1

1 Now there was a certain man of There were two Ramatus, so that in this city in mount Ephraim were Zophim, that is, the learned men and prophets. Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: The Argument - As God had ordained in (Deu_17:14), that when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, he would appoint a king for them: so here in the first book of Samuel the state of the people under their first king Saul is declared. Not content with the order that God had temporarily appointed for the government of his Church, they demanded a king, so that they might be as other nations. As well they thought they would be better off, not because they could serve God better by it, but because they would be under the safeguard of him who represented Jesus Christ the true deliverer. Therefore God gave them a tyrant and a hypocrite to rule over them, so that they might learn that a king is not sufficient to defend them, unless God by his power preserves and keeps them. Therefore he punishes the ingratitude of his people, and sends them continual wars both at home and abroad. Also, because Saul, whom God had given to the honour of a king out of nothing, did not acknowledge God's mercy to him, but rather disobeyed the word of God and was not zealous of his glory, he was removed from his estate by God, and David the true figure of Messiah was placed in his stead. His patience, modesty, constancy, persecution by open enemies, feigned friends, and deceitful flatterers, is left to the Church and to every member of it, as a pattern and example of their state and calling.

2 And he had two wiues: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in For the ark was there at that time. Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [were] there.

4 And on a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, he gaue to Peninnah his wife and to all her sonnes and daughters portions,

5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy Some read, a portion with a hearty cheer. portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.

6 And her aduersarie vexed her sore, forasmuch as she vpbraided her, because the Lorde had made her barren.

7 (And so did he yeere by yeere) and as oft as she went vp to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that she wept and did not eate.

8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? [am] not I better to thee than ten Let this comfort you, that I love you no less than if you had many children. sons?

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the That is of the house where the ark was. temple of the LORD.

10 And she was troubled in her minde, and prayed vnto the Lord, and wept sore:

11 Also she vowed a vowe, and sayd, O Lord of hostes, if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thine handmaide, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaide, but giue vnto thine handmaide a manchilde, then I will giue him vnto the Lord all the dayes of his life, and there shall no rasor come vpon his head.

12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.

13 For Hannah spake in her heart: her lips did moue onely, but her voyce was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had bene drunken.

14 And Eli sayde vnto her, Howe long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy drunkennesse from thee.

15 Then Hannah answered and sayd, Nay my lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit: I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke, but haue powred out my soule before the Lord.

16 Count not thine handmaide for a wicked woman: for of the abundance of my complaint and my griefe haue I spoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli answered, and sayd, Go in peace, and the God of Israel graunt thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find That is, pray to the Lord for me. grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more [sad].

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD According to her petition. remembered her.

20 For in processe of time Hannah conceiued, and bare a sonne, and she called his name Samuel, Because, said she, I haue asked him of the Lord.

21 And the man This Elkanah was a Levite, (1Ch_6:27), and as some write once a year they were accustomed to appear before the Lord with their families. Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not vp: for she sayd vnto her husband, I will tarie vntill the childe be weined, then I will bring him that hee may appeare before the Lord, and there abide for euer.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his Because her prayer took effect, therefore it was called the Lord's promise. word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weined him, she tooke him with her with three bullockes and an Ephah of floure and a bottell of wine, and brought him vnto the house of the Lorde in Shiloh, and the childe was yong.

25 And they slewe a bullocke, and brought the childe to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy That is, most certainly. soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

27 I prayed for this childe, and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him.

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he Meaning, Eli gave thanks to God for her. worshipped the LORD there.

2

1 And Hannah After she had obtained a son by prayer she gave thanks. prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine I have recovered strength and glory by the benefit of the Lord. horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is I can answer them that criticize my barrenness. enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the Lord: yea, there is none besides thee, & there is no god like our God.

3 Talk In that you condemn my barrenness, you show your pride against God. no more so exceeding proudly; let [not] arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD [is] a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bow and the mightie men are broken, and the weake haue girded themselues with strength.

5 [They that were] full have hired out themselves for They sell their labours for necessary food. bread; and [they that were] hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

6 The Lord killeth and maketh aliue: bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp.

7 The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich: bringeth lowe, and exalteth.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among He prefers to honour, and does according to his own will, though man's judgment is contrary. princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the Therefore he may dispose all things according to his will. LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 Hee will keepe the feete of his Saintes, and the wicked shall keepe silence in darkenes: for in his owne might shall no man be strong.

10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his She grounded her prayer on Jesus Christ who was to come. king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the In all that Eli commanded him. LORD before Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli [were] sons of Belial; they That is, they neglected his ordinance. knew not the LORD.

13 For the Priestes custome towarde the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the Priestes boy came, while the flesh was seething, and a fleshhooke with three teeth, in his hand,

14 And he struck [it] into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; Transgressing the order appointed in the Law, (Lev_7:31), for their bellies sake. all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

15 Also before they burnt the Which was commanded first to have been offered to God. fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And [if] any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and [then] take [as much] as thy soul Not passing for their own profit, so that God might be served rightly. desireth; then he would answer him, [Nay]; but thou shalt give [it me] now: and if not, I will take [it] by force.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men Seeing the horrible abuse of it. abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18 Now Samuel being a yong childe ministred before the Lord, girded with a linen Ephod.

19 And his mother made him a litle coat, and brought it to him from yeere to yeere, when she came vp with her husband, to offer the yerely sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord giue thee seede of this woman, for the petition that she asked of the Lord: and they departed vnto their place.

21 And the Lorde visited Hannah, so that she conceiued, & bare three sonnes, & two daughters; the childe Samuel grewe before the Lord.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that Which was (as the Hebrews write) after their travail, when they came to be purified, read (Exo_38:8; Lev_12:6). assembled [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And hee saide vnto them, Why doe ye such things? For of all this people I heare euill reportes of you.

24 Nay, my sons; for [it is] no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to Because they contemn their duty to God, (1Sa_2:17). transgress.

25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD So that to obey good admonition is God's mercy, and to disobey them is his just judgment for sin. would slay them.

26 (Nowe the childe Samuel profited and grewe, and was in fauour both with the Lord and also with men)

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy That is, Aaron. father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my Priest, to offer vpon mine altar, and to burne incense, and to weare an Ephod before me, and I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the offrings made by fire of the children of Israel.

29 Wherefore Why have you contemned my sacrifices, and as it were trod them under foot? kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded [in my] habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed [that] thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, God's promises are only effective to those he gives faith to fear and obey him. Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine Thy power and authority. arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

32 And thou Your posterity will see the glory of the chief priest given to another, whom they will envy, (1Ki_2:27). shalt see an enemy [in my] habitation, in all [the wealth] which [God] shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33 Neuerthelesse, I will not destroy euery one of thine fro mine altar, to make thine eyes to faile, and to make thine heart sorowfull: and all ye multitude of thine house shall die when they be men.

34 And this shalbe a signe vnto thee, that shal come vpon thy two sonnes Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both.

35 And I will raise me up a Meaning Zadok, who succeeded Abiathar, and was the figure of Christ. faithful priest, [that] shall do according to [that] which [is] in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, [that] every one that is left in thine house shall come [and] That is, will be inferior to him. crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

3

1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD The Chaldee text reads «while Eli lived». before Eli. And the word of the LORD was Because there were very few prophets to declare it. precious in those days; [there was] no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his In the court next to the tabernacle. place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see;

3 And ere the That is, the lamps which burnt in the night. lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was], and Samuel was laid down [to sleep];

4 That the LORD Josephus writes that Samuel was 12 years old when the Lord appeared to him. called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I.

5 And he ranne vnto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. But he said, I called thee not: goe againe and sleepe; he went and slept.

6 And the Lorde called once againe, Samuel; Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou diddest call me; he answered, I called thee not, my sonne: go againe and sleepe.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know By vision. the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And Eli Such was the corruption of those times that the chief priest had become dull and negligent to understand the Lord's appearing. perceived that the LORD had called the child.

9 Therefore Eli saide vnto Samuel, Goe and sleepe: and if he call thee, then say, Speake Lorde, for thy seruant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.

10 And the Lord came, and stoode, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speake, for thy seruant heareth.

11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall God declares that sudden fear will come on men when they hear that the ark is taken, and see Eli's house destroyed. tingle.

12 In that day I will raise vp against Eli all things which I haue spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an ende.

13 And I haue tolde him that I will iudge his house for euer, for the iniquitie which hee knoweth, because his sonnes ranne into a slaunder, and he stayed them not.

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for Meaning that his posterity would never enjoy the chief priests office. ever.

15 Afterward Samuel slept vntil the morning, and opened the doores of the house of the Lord, and Samuel feared to shewe Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel my sonne; he answered, Here I am.

17 And he said, What [is] the thing that [the LORD] hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide [it] not from me: God God punish you after this and that sort, unless you tell me the truth, (Rth_1:17). do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide [any] thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

18 So Samuel tolde him euery whit, and hid nothing from him. Then hee said, It is the Lorde: let him do what seemeth him good.

19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words The Lord accomplished whatever he had said. fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel fro Dan to Beer-sheba knew that faithfull Samuel was the Lordes Prophet.

21 And the Lorde appeared againe in Shiloh: for the Lorde reueiled himselfe to Samuel in Shiloh by his word.

4

1 And Samuel spake vnto all Israel: and Israel went out against the Philistims to battel and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistims pitched in Aphek.

2 And the Philistims put themselues in aray against Israel: and when they ioyned the battell, Israel was smitten downe before the Philistims: who slewe of the armie in the fielde about foure thousand men.

3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, For it seems that this war was undertaken by Samuel's commandment. Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which For he used to appear to the Israelites between the cherubim over the ark of the covenant, (Exo_25:17). dwelleth [between] the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the Arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the hoste, all Israel shouted a mightie shoute, so that the earth rang againe.

6 And when the Philistims heard the noyse of the shoute, they said, What meaneth the sound of this mightie shoute in the host of the Ebrewes? and they vnderstoode, that the Arke of the Lord was come into the hoste.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Before we fought against men, and now God has come to fight against us. Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the For in the Red Sea in the wilderness the Egyptians were destroyed, which was the last of all his plagues. wilderness.

9 Be strong and play the men, O Philistims, that ye be not seruants vnto the Ebrewes, as they haue serued you: be valiant therefore, and fight.

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel David alluding to this place in (Psa_78:63) says they were consumed with fire: meaning they were suddenly destroyed. thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the Arke of God was taken, and the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas died.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes In token of sorrow and mourning. rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart Lest it should be taken by the enemy. trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told [it], all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he sayd, What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? and the man came in hastily, and tolde Eli.

15 (Nowe Eli was fourescore and eighteene yeere olde, and his eyes were dimme that hee could not see)

16 And the man sayd vnto Eli, I came from the armie, and I fled this day out of the hoste: and he sayd, What thing is done, my sonne?

17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, According as God had said before. are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18 And when he had made mention of the Arke of God, Eli fell from his seate backward by the side of the gate, and his necke was broken, and he dyed: for he was an olde man and heauie: and he had iudged Israel fourtie yeeres.

19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, [near] to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she And positioned her body for her labour and delivery. bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

20 And about the time of her death, the women that stoode about her, sayd vnto her, Feare not: for thou hast borne a sonne: but she answered not, nor regarded it.

