1 And there was a certain man of Ramathayim Tsophim, of the mountains of Ephrayim, and his name was Elqanah son of Yeroḥam, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Tsuph, an Ephrayimite.
2 And he had two wives, the name of one was Ḥannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Ḥannah had no children.
3 Now this man went up from his city year by year to worship and to slaughter to יהוה of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Ěli, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, the priests of יהוה, were there.
4 And when the day came for Elqanah to make a slaughtering, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters,
5 but, although he loved Ḥannah, he gave only one portion to Ḥannah, because יהוה had shut up her womb.
6 Moreover, her rival also provoked her greatly, to make her irritable, because יהוה had shut up her womb.
7 And so he did, year by year. Whenever she went up to the House of יהוה, she was provoked, so that she wept and did not eat.
8 And her husband Elqanah said to her, “Ḥannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 And Ḥannah rose up after eating and drinking in Shiloh, while Ěli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the Hĕḵal of יהוה.
10 And she was bitter in life, and prayed to יהוה and wept greatly.
11 And she made a vow and said, “O יהוה of hosts, if You would indeed look on the affliction of your female servant and remember me, and not forget your female servant, but shall give your female servant a male child, then I shall give him to יהוה all the days of his life, and let no razor come upon his head.”
12 And it came to be, as she kept on praying before יהוה, that Ěli was watching her mouth.
13 And Ḥannah spoke in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. So Ěli thought she was drunk.
14 Then Ěli said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
15 And Ḥannah answered and said, “No, my master, I am a woman pained in spirit. And I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my being before יהוה.
16 “Do not take your female servant for a daughter of Beliya‛al, for it is out of my great concern and provocation that I have spoken until now.”
17 And Ěli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl give you your petition which you have asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Let your female servant find favour in your eyes.” And the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no more sad.
19 And they rose up early in the morning and worshipped before יהוה, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elqanah knew Ḥannah his wife, and יהוה remembered her.
20 And it came to be at the turn of days, that Ḥannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Shemu’ĕl, “Because I have asked יהוה for him.”
21 And the man Elqanah and all his house went up to slaughter to יהוה the yearly slaughtering and his vow.
22 But Ḥannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, then I shall take him. And he shall appear before יהוה and remain forever there.”
23 And her husband Elqanah said to her, “Do what is good in your eyes. Remain until you have weaned him. Only let יהוה establish His word.” And the woman remained and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ĕphah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the House of יהוה in Shiloh. And the child was young.
25 And they slew a bull, and brought the child to Ěli.
26 And she said, “O my master! As your being lives, my master, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to יהוה.
27 “I prayed for this youth, and יהוה has granted me what I asked of Him.
28 “So I have also loaned him to יהוה. All the days that he lives he shall be loaned to יהוה.” And he worshipped there before יהוה.
1 And Ḥannah prayed and said, “My heart rejoices in יהוה, my horn has been high in יהוה. My mouth is opened wide over my enemies, for I have rejoiced in Your deliverance.
2 “There is no one set-apart like יהוה, for there is no one besides You, and there is no rock like our Elohim.
3 “Do not multiply words so proudly, proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for יהוה is an Ěl of knowledge, and by Him deeds are weighed.
4 “Bows of the mighty are broken, and those who stumble shall be girded with strength.
5 “The satisfied have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children pines away.
6 “יהוה puts to death and makes alive, He brings down to She’ol and raises up.
7 “יהוה makes poor and makes rich, He brings low and lifts up.
8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the dunghill, to sit with princes, and make them inherit a throne of esteem. For the supports of the earth belong to יהוה, and He has set the world upon them.
9 “He guards the feet of His lovingly-commited ones, but the wrong are silent in darkness, for man does not become mighty by power.
10 “Those who oppose יהוה are shattered, from the heavens He thunders against them. יהוה judges the ends of the earth, and gives strength to His sovereign, and exalts the horn of His anointed.”
11 And Elqanah went to his house at Ramah. But the youth served יהוה before Ěli the priest.
12 And the sons of Ěli were sons of Beliya‛al — they did not know יהוה.
13 And the ruling of the priests with the people was that when any man slaughtered a slaughtering, the priest’s servant shall come with a three-pronged flesh-hook in his hand while the meat was cooking,
14 and shall strike it into the basin, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. And the priest would take for himself all that the flesh-hook brought up. Thus they did in Shiloh to all Yisra’ĕl who came there.
15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who slaughtered, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he does not accept cooked meat from you, but raw.”
16 And if the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned up first, then take as much as your being desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but give it to me now. And if not, I shall take it by strength.”
