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into a battle and be swept away— ¹¹ profane to me from Yahweh to stretch out my hand against the anointed one of Yahweh! And now, please take the spear that {is} by his head and the jug of water, and let us go for ourselves.” ¹² And David took the spear and the jug of water from the head of Saul, and they went for themselves. And none was seeing, and none was knowing, and none was awakening, for all of them were sleeping, because a deep sleep of Yahweh had fallen on them. ¹³ And David passed over {to} the other side, and he stood on the head of a hill at a distance. Great {was} the place between them. ¹⁴ And David called to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answered and said, “Who {are} you {who} call to the king?” ¹⁵ And David said to Abner, “{Are} you not a man? And who {is} like you in Israel? So why did you not watch over your master the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king, your master. ¹⁶ This thing that you have done {is} not good. The life of Yahweh, that you {are} sons of death who did not watch over your master, over the anointed one of Yahweh. And now, see, where {are} the spear of the king and the jug of water that {were} by his head?” ¹⁷ And Saul recognized the voice of David and said, “{Is} this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “My voice, my master the king.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Why {is} this, my master pursuing after his servant? For what have I done, and what evil {is} in my hand? ¹⁹ And now, may my master the king please hear the words of his servant. If Yahweh has incited you against me, may he smell an offering. But if sons of man, may they be cursed to the face of Yahweh. For they have driven me out today from joining myself with the inheritance of Yahweh, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ ²⁰ And now, do not let my blood fall to the earth from before the face of Yahweh. For the king of Israel has come out to seek one flea, just as one pursues a partridge in the mountains.” ²¹ And Saul said, “I have sinned! Return, my son David! For I will not harm you again, for my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly and have strayed, making very much!” ²² And David answered and said, “Behold the spear of the king! Now let one of the young men pass over and take it. ²³ And may Yahweh return to a man his righteousness and his faithfulness, for Yahweh gave you into {my} hand today, but I was not willing to stretch out my hand against the anointed one of Yahweh. ²⁴ And behold, just as your life was great in my eyes this day, so may my life be great in the eyes of Yahweh, and may he deliver me from all distress.” ²⁵ And Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! Both doing, you will do, and also being able, you will be able.” And David went to his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Chapter 27

¹ And David said to his heart, “Now I will be swept away one day by the hand of Saul. {There is} no good for me except escaping, I should escape to the land of the Philistines. And Saul will despair of me to seek me again in all of the border of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” ² And David arose and passed over, he and 600 men who {were} with him, to Achish. the son of Maok, the king of Gath. ³ And David dwelled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, a man and his house, David and the two of his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, the wife of Nabal. ⁴ And it was declared to Saul that David had fled {to} Gath, and he did not add to seek him more. ⁵ And David said to Achish, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, may they give to me a place in one of the cities of the field, and let me dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the city of the kingship with you?” ⁶ So on that day Achish gave to him Ziklag. (Therefore Ziklag is to the kings of Judah up to this day.) ⁷ And the number of the days that David dwelled in the field of the Philistines was days and four months. ⁸ And David and his men went up and raided against the Geshurite and the Girzite and the Amalekite (for they were dwelling in the land, that from ancient times) in your going to Shur and to the land of Egypt. ⁹ And David struck the land and did not let a man or a woman live. And he took sheep and cattle and donkeys and camels and garments. And he returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰ And Achish said, “Have you not raided today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “against the Negev of the Jerahmeelite” or “against the Negev of the Kenite.” ¹¹ Now David did not let a man or a woman live to bring {to} Gath, saying, “Lest they declare about us, saying, ‘Thus did David do.’” And this {was} his custom all of the days that he dwelled in the field of the Philistines. ¹² And Achish trusted in David, saying, “Stinking, he stinks among his people in Israel, so he will be to me for a servant forever.”