21 And she named the childe Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel, because the Arke of God was taken, and because of her father in lawe and her husband.

22 And she said, She uttered her great sorrow by repeating her words. The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

5

1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Which was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines. Ashdod.

2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Which was their chief idol, and as some write, from the navel downward was like a fish, and upward like a man. Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3 And when they of Ashdod rose the next day in the morning, beholde, Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the ground before the Arke of the Lord, and they tooke vp Dagon, and set him in his place againe.

4 Also they rose vp earely in the morning the next day, and beholde, Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the ground before the Arke of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and the two palmes of his hands were cut off vpon the thresholde: onely the stumpe of Dagon was left to him.

5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, Thus instead of acknowledging the true God by this miracle, they fall into greater superstition. tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6 But the hand of the Lord was heauie vpon them of Ashdod, and destroyed them, and smote them with the emerods, both Ashdod, and the coastes thereof.

7 And when the men of Ashdod sawe this, they sayd, Let not the Arke of the God of Israel abide with vs: for his hand is sore vpon vs and vpon Dagon our god.

8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, Though they had felt God's power and were afraid of it, yet they tried him even further, which God turned to their destruction and his glory. What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about [thither].

9 And when they had caried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the citie with a very great destruction, and he smote the men of the citie both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret partes.

10 Therefore they sent the Arke of God to Ekron: and assoone as the Arke of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cryed out, saying, They haue brought the Arke of the God of Israel to vs to slay vs and our people.

11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send The wicked when they feel the hand of God, grudge and reject him, where the godly humble themselves, and cry for mercy. away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

12 And the men that dyed not, were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the citie went vp to heauen.

6

1 And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines They thought by continuance of time the plague would have ceased, and so would have kept the ark still. seven months.

2 And the Philistims called the priests and the soothsayers, saying, What shall we doe with the Arke of the Lord? tell vs wherewith we shall send it home againe.

3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him The idolaters confess there is a true God, who punishes sin justly. a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

4 Then sayd they, What shalbe the sinne offring, which we shall giue vnto it? And they answered, Fiue golden emerods and fiue golden mise, according to the number of the princes of the Philistims: for one plague was on you all, and on your princes.

5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your This is God's judgment on the idolaters, that knowing the true God, they do not worship him correctly. gods, and from off your land.

6 Wherefore then should ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let them goe, and they departed?

7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on whome there hath come no yoke: and tye the kine to the cart, and bring the calues home from them.

8 And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the Meaning, the golden emerods and the golden mice. jewels of gold, which ye return him [for] a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, [then] The God of Israel. he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that [it is] not his hand [that] smote us: it [was] a The wicked attribute almost all things to fortune and chance, whereas indeed there is nothing done without God's providence and decree. chance [that] happened to us.

10 And the men did so: for they tooke two kine that gaue milke, and tied them to the cart, and shut the calues at home.

11 So they set the Arke of the Lord vpon the cart, and the coffer with the mise of golde, and with the similitudes of their emerods.

12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, [and] went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside [to] the right hand or [to] the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after For the trial of the matter. them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

13 Nowe they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheate haruest in the valley, and they lift vp their eyes, and spied the Arke, and reioyced when they sawe it.

14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where [there was] a great stone: and That is, the men of Bethshemesh, who were Israelites. they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

15 And the Leuites tooke downe the Arke of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the iewels of golde were, and put them on the great stone, and the men of Beth-shemesh offred burnt offring, and sacrificed sacrifices that same day vnto the Lord.

16 And when the fiue Princes of ye Philistims had seene it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17 And these [are] the golden emerods which the Philistines returned [for] a trespass offering unto the LORD; for These were the five principal cities of the Philistines, which were not all conquered to the time of David. Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

18 And golden mise, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistims, belonging to the fiue princes, both of walled townes, and of townes vnwalled, vnto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set the Arke of the Lorde: which stone remaineth vnto this day in the fielde of Ioshua the Beth-shemite.

19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they For it was not lawful for anyone either to touch or to see it, only to Aaron and his sons (Num_4:15, Num_4:20). had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten [many] of the people with a great slaughter.

20 Wherefore the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go from vs?

21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitans of Kiriath-iearim, saying, The Philistims haue brought againe the Arke of the Lord: come ye downe and take it vp to you.

7

1 And the men of A city in the tribe of Judah, called also Kirjathbaal, in (Jos_15:60). Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented Lamented for their sins, and followed the Lord. after the LORD.

3 Then Samuel spake vnto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye be come againe vnto the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtaroth, & direct your hearts vnto the Lord, & serue him only, and he shall deliuer you out of the hand of ye Philistims.

4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim & Ashtaroth, & serued the Lord onely.

5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to For Shiloh was now desolate, because the Philistines had taken the ark from it. Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.

6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and The Chaldee text says that they drew water out of their heart: that is, wept abundantly for their sins. drew water, and poured [it] out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

7 When the Philistims heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the princes of the Philistims went vp against Israel: and when the children of Israel heard that, they were afraide of the Philistims.

8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to Signifying that in the prayers of the godly, there should be a vehement zeal. cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

9 Then Samuel tooke a sucking lambe, and offered it all together for a burnt offering vnto the Lord, and Samuel cryed vnto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.

10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD According to the prophecy of Hannah Samuel's mother, (1Sa_2:10). thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

11 And the men of Israel went from Mizpeh and pursued the Philistims, and smote them vntill they came vnder Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set [it] between Mizpeh and Which was a great rock over against Mizpeh. Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

13 So the Philistims were brought vnder, and they came no more againe into the coastes of Israel: and the hand of the Lorde was against the Philistims all the dayes of Samuel.

14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Meaning, the Philistines. Amorites.

15 And Samuel iudged Israel all the dayes of his life,

16 And went about yeere by yere to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and iudged Israel in all those places.

17 And his return [was] to Ramah; for there [was] his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an Which was not contrary to the Law: for as yet a certain place was not appointed. altar unto the LORD.

8

1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he Because he was not able to bear the charge. made his sons judges over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Who was also called Vashni, (1Ch_6:28). Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: [they were] judges in Beersheba.

3 And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke rewards, and peruerted the iudgement.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto For there his house was, (1Sa_7:17). Ramah,

5 And said vnto him, Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: make vs nowe a King to iudge vs like all nations.

6 But the thing Because they were not content with the order that God had appointed, but would be governed as the Gentiles were. displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

7 And the Lord said vnto Samuel, Heare the voyce of the people in all that they shall say vnto thee: for they haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not reigne ouer the.

8 As they haue euer done since I brought them out of Egypt euen vnto this day, (and haue forsaken me, and serued other gods) euen so doe they vnto thee.

9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet To prove if they will forsake their wicked purpose. protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 So Samuel told all the wordes of the Lord vnto the people that asked a King of him.

11 And he said, This will be the Not that kings have this authority by their office, but that such as reign in God's wrath would usurp this over their brethren, contrary to the law, (Deu_17:20). manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint [them] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen; and [some] shall run before his chariots.

12 Also he will make them his captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer fifties, and to eare his ground, and to reape his haruest, and to make instruments of warre, and the thinges that serue for his charets.

13 He will also take your daughters and make them apoticaries, and cookes, and bakers.

14 And he will take your fieldes, & your vineyardes, and your best Oliue trees, and giue them to his seruants.

15 And he will take the tenth of your seede, and of your vineyards, & giue it to his Eunuches, and to his seruants.

16 And he will take your men seruants, and your maide seruants, and the chiefe of your yong men, and your asses, and put them to his worke.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheepe, and ye shall be his seruants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not Because you do not repent for your sins, but because you long for your afflictions, into which you cast yourselves willingly. hear you in that day.

19 But the people would not heare the voyce of Samuel, but did say, Nay, but there shall be a King ouer vs.

20 And we also will be like all other nations, and our King shall iudge vs, and goe out before vs, and fight our battels.

21 Therefore when Samuel heard all ye wordes of ye people, he rehearsed the in ye eares of ye Lord.

22 And the Lord saide to Samuel, Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a King; Samuel said vnto the men of Israel, Goe euery man vnto his citie.

9

1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name [was] Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a That is, both valiant and rich. mighty man of power.

2 And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a So that it might seem that God approved their request in appointing such a person. choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.

3 And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go All these circumstances were means to serve God's providence, by which Saul (though not approved by God) was made king. seek the asses.

4 So he passed through mount Ephraim, and went through the lande of Shalishah, but they found them not. Then they went through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: he went also through ye land of Iemini, but they found the not.

5 [And] when they were come to the land of Where was Ramath Zophim, the city of Samuel. Zuph, Saul said to his servant that [was] with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave [caring] for the asses, and take thought for us.

6 And he said vnto him, Behold nowe, in this citie is a man of God, and he is an honorable man: all that he saith commeth to passe: let vs nowe goe thither, if so be that he can shewe vs what way we may goe.

7 Then saide Saul to his seruant, Well then, let vs goe: but what shall we bring vnto the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is no present to bring to the man of God: what haue we?

8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a Which is about five pence, read (Gen_23:15). shekel of silver: [that] will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the So called because he foresaw things to come. seer: for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

10 Then saide Saul to his seruant, Well saide, come, let vs goe: so they went into the citie where the man of God was.

11 And as they were going vp the hie way to the citie, they found maydes that came out to draw water, & said vnto them, Is there here a Seer?

12 And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for [there is] a That is, a feast after the offering, which would be kept in a high place of the city appointed for that use. sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:

13 As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth That is, give thanks and distribute the meat according to their custom. bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.

14 Then they went vp into the citie, & when they were come into the middes of the citie, Samuel came out against them, to goe vp to the hie place.

15 But the Lord had reueiled to Samuel secretly (a day before Saul came) saying,

16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him [to be] captain over my people Israel, that he may Despite their wickedness, yet God was ever mindful of his inheritance. save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

17 When Samuel therefore sawe Saul, the Lord answered him, See, this is the man whom I spake to thee of, he shall rule my people.

18 Then went Saul to Samuel in the middes of the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the Seers house is.

19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I [am] the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that [is] in thine Meaning, all that you desire to know. heart.

20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And Whom does Israel desire to be their king, but thee? on whom [is] all the desire of Israel? [Is it] not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

21 But Saul answered, and said, Am not I the sonne of Iemini of the smallest tribe of Israel? and my familie is the least of all the families of the tribe of Beniamin. Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the Where the feast was. parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which [were] about thirty persons.

23 And Samuel saide vnto the cooke, Bring foorth the portion which I gaue thee, and whereof I said vnto thee, Keepe it with thee.

24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and [that] which [was] That is, the shoulder with the breast, which the priest had for his family in all peace offerings, (Lev_10:14) upon it, and set [it] before Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold that which is left! set [it] before thee, [and] eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I That both by the assembling of the people, and by the meat prepared for you, you might understand that I knew of your coming. have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

25 And when they were come downe from the hie place into the citie, he communed with Saul vpon the top of the house.

26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the To speak with him secretly: for the houses were flat above. top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

27 [And] as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee God's commandment concerning you. the word of God.

10

1 Then Samuel took a vial of In the Law this anointing signified the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which were necessary for those who would rule. oil, and poured [it] upon his head, and kissed him, and said, [Is it] not because the LORD hath anointed thee [to be] captain over his inheritance?

