Saul's unadvised adjuration.

CHAP. XV.

Saul's strength and family. honey-comb, and put his hand to his mouth; and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was and his eyes were enlightened. taken.

28 Then answered one of the people, 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me and said, Thy father straitly charged the what thou hast done. And Jonathan told people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the him, and said, I did but taste a little honey man that eateth any food this day. And with the end of the rod that was in mine the people were faint. hand, and lo, I must die. 1

29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath 44 And Saul answered, God do so, and troubled the land: see, I pray you, how more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonamine eyes have been enlightened, because than. I tasted a little of this honey.

45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall

30 How much more, if haply the people Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their salvation in Israel? God forbid as the enemies which they found? for had there LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his not been now a much greater slaughter head fall to the ground; for he hath among the Philistines? wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ajalon: and the people were very faint.

32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground and the people did eat them with the blood.

46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.

47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against 33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the children of Ammon, and against Edom, the people sin against the LORD, in that and against the kings of Zobah, and against they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye the Philistines: and whithersoever he turnhave transgressed: roll a great stone unto ed himself, he vexed them.

me this day.

48 And he gathered an host, and smote

34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of among the people, and say unto them, the hands of them that spoiled them. Bring me hither every man his ox, and 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonaevery man his sheep, and slay them here, than, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the and eat; and sin not against the LORD in names of his two daughters were these; eating with the blood. And all the people the name of the first-born Merab, and the brought every man his ox with him that name of the younger Michal : night, and slew them there.

35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD:

50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

36 And Saul said, Let us go down after 51 And Kish was the father of Saul; the Philistines by night, and spoil them un- and Ner the father of Abner was the son til the morning light, and let us not leave of Abiel.

a man of them. And they said, Do what- 52 And there was sore war against the soever seemeth good unto thee. Then Philistines all the days of Saul: and when said the priest, Let us draw near hither Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant unto God. man, he took him unto him. CHAP. XV.

37¶ And Saul asked counsel of God,

Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt SAMUEL also said unto Saul, The

thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? but he answered him not that day.

38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

39 For as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utter40 Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye ly destroy all that they have, and spare on one side, and I and Jonathan my son them not; but slay both man and woman, will be on the other side. And the people infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto and ass. thee.

4 And Saul gathered the people toge41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD ther, and numbered them in Telaim, two God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And hundred thousand footmen, and ten thouSaul and Jonathan were taken: but the sand men of Judah.

people escaped.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek,

42 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and laid wait in the valley.

Saul smites the Amalekites. 1. SAMUEL.

6 ¶ And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things depart, get you down from among the which should have been uttterly destroyed, Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in for ye shewed kindness to all the children Gilgal. of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then 30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and honour me now, I pray thee, before the clthe lowing of the oxen which I hear? ders of my people, and before Israel, and 15 And Saul said, They have brought turn again with me, that I may worship then from the Amalekites: for the people the LORD thy God.

spared the best of the sheep and of the 31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and Saul worshipped the LORD. and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. and I will tell thee what the LORD hath And Agag came unto him delicately. And said to me this night. And he said unto Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death him, Say on. is past.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast 33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath little in thine own sight, wast thou not made made women childless, so shall thy mother the head of the tribes of Israel, and the be childless among women. And Samuel LORD anointed thee king over Israel? hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey 35 And Samuel came no more to see the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon Saul until the day of his death; neverthethe spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the less Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD? LORD repented that he had made Saul king

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I over Israel. have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent

me, and have brought Agag the king out AND the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I

21 But the people took of the spoil, will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite:

Samuel anoints David.

CHAP. XVII. The challenge of Goliath. for I have provided me a king among his vide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

sons.

2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if 18 Then answered one of the servants, Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jessaid, Take an heifer with thee, and say, Ise the Beth-lehemite, that is cunning in am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. 19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

6¶ And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, 23 And it came to pass, when the evil Surely the LORD's anointed is before him. spirit from God was upon Saul, that David 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look took an harp, and played with his hand: not on his countenance, or on the height of so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and his stature; because I have refused him: the evil spirit departed from him. for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, NOW the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were ga

but the LORD looketh on the heart.

CHAP. XVII.

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and thered together at Shochoh, which belongeth made him pass before Samuel. And he to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

10 Again Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by 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 a valley between them.

11 ¶ And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There 4 ¶ And there went out a champion out remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, of the camp of the Philistines, named Gohe keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said liath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we and a span. will not sit down till he come hither.

12 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 him: for this is he.

5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his bre- 7 And the staff of his spear was like a thren and the Spirit of the LORD came weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighupon David from that day forward. So Sa- ed six hundred shekels of iron and one muel rose up, and went to Ramah.

bearing a shield went before him.

14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed 8 And he stood and cried unto the arfrom Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

mies 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.

