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cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. 16 And it came to pass when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. 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, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. 21 Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. 22 And David swear unto Saul: and Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

CHAPTER XXXI.

SAUL'S DEATH.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul, and upon his sons: and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishuah, Saul's sons. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was sore wounded of the archers. 4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with

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him. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men that same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 8. And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. 10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; 12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

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CHAPTER I.

DAVID'S LAMENTATION.,

Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; 2 It came even to pass on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head and so it was when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

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3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

6 And the young man that told him, said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear: and lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me and I answered here am I. 8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? and I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live, after that he was fallen and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

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11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13 And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? and he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. 14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? 16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head: for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed.

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son. 19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not

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in the streets of Askelon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

CHAPTER V.

DAVID FIGHTETH THE PHILISTINES.

THEN

HEN came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 10 And David went on, and grew great; and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 12 And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and

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that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. 19 And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up; for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim. 22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees. 25 And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.

CHAPTER VI.

DAVID BRINGETH BACK THE ARK.

AGAIN, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of The Lord of hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: "and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord. 18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name