2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The Samuel confirms him by these signs, that God has appointed him king. asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3 Then shalt thou go forth from thence and shalt come to the plaine of Tabor, and there shal meete thee three men going vp to God to Bethel: one carying three kiddes, and an other carying three loaues of bread, and another carying a bottle of wine:

4 And they will aske thee if all be well, and will giue thee the two loaues of bread, which thou shalt receiue of their handes.

5 After that thou shalt come to the Which was a high place in the city Kirjath-jearim, where the ark was, (1Sa_7:2). hill of God, where [is] the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will come vpon thee, and thou shalt prophecie with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

7 Therefore when these signes shall come vnto to thee, doe as occasion shall serue: for God is with thee.

8 And thou shalt goe downe before me to Gilgal: and I also will come downe vnto thee to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace. Tary for me seuen dayes, till I come to thee and shewe thee what thou shalt doe.

9 And it was [so], that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another He gave him such virtues as were fitting for a king. heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

10 And when they came thither to the hill, beholde, the companie of Prophets meete him, and the Spirit of God came vpon him, & he prophecied among them.

11 Therefore all the people that knewe him before, when they saw that he prophecied among the Prophets, saide eche to other, What is come vnto the sonne of Kish? is Saul also among the Prophets?

12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who [is] their Meaning, that prophecy comes not by succession, but is given to whom it pleases God. father? Therefore it became a proverb, [Is] Saul also among the Noting by it him that from low degree comes suddenly to honour. prophets?

13 And when he had made an ende of prophecying, he came to the hie place.

14 And Sauls vncle saide vnto him, and to his seruant, Whither went ye? And he saide, To seeke the asses: and when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel.

15 And Sauls vncle saide, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said vnto you.

16 Then Saul saide to his vncle, He tolde vs plainely that the asses were founde: but concerning the kingdome whereof Samuel spake, tolde he him not.

17 And Samuel Both to declare to them their fault in asking a king, and also to show God's sentence in it. called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;

18 And he saide vnto the children of Israel, Thus saith ye Lord God of Israel, I haue brought Israel out of Egypt, and deliuered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the handes of all kingdomes that troubled you.

19 But ye haue this day cast away your God, who onely deliuereth you out of all your aduersities and tribulations: and ye said vnto him, No, but appoint a King ouer vs. Nowe therefore stand ye before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your thousands.

20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was That is, by casting of lot. taken.

21 Afterwarde he assembled the tribe of Beniamin according to their families, and the familie of Matri was taken. So Saul the sonne of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he coulde not be found.

22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he As though he were unworthy and unwilling. hath hid himself among the stuff.

23 And they ranne, and brought him thence: and when he stoode among the people, he was hier then any of the people from the shoulders vpwarde.

24 And Samuel saide to all the people, See ye not him, whom the Lorde hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? and all the people shouted and saide, God saue the King.

25 Then Samuel told the people As it is written in (Deu_17:15). the manner of the kingdom, and wrote [it] in a book, and laid [it] up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

26 Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there followed him a bande of men, whose heart God had touched,

27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he Both to avoid disputing and also to win them by patience. held his peace.

11

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite After that Saul was chosen king: for fear of whom they asked a king, as in (1Sa_12:12). came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this [condition] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I may thrust out all your This declares that the closer the tyrants are to their destruction, the more cruel they are. right eyes, and lay it [for] a reproach upon all Israel.

3 To whome the Elders of Iabesh said, Giue vs seuen daies respet, that we may sende messengers vnto all the coastes of Israel: and then if no man deliuer vs, we will come out to thee.

4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and tolde these tidings in the eares of the people: and all the people lift vp their voices and wept.

5 And behold, Saul came following the cattell out of the fielde, and Saul saide, What aileth this people, that they weepe? And they tolde him the tidings of the men of Iabesh.

6 And the Spirit of God God gave him the spirit of strength and courage to go against this tyrant. came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent [them] throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after He adds Samuel because Saul was not yet approved by all. Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

8 And when he nombred them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundreth thousande men: and the men of Iudah thirtie thousand.

9 And Meaning, Saul and Samuel. they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by [that time] the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed [it] to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto That is, to the Ammonites, concealing that they had hope of aid. you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

11 And when the morowe was come, Saul put the people in three bandes, and they came in vpon the hoste in the morning watche, and slewe the Ammonites vntill the heate of the day: and they that remained, were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

12 And the people said unto Samuel, By this victory the Lord won the hearts of the people to Saul. Who [is] he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be By showing mercy he thought to overcome their malice. put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

14 Then saide Samuel vnto ye people, Come, that we may goe to Gilgal, and renue the kingdome there.

15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of In sign of thanksgiving for the victory. peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

12

1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have I have granted your petition. hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

2 And now, behold, the king walketh To govern you in peace and war. before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons [are] with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

3 Behold, here I [am]: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: God would have this confession be a pattern for all who have any charge or office. whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received [any] bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

4 Then they sayde, Thou hast done vs no wrong, nor hast hurt vs, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand.

5 And he said unto them, The LORD [is] witness against you, and his Your King, who is anointed by the commandment of the Lord. anointed [is] witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, [He is] witness.

6 Then Samuel sayde vnto the people, It is the Lord that made Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

7 Nowe therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord according to all the righteousnesse of the Lorde, which he shewed to you and to your fathers.

8 After that Iaakob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried vnto the Lorde, then the Lorde sent Moses and Aaron which brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, Captain of Jabin's host, king of Hazor. captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 And they cried vnto the Lorde, and saide, We haue sinned, because we haue forsaken the Lorde, and haue serued Baalim and Ashtaroth. Nowe therefore deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemies, and we will serue thee.

11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, That is Samson, (Jdg_13:25). and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Leaving God to seek the help of man, (1Sa_8:5). Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God [was] your king.

13 Nowe therefore beholde the King whome yee haue chosen, and whome yee haue desired: loe therefore, the Lord hath set a King ouer you.

14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue You shall be preserved as they that follow the Lord's will. following the LORD your God:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as [it was] against your Meaning, the governors. fathers.

16 Nowe also stande and see this great thing which the Lord will doe before your eyes.

17 [Is it] not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness [is] In that you have forsaken him, who has all power in his hand, for a mortal man. great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

18 Then Samuel called vnto the Lorde, and the Lorde sent thunder and raine the same day: and all the people feared the Lorde and Samuel exceedingly.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto Not only at other times, but now chiefly. all our sins [this] evil, to ask us a king.

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: He shows that there is no sin so great, but it shall be forgiven, if the sinner turn again to God. yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

21 Neither turne yee backe: for that shoulde be after vaine things which cannot profite you, nor deliuer you, for they are but vanitie)

22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you Of his free mercy, and not of your merits, and therefore he will not forsake you. his people.

23 Moreouer God forbid, that I should sinne against the Lord, and cease praying for you, but I will shewe you the good and right way.

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your Unfeignedly, and without hypocrisy. heart: for consider how great [things] he hath done for you.

25 But if ye doe wickedly, ye shal perish, both yee, and your King.

13

1 Saul reigned While these things were done. one year; and when he had reigned Before he took upon himself the state of a king. two years over Israel,

2 Then Saul chose him three thousand of Israel: and two thousande were with Saul in Michmash, & in mount Beth-el, and a thousande were with Ionathan in Gibeah of Beniamin: and the rest of the people he sent euery one to his tent.

3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that [was] in Of Kirjath-jearim, where the ark was, (1Sa_10:5). Geba, and the Philistines heard [of it]. And Saul blew the That everyone should prepare themselves to fight. trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

4 And al Israel heard say, Saul hath destroied a garison of the Philistims: wherefore Israel was had in abomination with the Philistims: and the people gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which [is] on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Which was also called Beth-el, in the tribe of Benjamin. Bethaven.

6 And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were in distresse ) the people hid themselues in caues, and in holdes, and in rockes, and in towres, and in pittes.

7 And [some of] the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Where the two tribes and the half remained. Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he [was] yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel [had appointed]: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were Thinking that the absence of the prophet was a sign, that they would lose the victory. scattered from him.

9 And Saul sayde, Bring a burnt offering to me and peace offrings: and he offered a burnt offering.

10 And assoone as hee had made an ende of offering the burnt offering, beholde, Samuel came: and Saul went foorth to meete him, to salute him.

11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were Though these causes seem sufficient in man's judgment: yet because they had not the word of God, they turned to his destruction. scattered from me, and [that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

12 Therefore said I, The Philistims will come downe nowe vpon me to Gilgal, and I haue not made supplication vnto the Lorde. I was bolde therefore and offred a burnt offring.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy Who willed you to obey him, and rest on the words spoken by his prophet. God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a That is, David. man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee.

15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto And went to his city Ramah. Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people [that were] present with him, about six hundred men.

16 And Saul and Ionathan his sonne, and the people that were found with them, had their abiding in Gibeah of Beniamin: but the Philistims pitched in Michmash.

17 And there came out of the hoste of the Philistims three bandes to destroie, one bande turned vnto the way of Ophrah vnto the lande of Shual,

18 And another company turned the way [to] Bethhoron: and So that to man's judgment these three armies would have overrun the whole country. another company turned [to] the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Then there was no smith founde throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistims sayde, Lest the Ebrewes make them swordes or speares.

20 Wherefore all ye Israelites went downe to the Philistims, to sharpen euery man his share, his mattocke, and his axe, and his weeding hooke.

21 Yet they had a file for the shares, and for the mattockes, and for the picke forkes, and for the axes, and for to sharpen the goades.

22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither To declare that the victory only came from God, and not by their force. sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that [were] with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

23 And the garison of the Philistims came out to the passage of Michmash.

14

1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, By this example God declared to Israel that the victory did not consist in multitude or armour, but only because of his grace. Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that [is] on the other side. But he told not his father.

2 And Saul taried in the border of Gibeah vnder a pomegranate tree, which was in Migron, and the people that were with him, were about sixe hundreth men.

3 And Ahiah the sonne of Ahitub, Ichabods brother, the sonne of Phinehas, the sonne of Eli, was the Lordes Priest in Shiloh, and ware an Ephod: and the people knewe not that Ionathan was gone.

4 Nowe in the way whereby Ionathan sought to go ouer to the Philistims garison, there was a sharpe rocke on the one side, and a sharpe rocke on the other side: the name of the one was called Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

5 The one rocke stretched from the North towarde Michmash, and the other was from the South toward Gibeah.

6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these That is, the Philistines. uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for [there is] no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that [is] in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I will follow you wherever you go. I [am] with thee according to thy heart.

8 Then said Ionathan, Beholde, we goe ouer vnto those men, and will shewe our selues vnto them.

9 This he spoke by the spirit of prophecy, and by this God gave him assurance of victory.If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

10 But if they say, Come vp vnto vs, then we will goe vp: for the Lorde hath deliuered them into our hande: and this shall be a signe vnto vs.

11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the Thus they spoke contemptuously and by derision. holes where they had hid themselves.

12 And the men of the garison answered Ionathan, and his armour bearer, and said, Come vp to vs: for we will shewe you a thing. Then Ionathan said vnto his armour bearer, Come vp after me: for the Lorde hath deliuered them into the hand of Israel.

