hide thyself" when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone 12 Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

21 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, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and 13 no hurt; q as the LORD liveth.

22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way for the LORD hath sent thee away.

23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.

25 And the king 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.

26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

S

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that 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?

t

28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem :

29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice 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.

30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, 14 Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of

"Heb. in the day of the business. 12 Or. That showeth the way. 13 Heb. nat any thing. q Jer. 4. 2. r ver. 14 15. See ver. 42. s Lev. 7. 21. & t ver. 6. • Or, Thou ververse rebel. Heb. Son of perverse

15. 5, &c.

14

Jonathan telleth David his

Jesse to thine own confusion, and u confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

31 For as long as the son of Jesse upon the ground, thou shalt not be lished, nor thy kingdom. Wherefo send and fetch him unto me, for he surely die.

32 And Jonathan answered S father, and said unto him, " Wherefo he be slain? what hath he done?

X

33 And Saul cast a javelin at smite him: whereby Jonathan kn it was determined of his father David.

34 So Jonathan arose from the fierce anger, and did eat no meat the day of the month: for he was gri David, because his father had de shame.

35 And it came to pass in t ing, that Jonathan went out into at the time appointed with David little lad with him.

36 And he said unto his lad, I out now the arrows which I shoot. the lad ran, he shot an arrow him.

37 And when the lad was com place of the arrow which Jonat shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

38 And Jonathan cried after Make speed, haste, stay not. A than's lad gathered up the arrows, to his master.

39 But the lad knew not any th Jonathan and David knew the ma 40 And Jonathan gave his "artil 18 his lad, and said unto him, Go, e to the city.

41 And as soon as the lad David arose out of a place toward i and fell on his face to the ground, a himself three times and they another, and wept one with anot David exceeded.

42 And Jonathan said to Davi

rebellion. 15 Heb. is the son of death.
23. 22. x ch. 18. 11.
y ver. 7.
instruments. 18 Heb. that was his.

u ch. 19. 5.

16 Heb. to pass over z ch. 1. 17.

David obtaineth hallowed bread.

He taketh Goliath's sword.

CHAPTER XXI.

Darid at Nob obtaineth of Ahimelech hallowed bread. Do

7 Docg was present. 8 David taketh Goliath's sword. 10 David fleeth to Gath. 13 He feigneth himself mad. [B. c. 1062.]

a

came David to Nob to Ahimelech THEN the priest and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

Now therefore what is under thine land? give me five loaves of bread in mine Lund, or what there is 'present.

4 And the priest answered David, and said. There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least

from women.

c

5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner comnon, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

8¶ And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

9 And the priest said, The sword of Gothe valley of Elah, behold, it is here liath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no And David said, other save that here.

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.

m

3

11 And the servants of Achish said

unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of thousands, and David his ten thousands? him in dances, saying, "Saul hath slain his

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

14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man 'is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

15 Have I need of madmen, that ye have

my

brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into house? CHAPTER XXII.

his parents unto the king of Moab. 5 Admonished by Gad, he cometh to Hareth. 6 Saul pursuing him complaineth of his servants' unfaithfulness. 9 Doeg accuseth Ahimelech. 11 Saul commandeth to kill the priests. 17 His servants refusing, Doeg slayeth them. 20 Abiathar escaping, bringeth David the news. [B. c. 1062.]

Doeg accuseth Ahimelech.

4

8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that 'my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, toh Ahimelech the son of i Ahitub.

10 And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

The priests of Nob slain.

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 honourable in thine house?

15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17 And the king said unto the "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 show it to me. But the servants of the king" would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and "slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

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

CHAPTER XXIII.;

David rescueth Keilah. 7 God showing him the coming of Saul,

and the treachery of the Keilites, he escapeth from Keilah. 14 In Ziph Jonathan comforteth him. 19 The Ziphites discover him to Saul. 25 At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the inva

sion of the Philistines. 29 He dwelleth at En-gedi. [B, C. 1062.]

a

THEN HEN they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.

2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered 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.

7¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is

Treachery of the Keiites.

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, Bring hither the ephod.

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.

e

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 up.

13 Then David and his men, which 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 "Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

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 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

18 And they two 'made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode 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 3 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.

4

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: 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.

26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: Pand David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men q compassed David and his men

round about to take them.

He spareth Saul's life 29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at * En-gedi.

8

CHAPTER XXIV.

David in a cave at En-gedi cutteth off Saul's skirt, but spareth his life. 8 He showeth thereby his innocency. 16 Saul, acknowledging his fault, taketh an oath of David, and departeth. [B. C. 1061.]

AND it came to pass, when Saul was

returned from 'following 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.

7 So David 31 stayed 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.

CHAP. XXIV.—a ch. 23. 28. 141. 6. d Judg. 3. 24.

2 Heb. the robe which was Saul's. Heb. cut off. i Ps. 7. 4. Matt. 5. 44. Prov. 16. 28. & 17. 9.

g 2 Sam. 24. 10. Rom. 12. 17, 19.

c Ps. f ch. 26. 8.

h ch. 26. 11.

k Ps. 141. &