17 And the sin of the young men was very great before יהוה, for the men despised the offering of יהוה.
18 But Shemu’ĕl was attending before יהוה — a youth, wearing a linen shoulder garment.
19 And his mother would make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to slaughter the yearly slaughtering.
20 And Ěli blessed Elqanah and his wife, and said, “יהוה give you offspring from this woman for the one she prayed for and gave to יהוה.” Then they would go to their own home.
21 And יהוה visited Ḥannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters, while the young Shemu’ĕl grew before יהוה.
22 And Ěli was very old, and had heard all that his sons were doing to all Yisra’ĕl, and how they lay with the women who were assembling at the door of the Tent of Appointment.
23 And he said to them, “Why do you do deeds like these? For I hear of your evil deeds from all the people.
24 “No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear: making the people of יהוה transgress.
25 “If one man sins against another, Elohim shall judge him. But if a man sins against יהוה, who shall pray for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, though יהוה was pleased to put them to death.
26 And the young Shemu’ĕl was growing in stature, and was in favour with יהוה and also with men.
27 And a man of Elohim came to Ěli and said to him, “Thus said יהוה, ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Mitsrayim in Pharaoh’s house,
28 even to choose him out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl to be My priest, to offer upon My slaughter-place, to burn incense, and to wear a shoulder garment before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Yisra’ĕl made by fire?
29 Why do you kick at My slaughtering and My offering which I have commanded in My Dwelling Place, and esteem your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Yisra’ĕl My people?’
30 “Therefore יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl declares, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now יהוה declares, ‘Far be it from Me, for those who highly esteem Me I highly esteem, and those who despise Me are lightly esteemed.
31 See, the days are coming that I shall cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that an old man shall not be found in your house.
32 And you shall see an enemy in My Dwelling Place, despite all the good which Elohim does for Yisra’ĕl, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My slaughter-place is to consume your eyes and grieve your life, and all the increase of your house die as men.
34 And this is the sign to you that comes upon your two sons, upon Ḥophni and Pineḥas: in one day they are going to die, both of them.
35 And I shall raise up for Myself a trustworthy priest who does according to what is in My heart and in My being. And I shall build him a steadfast house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
36 And it shall be that everyone who is left in your house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a cake of bread, and say, “Please, put me in one of the priestly positions to eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”
1 And the young Shemu’ĕl was serving יהוה before Ěli. And the word of יהוה was rare in those days — no vision breaking forth.
2 And it came to be in that day, that Ěli was lying down in his place. And his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he was unable to see,
3 And the lamp of Elohim had not gone out in the Hĕḵal of יהוה where the ark of Elohim was, and Shemu’ĕl was lying down to sleep.
4 And יהוה called Shemu’ĕl, and he answered, “Here I am!”
5 He then ran to Ěli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call — lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 And יהוה again called, “Shemu’ĕl!” And Shemu’ĕl arose and went to Ěli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he answered, “My son, I did not call — lie down again.”
7 Now Shemu’ĕl did not yet know יהוה, and the word of יהוה was not yet revealed to him.
8 And יהוה called Shemu’ĕl again the third time, and he arose and went to Ěli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Ěli understood that יהוה had called the youth.
9 So Ěli said to Shemu’ĕl, “Go, lie down. And it shall be, if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, יהוה, for Your servant hears.’ ” And Shemu’ĕl went and lay down in his place.
10 And יהוה came and stood and called as at other times, “Shemu’ĕl! Shemu’ĕl!” And Shemu’ĕl answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
11 And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “See, I am doing a matter in Yisra’ĕl at which both ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.
12 “In that day I shall confirm against Ěli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
13 “For I have declared to him that I am judging his house forever for the crookedness which he knows, because his sons cursed Elohim, and he did not rebuke them.
14 “And therefore I have sworn to the house of Ěli that the crookedness of the house of Ěli shall never be atoned for, by slaughtering or grain offering.”
15 And Shemu’ĕl lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the House of יהוה. And Shemu’ĕl was afraid to report the vision to Ěli.
16 Then Ěli called Shemu’ĕl and said, “Shemu’ĕl, my son!” And he answered, “Here I am.”
17 And he said, “What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. Elohim do so to you, and more also, if you hide a word from me of all the words that He spoke to you.”
18 And Shemu’ĕl reported to him all the words, and hid none from him. And he said, “It is יהוה. Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”
19 And Shemu’ĕl grew up, and יהוה was with him and did not let any of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Yisra’ĕl from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa knew that Shemu’ĕl had been established as a prophet of יהוה.