13 And Jonathan climbed up upon That is, he crept up, or went up with all haste. his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

14 And that The second was when they slew one another, and the third when the Israelites chased them. first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, [which] a yoke [of oxen might plow].

15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth In that the insensible creatures tremble for fear of God's judgment, it declares how terrible his vengeance will be against his enemies. quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

16 Then the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Beniamin sawe: and beholde, the multitude was discomfited, and smitten as they went.

17 Therefore saide Saul vnto the people that were with him, Search nowe and see, who is gone from vs; when they had nombred, beholde, Ionathan and his armour bearer were not there.

18 And Saul said vnto Ahiah, Bring hither the Arke of God (for the Arke of God was at that time with the children of Israel)

19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that [was] in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Leave the Ephod alone, for I have no time now to ask counsel from God, (Num_27:21). Withdraw thine hand.

20 And Saul was assembled with all the people that were with him, and they came to the battell: and behold, euery mans sworde was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

21 Moreover the Hebrews [that] were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp [from the country] round about, even they also [turned] to be with the Though before for fear of the Philistines they declared themselves as enemies to their brethren. Israelites that [were] with Saul and Jonathan.

22 Also all the men of Israel which had hid themselues in mount Ephraim, when they heard, that the Philistims were fled, they followed after them in the battell.

23 And so the Lord saued Israel that day: and the battell continued vnto Beth-auen.

24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Such was his hypocrisy and arrogancy, that he thought to attribute to his policy that which God had given by the hand of Jonathan. Cursed [be] the man that eateth [any] food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted [any] food.

25 And all they of the land came to a wood, where hony lay vpon the ground.

26 And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the That is, the punishment if they break their oath. oath.

27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that [was] in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his Which were dim before from weariness and hunger. eyes were enlightened.

28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father made the people to sweare, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth sustenance this day: and the people were faint.

29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath By making this cruel law. troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

30 Howe much more, if the people had eaten to day of the spoyle of their enemies which they found? for had there not bene nowe a greater slaughter among the Philistims?

31 And they smote the Philistims that day, from Michmash to Aiialon: and the people were exceeding faint.

32 So the people turned to the spoile, & tooke sheepe, and oxen, and calues, and slewe them on the ground, and the people did eate them with the blood.

33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: That the blood of the beast that shall be slain, may be pressed out upon it. roll a great stone unto me this day.

34 Againe Saul said, Goe abroade among the people, and bid them bring me euery man his oxe, and euery man his sheepe, and slay them here, and eate and sinne not against the Lord in eating with the blood; ye people brought euery man his oxe in his hand that night, & slew them there.

35 Then Saul made an altar vnto the Lorde, and that was the first altar that he made vnto the Lord.

36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us To ask counsel from him. draw near hither unto God.

37 So Saul asked of God, saying, Shall I goe downe after ye Philistims? wilt thou deliuer them into the hands of Israel? But he answered him not at that time.

38 And Saul said, All ye chiefe of the people, come ye hither, and knowe, and see by whom this sinne is done this day.

39 For as the Lord liueth, which saueth Israel, though it be done by Ionathan my sonne, he shall dye the death. But none of all the people answered him.

40 Then he saide vnto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Ionathan my sonne will be on the other side; the people saide vnto Saul, Doe what thou thinkest best.

41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give Cause the lot to fall on him that has broken the oath, but he does not consider his presumption in commanding the same oath. a perfect [lot]. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.

42 And Saul saide, Cast lot betweene me and Ionathan my sonne; Ionathan was taken.

43 Then Saul said to Ionathan, Tell me what thou hast done; Ionathan tolde him, & said, I tasted a litle hony with the ende of the rod, that was in mine hand, and loe, I must die.

44 Againe Saul answered, God doe so & more also, vnlesse thou die the death, Ionathan.

45 And the people said unto Saul, The people thought it their duty to rescue him, who out of ignorance had broken a rash law, and by whom they had received so great a benefit. Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: [as] the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

46 Then Saul came vp from the Philistims: and the Philistims went to their owne place.

47 So Saul helde the kingdome ouer Israel, and fought against all his enemies on euery side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the Kings of Zobah, and against the Philistims: and whithersoeuer he went, he handled them as wicked men.

48 And he gathered an host, and smote the As the Lord had commanded, (Deu_25:17). Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Called also Abinadab, (1Sa_31:2). and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters [were these]; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Who was the wife of David, (1Sa_18:27). Michal:

50 And the name of Saul's wife [was] Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host [was] Whom Joab, David's captain, slew (2Sa_3:27). Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

51 And Kish was Sauls father: and Ner the father of Abner was the sonne of Abiel.

52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: As Samuel had forewarned in (1Sa_8:11). and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

15

1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee [to be] king over his people, over Israel: now therefore Because he has preferred you to this honour, you are bound to obey him. hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, howe they laide waite for the in ye way, as they came vp fro Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but That this might be an example of God's vengeance against those who deal cruelly with his people. slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4 And Saul assembled ye people, and nombred them in Telaim, two hundreth thousande footemen, and ten thousand men of Iudah.

5 And Saul came to a citie of Amalek, and set watch at the riuer.

6 And Saul said unto the Which were the posterity of Jethro, Moses father in law. Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed For Jethro came to visit them, and gave them good counsel, (Exo_18:19). kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 So Saul smote the Amalekites from Hauilah as thou commest to Shur, that is before Egypt,

8 And tooke Agag the King of the Amalekites aliue, and destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the better sheepe, and the oxen, and the fat beasts, and the lambes, and all that was good, and they would not destroy them: but euery thing that was vile and nought worth, that they destroyed.

10 Then came the worde of the Lord vnto Samuel, saying,

11 It God in his eternal counsel never changes or repents, as in (1Sa_15:29), though he seems to us to repent when anything goes contrary to his temporal election. repenteth me that I have set up Saul [to be] king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 And when Samuel arose early to meete Saul in the morning, one tolde Samuel, saying, Saul is gone to Carmel: and beholde, he hath made him there a place, from whence he returned, and departed, and is gone downe to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD: I have performed the This is the nature of hypocrites to be impudent against the truth, to condemn others, and justify themselves. commandment of the LORD.

14 But Samuel saide, What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?

15 And Saul answered, They haue brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheepe, and of the oxen to sacrifice them vnto the Lorde thy God, and the remnant haue we destroyed.

16 Againe Samuel saide to Saul, Let me tell thee what the Lord hath saide to me this night; he said vnto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou [wast] Meaning, of base condition as in (1Sa_9:21). little in thine own sight, [wast] thou not [made] the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the Lord sent thee on a iourney, and saide, Goe, and destroy those sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them, vntill thou destroy them.

19 Nowe wherefore hast thou not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde, but hast turned to the pray, and hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, He stands most impudently in his own defence both against God and his own conscience. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people tooke of the spoyle, sheepe, and oxen, and the chiefest of the things which shoulde haue bene destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel saide, Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed? Beholde, to obey is better then sacrifice, and to hearken is better then the fatte of rammes.

23 For God hates nothing more than the disobedience of his commandment, even though the intent seems good to man. rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king.

24 Then Saul sayde vnto Samuel, I haue sinned: for I haue transgressed the commaundement of the Lord, and thy wordes, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voyce.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my This was not true repentance, but deceit out of fear for the loss of his kingdom. sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

26 But Samuel saide vnto Saul, I will not returne with thee: for thou hast cast away the word of the Lorde, and the Lorde hath cast away thee, that thou shalt not be King ouer Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned himselfe to goe away, he caught the lappe of his coate, and it rent.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a That is, to David. neighbour of thine, [that is] better than thou.

29 And also the Meaning God, who maintains and prefers his own. Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.

30 Then he saide, I haue sinned: but honour mee, I pray thee, before the Elders of my people, and before Israel, and turne againe with mee, that I may worship the Lord thy God.

31 So Samuel turned againe, and followed Saul: and Saul worshipped the Lord.

32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the He expected nothing less than death, or as some write, he passed not for death. bitterness of death is past.

33 And Samuel sayde, As thy sworde hath made women childlesse, so shall thy mother bee childelesse among other women; Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Where his house was. Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

35 And Samuel came no more to Though Saul came where Samuel was, (1Sa_19:22). see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD As in (1Sa_15:11). repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16

1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, Signifying that we should not show ourselves more pitiful than God, nor to lament those whom he casts out. seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come That is, to make a peace offering, which may be done even though the ark was not there. to sacrifice to the LORD.

3 And call Ishai to the sacrifice, and I will shewe thee what thou shalt doe, and thou shalt anoynt vnto me him whom I name vnto thee.

4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town Afraid, lest some grievous crime had been committed, because the prophet was not wont to come there. trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

5 And he answeared, Yea: I am come to doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde: sanctifie your selues, and come with me to the sacrifice; he sanctified Ishai & his sonnes, & called them to the sacrifice.

6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S Thinking that Eliab had been appointed by God to be made king. anointed [is] before him.

7 But the Lord said vnto Samuel, Looke not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I haue refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for ma looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

8 Then Ishai called Abinadab, & made him come before Samuel; he saide, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

9 Then Ishai made Shammah come; he said, Neither yet hath the Lorde chosen him.

10 Againe Ishai made his seue sonnes to come before Samuel: and Samuel saide vnto Ishai, The Lord hath chosen none of these.

11 Finally, Samuel said vnto Ishai, Are there no more children but these? And hee sayde, There remaineth yet a litle one behinde, that keepeth the sheepe. Then Samuel saide vnto Ishai, Sende and set him: for we will not sit downe, till he be come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in: and he was ruddie, & of a good countenance, and comely visage; the Lorde saide, Arise, and anoynt him: for this is he.

13 Then Samuel tooke the horne of oyle, and anoynted him in the middes of his brethren; the Spirit of the Lord came vpon Dauid, from that day forwarde: then Samuel rose vp, and went to Ramah.

14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an The wicked spirits are at God's commandment to execute his will against the wicked. evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

15 And Sauls seruants said vnto him, Beholde nowe, the euill spirite of God vexeth thee.

16 Let our Lord therefore command thy seruants, that are before thee, to seeke a man that is a cunning plaier vpon the harpe: that when the euil spirit of God commeth vpon thee, hee may play with his hand, and thou maiest be eased.

17 Saul then saide vnto his seruantes, Prouide me a man, I pray you, that can play well, & bring him to me.

18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a Though David was now anointed king by the prophet, yet God would strengthen and test him in various ways before he had the use of his kingdom. son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, [that is] cunning in 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 vnto Ishai, and said, Send me Dauid thy sonne which is with the sheepe.

20 And Ishai tooke an asse laden with breade and a flagon of wine and a kidde, and sent them by the hand of Dauid his sonne vnto Saul.

21 And Dauid came to Saul, and stoode before him: and he loued him verie well, and he was his armour bearer.

22 And Saul sent to Ishai, saying, Let Dauid nowe remaine with me: for he hath found fauour in my sight.

23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was God would have Saul receive this benefit from David's hand, that his condemnation might be even more evident, for his cruel hate toward him. refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

17

1 Nowe the Philistims gathered their armies to battell, & came together to Shochoh, which is in Iudah, and pitched betweene Shochoh and Azekah, in the coast of Dammim.

2 And Saul, and the men of Israel assembled, and pitched in the valley of Elah, and put themselues in battell araie to meete the Philistims.