Chapter 28

¹ And it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their camps for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “Knowing, you know that you shall go out with me into the camp, you and your men.” ² And David said to Achish, “Therefore you yourself will know what your servant will do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I am appointing you the keeper of my head all of the days.” ³ Now Samuel had died, and all of Israel had mourned for him, and they had buried him in Ramah, even in his city. And Saul had removed the ritual pits and the familiar spirits from the land. ⁴ And the Philistines gathered and came and camped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all of Israel, and they camped at Gilboa. ⁵ And Saul saw the camp of the Philistines. And he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And Saul inquired of Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him, either by dreams or by the Urim or by prophets. ⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman of a mistress of a ritual pit so I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, a woman of a mistress of a ritual pit {is} in Endor.” ⁸ And Saul disguised himself and put on other garments, and he went, he and two of the men with him. And they came to the woman {at} night. And he said, “Please divine for me with the ritual pit and bring up for me whom I say to you.” ⁹ But the woman said to him, “Behold, you yourself know what Saul has done, that he has cut off the ritual pits and the familiar spirits from the land. So why are you setting a trap against my life, to cause me to die?” ¹⁰ But Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, “The life of Yahweh, if punishment shall meet you for this thing!” ¹¹ So the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” ¹² And the woman saw Samuel, and she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!” ¹³ And the king said to her, “Do not fear. But what have you seen?” And the woman said to Saul, “I have seen a god coming up from the earth.” ¹⁴ And he said to her, “What {is} his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wearing a robe.” And Saul knew that it {was} Samuel, and he bowed, nostrils to the ground, and he prostrated himself. ¹⁵ And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me to bring me up?” And Saul said, “It is very narrow for me, for the Philistines are fighting with me. And God has turned aside from with me, and he does not answer me anymore, either by the hand of prophets or by dreams, so I have called to you to let me know what I should do.” ¹⁶ And Samuel said, “And why do you ask me, since Yahweh has turned aside from with you and has become your enemy? ¹⁷ Now Yahweh has done for himself just as he spoke by my hand. For Yahweh has torn the kingdom from your hand and has given it to your fellow, to David. ¹⁸ Because you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh and you did not do the burning of his nose against Amalek, therefore Yahweh has done this thing to you this day. ¹⁹ And Yahweh will also give Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons {will be} with me. Yahweh will also give the camp of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.” ²⁰ And Saul hurried and fell, the fullness of his height to the ground, for he feared greatly from the words of Samuel. Also strength was not in him, for he had not eaten bread all of the day and all of the night. ²¹ And the woman came to Saul, and she saw that he was very frightened, And she said to him, “Behold, your female servant has listened to your voice, and I have put my life in my palm, for I heard the words that you spoke to me. ²² And now, please listen, even you, to the voice of your female servant, and let me set to your face a piece of bread, and eat. And strength will be in you when you go in the way.” ²³ But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants urged him, and also the woman, and he listened to their voice. And he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ Now to the woman {was} a calf of the stall in the house, and she hurried and slaughtered it. And she took flour and kneaded and baked it {as} unleavened bread. ²⁵ And she brought it to the face of Saul and to the face of his servants, and they ate. And they arose and went in that night.

Chapter 29

¹ Now the Philistines had gathered all of their camp {at} Aphek, and Israel was camping at the spring that {is} in Jezreel. ² Now the lords of the Philistines were passing over by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing over in the rear with Achish. ³ And the lords of the Philistines said, “What {are} these Hebrews?” And Achish said to the lords of the Philistines, “{Is} this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And I have not found anything in him from the day of his falling up to this day.” ⁴ But the lords of the Philistines were angry with him. And the lords of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man return, that he may return to his place that you assigned him there. For he shall not go down with us into the battle, so he does not become an adversary for us in the battle. For by what shall this {one} make himself acceptable to his master? {Is it} not by the heads of these men? ⁵ {Is} this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying,

     ‘Saul has struck his thousands,

         and David his myriads’?”

⁶ So Achish called to David and said to him, “The life of Yahweh, that you {are} upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the camp {is} good in my eyes, for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me until this day. But in the eyes of the lords you {are} not good. ⁷ And now, return and go in peace, so you do not do evil in the eyes of the lords of the Philistines.” ⁸ And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I was to your face up to this day, that I may not come and fight with the enemies of my master the king?” ⁹ And Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you {are} good in my eyes like an angel of God. Nevertheless, the lords of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us into the battle.’ ¹⁰ And now, arise early in the morning with the servants of your master who came with you. And you shall arise early in the morning, when light {is} to you, and go.” ¹¹ So David arose early, he and his men, to go in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up {to} Jezreel.

