And he said, Neither hath the LORD 10 chosen him. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not 11 chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come 12 hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint 13 him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramab.

14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the 15 LORD troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit 16 from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a skil ful player on a harp: and when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man who can play well, and 13 bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, who is skilful in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person, and the 19 LORD is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep. 20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent 21 them by David his son unto Saul. And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became 22 his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before ine; for he hath found favour in my sight. And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit depart

ed from him.

17 NOW the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and 2 Azekalı, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and there was 4 a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand sheskels of brass. And he had boots of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye

come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight 9 with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I 10 defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When 11 Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

Now David was the son of that Ephrath- 12 ite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of 13 Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: 14 and the three eldest followed Saul. But 15 David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem. And the 16 Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take 17 now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; and carry these 18 little baskets of cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and see how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. Now Saul, and 19 they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. And David rose up early in the morn- 20 ing, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the cheeses, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. For Is- 21 rael and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. And David 22 left his baskets in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. And as he 23 talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And 24 all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen 25 this man who is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. And David spake to the men who 26 stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after 27 this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man who killeth him. And Eliab his 29 eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David 29 said, What have I now done? Is there not

a cause? And he turned from him toward 39

another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after 31 the former manner. And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

32

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will 33 go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of 34 war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and 35 took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, 36 and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the 37 armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of 39 mail and David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go, but could not; for he had not been accustomed to them. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not been accustomed to them. And David put them off 40 him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to 41 the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man who bare the shield went before him.

42

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a beauti43 ful countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine 44 cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the air, 45 and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies 46 of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may 47 know there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

he fell upon his face to the earth. So Da- 50 vid prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore 51 David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the 52 men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until they came to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the 53 children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the 51 Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

And when Saul saw David go forth against 55 the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. And the king 56 said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is. And as David returned from the slaugh- 57 ter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said 58 to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite. And when he had made an end of speak- 18 ing unto Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took 2 him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then 3 Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

And David went out whithersoever Saul 5 sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

And as they came, when David was re- 6 turned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women: sang responsively as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying s displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and 9

forward.

And on the morrow, the evil spirit from 10 God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. And 11 Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David escaped out of his presence twice.

And Saul was afraid of David, because 12 the LORD was with him, and had departed from himself. Therefore Saul removed 13 him from him, and made him his captain

over a thousand; and he went out and 14 came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his wavs; and 15 the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very 16 wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Is rael and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the 18 hand of the Philistines be upon him. And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the 19 king? But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

20

And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing 21 pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in22 law. And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now there23 fore be the king's son-in-law. And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you. a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly 24 esteemed? And the servants of Saul told him, saying, According to this manner 23 spake David. And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law: and the days were not ex27 pired. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him 28 Michal his daughter to wife. And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter 29 loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's 30 enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and after they went forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was greatly renowned. 19 And Saul told Jonathan his son, and all his servants, that he intended to kill Da2 vid. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide 3 in a secret place, and hide thyself: and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I 4 see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and be

cause his works have been toward thee very good: for he did put his life in his 5 hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jo- 6 nathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain. And Jona- 7 than called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

And there was war again; and David 8 went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. And the evil spirit 9 from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand : and David played with his hand. And Saul 10 sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers un- 11 to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-niorrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a win- 12 dow and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in 13 the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for its bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take 14 David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent 15 the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the messengers were 16 come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for its holster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why 17 hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

So David fled, and escaped, and came to 18 Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. And it 19 was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent mes- 20 sengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And when it was told Saul, he sent other 21 messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. Then 22 Saul's anger was kindled, and he also went to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah. And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: 23 and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he strip- 24 ped off his armour also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down without armour all that day and all that night. Wherefore they said, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, 20 and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he

2 seeketh my life? And he said unto him, Far be it from me; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this 3 thing from me? it is not so. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and 4 death. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

5

And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the 6 field unto the third day at evening. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for there is a 7 yearly feast there for all the family. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. 8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

9

10

And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee 11 roughly? And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the 12 field. And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, be witness, when I have sounded my father about this time the day after to-morrow, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then 13 send not unto thee, and show it thee; the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been. 14 with my father. And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of 15 the LORD, that I die not; but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every 16 one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require 17 it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said further to him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt 20 remain by the stone Ezel. And I will

shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as 21 though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, then take thou them, and come: for there

is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth. But if I say thus unto the young 22 man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way for the LORD hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which 23 thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

So David hid himself in the field: and 24 when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. And the king 25 sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. Nevertheless 25 Saul spake not any thing that day; for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. And 27 on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day? And 28 Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for 29 our family hath a feast in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

Then Saul's anger was kindled against 30 Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For 31 as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, 32 and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? And Saul cast 33 a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. So Jonathan 34 arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

And in the morning Jonathan went out 35 into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he 36 said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when 37 the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan eried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after 38 the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not 39 any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his bow 49 and arrows unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

And as soon as the lad was gone, David 41 arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to 42 David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.