David feigneth madness. B. C. i ch. 22. 9. B. C. 7 Now a certain man of the servants | king of Moab, Let my father and my about 1062. of Saul was there that day, detained k ch. 17. 2, 50. 1 See ch.31. 10. || Or, Abimelech, Ps. 34, title. 9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, 'behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me. 10 ¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And m the servants of Achish m Ps. 56, title. said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, sayn ch. 18. 7. & ing, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands ? 29.5. o Luke 2. 19. P Ps. 34, title. || Or, made marks. the madman. 12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 And Phe changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. 4 And he brought them before the king of Moab and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. d 1 Chr. 21. 9. 2 Chr. 29. 25. 5 ¶ And the prophet & Gad said unto 42 Sam. 24. 11. David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth. 6 ¶ When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him; (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him ;) Or, grove in a high place. 9 ¶ Then answered & Doeg the Edom-g ch. 21. 7. 14 Then said Achish unto his serv-ite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of i Ahitub. Or, playeth ants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 10 And he inquired of the LORDk Num. 27. 21. for him, and gave him victuals, and 1 ch 21. 6, 9. gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. 12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, + Here I am, my lord. 13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honour 3 T And David went thence to Miz-able in thine house? peh of Moab and he said unto the 15 Did I then begin to inquire of + Heb. Behold me. The priests of Nob slain. B. C. I. SAMUEL. God for him? be it far from me let about 1062. not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father for thy servant knew + Heb. little nothing of all this, †less or more. or great. Heb. run ners. 16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. 17 ¶ And the king said unto the |_ Or, guard. | footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD. m See Ex. 1. 17. 18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell n See ch. 2. 31. upon the priests, and "slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. o ver. 9, 11. P ch. 23. 6. q ch. 2. 33. r 1 Kings 2. 26. a Josh. 15. 44. b ver. 4, 6, 9. ch. 30. 8. 2 Sam. 5. 19, 23. 19 ° And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 ¶ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests. 22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. 23 Abide thou with me, fear not rfor he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. The treachery of the Keilites. B. C. 4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered about 1062. him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of. Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. c ch. 22. 29. 7 ¶ And it was told Saul that David about 1061. was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. 8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 ¶ And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest,d Num. 27. 21. Bring hither the ephod. d 10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. 12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah + deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee 25. 13. 13 ¶ Then David and his men, which fch. 22. 2. & were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. 14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of b Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. h 15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. 16 ¶ And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: g Ps. 11. 1. h Josh. 15. 55. i Ps. 54. 3, 4. Saul pursueth David. B. C. about 1061. k ch. 24. 20. 1 ch. 18. 3. & 20. 16, 42. 2 Sam. 21. 7. m See ch. 26.1. Ps. 54, title. + Heb. on the right hand. || Or, The wilderness. n Ps. 54. 3. + Heb. foot shall be. o Josh. 15. 55. ch. 25. 2. rock. I. SAMUEL. for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. k He spareth Saul's life. CHAPTER XXIV. David in a cave at En-gedi cutteth off Saul's skirt, but spareth his life. 8 He sheweth thereby his innocency. 16 Saul, acknowledging his fault, taketh an oath of David, and departeth. a 18 And they two 1made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode AND it came to pass, when Saul in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. 19 ¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of + "Jeshimon? 20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and "our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. 21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his + haunt is, and who hath seen him there for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilely. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. 24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: Or, from the wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. B. C. about 1061. when Saul | a ch. 23. 28. was returned from following † Heb. after. the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to a cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, be- 2 Sam. 24.10. cause he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, hThe h ch. 26. 11. LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. 7 So David istayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 ¶ David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. k + Heb. cut off. i Ps. 7. 4. Matt. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 17, 19. Prov. 16. 28. & 17. 9. 9 And David said to Saul, * Where- Ps. 141. 6. fore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed. 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither 1 Ps. 7. 3. & evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; 1 35.7. o ch. 17. 43. 2 Sam. 9. 8. p ch. 26. 20. q ver. 12, r 2 Chr. 24. 22. + Heb. judge. s Ps. 35. 1. & 43. 1. & 119. 154. Mic.7.9. t ch. 26. 17. u ch. 26. 21. x Gen. 38. 26. y Matt. 5. 44. 12 "The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou David's message to Nabal. B. C. had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his about 1060. sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and she was а woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. f 4 T And David heard in the wilpursue? after a dead dog, after Paderness that Nabal did shear his f Gen. 38. 13. flea. 18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD +Heb.shut up, had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. z ch. 26. 23. ch. 23. 12. & 26.8. a ch. 23. 17. b Gen. 21. 23. 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. 20 And now, behold, a I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. 21 b Swear now therefore unto me c2 Sam.21.6,8. by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. d ch. 23. 29. about 1060. a ch. 28. 3. Deut. 34. 8. a t 111 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my + flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? 12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. AND * Samuel died; and all the And they girded on every man his Israelites were gathered togeth b Num. 20. 29. er, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. c Gen. 21. 21. Ps. 120. 5. с 2 And there was a man din Maon, || Or, business. whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he e Josh. 15. 55. |