and his heart was confounded, and he became like a stone. 38 And in about ten days the Lord smote Nabal, and he died. 39 And when David heard it, he said, Blessed be the Lord who

hath judged the cause of my reproach, out of the hand of Nabal, and hath preserved his servant from the hand of wicked men. The Lord hath turned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head. Then David sent and spoke of Abigaia 40 to take her for a wife; and when David's servants came

to Abigaia to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David hath 41 sent us to thee to take thee to himself for a wife, she arose,

and bowed down to the ground on her face, and said, Behold thy servant is ready to be a house maid to wash the feet of thy 42 servants. Then Abigaia arose, and mounted her ass, and five

maids accompanied her, and she went with David's servants, 43 and became his wife. Now David had taken Achinaam of Jezrael, and they were both his wives. And Saul gave his daughter Melchol, David's wife, to Phalti, son of Amis, of Romma.

XXVI. Again the Ziphites came from the wilderness to Saul, on the mount, and said, Behold, David is lurking with us on 2 mount Echela, in front of Jessemon. Thereupon Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the 3 wilderness of Ziph. And Saul encamped on that eminence of 4 Echela, which is in front of Jessemon, by the way side. Now David made his abode in that wilderness. So when David saw that Saul was coming after him, into the wilderness, he sent out spies. And when he knew that Saul was come in force 5 out of Keila, David arose privily, and went to the place where

Saul was sleeping. And Abenner, son of Ner, his captain general was there, and Saul was asleep in a palanquin, and the 6 people were encamped around him. Now David addressing Abimelech the Chettite, and Abessa, son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, had said, Who will go with me into the camp to Saul? 7 and Abessa said, I will go with thee. So David went with Abessa, in among the people by night, and behold Saul lay fast asleep in a palanquin, and his lance was stuck in the ground at his head, and Abenner and his people lay around him. 8 Whereupon Abessa said to David, The Lord hath this day

delivered thine enemy into thy hands, now therefore let me smite him with my spear, to the ground, at one stroke, and I will 9 not repeat the blow. But David said to Abessa, Thou must not humble him: for who can lift up his hand against the 10 Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? Then David said, As the

Lord liveth, either the Lord will smite him, or his time shall 11 come, and he will go down to battle and fall. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the anointed of the Lord. Now therefore take, I pray thee, the spear from his 12 pillow, and the cup of water, and let us go. So David took the lance, and the cup of water from his pillow, and went away; and there was none who saw, nor was there one who perceived, nor one who awaked. They were all fast asleep. For a deep 13 sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. And when David had

passed over to the other side, he stood on the top of the moun14 tain, at a distance, and there was a great way between them,

and David called to the people, and spoke to Abenner, saying, 15 Wilt thou not answer, Abenner,! And Abenner answered and said, Who art thou, who callest? Then David said to Abenner, Art thou not a chief man? And who is like thee in Israel? Why then dost thou not guard thy lord the king? For one of the 16 people went in to slay thy lord the king. This thing which thou hast done is not good. As the Lord liveth, you who guard your lord the king--the anointed of the Lord, are guilty of death; for see now, I pray thee, the king's lance, and the 17 cup of water, where are they which were at his head? And when Saul knew David's voice, he said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, I am thy servant, my lord the 18 king. Moreover he said, Why doth my lord pursue after his

servant? For wherein have I offended, or what iniquity is there 19 found in me? Now therefore let my lord the king hear the word of his servant. If God stirreth thee up against me, let thy sacrifice be fragrant: but if the sons of men; cursed be they before the Lord; for they have now driven me out from abiding securely in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, 20 serve other gods. Now therefore, let not my blood fall on the land before the face of the Lord, because the king of Israel is come out to seek my life, as the night hawk pursueth on the 21 mountains. Then Saul said, I have sinned, Return, my son

David; for I will no more do thee harm; because my life hath been precious in thy sight, at the very time when I was led 22 astray by folly, and egregiously mistaken. And David answer

ed and said, Behold here is the king's lance; let one of the 23 young men come over and take it. The Lord will render to every one according to his righteousness, and his fidelity. As the Lord delivered thee this day into my hands, and I would not 24 lay my hand on the Lord's anointed; and behold as thy life was this day highly regarded in my eyes, so may my life be highly regarded in the sight of the Lord, and may he protect 25 me! He indeed will deliver me out of all affliction. Then Saul said to David, Blessed art thou, my son. Thou shalt surely perform exploits, and prevail. Then David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