21 And יהוה continued to appear in Shiloh, because יהוה revealed Himself to Shemu’ĕl in Shiloh by the word of יהוה.
1 Thus the word of Shemu’ĕl was to all Yisra’ĕl. And Yisra’ĕl went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Eḇen Ha‛ĕzer, while the Philistines encamped in Aphĕq.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Yisra’ĕl. And when the battle spread, Yisra’ĕl was stricken by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3 And when the people came into the camp, the elders of Yisra’ĕl said, “Why has יהוה smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of יהוה from Shiloh to us, so that He comes into our midst and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4 And the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of יהוה of hosts, dwelling between the keruḇim. And the two sons of Ěli, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, were there with the ark of the covenant of Elohim.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of יהוה came into the camp, all Yisra’ĕl shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they knew that the ark of יהוה had come into the camp,
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “Elohim has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For it has never been like this before.
8 “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty Elohim? These are the Elohim who struck the Mitsrites with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 “Be strong and be men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
10 And the Philistines fought, and Yisra’ĕl was smitten, and every man fled to his tent. And the slaughter was very great, and there fell of Yisra’ĕl thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11 And the ark of Elohim was captured, and the two sons of Ěli died, Ḥophni and Pineḥas.
12 And a man of Binyamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his garments torn and dirt on his head.
13 And he came in and saw Ěli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of Elohim. And the man came into the city and reported it, and all the city cried out.
14 And Ěli heard the noise of the outcry and said, “What is the noise of this uproar?” And the man came hastily and informed Ěli.
15 Now Ěli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were so dim that he was unable to see.
16 And the man said to Ěli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.” And he said, “What was the matter, my son?”
17 And the messenger answered and said, “Yisra’ĕl has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. And your two sons have died, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, and the ark of Elohim has been captured.”
18 And it came to be, when he made mention of the ark of Elohim, that Ěli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate. And his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he ruled Yisra’ĕl forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, Pineḥas’ wife, was pregnant, about to bear. And when she heard the news that the ark of Elohim was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, because her pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she set her heart to it.
21 And she called the child Iḵaḇoḏ, saying, “The esteem has departed from Yisra’ĕl!” because the ark of Elohim was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 And she said, “The esteem has departed from Yisra’ĕl, for the ark of Elohim was taken.”
1 And the Philistines took the ark of Elohim and brought it from Eḇen Ha‛ĕzer to Ashdoḏ,
2 and the Philistines took the ark of Elohim and brought it into the house of Daḡon and set it by Daḡon.
3 And the Ashdoḏites rose early in the morning and saw Daḡon fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of יהוה. So they took Daḡon and put it in its place again.
4 And they arose early the next morning and saw Daḡon fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of יהוה, and the head of Daḡon and both the palms of its hands cut off, on the threshold, only Daḡon itself was left of it.
5 That is why, to this day, the priests of Daḡon and all who come into Daḡon’s house do not tread on the threshold of Daḡon in Ashdoḏ.
6 But the hand of יהוה was heavy on the Ashdoḏites, and He wasted them and struck them with tumours — Ashdoḏ and its borders.
7 And when the men of Ashdoḏ saw this, they said, “Let not the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl remain with us, for His hand has been hard on us, and on Daḡon our mighty one.”
8 Then they sent and gathered to them all the princes of the Philistines, and said, “What do we do with the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl be removed to Gath.” And they removed the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
9 And it came to be, after they removed it, that the hand of יהוה was against the city with a very great destruction. And He struck the men of the city, from the least to the greatest, and tumours broke out on them.
10 They then sent the ark of Elohim to Eqron. And it came to be, as the ark of Elohim came to Eqron, that the Eqronites cried out, saying, “They have removed the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl to us, to kill us and our people!”
11 And they sent and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and let it return to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there had come a deadly destruction throughout all the city — the hand of Elohim was very heavy there.
12 And the men who did not die were stricken with tumours, and the cry of the city went up to the heavens.
1 And the ark of יהוה was in the field of the Philistines for seven new moons.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What do we do with the ark of יהוה? Let us know with what we should send it to its place.”
3 And they said, “If you send away the ark of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, do not send it empty, but you shall certainly return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you are going to be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand does not turn aside from you.”
4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering which we return to Him?” And they answered, “The number of the princes of the Philistines: five golden tumours and five golden rats. For the same plague was on all of you and on your princes.
5 “And you shall make images of your tumours and images of your rats that ruin the land, and you shall give esteem to the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl. It could be that He does lift His hand from you, from your mighty ones, and from your land.