3 And the Philistims stoode on a mountaine on the one side, and Israel stoode on a mountaine on the other side: so a valley was betweene them.

4 And there Between the two camps. went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span.

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 That is, 156 pounds 4 ounces, after half and ounce to the shekel: and 600 shekels weight amounts to 18 3/4 pounds. shekels of brass.

6 And he had bootes of brasse vpon his legs, and a shield of brasse vpon his shoulders.

7 And the shaft of his speare was like a weauers beame: and his speare head weyed sixe hundreth shekels of yron: and one bearing a shielde went before him.

8 And he stoode, and cried against the hoste of Israel, and saide vnto them, Why are yee come to set your battell in aray? Am not I a Philistim, and you seruaunts to Saul? Chuse you a man for you, and let him come downe to me.

9 If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then wil we be your seruants: but if I ouercome him, and kill him, then shal yee be our seruants, and serue vs.

10 Also the Philistim saide, I defie the hoste of Israel this day: giue mee a man, that we may fight together.

11 When Saul & all Israel heard those wordes of the Philistim, they were discouraged, & greatly afraide.

12 Nowe this Dauid was the sonne of an Ephrathite of Beth-lehem Iudah, named Ishai, which had eight sonnes: and this man was taken for an olde man in the daies of Saul.

13 And the three eldest sonnes of Ishai went and followed Saul to the battel: and the names of his three sonnes that went to battell, were Eliab the Eldest, and the next Abinadab, and the thirde Shammah.

14 So Dauid was the least: and the three eldest went after Saul.

15 But David To serve Saul, (1Sa_16:19). went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

16 And the Philistim drew neere in the morning, and euening, and continued fourtie daies.

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Though Jesse meant one thing, yet God's providence directed David to another end. 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 If they have laid anything to gauge for their necessity, redeem it out. pledge.

19 (Then Saul and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistims)

20 So Dauid rose vp earely in the morning, and left the sheepe with a keeper, and tooke and went as Ishai had commaunded him, and came within the compasse of the hoste: and the hoste went out in araie, and shouted in the battell.

21 For Israel & the Philistims had put themselues in araie, armie against armie.

22 And Dauid left the things, which hee bare, vnder the handes of the keeper of the cariage, and ranne into the hoste, and came, and asked his brethren howe they did.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the As in (1Sa_17:8-9). same words: and David heard [them].

24 And all the men of Israel, when they sawe the man, ranne away from him, and were sore afraied.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, [that] the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house From taxes and payments. free in Israel.

26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the This dishonour that he does to Israel. reproach from Israel? for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

27 And the people answered him after this maner, saying, Thus shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake vnto the men, and Eliab was verie angrie with Dauid, and sayde, Why camest thou downe hither? and with whome hast thou left those fewe sheepe in the wildernesse? I knowe thy pride and the malice of thine heart, that thou art come downe to see the battell.

29 And David said, What have I now done? [Is there] not a For his father's sending was a just occasion, and also he felt himself inwardly moved by God's Spirit. cause?

30 And hee departed from him into the presence of another, and spake of the same maner, and the people answered him according to the former woordes.

31 And they that heard the wordes which Dauid spake, rehearsed them before Saul, which caused him to be brought.

32 So Dauid saide to Saul, Let no mans heart faile him, because of him: thy seruant wil goe, and fight with this Philistim.

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not Here Satan proves David's faith, by the infidelity of Saul. 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 a David, because of previous experience with God's help, did not doubt to overcome this danger, seeing as he was zealous for God's honour. lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35 And I went out after him and smote him, and tooke it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by the beard, and smote him, and slue him.

36 So thy seruaunt slue both the lyon, and the beare: therefore this vncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them, seeing hee hath railed on the hoste of the liuing God.

37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, For by these examples he saw that the power of God was with him. Go, and the LORD be with thee.

38 And Saul put his rayment vpon Dauid, & put an helmet of brasse vpon his head, and put a brigandine vpon him.

39 Then girded Dauid his sword vpon his rayment, and began to go: for he neuer proued it: and Dauid sayde vnto Saul, I can not goe with these: for I am not accustomed. wherefore Dauid put them off him.

40 And he took his So that by these weak means, It might be known that only God was the author of this victory. staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 And the Philistim came and drew neere vnto Dauid, and the man that bare the shielde went before him.

42 Now when the Philistim looked about & saw Dauid, he disdeined him: for he was but yong, ruddie, and of a comely face.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine He swore by his gods that he would destroy him. cursed David by his gods.

44 And the Philistim sayd to Dauid, Come to me, & I will giue thy flesh vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the field.

45 Then sayd Dauid to the Philistim, Thou commest to me with a sword, and with a speare, & with a shield, but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hostes, the God of the hoste of Israel, whom thou hast rayled vpon.

46 This David being assured both of his cause and of his calling prophecies of the destruction of the Philistines. 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 carcases 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 that all this assembly may know, that the Lord saueth not with sworde nor with speare (for the battel is the Lords) and he will giue you into our handes.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David Being moved with a fervent zeal to be revenged of this blaspheme of God's name. hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And Dauid put his hande in his bagge, and tooke out a stone, and slang it, & smote the Philistim in his forehead, that the stone sticked in his forehead, and he fell groueling to the earth.

50 So Dauid ouercame the Philistim with a sling & with a stone, & smote the Philistim, and slew him, when Dauid had no sword in his hand.

51 Then Dauid ranne, & stood vpon the Philistim, and tooke his sword and drew it out of his sheath, and slewe him, and cut off his head therewith. So whe the Philistims saw, that their champion was dead, they fled.

52 And the men of Israel and Iudah arose, & shouted, and followed after the Philistims, vntill they came to the valley, & vnto the gates of Ekron: and the Philistims fell downe wounded by the way of Shaaraim, euen to Gath & to Ekron.

53 And the children of Israel returned from pursuing the Philistims, & spoyled their tents.

54 And Dauid tooke the head of ye Philistim, and brought it to Ierusalem, and put his armour in his tent.

55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, That is, of what family and tribe is he? He had forgotten David, even though he had received so great a benefit by him. whose son [is] this youth? And Abner said, [As] thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

56 Then the King sayde, Enquire thou whose sonne this yong man is.

57 And when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistim, then Abner tooke him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistim in his hand.

58 And Saul sayde to him, Whose sonne art thou, thou yong man? And Dauid answered, I am the sonne of thy seruant Ishai the Bethlehemite.

18

1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the His affection was fully bent toward him. soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2 And Saul tooke him that day, and woulde not let him returne to his fathers house.

3 Then Ionathan and Dauid made a couenant: for he loued him as his owne soule.

4 And Ionathan put off the robe that was vpon him, & gaue it Dauid, & his garments, euen to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself That is, he prospered in all his doings. wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the That is, Goliath. Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7 And the women sang by course in their play, and sayd, Saul hath slayne his thousand, & Dauid his ten thousand.

8 Therefore Saul was exceeding wroth, and the saying displeased him, & he sayde, They haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousand, & to me they haue ascribed but a thousand, & what can he haue more saue the kingdome?

9 And Saul Because he envied and hated him. eyed David from that day and forward.

10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he That is, spoke as a man beside himself for so the people abused this word, when they could not understand. prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and [there was] a javelin in Saul's hand.

11 And Saul tooke the speare, and sayd, I will smite Dauid through to the wall. But Dauid auoyded twise out of his presence.

12 And Saul was afrayd of Dauid, because the Lord was with him, & was departed from Saul.

13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went Meaning he was captain over the people. out and came in before the people.

14 And Dauid behaued himselfe wisely in all his wayes: for the Lord was with him.

15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afrayde of him.

16 For all Israel and Iudah loued Dauid, because he went out and in before them.

17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and Fight against them that war against God's people. fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

18 And Dauid answered Saul, What am I? and what is my life, or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be sonne in law to the King?

19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that By whom he had five sons who David put to death at the request of the Gibeonites, (2Sa_21:8). she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

20 Then Michal Sauls daughter loued Dauid: & they shewed Saul, & the thing pleased him.

21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a So his hypocrisy appears, for under pretence of favour he sought his destruction. snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in [the one of] the twain.

22 And Saul commanded his seruants, Speake with Dauid secretly, & say, Behold, ye King hath a fauour to thee, and all his seruants loue thee: be now therefore the Kings sonne in law.

23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Meaning, that he was not able to endow his wife with riches. Seemeth it to you [a] light [thing] to be a king's son in law, seeing that I [am] a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

24 And then Sauls seruats brought him word againe, saying, Such wordes spake Dauid.

25 And Saul sayd, This wise shal ye say to Dauid, The King desireth no dowrie, but an hundred foreskinnes of the Philistims, to bee auenged of the Kings enemies: for Saul thought to make Dauid fall into the handes of the Philistims.

26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the Because he thought himself able to compass the king's request. king's son in law: and the days were not expired.

27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and Meaning, David and his soldiers. they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

28 Then Saul sawe, and vnderstoode that the Lord was with Dauid, & that Michal the daughter of Saul loued him.

29 And Saul was yet the more afraid To be deprived of his kingdom. of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, [that] That is, David had better success against the Philistines than Saul's men. David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

19

1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should Before Saul sought David's life secretly, but now his hypocrisy grows to open cruelty. kill David.

2 And Ionathan told Dauid, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: nowe therefore, I pray thee, take heede vnto thy selfe vnto the morning, & abide in a secret place, & hide thy selfe.

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou That I may warn you what to do. [art], and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

4 And Ionathan spake good of Dauid vnto Saul his father, & said vnto him, Let not the King sinne against his seruat, against Dauid: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works haue bene to thee very good.

5 For he did put his life in daunger, and slew the Philistim, and the Lord wrought a great saluation for al Israel: thou sawest it, and thou reioycedst: wherefore then wilt thou sinne against innocent blood, and slay Dauid without a cause?

6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul Whatever he pretended outwardly, yet his heart was full of malice. sware, [As] the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.

7 So Ionathan called Dauid, and Ionathan shewed him all those words, & Ionathan brought Dauid to Saul, and hee was in his presence as in times past.

8 Againe the warre began, & Dauid went out & fought with the Philistims, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.

9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David He played on his harp to appease the rage of the evil spirit, (1Sa_16:23). played with [his] hand.

10 And Saul intended to smite Dauid to the wall with the speare: but hee turned aside out of Sauls presence, & he smote the speare against the wall: but Dauid fled, & escaped the same night.

11 Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal Dauids wife told it him, saying, If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne.

12 So Michal Thus God moved both the son and daughter of this tyrant to favour David against their father. let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 Then Michal tooke an image, & layde it in the bed, & put a pillow stuffed with goates heare vnder the head of it, & couered it with a cloth.

14 And when Saul sent messengers to take Dauid, she sayd, He is sicke.

15 And Saul sent the messengers [again] to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the Behold, how the tyrants to accomplish their rage, neither regard oath nor friendship, God nor man. bed, that I may slay him.

16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed, with a pillow of goates heare vnder the head of it.

17 And Saul said vnto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, & sent away mine enemie, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said vnto me, Let me go, or els I will kill thee.

18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth was a school where the word of God was studied, near Ramah. Naioth.

