1 Samuel 26–28

¹And the Ziphites come in unto Saul, at Gibeah, saying, ‘Is not David hiding himself in the height of Hachilah, on the front of the desert?’ ²And Saul riseth, and goeth down unto the wilderness of Ziph, and with him three thousand men, chosen ones of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. ³And Saul encampeth in the height of Hachilah, which is on the front of the desert, by the way, and David is abiding in the wilderness, and he seeth that Saul hath come after him in to the wilderness; ⁴and David sendeth spies, and knoweth that Saul hath come unto Nachon, ⁵and David riseth, and cometh in unto the place where Saul hath encamped, and David seeth the place where Saul hath lain, and Abner son of Ner, head of his host, and Saul is lying in the path, and the people are encamping round about him.

⁶And David answereth and saith unto Ahimelech the Hittite, and unto Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, ‘Who doth go down with me unto Saul, unto the camp?’ and Abishai saith, ‘I—I go down with thee.’ ⁷And David cometh—and Abishai—unto the people by night, and lo, Saul is lying sleeping in the path, and his spear struck into the earth at his pillow, and abner and the people are lying round about him. ⁸And Abishai saith unto David, ‘God hath shut up to-day thine enemy into thy hand; and, now, let me smite him, I pray thee, with a spear, even into the earth at once—and I do repeat it to him.’ ⁹And David saith unto Abishai, ‘Destroy him not; for who hath put forth his hand against the anointed of Jehovah, and been acquitted?’ ¹⁰And David saith, ‘Jehovah liveth; except Jehovah doth smite him, or his day come that he hath died, or into battle he go down, and hath been consumed— ¹¹far be it from me, by Jehovah, from putting forth my hand against the anointed of Jehovah; and, now, take, I pray thee, the spear which is at his pillow, and the cruse of water, and we go away.’ ¹²And David taketh the spear, and the cruse of water at the pillow of Saul, and they go away, and there is none seeing, and there is none knowing, and there is none awaking, for all of them are sleeping, for a deep sleep from Jehovah hath fallen upon them.

¹³And David passeth over to the other side, and standeth on the top of the hill afar off—great is the place between them; ¹⁴and David calleth unto the people, and unto Abner son of Ner, saying, ‘Dost thou not answer, Abner?’ and Abner answereth and saith, ‘Who art thou who hast called unto the king?’ ¹⁵And David saith unto Abner, ‘Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? but why hast thou not watched over thy lord the king? for one of the people had come in to destroy the king, thy lord. ¹⁶Not good is this thing which thou hast done; Jehovah liveth, but ye are sons of death, in that ye have not watched over your lord, over the anointed of Jehovah; and now, see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water which is at his bolster.’ ¹⁷And Saul discerneth the voice of David, and saith, ‘Is this thy voice, my son David?’ and David saith, ‘My voice, my lord, O king!’ ¹⁸and he saith, ‘Why is this—my lord is pursuing after his servant? for what have I done, and what is in my hand evil? ¹⁹And, now, let, I pray thee, my lord the king hear the words of his servant: if Jehovah hath moved thee against me, let Him accept a present; and if the sons of men—cursed are they before Jehovah, for they have cast me out to-day from being admitted into the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.

²⁰‘And now, let not my blood fall to the earth over-against the face of Jehovah, for the king of Israel hath come out to seek one flea, as one pursueth the partridge in mountains.’

²¹And Saul saith, ‘I have sinned; turn back, my son David, for I do evil to thee no more, because that my soul hath been precious in thine eyes this day; lo, I have acted foolishly, and do err very greatly.’ ²²And David answereth and saith, ‘Lo, the king’s spear; and let one of the young men pass over, and receive it; ²³and Jehovah doth turn back to each his righteousness and his faithfulness, in that Jehovah hath given thee to-day into my hand, and I have not been willing to put forth my hand against the anointed of Jehovah, ²⁴and lo, as thy soul hath been great this day in mine eyes, so is my soul great in the eyes of Jehovah, and He doth deliver me out of all distress.’ ²⁵And Saul saith unto David, ‘Blessed art thou, my son David, also working thou dost work, and also prevailing thou dost prevail.’ And David goeth on his way, and Saul hath turned back to his place.