6 “And why do you harden your hearts as the Mitsrites and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not send them away, and they went?
7 “And now, take and make a new wagon, and two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the wagon. And take their calves home, away from them.
8 “And take the ark of יהוה and put it on the wagon. And put the objects of gold which you are returning to Him as a guilt offering in a chest by its side, and send it away, and it shall go.
9 “And you shall see, if it goes up the way to its own border, to Bĕyth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that His hand has not come against us — an accident it was to us.”
10 And the men did so and took two milk cows and hitched them to the wagon, and shut up their calves at home.
11 And they put the ark of יהוה on the wagon, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumours.
12 And the cows went straight for the way to Bĕyth Shemesh, and went along the highway, bellowing as they went, and did not turn aside, right or left. And the princes of the Philistines went after them to the border of Bĕyth Shemesh.
13 And they of Bĕyth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 And the wagon came into the field of Yehoshua of Bĕyth Shemesh and stood there, and there was a great stone. So they split the wood of the wagon and offered the cows as an ascending offering to יהוה.
15 And the Lĕwites took down the ark of יהוה and the chest that was with it, in which were the objects of gold, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Bĕyth Shemesh offered ascending offerings and slaughtered slaughterings the same day to יהוה.
16 And when the five princes of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Eqron the same day.
17 And these are the gold tumours which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to יהוה: one for Ashdoḏ, one for Azzah, one for Ashqelon, one for Gath, one for Eqron,
18 and the gold rats, by the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five princes, both walled cities and country villages, even as far as the great meadow on which they placed the ark of יהוה, remain to this day in the field of Yehoshua of Bĕyth Shemesh.
19 And He struck among the men of Bĕyth Shemesh, for they had looked into the ark of יהוה. He struck among the people seventy men, and the people mourned because יהוה struck among the people, a great smiting.
20 And the men of Bĕyth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this set-apart יהוה Elohim? And to whom shall He go from us?”
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Qiryath Ye‛arim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of יהוה. Come down, take it up to you.”
1 And the men of Qiryath Ye‛arim came and took the ark of יהוה, and brought it into the house of Aḇinaḏaḇ on the hill, and set apart El‛azar his son to guard the ark of יהוה.
2 And it came to be, from the day that the ark remained in Qiryath Ye‛arim, that the time increased, it came to be twenty years. And all the house of Yisra’ĕl lamented after יהוה.
3 And Shemu’ĕl spoke to all the house of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “If you return to יהוה with all your hearts, then put away the foreign mighty ones and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for יהוה, and serve Him only, so that He delivers you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 And the children of Yisra’ĕl put away the Ba‛als and Ashtaroth, and served יהוה only.
5 And Shemu’ĕl said, “Gather all Yisra’ĕl to Mitspah and let me pray to יהוה for you.”
6 And they gathered to Mitspah and drew water, and poured it out before יהוה. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against יהוה.” And Shemu’ĕl rightly ruled the children of Yisra’ĕl at Mitspah.
7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Yisra’ĕl had gathered together at Mitspah, the princes of the Philistines went up against Yisra’ĕl. And the children of Yisra’ĕl heard of it, and were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the children of Yisra’ĕl said to Shemu’ĕl, “Do not cease to cry out to יהוה our Elohim for us, that He would save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 And Shemu’ĕl took a suckling lamb and offered it as an ascending offering, completely, to יהוה. And Shemu’ĕl cried out to יהוה for Yisra’ĕl, and יהוה answered him.
10 And it came to be, as Shemu’ĕl offered up the ascending offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Yisra’ĕl. But יהוה thundered with a great noise on that day on the Philistines, and troubled them, and they were smitten before Yisra’ĕl.
11 And the men of Yisra’ĕl went out from Mitspah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them as far as below Bĕyth Kar.
12 And Shemu’ĕl took a stone and set it up between Mitspah and Shĕn, and called its name Eḇen Ha‛ĕzer, saying, “Thus far יהוה has helped us.”
13 Thus the Philistines were humbled, and no longer came into the border of Yisra’ĕl. And the hand of יהוה was against the Philistines all the days of Shemu’ĕl.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Yisra’ĕl were returned to Yisra’ĕl, from Eqron to Gath. And Yisra’ĕl recovered its border from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Yisra’ĕl and the Amorites.
15 And Shemu’ĕl rightly ruled Yisra’ĕl all the days of his life,
16 and each year he made the rounds of Bĕyth Ěl, and Gilgal, and Mitspah, and rightly ruled Yisra’ĕl in all those places.
