A PSALM OF DELIVERANCE.

Behold, one travaileth with sin,

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And hath conceived mischief and brought forth false

hood;

A pit hath he digged, and hollowed it,

And falleth in the trap he made;

His sin returneth on his head,

And on his pate his violence falleth.

I thank Jehovah for His righteousness,
And praise the name of Jehovah Most High.

CHAPTER IV.

I. SAMUEL, xxvii.-xxxi. I. CHRONICLES, X.

SAUL'S DOWNFALL.

David Goes over to the Philistines-Prince of Ziklag-Deceives Achish-A Philistine Muster-Distrusted by the Lords-Amalekites Plunder Ziklag-David in Pursuit-The Sick Slave-Recovers All-Division of the Spoil-Battle of Gilboa-Israel Routed -Saul Kills Himself-Men of Jabesh Rescue His Body.

Now David said in his heart: I shall perish some day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel; so shall I escape out of his hand. So David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath; and he sought no more again for him.

Then David said to Achish: If now I have found grace in thine eyes, let there be given me a place in one of the outlying cities, where I may dwell; for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? So Achish gave him at that time Ziklag; wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

A PHILISTINE MUSTER.

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And David and his men made raids upon the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites, who were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest toward the Wall, even unto the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, saving neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel. And when he returned, and came to Achish, and Achish said: Whither have ye made a raid to-day? David said: Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites. And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying: Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David. And so was his manner all the while he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. But Achish believed David, saying: He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever.

And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David: Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy men. And David said to Achish: Then shalt thou know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David: Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

And the Philistines gathered together all their hosts at Aphek. And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish. Then said the princes of the Philistines: What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me now these two years, and

I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day? But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him, and said to him: Let this fellow return, and go back to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us he become an adversary to us. reconcile himself unto his lord not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying,

to battle, lest in the battle For wherewith should he save with our heads? Is

Saul hath slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands?

Then Achish called David, and said to him: As Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright, and all thy conduct with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; nevertheless the lords favor thee not. Return, therefore, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines. So David rose up early in the morning, he and his men, to depart and return into the land of the Philistines.

And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; and had taken captive the women and all that were therein, both small and great. They slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. Then David and the people that were

THE SICK SLAVE.

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with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was bitter, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God.

And

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. And David inquired of Jehovah, saying: If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And He answered him: Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shalt without fail recover all. So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor. two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor; but David pursued with four hundred. And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink; and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and a couple of clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. And David said to him: To whom belongest thou? And whence art thou? And he said: I am a young man of Egypt, slave to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongeth to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him: Canst thou bring me down to this troop? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee