Treachery of the Keilites. David rescued from Seul [thy soul to come down; and u our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. 1 SAMUEL, XXIV. David to Keilah, that he came down | B. C. 1061. with an ephod in his hand. 7 And it was told Saul that fPs.71.10,11. David was come to Keilah. And g Je.11.18,19. Saul said, God hath delivered him h ch.30.7. nto mine hand; for he f is shut in, Nu.27.21. by entering into a town that hatli Jer.33.3. gates and bars. i ver.8. Est.3.6. Pr.28.15. 8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilan, to besiege David and his men. 9 And David knew that Saul g secretly practised mischief against him; and h he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. 10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for i my sake. Ro.3. 15,16. 25.13. 1 Ps.11.1. nPs.37.32,33. 54.3,4. ch.20.16,42. 2S1.21.7. ch.26.1. Ps.54, title. 2 on the 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath p Ep.6.10. heard? O LORD God of Israel, I be- g Job 5.11-15. seech thee, tell thy servant. Andr ch.24.20. the LORD said, He will come down. 12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah 1 deliver me and my ment into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up: 13 Then David and his men, k which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersover they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he for-u Ps.54.3. bare to go forth. Ju.17.2. 14 And David abode in the wilder- Mi.3.11. ness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness 4 foot shall be. of Ziph.m And Saul sought him every day, but n God delivered him w Juo. 18.2,3. not into his hand. and 15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. 16 T And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened o his hand in God.p 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not q find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saulr my father knoweth. 18 And they two s made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. right hand. 3 or, the wil. derness. m IKI.18.10. y Nu. 10.36. 5 or, from a Ps.31.22. 140.1-9. 19 Then came t up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is 2 on the south of 3 Jeshimon? CXLII. 20 Now therefore, O king, come fch.26.8-11. down according to all the desire of 21 And Saul said, Blessed v be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where, his 4 haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he deal eth very subtilely. 23 See therefore, and take w know.. ledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come re again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall that I will search & him out through come to pass, if he be in the land, out all the thousands y of Judah. 24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, z in the plain on the south of Jeshion. 25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down 5 into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste a to get away for fear of Saul: for Saul and his men compassed b David and his men round about to take them. 27 T But c there came a messen ger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have 6 invaded the land. 28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place 7 Sela-hammah-lekoth. 29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.d CHAPTER XXIV. David in a cave at En-gedi, having cud off Saul's skirt, spareth his life. AND it came to pass, when Saul was returned a from 1 following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in th wilderness of En-gedi. 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to b seek David and his men upon the rocks c of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way where was a cave; and Saul went in to coverd is feet and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.e 4 And the men of Davidad unto him, Behold f the day of which the David showell his runocency. Samuel dieth 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous thau I: for thou hast rewarded me good, s whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 1SAMUEL, XXV. LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will | B. C. 1061. deliver thine enemy into thine hand. that thou mayest do to him as it 2 the robe snall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of 2 Saul's robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart g smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, The h LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointedi of the LORD. which was Saul's. g2Sa.24.10. 1Jno.3.20, 21. h IKI.21.3. i 2Sa. 1.14. 3 cut off. k Ps.7.4. Mat.5.44. 7 So David 3 stayed & his servants Pr. 18.8. Ps.35.7. o ch.26.20. 8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried m ver.4. after Saul, saying, My lord the king!n And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. p2Ch.24.22. 9And David said to Saul, Where-q Ps.35.1. fore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 43.1. 119.154. Mi.7.9. judge. 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have in the cave: and some m bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee;s Mat.5.44. and I said, I will not put forth mine s shut up, hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed. ch.23.12. 26.8. Pr.25.21,22, te ch.23.17. 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, t Ps. 18.20. see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is v 2Sa.21.6,8. neither evil n nor transgression in w ch.23.29. mine hand, and I have not sinned (CHAP. 25.) against thee; yet thou huntest o my soul to take it. @ ch.28.3. Nu.20.29. 12 The LORD judge between me Nu. 10.12. 13 As saith the proverb of the 13.3,26. ancients, Wickedness proceedeth c ch.23.24. 18 And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand. thou killedst me not. 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD rewardt thee good for that thou has done unto me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know u well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. 21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that y thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. 22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.w CHAPTER XXV. 1 Samuel dieth. 2 David in Paran sendeth to Nabal. AND Samuel died: and a all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.b 2 And there was a man in Maon.c whose 1 possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife good understanding, and of a beauAbigail: and she was a woman of d tiful countenance: but the man was churlish, e and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. 4 T And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did f shear his sheep. from the wicked: but mine hand 1 or, business. 5 And David sent out ten young and judge between me and thee, 2 ask him in both to thee, and peace be to thine David provoked. SAMUEL, XXV. Es.9.19. Ask thy young men, and they will show thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: h give, i I pray thee, whatsoever i Ec 11.2. cometh to thine k hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. k Lu.11.41. 9 And when David's young men 4 rested. came, they spake to Nabal accord-1 Ju.9.28. ing to all those words in the name of David, and 4 ceased. 10 T And Nabal answered Da Ps.73.7,8. 123.3,4. Is.32.5,7. vid's servants, and said, Whol is m Ju.8.6. from his master. 11 Shall m I then take my bread, and my water, and my 5 flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and 5 slaughter. o ver.7. Abigail's present. | David and his men came dow against her; and she met them. 21 (Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evilt for good. 22 So and more also do God unte the enemies of David, if I leave o all that pertain to him by the morn ing light any that pisseth against the wall.) 23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted u off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 21 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this give it unto men, whom I know not p Ex. 14.22. iniquity be: and let thine handwhence they be? Job 1.10. 12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and q 2Sa.23,6,7. came and told him all those say-r Ge.32.13. ings. 13 And David said unto his men, Pr. 18. 16. maid, I pray thee, speak in thine 9 audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, 10 regard this man of Belial, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; 11 Nabal is his name, and folly is Gird ye on every man his sword. 