19 But one tolde Saul, saying, Beholde, Dauid is at Naioth in Ramah.

20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing Being their chief instructor. [as] appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also Changed their minds and praised God. prophesied.

21 And when it was tolde Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophecied likewise: againe Saul sent the third messengers, and they prophecied also.

22 Then went he himselfe to Ramah, & came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked, and sayd, Where are Samuel and Dauid? & one sayd, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

23 And he With a mind to persecute them. went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 And he stripped off his His kingly apparel. clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay He humbled himself as others did. down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?

20

1 And David For Saul was detained, and prophesied a day and a night by God's providence, that David might have time to escape. fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what [is] mine iniquity? and what [is] my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

2 And he sayde vnto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die: beholde, my father will do nothing great nor small, but he will shewe it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? He will not doe it.

3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly [as] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, [there is] but a I am in great danger of death. step between me and death.

4 Then said Ionathan vnto Dauid, Whatsoeuer thy soule requireth, that I wil do vnto thee.

5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow [is] the At what time there would be a solemn sacrifice, (Num_28:11), to which they added peace offerings and feasts. new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third [day] at even.

6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked [leave] of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for [there is] a Read (1Sa_1:21). yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

7 And if he say thus, It is well, thy seruant shall haue peace: but if he be angrie, be sure that wickednesse is concluded of him.

8 So shalt thou shew mercy vnto thy seruant: for thou hast ioyned thy seruant into a couenant of the Lord with thee, and if there be in me iniquitie, slay thou me: for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were That he were fully determined. determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who If your father favours me. shall tell me? or what [if] thy father answer thee roughly?

11 And Ionathan sayde to Dauid, Come and let vs goe out into the fielde: and they twaine went out into the fielde.

12 Then Ionathan sayde to Dauid, O Lorde God of Israel, when I haue groped my fathers minde to morow at this time, or within this three dayes, and if it be well with Dauid, and I then send not vnto thee, and shewe it thee,

13 The LORD The Lord punish me most grievously. do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father [to do] thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, I know that if you were given the kingdom now, you would not destroy me, but show yourself friendly to my posterity. that I die not:

15 But I require that thou cut not off thy mercie from mine house for euer: no, not when the Lorde hath destroyed the enemies of Dauid, euery one from the earth.

16 So Ionathan made a bond with the house of Dauid, saying, Let the Lorde require it at the hands of Dauids enemies.

17 And againe Ionathan sware vnto Dauid, because he loued him (for he loued him as his owne soule)

18 Then said Ionathan to him, To morowe is the first day of the moneth: and thou shalt be looked for, for thy place shalbe emptie.

19 Therefore thou shalt hide thy selfe three dayes, then thou shalt goe downe quickely and come to the place where thou diddest hide thy selfe, when this matter was in hand, and shalt remayne by the stone Ezel.

20 And I will shoote three arrowes on the side thereof, as though I shot at a marke.

21 And after I wil sende a boy, saying, Goe, seeke the arrowes. If I say vnto the boy, See, the arrowes are on this side thee, bring them, & come thou: for it is well with thee and no hurt, as the Lord liueth.

22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows [are] beyond thee; go thy way: for the The Lord is the author of your departure. LORD hath sent thee away.

23 As touching the thing which thou and I haue spoken of, beholde, the Lorde be betweene thee and me for euer.

24 So Dauid hid him selfe in the field: and when the first day of the moneth came, the King sate to eate meate.

25 And the King sate, as at other times vpon his seate, euen vpon his seate by the wall: and Ionathan arose, and Abner sate by Sauls side, but Dauids place was emptie.

26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he [is] not Yet he might have some business to let him. clean; surely he [is] not clean.

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 Thus he speaks contemptuously of David. the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

28 And Ionathan answered vnto Saul, Dauid required of me, that he might goe to Beth-lehem.

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 Meaning, all his kinsfolk. brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou You are always contrary to me as your mother is. son of the perverse rebellious [woman], do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

31 For as long as the sonne of Ishai liueth vpon the earth, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdome: wherefore now send and fet him vnto me, for he shall surely die.

32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be For it was too great tyranny to put one to death and not to give a reason why. slain? what hath he done?

33 And Saul cast a speare at him to hit him, whereby Ionathan knew, that it was determined of his father to slay Dauid.

34 So Ionathan arose from the table in a great anger, and did eate no meate the seconde day of the moneth: for he was sorie for Dauid, and because his father had reuiled him.

35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field For this was the third day, as it was agreed on in (1Sa_20:5). at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

36 And he saide vnto his boy, Runne now, seeke the arrowes which I shoote, and as the boy ran, he shot an arrowe beyond him.

37 And when the boy was come to the place where the arrowe was that Ionathan had shot, Ionathan cryed after the boy, and sayde, Is not the arrowe beyond thee?

38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, By these words be admonished David what he should do. Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

39 But the boy knewe nothing: onely Ionathan and Dauid knew the matter.

40 Then Ionathan gaue his bowe and arrowes vnto the boy that was with him, and sayd vnto him, Goe, carrie them into the citie.

41 [And] as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of [a place] toward the It seems that he shot on the north side of the stone, least the boy should have seen David. south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have Which oath he calls the covenant of the Lord in (1Sa_20:8). sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

21

1 Then came David to Where the ark then was to ask counsel of the Lord. Nob to Ahimelech 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 These infirmities that we see in the saints of God, teach us that no one has his justice in himself, but receives it from God's mercy. 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.

3 Nowe therefore if thou hast ought vnder thine hande, giue me fiue cakes of bread, or what commeth to hand.

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 If they have not accompanied with their wives. women.

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 That is, their bodies. vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though it Shall be more careful to keep his vessel holy, when he has eaten of this holy food. were sanctified this day in the vessel.

6 So the Priest gaue him halowed bread: for there was no bread there, saue the shewe bread that was taken from before the Lord, to put hote bread there, the day that it was taken away.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul [was] there that day, Tarrying to worship before the ark. detained before the LORD; and his name [was] Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that [belonged] to Saul.

8 And Dauid said vnto Ahimelech, Is there not here vnder thine hand a speare or a sworde? for I haue neither brought my sworde nor mine harnesse with me, because the Kings businesse required haste.

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 Behind that place where the high priests garment lay. 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 That is, out of Saul's domain. fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

11 And the seruants of Achish said vnto him, Is not this Dauid the King of the land? did they not sing vnto him in daunces, saying, Saul hath slayne his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousande?

12 And Dauid considered these wordes, and wsa sore afraide of Achish the King of Gath.

13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and By making marks and toys. scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14 Then said Achish vnto his seruants, Lo, ye see the man is beside him selfe, wherefore haue ye brought him to me?

15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? Is he fit to be in a king's house. shall this [fellow] come into my house?

22

1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Which was in the tribe of Judah, near Bethlehem. Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], they went down thither to him.

2 And there gathered vnto him all men that were in trouble and all men that were in dette, and all those that were vexed in minde, and he was their prince, and there were with him about foure hundreth men.

3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of For there was another so called in Judah. Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what God will do for me.

4 And he For he feared the rage of Saul against his house. brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in That is, in Mizpeh, which was a stronghold. the hold.

5 And the Prophet Gad sayde vnto Dauid, Abide not in the holde, but depart and goe into the land of Iudah. Then Dauid departed & came into the forest of Hareth.

6 When Saul heard that David was That a great brute came on him. 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;)

7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye You that are of my tribe and lineage. Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, [and] make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

8 That all of you have conspired against me, and [there is] none that sheweth 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 sheweth unto me that my By this he would persuade them that this conspiracy was most horrible, where the son conspired against the father, and the servant against his master. son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite (who was appoynted ouer the seruants of Saul) & sayd, I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob, to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitub,

10 Who asked counsell of the Lorde for him and gaue him vitailes, and he gaue him also the sword of Goliath the Philistim.

11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, Which were the remnant of the house of Eli, whose house God threatened to punish. the priests that [were] in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

12 And Saul said, Heare now thou sonne of Ahitub; he answered, Here I am, my lord.

13 Then Saul sayde vnto him, Why haue yee conspired against me, thou & the sonne of Ishai, in that thou hast giuen him vitaile, and a sworde, and hast asked counsell of God for him, that he should rise against me, and lye in wayte as appeareth this day?

14 And Ahimelech answered the King, and sayde, Who is so faithfull among all thy seruants as Dauid, being also the Kings sonne in lawe, and goeth at thy commandement, and is honourable in thine house?

15 Have I not at other times also, when he had great affairs, consulted with the Lord for him?Did I then begin to enquire 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 Then the King sayd, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy fathers 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 shew it to me. But the servants of the king For they knew that they should not obey the wicked commandment of the king in slaying the innocent. would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

18 Then the King sayde to Doeg, Turne thou and fall vpon the Priests; Doeg the Edomite turned, and ran vpon the Priestes, and slewe that same daye foure score and fiue persons that did weare a linen Ephod.

19 Also Nob the citie of the Priestes smote he with the edge of the sword, both man & woman, both childe and suckling, both oxe and asse, and sheepe with the edge of the sword.

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, This was God's providence, who according to his promise preserved some of the house of Eli, (1Sa_2:33). escaped, and fled after David.

21 And Abiathar shewed Dauid, that Saul had slayne the Lords Priestes.

22 And Dauid sayd vnto Abiathar, I knewe it the same day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would tell Saul. I am the cause of the death of all the persons of thy fathers house.

23 Abide thou with me, & feare not: for he that seeketh my life, shall seeke thy life also: for with me thou shalt be in safegard.

23

1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Which was a city in the tribe of Judah, (Jos_15:44). Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

2 Therfore Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shal I goe and smite these Philistims? And the Lord answered Dauid, Go and smite the Philistims, and saue Keilah.

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

4 Then Dauid asked counsell of the Lord againe; the Lord answered him, & sayd, Arise, go downe to Keilah: for I wil deliuer the Philistims into thine hand.

5 So Dauid and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistims, & brought away their cattel, & smote them with a great slaughter: thus Dauid saued 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 By God's providence the ephod was preserved and kept with David the true king. ephod in his hand.

7 And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was come to Keilah, & Saul sayd, God hath deliuered him into mine hand: for he is shut in, seeing he is come into a citie that hath gates and barres.

8 Then Saul called all the people together to warre, for to go downe to Keilah, & to besiege Dauid and his men.

9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, To consult with the Lord by Urim and Thummim. Bring hither the ephod.

10 Then sayde Dauid, O Lord God of Israel, thy seruat hath heard, that Saul is about to come to Keilah to destroy the citie for my sake.

11 Wil the lordes of Keilah deliuer me vp into his hand? and will Saul come downe, as thy seruant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy seruant; the Lord sayde, He will come downe.

12 Then said Dauid, Will the lords of Keilah deliuer me vp, and the men that are with me, into the hand of Saul? And the Lord sayde, They will deliuer thee vp.

13 Then Dauid and his men, which were about sixe hundreth, arose, & departed out of Keilah, and went whither they coulde; it was tolde Saul, that Dauid was fled from Keilah, and he left off his iourney.

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 No power nor policy can prevail against God's children, but when he appoints the time. delivered him not into his hand.

15 And Dauid sawe that Saul was come out for to seeke his life: and Dauid was in the wildernes of Ziph in the wood.

16 And Ionathan Sauls sonne arose and went to Dauid into the wood, and comforted him 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 Jonathan assured David, that God would accomplish his promise, and that his father warred against his own conscience. king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.