17 Then he returned to Ramah, for his home was there. And there he rightly ruled Yisra’ĕl, and there he built a slaughter-place to יהוה.
1 And it came to be, when Shemu’ĕl was old, that he made his sons rulers over Yisra’ĕl.
2 And the name of his first-born was Yo’ĕl, and the name of his second, Aḇiyah, rulers in Be’ĕrsheḇa.
3 But his sons did not walk in his ways, and turned aside after own gain, and took bribes, and twisted right-ruling.
4 And all the elders of Yisra’ĕl gathered together and came to Shemu’ĕl at Ramah,
5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a sovereign to rule us like all the nations.”
6 But the word was evil in the eyes of Shemu’ĕl when they said, “Give us a sovereign to rule us.” So Shemu’ĕl prayed to יהוה.
7 And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.
8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Mitsrayim, even to this day — forsaking Me and serving other mighty ones — so they are doing to you too.
9 “And now, listen to their voice, but you shall certainly warn them, and shall make known to them the ruling of the sovereign who does reign over them.”
10 And Shemu’ĕl spoke all the words of יהוה to the people who asked him for a sovereign,
11 and said, “This is the ruling of the sovereign who does reign over you: He shall take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots,
12 and appoint commanders over his thousands and commanders over his fifties, or to plough his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons, and equipment for his chariots.
13 “And your daughters he is going to take to be perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.
14 “And the best of your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-trees he is going to take and give them to his servants.
15 “And a tenth of your grain and your vintage he is going to take and give it to his officers and servants.
16 “And your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys he is going to take and use for his own work.
17 “A tenth of your sheep he is going to take, and you are to be his servants.
18 “And you shall cry out in that day because of your sovereign whom you have chosen for yourselves, but יהוה is not going to answer you in that day.”
19 However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Shemu’ĕl, and said, “No, but let a sovereign be over us.
20 Then we shall be, we also, like all the nations, and our sovereign shall rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 And Shemu’ĕl heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of יהוה.
22 And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “Listen to their voice, and make them a sovereign.” And Shemu’ĕl said to the men of Yisra’ĕl, “Each of you go to his city.”
1 And there was a man of Binyamin whose name was Qish, son of Aḇi’ĕl, son of Tseror, son of Beḵorath, son of Aphiyaḥ, a Binyamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he had a son whose name was Sha’ul, young and handsome. And there was not a more handsome man than he among the children of Yisra’ĕl, taller than any of the people by the shoulders and upwards.
3 And the donkeys of Qish, father of Sha’ul, were lost. And Qish said to his son Sha’ul, “Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go seek the donkeys.”
4 And he passed through the mountains of Ephrayim and through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Sha‛alim, but they were not. Then he passed through the land of the Binyamites, but they did not find them.
5 They came to the land of Tsuph, and Sha’ul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us turn back, lest my father stops thinking about the donkeys and become worried about us.”
6 And he said to him, “See, there is in this city a man of Elohim, and the man is esteemed. All that he says comes true, without fail. Now, let us go there. It could be that he shows us the way to go.”
7 And Sha’ul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what do we bring the man? For the bread in our bags is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of Elohim. What do we have?”
8 And the servant answered Sha’ul again and said, “Look, I have here at hand one fourth of a sheqel of silver. And I shall give that to the man of Elohim, and he shall make known to us our way.”
9 Formerly, in Yisra’ĕl, when a man went to inquire of Elohim, he spoke thus, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.
10 And Sha’ul said to his servant, “Your word is good. Come, let us go.” And they went to the city where the man of Elohim was.
11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
12 And they answered them and said, “He is. Look, ahead of you. Hurry now, for he came to this city today, for the people have a slaughtering on the high place today.
13 “As you come into the city, you are going to find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people do not eat until he comes, for he blesses the slaughtering, afterward they who are invited eat. And now, go up, for you should find him about this time.”
14 And they went up to the city. They were coming into the midst of the city, and saw Shemu’ĕl coming out toward them to go up to the high place.
15 And יהוה had revealed to Shemu’ĕl in his ear the day before Sha’ul came, saying,
16 “At this time tomorrow I shall send you a man from the land of Binyamin, and you shall anoint him leader over My people Yisra’ĕl, and he shall save My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen My people, because their cry has come to me.”
17 And when Shemu’ĕl saw Sha’ul, יהוה said to him, “See, the man of whom I spoke to you. Let this one govern My people.”
18 And Sha’ul drew near to Shemu’ĕl in the gate, and said, “Please inform me, where is the house of the seer?”
19 And Shemu’ĕl answered Sha’ul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. And tomorrow I shall let you go and make known to you all that is in your heart.