XXVII. But David spoke in his heart, saying, I may one day fall into the hands of Saul. Is it not best for me to make my escape to the land of the Philistines, so that Saul may cease from seeking me in the borders of Israel? So shall I escape 2 out of his hand. So David arose, and the six hundred men with him, and went to Angchus, son of Ammach, king of 3 Geth. And David abode with Angchus, both he and his men, every one with his household, and David with his two wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia late the wife of Nabal 4 the Carmelite. And when Saul was informed that David had fled to Geth, he did not proceed any more to seek him.Now David 5 had said to Angchus, If thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, let a place, I pray thee, be given me in one of thy cities, in the country, and I will settle there. For why should thy 6 servant dwell in the royal city with thee? So he gave him on

that day Sekelak; for this cause Sekelak belongeth to the 7 king of Juda to this day. Now the time that David had dwelt in 8 the country of the Philistines was four months, when David went up with his men, and they fell upon all the Geserites, and upon the Amelekites. (Now this country was inhabited by wandering hordes, excepting those who had fixed abodes from 9 Gelampsur to the land of Egypt.) And when he smote the land he saved neither man nor woman alive; but he took their flocks, and herds, and asses, and camels, and raiment, and re10 turned, and came to Angchus. And when Angchus said to

David, Upon whom have you fallen? David said to Angchus, Towards the south of Judea, and towards the south of Jesme11 ga, and towards the south of Kenezi. But I saved neither man nor woman to bring them to Geth, saying, They must not carry tidings against us to Geth, and say, Such and such things doth David. And this was his custom all the time that David 12 dwelt in the country of the Philistines. And David was in high confidence with Angchus, who said, He is surely in great disgrace with his people in Israel, therefore he must be my servant forever.

XXVIII. Now in those days when the Philistines were assembling in their camps to go out to war with Israel, Angchus said to David, Know assuredly that thou shalt go out with me 2 to battle, both thou and thy men. Whereupon David said to Angchus, Thus thou shalt now know what thy servant can do. And Angchus said to David, Thus will I make thee captain of 3 my body guard during thy life. Now Samuel was dead and all Israel had bewailed him, and buried him at Armathaim in his city. And Saul had driven from the land the belly speakers, and the 4 diviners; and the Philistines assembled, and came and encamped at Sonam; whereupon Saul assembled all Israel, and they 5 encamped at Gelbua. And when Saul saw the camp of the

Philistines he was afraid, and his heart was exceedingly dis6 mayed. And Saul inquired of the Lord; but the Lord did not answer him; neither by dreams, nor by manifestations, nor by 7 prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, Seek out for me a woman who is a belly speaker, and I will go to her and con8 sult her. And his servants said to him, Behold there is a woman, a belly speaker, at Endor. Thereupon Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothes, and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and said to her, Consult for me, I pray thee, the belly speaker, and bring 9 up for me him whom I shall mention to thee. And the woman said to him, Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done; how

he hath rooted out all the belly speakers, and the diviners, out of the land; why then dost thou lay a trap for my life, to put 10 me to death? And Saul swore to her saying, As the Lord liv11 eth, there shall no mischief befal thee on this account. Then

the woman said, Whom shall I bring up for thee? And when he

12 had said, Bring up Samuel for me, the woman saw Samuel, and cried with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, Why 13 hast thou deceived me? Thou indeed art Saul. And the king said to her, Fear not. Tell me, Whom hast thou seen? And the woman said to him, I saw gods coming up out of the earth. 14 And he said to her, What didst thou discover? And she said to him, An erect man coming up out of the earth, and he had a mantle thrown around him. So Saul knew that this was Samuel, and he bowed down on his face to the ground, and made 15 obeisance to him. And Samuel said, Why hast thou troubled me, that I should come up? And Saul said, I am in great affliction. The Philistines are making war on me, and God hath departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by the 16 agency of prophets, nor by dreams. Now therefore I have called thee, to let me know what I shall do. And Samuel said, Why dost thou ask me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and 17 is with thy neighbour? The Lord indeed hath done to thee as the Lord spoke by my agency. And the Lord will rend the kingdom out of thy hand, and give it to thy neighbour, even 18 to David. Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and didst not execute the fierceness of his wrath on Amelek, therefore the Lord hath done this thing to thee this 19 day. And the Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines, and to-morrow thou, and thy sons with thee, shall fall, and the Lord will deliver the army of Israel into the 20 hand of the Philistines. At this Saul shuddered, and fell at his full length on the ground, and was struck with horror at the words of Samuel, and there was no more any strength in him, for he had not eaten bread that whole day, and that whole 21 night. Then the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was in great trepidation, she said to him, Behold I pray thee, thy servant hath hearkened to thy voice. I put my life in my hand, and heard the words which thou didst speak to 22 me; now therefore, hearken, I pray thee, to the voice of thy

servant, and let me set before thee a morsel of bread, and eat 23 that thou mayst have strength; for thou art to travel. And when he declined eating, his servants and the woman pressed him; so he hearkened to their voice, and arose from the ground, 24 and sat on a seat. Now the woman had a fatted calf in the