8 or, lumps. with him: but I thine handmaid Ge.32.16,20. And they girded ou every man his 14 T But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them. 15 But the men were very good unto us, and we o were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16 They were a wall p unto us! Pr. 17.13. u Jos. 15. 18. A ears. 10 lay it to his heart. 11 i. e. fool. saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from 12 avenging thyselfw with thine own hand, now let thine z enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27 And now this 13blessingy which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unte the young men that 14 follow my lord. 28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the z both by night and day, all the 13 or, present. LORD will certainly make my lord a while we were with them keeping the sheep. the feet of, y Ge.33.11. 2Ki.5.15. 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil 14 walk at is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial g that a man cannot speak to him. ver.42. Ps. 89.29. sure house; because my lord fighteth a the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not b been found in thee all thy days. 29 Yet a man is risen to purstre thee, and to seek thy soul: but the z 2Sa.7.11,27. soul of my lord shall be bound in 1Ki.9.5. the bundle c of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, 13 as out of the middle of a sling.d 30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 18 T Then Abigail made haste, andr took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five a ch. 18. 17. sheep ready dressed, and five mea-b1Ki.15.5. sures of parched corn, and an hun- Ps. 119.1-3. dred 8 clusters of raisins, and two c Mal.3, 17. hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. 19 And she said unto her servants, s Go on before me; behold. I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold, Nabar's death. 1 SAMUEL, XXVI. when the LORD shall have dealt B. C. 1060. well with my lord, then remembere thine handmaid. 32 And David said to Abigail, f Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sentthee this day to meetme: 33 And blessed be thy advice, g and blessed be thou, which hast Kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging my-1 self with mine own hand. e Ge.40.14. Lu.23.42. f Ge.24.27. Ex. 18.10. Ezra 7.27. Ps.41.13. Luke 1.68. g Ps. 141.5. Pr.9.9. 34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept h me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morn-k ing light any that pisseth against the wall. 35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Goi upin peace to thine house, see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.. h ver.26. i 2Sa. 15.9. Luke 7.50. ? Pr.20.1. m Job 15.21. n 2Ki. 15.5. 36 And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold, he held a feast k in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within P Pr.22.23. him, for he was very drunken: q ver.26,34. wherefore she told him nothing,less r IKI.2.44. or more, until the morning light. 37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart m died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote n Nabal that he died. Ps.7.16. Pr. 15.33. 17 at her feet, ver.27. t ch.27.3. 18 Phaltiel, 2Sa.3.15. 39 And when David heard that Saul cometh against David | 44 ¶ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to 18 Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.u CHAPTER XXVI. Saul cometh to Hachilah against David. ND a the Ziphites came unto A Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? 2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshi mon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wild erness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 5 And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abnerb the son of Ner, the captain of his host. And Saul lay in the 1trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David, and said Abishaic the son of Zeruiah, broto Ahimelech the Hittite, and to ther to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster : but Abner and the people lay round about him. servant from evil: for the LORD Ps.54, title.8 Then said Abishai to David, God of his car riages, ch. 17.20. c 1Ch.2.16. hath returnedr the wickedness of b ch.14.50. Nahal upon his own head. And 1 or, midst David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife. 41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let s thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of her's that went 17 after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezree and they were also both of them his wives. shut up. d ch.24.6,&c. Job 7.1. h ch.24.6.12. hath 2 delivered thine enemy inta thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, 1 pray thee, with the spear, even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; ford who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD e shall smite him; or his day f shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.g 11 The LORD forbid h that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go David reproveth Abner i Ge.2.21. 1 SAMUEL, XXVII. 12 So David took the spear and B. C. 1060. the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from i the LORD was fallen upon them. 13 T Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: 15.12. the sons of death, 2Sa.12.5. k ch.24.16. 12Sa. 16.11. 24.1. smell, Ge.8.21. Lev.26.31. m Ps. 119.108. De.4.27,28. Ps. 120.5. Is.60.5. 14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? 15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and whon is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the peo-5 cleaving. ple in to destroy the king thy lord. 16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liv-p ch. 15.24. eth, ye are 3 worthy to die, be 2Sa. 14. 16. cause ye have not kept your master 9 ver.24. the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Isk this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. 18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? Ps.7.8. 18.20. Ps. 18, title, 31.17,18. 144.2. 2Co. 1.9,10. 2Th.3.2. t Ge.32.28. Is.54.17. Ro.8.35,37. (CHAP. 27.) 1 be consumed. 51.12. 19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him 4 accept m an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they na Is.40.27.31. have driven me out this day from 5 abiding in the inheritance o of the b ch.25.13. LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods. c ch.21.10. 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of d ch.25.43. the LORD: for the king of Israel ise Ge.46.34. come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. 21 T Then said Saul, Ip have sinned return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious q in thine eyes this day behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The LORD r render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD deJivered thee into my hand to-day, I 2 3 Jos. 19.5. the number g Jos. 13.2. i Ex.17.16. or, did you Saul blesseth David. but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed 24 And behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver s me out of all tribulation. 25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still t prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. CHAPTER XXVII. Saul hearing David to be in Gath, seeketh no more for him. ND David said in his heart, I Ashall now 1 perish a one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in the coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men b that were with him unto Achish, c the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, d Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5 T And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place e in some town in the country, that 1 may dwell there for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag f that day: wherefore Ziklag per taineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. 7 And 2 the time that David dwe in the country of the Philistines was 3 a full year and four months. 8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the 4 Gezerites, h and the Amalekites: i for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, k even unto the land of Egypt. 9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said 5 Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said, Against the south of Judah. and against the south of |