20 “As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your heart on them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Yisra’ĕl? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?”
21 And Sha’ul answered and said, “Am I not a Binyamite — of the smallest of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, and my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Binyamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”
22 And Shemu’ĕl took Sha’ul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and gave to them a place at the head of those who were invited, and there were about thirty men.
23 And Shemu’ĕl said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I told you to set it aside.”
24 And the cook brought out the thigh with its upper part and set it before Sha’ul. And Shemu’ĕl said, “See what was kept back. It was set aside for you. Eat, for it has been kept for you for this appointed time, saying, I have invited the people.” And Sha’ul ate with Shemu’ĕl on that day.
25 And they came down from the high place into the city, and Shemu’ĕl spoke with Sha’ul on the roof.
26 And they rose early. And it came to be about the dawning of the day that Shemu’ĕl called to Sha’ul on the roof, saying, “Rise, so that I send you on your way.” And Sha’ul rose, and both of them went outside, he and Shemu’ĕl.
27 As they were walking toward the edge of the city, Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “Say to the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you stand here a moment, so that I let you hear the word of Elohim.”
1 And Shemu’ĕl took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, “Is it not because יהוה has anointed you leader over His inheritance?
2 “When you leave me today, you shall find two men by Raḥĕl’s burial-place in the border of Binyamin at Tseltsaḥ, and they shall say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And see, your father has left the matters of the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?” ’
3 “And you shall pass on from there, and beyond, and shall come to the terebinth tree of Taḇor. And three men going up to Elohim at Bĕyth Ěl shall find you there, one bearing three young goats, another bearing three loaves of bread, and another bearing a skin of wine.
4 “And they shall greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand.
5 “After that go to the hill of Elohim where the Philistine watch-post is. And it shall be, when you have come there to the city, that you shall meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, and a tambourine, and a flute, and a lyre before them, and they are prophesying.
6 “And the Spirit of יהוה shall come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
7 “And it shall be, when these signs come to you, do for yourself as your hand finds to do, for Elohim is with you.
8 “And you shall go down before me to Gilgal. And see, I am coming down to you to offer ascending offerings and slaughter slaughterings of peace offerings. Wait seven days, till I come to you, then I shall make known to you what you should do.”
9 And it came to be, when he had turned his back to go from Shemu’ĕl, that Elohim gave him another heart. And all those signs came on that day.
10 And they came there to the hill and saw a group of prophets, to meet him. And the Spirit of Elohim came upon him, and he prophesied in their midst.
11 And it came to be, all who knew him formerly looked and saw that he prophesied among the prophets. So the people said to each other, “What is this that has come upon the son of Qish? Is Sha’ul also among the prophets?”
12 And a man there answered and said, “And who is their father?” That is why it became a proverb, “Is Sha’ul also among the prophets?”
13 And when he stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 And the uncle of Sha’ul asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To look for the donkeys. And when we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Shemu’ĕl.”
15 And the uncle of Sha’ul said, “Please inform me what Shemu’ĕl said to you.”
16 And Sha’ul said to his uncle, “He informed us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not disclose to him about the matter of the reign, what Shemu’ĕl had said.
17 And Shemu’ĕl called the people together to יהוה at Mitspah,
18 and said to the children of Yisra’ĕl, “Thus said יהוה, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, ‘I have brought Yisra’ĕl up out of Mitsrayim, and delivered you from the hand of the Mitsrites and from the hand of all reigns and from those who oppressed you.’
19 “And today you have rejected your Elohim, who Himself saved you out of all your evils and your distresses. And you have said to Him, ‘No, but set a sovereign over us!’ And now, present yourselves before יהוה by your tribes and by your clans.”
20 And Shemu’ĕl brought near all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, and the tribe of Binyamin was taken.
21 Then he brought near the tribe of Binyamin, by their clans, and the clan of Matri was taken, and Sha’ul son of Qish was taken. And when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 And they asked again of יהוה, “Has the man come here yet?” And יהוה answered, “See, he has hidden by the baggage.”
23 And they ran and brought him from there. And he stood in the midst of the people, and he was taller than any of the people, from his shoulders and upwards.
24 And Shemu’ĕl said to all the people, “Do you see him whom יהוה has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” And all the people shouted and said, “Let the sovereign live!”
25 And Shemu’ĕl declared to the people the rulings of the reign, and wrote it in a book and placed it before יהוה. And Shemu’ĕl sent all the people away, each to his house.