18 So they twaine made a couenant before ye Lorde: and Dauid did remaine in the wood: but Ionathan went to his house.

19 Then came vp the Ziphims to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide himselfe by vs in holdes, in the wood in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right side of Ieshimon?

20 Nowe therefore, O King, come downe according to all that thine heart can desire, and our part shall be to deliuer him into the Kinges handes.

21 And Saul said, the Lord recompense this friendship. Blessed [be] ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.

22 Goe, I pray you, & prepare ye yet better: know and see his place where he haunteth, and who hath seene him there: for it is sayd to me, He is subtile, and craftie.

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 In your country of Ziph, which is in Judah. land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

24 Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but Dauid and his men were in the wildernesse of Maon, in the playne on the right hande of Ieshimon.

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 Which was also in the tribe of Judah, (Jos_15:55). Maon. And when Saul heard [that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 And Saul and his men went on the one side of the mountaine, and Dauid and his men on the other side of the mountaine: and Dauid made haste to get from the presence of Saul: for Saul and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about, to take them.

27 But there came a Thus the Lord can pull back the bridle of the tyrants and deliver his out of the lion's mouth. messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place That is, stone of division, because there they divided themselves one from another. Selahammahlekoth.

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in That is, in strong places, which were defended by nature. strong holds at Engedi.

24

1 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 A city of Judah, (Jos_15:62). Engedi.

2 {\cf2 (24:3)} Then Saul tooke three thousande chosen men out of all Israel, & went to seeke Dauid and his men vpon the rocks among the wilde goates.

3 {\cf2 (24:4)} And hee came to the sheepecoates by the way where there was a caue, & Saul went in to do his easement: and Dauid and his men sate in the inward parts of the caue.

4 And the men of David said unto him, Here we see how ready we are to hasten God's promise, if the occasion serve never so little. Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart For seeing it was his own private cause, he repented that he had touched his enemy. smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

6 {\cf2 (24:7)} And he said vnto his men, The Lord keepe mee from doing that thing vnto my master the Lords Anoynted, to lay mine hand vpon him: for he is the Anoynted of the Lord.

7 {\cf2 (24:8)} So Dauid ouercame his seruants with these words, & suffered them not to arise against Saul: so Saul rose vp out of the caue and went away.

8 {\cf2 (24:9)} Dauid also arose afterward, and went out of the caue, and cryed after Saul, saying, O my lorde the King; when Saul looked behinde him, Dauid inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himselfe.

9 And David said to Saul, Contrary to the report of those who said David was Saul's enemy, he proves himself to be his friend. Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

10 {\cf2 (24:11)} Behold, this day thine eyes haue seene, that the Lorde had deliuered thee this day into mine hand in the caue, and some bade me kill thee, but I had compassion on thee, and said, I will not lay mine hande on my master: for he is the Lordes Anoynted.

11 {\cf2 (24:12)} Moreouer my father, behold: behold, I say, the lappe of thy garment in mine hand: for when I cut off the lappe of thy garment, I killed thee not. Vnderstad & see, that there is neither euil nor wickednesse in mee, neither haue I sinned against thee, yet thou huntest after my soule to take it.

12 {\cf2 (24:13)} The Lord be iudge betweene thee and me, and the Lord auenge me of thee, & let not mine hand be vpon thee.

13 {\cf2 (24:14)} According as the olde prouerbe sayeth, Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked, but mine hand be not vpon thee.

14 {\cf2 (24:15)} After whom is the King of Israel come out? after whome doest thou pursue? after a dead dog, and after a flea?

15 {\cf2 (24:16)} The Lord therfore be iudge, and iudge betweene thee and me, and see, & pleade my cause, and deliuer 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, Though he was a cruel enemy to David, yet by his great gentleness his conscience compelled him to yield. [Is] this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

17 {\cf2 (24:18)} And sayd to Dauid, Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast rendred me good, and I haue rendred thee euill.

18 {\cf2 (24:19)} And thou hast shewed this day, that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had closed me in thine hands, thou killedst me not.

19 {\cf2 (24:20)} For who shal finde his enemie, and let him depart free? wherefore the Lorde render thee good for that thou hast done vnto me this day.

20 And now, behold, I Though this tyrant saw and confessed the favour of God toward David, yet he did not cease to persecute him against his own conscience. know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

21 {\cf2 (24:22)} Sweare now therfore vnto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seede after me, and that thou wilt not abolish my name out of my fathers house.

22 {\cf2 (24:23)} So Dauid sware vnto Saul, and Saul went home: but Dauid & his men went vp vnto ye hold.

25

1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his That is, among his own kindred. house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

2 And [there was] a man in Maon and Carmel were cities in the tribe of Judah. Carmel the mountain was in Galilee. Maon, whose possessions [were] in Carmel; and the man [was] very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 The name also of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, & she was a woman of singular wisdome, and beautifull, but the man was churlish, and euil conditioned, and was of the familie of Caleb.

4 And Dauid heard in the wildernesse, that Nabal did shere his sheepe.

5 Therefore Dauid sent tenne yong men, & Dauid said vnto the yong men, Go vp to Carmel, and go to Nabal, & aske him in my name how he doeth.

6 And thus shall ye say Or, for salvation. to him that liveth [in prosperity], Peace [be] both to thee, and peace [be] to thine house, and peace [be] unto all that thou hast.

7 Behold, I haue heard, that thou hast sherers: now thy shepherds were with vs, and we did the no hurt, neyther did they misse any thing all the while they were in Carmel.

8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever Whatever you have ready for us. cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.

9 And when Dauids yong men came, they tolde Nabal all those wordes in the name of Dauid, and helde their peace.

10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who [is] David? and who [is] the Thus the covetous wretches instead of relieving the needs of God's children, reviled their persons and condemned their cause. son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I haue killed for my sherers, and giue it vnto men, whom I know not whence they be?

12 So Dauids seruants turned their way, and went againe, and came, and tolde him all those things.

13 And Dauid said vnto his men, Girde euery man his sword about him. And they girded euery man his sworde: Dauid also girded his sworde; about foure hundreth men went vp after Dauid, and two hundreth abode by the cariage.

14 Nowe one of the seruantes tolde Abigail Nabals wife, saying, Beholde, Dauid sent messengers out of the wildernesse to salute our master, and he rayled on them.

15 But the men [were] very good When we kept our sheep in the wilderness of Paran. unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:

16 They were as a wall vnto vs both by night & by day, all the while we were with them keeping sheepe.

17 Nowe therefore take heede, and see what thou shalt doe: for euill will surely come vpon our master, and vpon all his familie: for he is so wicked that a man can not speake to him.

18 Then Abigail made haste, & tooke two hundreth cakes, & two bottels of wine, & fiue sheepe ready dressed, & fiue measures of parched corne, and an hundreth frailes of raisins, & two hundreth of figs, and laded them on asses.

19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her Because she knew his crooked nature, that he would rather die than agree to her enterprise. husband Nabal.

20 And as shee rode on her asse, shee came downe by a secret place of the mountaine, and beholde, Dauid and his men came downe against her, and she met them.

21 And Dauid said, In deede I haue kept all in vaine that this fellow had in the wildernesse, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained vnto him: for he hath requited me euill for good.

22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that [pertain] to him by the morning light any that Meaning by this proverb that he would destroy both small and great. pisseth against the wall.

23 And when Abigail sawe Dauid, she hasted and lighted off her asse, and fell before Dauid on her face, and bowed her selfe to the ground,

24 And fel at his feete, and sayd, Oh, my lord, I haue committed the iniquitie, and I pray thee, let thine handmayde speake to thee, and heare thou the wordes of thine handmayde.

25 Let not my lorde, I pray thee, regard this wicked man Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and follie is with him: but I thine handmayde sawe not the yong men of my lord whom thou sentest.

26 Now therefore, my lord, [as] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to [shed] blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own That is, that you should not be revenged by your enemy. hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

27 And now, this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought vnto my lorde, let it be giuen vnto the yong men, that followe my lord.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a Confirm his kingdom to his posterity. sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee [all] thy days.

29 Yet That is, Saul. a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the God will preserve you long in his service, and destroy your enemies. bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, [as out] of the middle of a sling.

30 And when the Lorde shall haue done to my lord al the good that he hath promised thee, and shall haue made thee ruler ouer Israel,

31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath That he did not avenge himself, which would have tormented his conscience. avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

32 Then Dauid said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meete me.

33 And blessed [be] thy advice, and blessed [be] thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to [shed] blood, Read (1Sa_25:31). and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

34 For in very deed, [as] the LORD God of Israel liveth, He attributes it to the Lord's mercy, and not to himself that he was stayed. which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

35 Then Dauid receiued of her hande that which she had brought him, and said to her, Goe vp in peace to thine house: beholde, I haue heard thy voyce, and haue graunted thy petition.

36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart [was] merry within him, for he [was] very drunken: wherefore she told him For he had no reason either to consider, or to give thanks for this great benefit of deliverance. nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became [as] For fear of the great danger. a stone.

38 And about ten dayes after, the Lord smote Nabal, that he dyed.

39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed [be] the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to For he had experienced her great godliness, wisdom and humility. take her to him to wife.

40 And whe the seruants of Dauid were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake vnto her, saying, Dauid sent vs to thee, to take thee to his wife.

41 And she arose, and bowed her selfe on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmayde be a seruant to wash the feete of the seruants of my lord.

42 And Abigail hasted, & arose, and rode vpon an asse, and her fiue maides folowed her, and she went after the messengers of Dauid, and was his wife.

43 Dauid also tooke Ahinoam of Izreel, and they were both his wiues.

44 Now Saul had giuen Michal his daughter Dauids wife to Phalti the sonne of Laish, which was of Gallim.

26

1 Againe the Ziphims came vnto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide him selfe in the hill of Hachilah before Ieshimon?

2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand That is, of the most skilful and valiant soldiers. chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Ieshimon by the way side. Now Dauid abode in the wildernesse, and he sawe that Saul came after him into the wildernesse.

4 (For Dauid had sent out spies, and vnderstood, that Saul was come in very deede)

5 Then Dauid arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and when Dauid beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the sonne of Ner which was his chiefe captaine, (for Saul lay in the fort, and the people pitched round about him)

6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Who was a stranger, and not an Israelite. Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Who afterward was David's chief captain. Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

7 So Dauid and Abishai came downe to the people by night: and beholde, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his speare did sticke in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not [smite] him the Meaning, he would make him sure at one stroke. second time.

9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand That is, in his own private cause: for Jehu slew two kings at God's appointment, (2Ki_9:24). against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?

10 Moreouer Dauid said, As the Lord liueth, eyther the Lorde shall smite him, or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battel, and perish.

11 The Lorde keepe mee from laying mine hand vpon the Lordes anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the speare that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let vs goe hence.

12 So Dauid tooke the speare and the pot of water from Sauls head, and they gate them away, and no man saw it, nor marked it, neither did any awake, but they were all asleepe: for the Lorde had sent a dead sleepe vpon them.

13 Then Dauid went vnto the other side, and stoode on the toppe of an hill a farre off, a great space being betweene them.

