Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against aKeilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. 2 Therefore David binquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. 3 And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 4 Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for cI will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech dfled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

7 *And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. 8 And Saul ecalled all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and fhe 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, gto destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will hthe men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. 12 Then said David, Will hthe men of Keilah †deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will †deliver thee up. 13 Then David and his men, which were about isix hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and kwent whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. 14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of lZiph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. 15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of lZiph in a wood.

16 And mJonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and nthat also Saul my father knoweth. 18 And they two omade a covenant pbefore the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 Then qcame up the lZiphites to Saul to rGibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in sthe hill of Hachilah, which is †on the south of ||Jeshimon? 20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to tdeliver him into the king’s hand. 21 And Saul said, uBlessed be ye of the Lord; for wye have compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his †haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me xwith the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. 24 And they arose, and went to lZiph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of yMaon, in the plain on zthe south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down ||into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made ahaste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. 27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; bfor the Philistines have †invaded the land. 28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place ||Sela-hammahlekoth.

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at cEn-gedi.

24 And it came to pass, awhen Saul was returned from †following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 Then Saul took three thousand bchosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the csheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to dcover his feet: and eDavid and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4 And the men of David said unto him, fBehold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of †Saul’s robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that gDavid’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, hThe Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, ithe Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 7 So David †stayed his servants with these words, and jsuffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

9 And David said to Saul, kWherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and lsome bade me kill thee: but mmine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed. 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, 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 neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. 12 nThe Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? oafter a dead dog, after pa flea. 15 qThe Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and rsee, and splead my cause, and †deliver me out of thine hand.

16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, tIs this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 17 uAnd he said to David, Thou art xmore righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 18 And thou hast shewed 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 reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. 20 And now, behold, yI know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. 21 zSwear now therefore unto me by the Lord, athat thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that 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 bthe hold.

25 *And aSamuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and blamented him, and buried him cin his house at dRamah. And David arose, and went down to ethe wilderness of Paran. 2 And there was a man in fgMaon, whose ||possessions were in gCarmel; 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 Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was hof the house of Caleb. 4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did ishear his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and †greet him in my name: 6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, jPeace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we †hurt them not, neither was there ought kmissing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men lfind favour in thine eyes: for we come in ma good day: give, I pray thee, nwhatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9 And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and †ceased. 10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, oWho is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days pthat break away every man from his master. 11 qShall I then take my bread, and my water, and my †flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? 12 So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David …