26 And Sha’ul went to his house too, to Giḇ‛ah. And with him went brave men whose hearts Elohim had touched.
27 But the sons of Beliya‛al said, “What! Does this one save us?” And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he kept silent.
1 And Naḥash the Ammonite came up and camped against Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ. And all the men of Yaḇĕsh said to Naḥash, “Make a covenant with us, and we shall serve you.”
2 Then Naḥash the Ammonite answered them, “For this I make a covenant with you, that I dig out all your right eyes, and I shall bring reproach on all Yisra’ĕl.”
3 And the elders of Yaḇĕsh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, so that we send messengers to all the borders of Yisra’ĕl. And then, if there is no one to save us, we shall come out to you.”
4 And the messengers came to Giḇ‛ah of Sha’ul and spoke the words in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And look, Sha’ul was coming behind the herd from the field. And Sha’ul said, “Why are the people weeping?” And they related to him the words of the men of Yaḇĕsh.
6 And the Spirit of Elohim came upon Sha’ul mightily as he heard these words, and his displeasure burned greatly.
7 And he took a yoke of cattle and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the border of Yisra’ĕl by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Sha’ul and Shemu’ĕl to battle, let this be done to his cattle.” And the fear of יהוה fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8 And he mustered them in Bezeq, and the children of Yisra’ĕl were three hundred thousand, and the men of Yehuḏah thirty thousand.
9 And they said to the messengers who came, “Say this to the men of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and informed the men of Yaḇĕsh, and they rejoiced.
10 So the men of Yaḇĕsh said, “Tomorrow we come out to you, and you shall do to us whatever seems good to you.”
11 And it came to be, on the next day, that Sha’ul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck Ammon until the heat of the day. And it came to be that those left were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 And the people said to Shemu’ĕl, “Who said, ‘Shall Sha’ul reign over us?’ Bring the men, so that we put them to death.”
13 But Sha’ul said, “No man is put to death this day, for today יהוה has wrought deliverance in Yisra’ĕl.”
14 And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal and renew the reign there.”
15 And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they set up Sha’ul to reign before יהוה in Gilgal, and there they slaughtered slaughterings of peace offerings before יהוה. And there Sha’ul rejoiced, and all the men of Yisra’ĕl, very greatly.
1 And Shemu’ĕl said to all Yisra’ĕl, “Look, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have set a sovereign over you.
2 “And now, look, the sovereign is walking before you. And I am old and grey, and look, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth to this day.
3 “Look, here I am. Witness against me before יהוה and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I oppressed? Whom have I abused, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? — then I restore it to you.”
4 And they said, “You have not oppressed us or abused us, nor have you taken any bribe from anyone’s hand.”
5 So he said to them, “יהוה is witness against you, and His anointed is witness today, that you have found naught in my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness.”
6 And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “It is יהוה who appointed Mosheh and Aharon, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Mitsrayim.
7 “And now, stand still, so that I judge you before יהוה concerning all the righteous acts of יהוה which He did to you and your fathers:
8 “When Ya‛aqoḇ had come to Mitsrayim, and your fathers cried out to יהוה, then יהוה sent Mosheh and Aharon, who brought your fathers out of Mitsrayim and made them dwell in this place.
9 “But they forgot יהוה their Elohim, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Ḥatsor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sovereign of Mo’aḇ. And they fought against them.
10 “And they cried out to יהוה, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken יהוה and served the Ba‛als and the Ashtaroth. And now, deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we serve You.’
11 “And יהוה sent Yerubba‛al, and Beḏan, and Yiphtaḥ, and Shemu’ĕl, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt in safety.
12 “And when you saw that Naḥash sovereign of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but let a sovereign reign over us,’ when יהוה your Elohim was your sovereign.
13 “And now, here is the sovereign whom you have chosen and whom you have asked. And see, יהוה has set a sovereign over you.
14 “If you fear יהוה, and shall serve Him and obey His voice, and not rebel against the command of יהוה, then both you and the sovereign who reigns over you shall follow יהוה your Elohim.
15 “But if you do not obey the voice of יהוה, and shall rebel against the mouth of יהוה, then the hand of יהוה shall be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 “And now, stand and see this great matter which יהוה does before your eyes:
17 “Is today not the wheat harvest? Let me call to יהוה, so that He sends thunder and rain — know then and see that your evil is great, which you have done in the eyes of יהוה, in asking for yourselves a sovereign.”
18 And Shemu’ĕl called to יהוה, and יהוה sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared יהוה and Shemu’ĕl.
19 And all the people said to Shemu’ĕl, “Pray for your servants to יהוה your Elohim, that we do not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil of asking for ourselves a sovereign.”