14 And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying, Hearest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, & said, Who art thou that cryest to the King?

15 And David said to Abner, [Art] not thou a [valiant] Esteemed most valiant and fit to save the king? man? and who [is] like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

16 This is not well done of thee: as the Lord liueth, ye are worthy to dye, because ye haue not kept your master the Lordes Anointed: and now see where the Kings speare is, and the pot of water that was at his head.

17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, [Is] this thy voice, By this it appears, that the hypocrite persecuted David against his own conscience and contrary to his promise. my son David? And David said, [It is] my voice, my lord, O king.

18 And he sayde, Wherefore doeth my lorde thus persecute his seruant? for what haue I done? or what euill is in mine hand?

19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him Let his anger toward us be pacified by a sacrifice. accept an offering: but if [they be] the children of men, cursed [be] they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve As much as lay in them, they compelled him to idolatry because they forced him to flee to the idolaters. other gods.

20 Nowe therefore let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lorde: for the King of Israel is come out to seeke a flea, as one would hunt a partridge in the mountaines.

21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was Because you saved my life this day. precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

22 Then Dauid answered, and saide, Beholde the Kings speare, let one of the yong men come ouer and set it.

23 The LORD render to every man his Thus he protests his innocency toward Saul, not defending his justice in the sight of God, in whose presence none is righteous, (Psa_14:3, Psa_130:3). righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into [my] hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.

24 And beholde, like as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes: so let my life be set by in the eyes of the Lord, that he may deliuer me out of all tribulation.

25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed [be] thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great [things], and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his To Gibeah of Benjamin. place.

27

1 And David said in his heart, I shall now David distrusts God's protection and therefore flees to the idolaters, who were enemies to God's people. perish one day by the hand of Saul: [there is] nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

2 Dauid therefore arose, and he, and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went vnto Achish the sonne of Maoch King of Gath.

3 And David Thus God by his providence changes the enemies hearts, and makes them favour his in their need. dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, [even] David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

4 And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was fled to Gath: so he sought no more for him.

5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, Let your officers appoint me a place. let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

6 Then Achish gaue him Ziklag that same day: therefore Ziklag pertaineth vnto the kings of Iudah vnto this day.

7 And the time that Dauid dwelt in the countrey of the Philistims, was foure moneths and certaine dayes.

8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the These were the wicked Canaanites, whom God had appointed to be destroyed. Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those [nations were] of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

9 And Dauid smote the lande, and left neither man nor woman aliue, and tooke sheepe, & oxen, and asses, and camels, and apparell, and returned and came to Achish.

10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the A family of the tribe of Judah, (1Ch_2:9). Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

11 And Dauid saued neither man nor woman aliue, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tel on vs, and say, So did Dauid, and so will be his maner all the while that he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistims.

12 And Achish beleeued Dauid, saying, He hath made his people of Israel vtterly to abhorre him: therefore he shalbe my seruant for euer.

28

1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Though it was a great grief to David to fight against the people of God, yet such was his infirmity, he did not dare deny him. Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

2 And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt knowe, what thy seruant can doe; Achish sayde to Dauid, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head for euer.

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had According to the commandment of God, (Exo_22:18; Deu_18:10-11). put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

4 Then the Philistims assembled themselues, and came, and pitched in Shunem: and Saul assembled all Israel, and they pitched in Gilboa.

5 And when Saul saw the hoste of the Philistims, he was afraid, & his heart was sore astonied.

6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Meaning, the high priest, (Exo_28:30). Urim, nor by prophets.

7 Then saide Saul vnto his seruants, Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirite, that I may goe to her, and aske of her; his seruants said to him, Beholde, there is a woman at En-dor that hath a familiar spirit.

8 And Saul He does not seek God in his misery, but is led by Satan to unlawful means, which in his conscience he condemns. disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me [him] up, whom I shall name unto thee.

9 And the woman saide vnto him, Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the southsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die?

10 And Saul sware to her by the Lorde, saying, As the Lord liueth, no harme shall come to thee for this thing.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up He speaks according to his gross ignorance not considering the state of the saints after this life, and how Satan has no power over them. Samuel.

12 And when the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceiued me? for thou art Saul.

13 And the King said vnto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said vnto Saul, I saw gods ascending vp out of the earth.

14 And he said unto her, What form [is] he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he [is] covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it [was] To his imagination, even though it was Satan, who to blind his eyes took on him the form of Samuel, as he can do of an angel of light. Samuel, and he stooped with [his] face to the ground, and bowed himself.

15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me vp? Then Saul answered, I am in great distresse: for the Philistims make warre against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by Prophetes, neither by dreames: therefore I haue called thee, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall doe.

16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then doest thou aske of me, seeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemie?

17 And the LORD hath done to That is, to David. him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, [even] to David:

18 Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lorde, nor executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lorde done this vnto thee this day.

19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: You will die, (1Sa_31:6). and to morrow [shalt] thou and thy sons [be] with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore The wicked when they hear God's judgments, tremble and despair, but cannot seek for mercy by repentance. afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I I have ventured my life. have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearke thou also vnto ye voyce of thine handmaid, & let me set a morsell of bread before thee, that thou mayest eat and get thee strength, and go on thy iourney.

23 But he refused, and said, I will not eate: but his seruants and the woman together compelled him, and he obeyed their voyce: so he arose from the earth, and sate on the bed.

24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded [it], and did bake Because it required haste. unleavened bread thereof:

25 Then she brought them before Saul, and before his seruants: and when they had eaten, they stoode, and went away the same night.

29

1 So the Philistims were gathered together with all their armies in Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by the fountaine, which is in Izreel.

2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by According to their bands, or ensigns. hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What [do] these Hebrews [here]? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, [Is] not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, Meaning, a long time, that is, four months and certain days, (1Sa_27:7). or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell [unto me] unto this day?

4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? [should it] not [be] with the Would not Saul receive him to favour, if he would betray us? heads of these men?

5 Is not this Dauid, of whome they sang in daunces, saying, Saul slewe his thousande, and Dauid his ten thousande?

6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, [as] the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy That is, was conversant with me. going out and thy coming in 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 favour thee not.

7 Wherefore nowe returne, and go in peace, that thou displease not the princes of the Philistims.

8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may This deception cannot be excused, for it grieved him to go against the people of God. not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9 Achish then answered, and said to Dauid, I knowe thou pleasest mee, as an Angell of God: but the princes of the Philistims haue saide, Let him not goe vp with vs to battell.

10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy With them that fled to thee from Saul. master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.

11 So Dauid and his men rose vp earely to depart in the morning, and to returne into the lande of the Philistims: and the Philistims went vp to Izreel.

30

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on After that he departed from Achish. the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and That is, destroyed their city. smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women that were therein, prisoners, both small and great, and slewe not a man, but caryed them away, & went their wayes.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it was] burned with fire; and their For those only remained in the city, when the men were gone to war. wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then Dauid and the people that was with him, lift vp their voyces and wept, vntill they could weepe no more.

5 Dauids two wiues were taken prisoners also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people Thus we see that in trouble and adversity we do not consider God's providence, but like raging beasts forget both our own duty and contemn God's appointment over us. spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And Dauid saide to Abiathar the Priest Ahimelechs sonne, I pray thee, bring me the Ephod; Abiathar brought the Ephod to Dauid.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and without fail Though God seem to leave us for a time, yet if we trust in him, we will be sure to find comfort. recover [all].

9 So Dauid and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went, and came to the riuer Besor, where a part of them abode:

10 But Dauid and foure hundreth men followed (for two hundreth abode behinde, being too wearie to goe ouer the riuer Besor)

11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him God by his providence both provides for the needs of the poor stranger, and made him a guide to David to accomplish his enterprise. bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

12 Also they gaue him a fewe figges, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirite came againe to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunke any water in three dayes, and three nightes.

13 And Dauid saide vnto him, To whome belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he saide, I am a yong man of Egypt, and seruant to an Amalekite: and my master left me three dayes agoe, because I fell sicke.

14 We roued vpon the South of Chereth, & vpon the coast belonging to Iudah, and vpon the South of Caleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, For others were in all ages held in most reverence, even among the heathen. Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16 And when he had brought him down, behold, [they were] spread abroad upon all the earth, The wicked in their pomp and pleasures do not consider the judgment of God, which is then at hand to smite them. eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening Some read, and to the morrow of the two evenings, that is, three days. of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And Dauid recouered all that the Amalekites had taken: also Dauid rescued his two wiues.

19 And they lacked nothing, small or great, sonne or daughter, or of the spoyle of all that they had taken away: Dauid recouered them all.

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drave before those [other] cattle, and said, This [is] David's Which the Amalekites had taken from others, and David from them, besides the goods of Ziklag. spoil.

21 And Dauid came to the two hundreth men that were too wearie for to followe Dauid: whome they had made also to abide at the riuer Besor: and they came to meete Dauid, and to meete the people that were with him: so when Dauid came neere to the people, hee saluted them.

22 Then answered all the wicked men and [men] of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them [ought] of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his Under these are understood the cattle and goods, which belonged to every man. wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away, and depart.

23 Then saide Dauid, Yee shall not doe so, my brethren, with that which the Lorde hath giuen vs, who hath preserued vs, and deliuered the companie that came against vs, into our handes.

24 For who will obey you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth downe to the battel, so shall his part be, that tarieth by the stuffe: they shal part alike.

25 Some refer these words to David, that he alleged an old custom and law, as if it were written, it is both now, and ever has been.And it was [so] from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

26 When Dauid therefore came to Ziklag, he sent of the pray vnto the Elders of Iudah and to his friends, saying, See there is a blessing for you of the spoyle of the enemies of the Lord.

27 Hee sent to them of Beth-el, and to them of South Ramoth, and to them of Iattir,

28 And to them of Aroer, and to them of Siphmoth, and to them of Eshtemoa,

29 And to them of Rachal, and to them of the cities of the Ierahmeelites, and to them of the cities of the Kenites,

30 And to them of Hormah, and to them of Chor-ashan, and to them of Athach,

31 And to [them] which [were] in Hebron, and Showing himself mindful of their benefits towards him. to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

31

1 Now the Philistims fought against Israel, & the me of Israel fled away from ye Philistims, and they fell downe wounded in mount Gilboa.

2 And the Philistims preassed sore vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua Sauls sonnes.

3 And when the battel went sore against Saul, the archers and bowmen hit him, and hee was sore wounded of the archers.

4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, So we see that his cruel life has a desperate end, as is commonly seen in those who persecute the children of God. Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

5 And when his armour bearer sawe that Saul was dead, he fell likewise vpon his sword, & dyed with him.

6 So Saul dyed, and his three sonnes, 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 Near to Gilboa. valley, and [they] that [were] on the other side The tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. 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 on the morowe when the Philistims were come to spoyle them that were slaine, they founde Saul and his three sonnes lying 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 In token of victory and triumph. publish [it in] the house of their idols, and among the people.

10 And they layed vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth, but they hanged vp his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

11 And when the inhabitants of Whom he had delivered from their enemies, (1Sa_11:11). Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

12 Then they arose (as many as were strong men) and went all night, and tooke the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sonnes, from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Iabesh, and burnt them there,

13 And they took their bones, and buried [them] under a tree at Jabesh, and According to the custom of mourners. fasted seven days.