Chapter 30

¹ And it happened, when David and his men came {to} Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekite had raided against the Negev and against Ziklag, and they had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire. ² And they had taken captive the women who {were} in it, from small and to great. They had not caused a man to die, but they had led {them} away and gone to their way. ³ And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire! And their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ And David and the people who {were} with him lifted up their voices and wept until that no strength {was} in them to weep. ⁵ And the two wives of David had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, the wife of Nabal. ⁶ And it was very narrow to David, for the people said to stone him, for the soul of all of the people {was} bitter, a man for his sons and for his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God. ⁷ And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Please bring the ephod near to me.” So Abiathar brought the ephod near to David. ⁸ And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I pursue after this band? Will I overtake it?” And he said to him, “Pursue, for overtaking, you will overtake, and delivering, you will deliver.” ⁹ So David went, he and the 600 men who {were} with him, and they came to the wadi of Besor. And the ones left behind stayed. ¹⁰ So David pursued, he and 400 men, but 200 men stayed who were too exhausted to pass over the wadi of Besor. ¹¹ And they found a man, an Egyptian, in the field, and they took him to David. And they gave bread to him, and he ate, and they had him drink water. ¹² And they gave to him a piece of a fig cake and two raisin clusters, and he ate, and his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread and had not drunk water three days and three nights. ¹³ And David said to him, “To whom {are} you? And where from this {are} you?” And he said, “I {am} an Egyptian young man, the slave of a man of the Amalekite. But my master abandoned me the third day because I became sick. ¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethite and against what {is} to Judah and against the Negev of Caleb. And Ziklag, we burned with fire.” ¹⁵ And David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God, if you will cause me to die and if you will deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.” ¹⁶ And he brought him down, and behold, they were spread out over the face of all of the land, eating and drinking and celebrating for all of the great plunder that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ And David struck them from twilight and until the evening of the next day of them. And a man did not escape from them except 400 men, young men who rode on camels and fled. ¹⁸ And David rescued all that Amalek had taken, and David rescued the two of his wives. ¹⁹ And nothing was missing to them from small and to great and to sons and daughters and from plunder and to all that they had taken for themselves. David brought back everything. ²⁰ And David took all of the sheep and the cattle. They drove to the face of that livestock and said, “This {is} the plunder of David.” ²¹ And David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go behind David, and they had had them stay at the wadi of Besor. And they came out to meet David and to meet the people who {were} with him. And David approached the people and asked them about peace. ²² But all of the evil and wicked men from the men who had gone with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give to them from the plunder that we have rescued except a man, his wife and his sons, that they may lead away and go.” ²³ But David said, “You shall not do thus, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us. For he has kept us and given the band having come against us into our hand. ²⁴ Now who will listen to you regarding this matter? For as {is} the portion of the one having gone down into battle, so {shall be} the portion of the one having stayed with the equipment. They shall take portions together.” ²⁵ And it happened, from that day and beyond, that he set it for a statute and for an ordinance for Israel, up to this day. ²⁶ And David came to Ziklag, and he sent from the plunder to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a blessing for you from the plunder of the enemies of Yahweh,” ²⁷ to who {was} in Bethel and to who {was} in Ramoth of the South and to who {was} in Jattir ²⁸ and to who {was} in Aroer and to who {was} in Siphmoth and to who {was} in Eshtemoa ²⁹ and to who {was} in Rakal and to who {was} in the cities of the Jerahmeelite and to who {was} in the cities of the Kenite ³⁰ and to who {was} in Hormah and to who {was} in Bor Ashan and to who {was} in Athak ³¹ and to who {was} in Hebron and to all of the places where David had walked about there, he and his men.

Chapter 31

¹ Now the Philistines were fighting with Israel, and the men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and they fell pierced on Mount Gilboa. ² And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons. And the Philistines struck Jonathan and Abinadab and Malki-Shua, the sons of Saul. ³ And the battle was heavy against Saul. And the shooters, the men with the bow, found him. And he writhed greatly from the shooters. ⁴ And Saul said to the carrier of his equipment, “Draw your sword and stab me with it, lest these uncircumcised {ones} come and stab me and abuse me.” But the carrier of his equipment was not willing, for he feared greatly. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ And the carrier of his equipment saw that Saul had died, so he fell, he also, on his sword, and he died with him. ⁶ So Saul and three of his sons and the carrier of his equipment, even all of his men, died together on that day. ⁷ And the men of Israel who {were} on the other side of the valley and who {were} on the other side of the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons had died. And they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and dwelled in them. ⁸ And it happened on the next day that the Philistines came to strip the pierced. And they found Saul and the three of his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ And they cut off his head and stripped off his equipment. And they sent into the land of the Philistines all around to announce {in} the house of their idols and {to} the people. ¹⁰ And they put his equipment in the house of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his corpse on the wall of Beth Shan. ¹¹ And the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead heard about it, what the Philistines had done to Saul. ¹² And all of the men of valor arose and went all of the night and took the corpse of Saul and the corpses of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. And they came {to} Jabesh, and they burned them there. ¹³ And they took their bones and buried {them} under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. And they fasted seven days.