1 Samuel 26–28

CHAPTER 26

David Takes Saul’s Spear

¹Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “^aIs not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is before ¹Jeshimon?”

²So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him ^athree thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

³And Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before ¹Jeshimon, ^abeside the road. Now David was staying in the wilderness, and ^bhe saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

⁴So David sent out spies and knew that Saul was certainly coming.

⁵David then arose and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, as well as ^aAbner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him.

⁶Then David answered and said to Ahimelech ^athe Hittite and to ^bAbishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who ^cwill go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

⁸Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has surrendered your enemy into your hand; so now, please let me strike him with the spear ¹to the ground with one stroke, and I will not ²strike him the second time.”

⁹But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for ^awho can send forth his hand against the anointed of Yahweh and be without guilt?”

¹⁰David also said, “As Yahweh lives, ^asurely Yahweh will smite him, or ^bhis day will come that he dies, or ^che will go down into battle and be swept away.

¹¹“^aYahweh forbid that I should send forth my hand against the anointed of Yahweh; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go.”

¹²So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because ^aa ¹sound sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.

¹³Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance with a large area between them.

¹⁴And David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you who calls to the king?”

¹⁵So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord.

¹⁶“This thing that you have done is not good. As Yahweh lives, all of you ^1amust surely die because you did not keep watch over your lord, the anointed of Yahweh. So now, see where the king’s spear is and the jug of water that was at his head.”

¹⁷Then Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “^aIs this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.”

¹⁸He also said, “^aWhy then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?

¹⁹“So now, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If ^aYahweh has incited you up against me, ^blet Him ¹accept an offering; but ^cif it is ²men, cursed are they before Yahweh, for ^dthey have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of Yahweh, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

²⁰“So now, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to search for ^aa single flea, just as one pursues a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹Then Saul said, “^aI have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error.”

²²And David replied, “Behold the spear of the king! Now let one of the young men come over and take it.

²³“^aNow Yahweh will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for Yahweh gave you into my hand today, but ^bI was not willing to send forth my hand against the anointed of Yahweh.

²⁴“Now behold, as your life was ^ahighly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of Yahweh, and may He ^bdeliver me from all distress.”

²⁵Then Saul said to David, “^aBlessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.” So ^bDavid went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

CHAPTER 27

David Escapes to the Philistines

¹Then David said in his heart, “Now I will be swept away one day by the hand of Saul. ^aThere is nothing better for me than that I should utterly escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.”

²So David arose and crossed over, he and ^athe six hundred men who were with him, to ^bAchish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

³And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, ^aeach with his household, even David with ^bhis two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.

⁴And it was told to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

⁵Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

⁶So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore ^aZiklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

⁷And the number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was ^aa year and four months.

⁸Now David and his men went up and raided ^athe Geshurites and the Girzites and ^bthe Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to ^cShur even as far as the land of Egypt.

⁹And David struck the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he ^atook away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish.

¹⁰And Achish said, “Where have you ^amade a raid today?” And David said, “Against the ¹Negev of Judah and against the ²Negev of ^bthe Jerahmeelites and against the ³Negev of ^cthe Kenites.”

¹¹And David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Lest they tell about us, saying, ‘So has David done and so has been his custom all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”

¹²So Achish believed David, saying, “He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.”

CHAPTER 28

Saul and the Woman of En-dor

¹Now it happened in those days that ^athe Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.”

²And David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you ¹my bodyguard ^afor life.”

³Now ^aSamuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him ^bin Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who ^cwere mediums and spiritists.

⁴So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped ^ain Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in ^bGilboa.

⁵Saul saw the camp of the Philistines and was afraid and his heart trembled greatly.

^6aSo Saul asked of Yahweh, but ^bYahweh did not answer him, either by ^cdreams or by ^dUrim or by prophets.

⁷So Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, ^athere is a woman who is a medium at ^bEn-dor.”

⁸Then Saul ^adisguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “^bDivine for me, please, and ^cbring up for me whom I shall say to you.”

⁹But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know ^awhat Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰Then Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, “As Yahweh lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

¹¹Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

¹²And the woman saw Samuel and cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.”

¹³And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a ¹divine being coming up out of the earth.”

¹⁴And he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and ^ahe is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and ^bhe bowed with his ¹face to the ground and prostrated himself.

¹⁵Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed, for the Philistines are waging war against me, and ^aGod has turned away from me and ^bno longer answers me, either by the hand of the prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.”

¹⁶And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since Yahweh has turned away from you and has become your adversary?

¹⁷“So Yahweh has done ¹accordingly ^aas He spoke by my hand, for Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.

¹⁸“As ^ayou did not listen to the voice of Yahweh and did not execute His burning anger on Amalek, so Yahweh has done this thing to you this day.

¹⁹“Moreover Yahweh will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow ^ayou and your sons will be with me. Indeed Yahweh will give over the camp of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!”

²⁰Then Saul quickly fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no ¹food…