16 Let our lord now command thy ser- 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to vants, which are before thee, to seek out a kill me, then will we be your servants: but man who is a cunning player on an harp: if I prevail against him, and kill him, then and it shall come to pass, when the evil spi- shall ye be our servants, and serve us. rit from God is upon thee, that he shall play 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the with his hand, and thou shalt be well. armies of Israel this day; give me a man,

17 And Saul said unto his servants, Pro- that we may fight together.

David accepts

I. SAMUEL.

the challenge. 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those 28 ¶ And Eliab his eldest brother heard words of the Philistine, they were dismay- when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's ed, and greatly afraid. anger was kindled against David, and he 12 Now David was the son of that said, Why camest thou down hither? and Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose with whom hast thou left those few sheep in name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the and the man went among men for an old naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come man in the days of Saul. down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the 30 And he turned from him toward battle were Eliab the first-born, and next another, and spake after the same manner: unto him Abinadab, and the third Sham- and the people answered him again after the former manner.

mah.

14 And David was the youngest and 31 And when the words were heard the three eldest followed Saul. which David spake, they rehearsed them be

15 But David went and returned from fore Saul: and he sent for him. Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem. 32 ¶ And David said to Saul, Let no 16 And the Philistine drew near morning man's heart fail because of him; thy serand evening, and presented himself forty vant will go and fight with this Philisdays.

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren:

18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 ¶ And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, 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,

21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

tine.

33 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 war from his youth.

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

a

35 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, and smote him, and slew him.

36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, 22 And David left his carriage in the and out of the paw of the bear, he will dehand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran liver me out of the hand of this Philisinto the army, and came and saluted his tine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and brethren. the LORD be with thee.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, 38¶ And Saul armed David with his arthere came up the champion, the Philistine mour, and he put an helmet of brass upon of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ar- his head; also he armed him with a coat of mies of the Philistines, and spake according mail. to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

I

39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, cannot go with these, for I have not proved 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye them. And David put them off him. seen this man that is come up? surely to 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and defy Israel is he come up and it shall be, chose him five smooth stones out of the that the man who killeth him, the king will brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag enrich him with great riches, and will give which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling him his daughter, and make his father's was in his hand: and he drew near to the house free in Israel. Philistine.

26 And David spake to the men that 41 And the Philistine came on, and stood by him, saying, What shall be done drew near unto David; and the man that to the man that killeth this Philistine, and bare the shield went before him. taketh away the reproach from Israel? for 42 And when the Philistine looked about, who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that and saw David, he disdained him: for he he should defy the armies of the living God? was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair 27 And the people answered him after countenance. this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with

David kills Goliath.

CHAP. XVIII.

Jonathan loves David staves? and the Philistine cursed David by thou, thou young man? And David anhis gods. swered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse

44 And the Philistine said to David, the Beth-lehemite. Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto

CHAP. XVIII.

the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the AND it came to pass, when he had

made an end of speaking unto Saul,

field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the Thou comest to me with a sword, and with soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as a spear, and with a shield: but I come to his own soul. thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 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.

2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4 And 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.

5 ¶ And David went out whithersoever Saul 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 48 And it came to pass, when the Philis- people, and also in the sight of Saul's sertine arose, and came and drew nigh to vants.

meet David, that David hasted, and ran 6 ¶ And it came to pass as they came, toward the army to meet the Philistine. when David was returned from the slaugh

49 And David put his hand in his bag, ter of the Philistine, that the women came and took thence a stone, and slang it, and out of all the cities of Israel, singing and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, the stone sunk into his forehead; and he with joy, and with instruments of music. fell upon his face to the earth. 7 And the women answered one another

50 So David prevailed over the Philis- as they played, and said, Saul hath slain tine with a sling and with a stone, and his thousands, and David his ten thousands. smote the Philistine, and slew him; but 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the there was no sword in the hand of David. saying displeased him; and he said, They 51 Therefore David ran and stood upon have ascribed unto David ten thousands, the Philistine, and took his sword, and and to me they have ascribed but thoudrew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew sands: and what can he have more but the him, and cut off his head therewith. And kingdom? when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

52 ¶ And the men of Israel and of Ju- 10 And it came to pass on the mordah arose, and shouted, and pursued the row, that the evil spirit from God came upPhilistines, until thou come to the valley, on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of and to the gates of Ekron. And the wound- the house: and David played with his ed of the Philistines fell down by the way hand, as at other times: and there was a to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto javelin in Saul's hand. Ekron.

53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12 ¶ And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

55 And when Saul saw David go forth 13 Therefore Saul removed him from against the Philistine, he said unto Abner him, and made him his captain over a thouthe captain of the host, Abner, whose son sand; and he went out and came in before is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul the people. liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

14 And David behaved himself wisely in 56 And the king said, Inquire thou all his ways; and the LORD was with him. whose son the stripling is. 15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before

58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art them.