Chapter 27

¹And David saith unto his heart, ‘Now am I consumed one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing for me better than that I diligently escape unto the land of the Philistines, and Saul hath been despairing of me—of seeking me any more in all the border of Israel, and I have escaped out of his hand.’ ²And David riseth, and passeth over, he and six hundred men who are with him, unto Achish son of Maoch king of Gath; ³and David dwelleth with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, even David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelitess. ⁴And it is declared to Saul that David hath fled to Gath, and he hath not added any more to seek him. ⁵And David saith unto Achish, ‘If, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, then give to me a place in one of the cities of the field, and I dwell there, yea, why doth thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?’ ⁶And Achish giveth to him in that day Ziklag, therefore hath Ziklag been to the kings of Judah till this day. ⁷And the number of the days which David hath dwelt in the field of the Philistines is days and four months.

⁸And David goeth up and his men, and they push unto the Geshurite, and the Gerizite, and the Amalekite, (for they are inhabitants of the land from of old), as thou comest in to Shur and unto the land of Egypt, ⁹and David hath smitten the land, and doth not keep alive man and woman, and hath taken sheep, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and garments, and turneth back, and cometh in unto Achish. ¹⁰And Achish saith, ‘Whither have ye pushed to-day?’ and David saith, ‘Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelite, and unto the south of the Kenite.’ ¹¹Neither man nor woman doth David keep alive, to bring in word to Gath, saying, ‘Lest they declare it against us, saying, Thus hath David done, and thus is his custom all the days that he hath dwelt in the fields of the Philistines.’ ¹²And Achish believeth in David, saying, ‘He hath made himself utterly abhorred among his people, in Israel, and hath been to me for a servant age-during.’

Chapter 28

¹And it cometh to pass in those days, that the Philistines gather their camps for the war, to fight against Israel, and Achish saith unto David, ‘Thou dost certainly know that with me thou dost go out into the camp, thou and thy men.’ ²And David saith unto Achish, ‘Therefore—thou dost know that which thy servant dost do.’ And Achish saith unto David, ‘Therefore—keeper of my head I do appoint thee all the days.’ ³And Samuel hath died, and all Israel mourn for him, and bury him in Ramah, even in his city, and Saul hath turned aside those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. ⁴And the Philistines are gathered, and come in, and encamp in Shunem, and Saul gathereth all Israel, and they encamp in Gilboa, ⁵and Saul seeth the camp of the Philistines, and feareth, and his heart trembleth greatly, ⁶and Saul asketh at Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not answered him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

⁷And Saul saith to his servants, ‘Seek for me a woman possessing a familiar spirit, and I go unto her, and inquire of her;’ and his servants say unto him, ‘Lo, a woman possessing a familiar spirit in En-dor.’ ⁸And Saul disguiseth himself and putteth on other garments, and goeth, he and two of the men with him, and they come in unto the woman by night, and he saith, ‘Divine, I pray thee, to me by the familiar spirit, and cause to come up to me him whom I say unto thee.’ ⁹And the woman saith unto him, ‘Lo, thou hast known that which Saul hath done, that he hath cut off those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; and why art thou laying a snare for my soul—to put me to death?’ ¹⁰And Saul sweareth to her by Jehovah, saying, ‘Jehovah liveth, punishment doth not meet thee for this thing.’ ¹¹And the woman saith, ‘Whom do I bring up to thee?’ and he saith, ‘Samuel—bring up to me.’ ¹²And the woman seeth Samuel, and crieth with a loud voice, and the woman speaketh unto Saul, saying, ‘Why hast thou deceived me—and thou Saul?’ ¹³And the king saith to her, ‘Do not fear; for what hast thou seen?’ and the woman saith unto Saul, ‘Gods I have seen coming up out of the earth.’ ¹⁴And he saith to her, ‘What is his form?’ and she saith, ‘An aged man is coming up, and he is covered with an upper robe;’ and Saul knoweth that he is Samuel, and boweth—face to the earth—and doth obeisance.

¹⁵And Samuel saith unto Saul, ‘Why hast thou troubled me, to bring me up?’ And Saul saith, ‘I have great distress, and the Philistines are fighting against me, God hath turned aside from me, and hath not answered me any more, either by the hand of the prophets, or by dreams; and I call for thee to let me know what I do.’ ¹⁶And Samuel saith, ‘And why dost thou ask me, and Jehovah hath turned aside from thee, and is thine enemy? ¹⁷And Jehovah doth for Himself as He hath spoken by my hand, and Jehovah rendeth the kingdom out of thy hand, and giveth it to thy neighbour—to David. ¹⁸Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, nor didst the fierceness of His anger on Amalek—therefore this thing hath Jehovah done to thee this day; ¹⁹yea, Jehovah giveth also Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow thou and thy sons are with me; also the camp of Israel doth Jehovah give into the hand of the Philistines.’

²⁰And Saul hasteth and falleth—the fulness of…