20 And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this evil. Only, do not turn aside from following יהוה. And you shall serve יהוה with all your heart,
21 and do not turn aside after worthless matters which do not profit or deliver, for they are worthless.
22 “For יהוה would not cast away His people, for His great Name’s sake, seeing it has pleased יהוה to make you His people.
23 “Also, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against יהוה in ceasing to pray for you, but I shall teach you the good and straight way.
24 “Only fear יהוה, and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what marvels He has done for you.
25 “But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your sovereign are consumed.”
1 Sha’ul was ... years old when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Yisra’ĕl,
2 Sha’ul chose for himself three thousand men of Yisra’ĕl. And two thousand were with Sha’ul in Miḵmash and in the mountains of Bĕyth Ěl, and a thousand were with Yonathan in Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, each to his tent.
3 And Yonathan struck the watch-post of the Philistines that was in Geḇa, and the Philistines heard of it. And Sha’ul blew with the shophar throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4 And all Yisra’ĕl heard the news that Sha’ul had stricken a watch-post of the Philistines, and also that Yisra’ĕl had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were summoned to Sha’ul at Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered to fight Yisra’ĕl, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they came up and encamped in Miḵmash, east of Bĕyth Awen.
6 And the men of Yisra’ĕl saw that they were in trouble, for the people were distressed, and the people hid in caves, and in thorny bushes, and in rocks, and in holes, and in pits.
7 And some Hebrews passed over the Yardĕn to the land of Gaḏ and Gil‛aḏ. But Sha’ul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.
8 And he waited for seven days, according to the appointment with Shemu’ĕl. But Shemu’ĕl did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Sha’ul said, “Bring an ascending offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the ascending offering.
10 And it came to be, as he had finished offering the ascending offering, look, Shemu’ĕl came. And Sha’ul went out to meet him, to bless him.
11 Then Shemu’ĕl said, “What have you done?” And Sha’ul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered at Miḵmash,
12 so I said, ‘The Philistines are going to come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not appeased the face of יהוה.’ So I felt compelled, and offered an ascending offering.”
13 And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “You have been foolish. You have not guarded the command of יהוה your Elohim, which He commanded you. For now יהוה would have established your reign over Yisra’ĕl forever.
14 “But now, your reign is not going to stand. יהוה shall seek for Himself a man after His own heart, and יהוה shall command him to be leader over His people, because you have not guarded what יהוה commanded you.”
15 And Shemu’ĕl arose and went up from Gilgal to Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin. And Sha’ul mustered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Sha’ul, and Yonathan his son, and the people who were present with them remained in Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin, while the Philistines camped at Miḵmash.
17 And from the camp of the Philistines raiders went out in three companies. The one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shu‛al,
18 and another company turned toward the way of Bĕyth Ḥoron, and another company turned toward the way of the border that overlooks the Valley of Tseḇo‛im toward the wilderness.
19 Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Yisra’ĕl, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”
20 And all Yisra’ĕl went down to the Philistines, each one to sharpen his ploughshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his sickle.
21 And the charge was a pim for the ploughshares, and the mattocks, and the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.
22 And it came to be, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Sha’ul and Yonathan. But they were found with Sha’ul and Yonathan his son.
23 And the outpost of the Philistines went out to the pass of Miḵmash.
1 And it came to be one day that Yonathan son of Sha’ul said to the young man who bore his armour, “Come, and let us go over to the outpost of the Philistines which is on the other side.” But he did not inform his father.
2 And Sha’ul remained at the outskirts of Giḇ‛ah under a pomegranate tree at Miḡron, and the people who were with him were about six hundred men.
3 And Aḥiyah son of Aḥituḇ, Iḵaḇoḏ’s brother, son of Pineḥas, son of Ěli, the priest of יהוה in Shiloh, was wearing a shoulder garment. And the people did not know that Yonathan had gone.
4 And between the passes, by which Yonathan sought to go over to the outpost of the Philistines, there was an edge of a rock on one side and an edge of a rock on the other side. And the name of one was Botsĕts, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The one edge was on the north opposite Miḵmash, and the other on the south opposite Giḇ‛ah.
6 And Yehonathan said to the young man who bore his armour, “Come, and let us go over to the outpost of these uncircumcised. If so be, יהוה does work for us. For there is no hindrance for יהוה to save by many or by few.”
7 And his armour-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart, incline yourself. See, I am with you, according to your heart.”
8 And Yehonathan said, “See, we are passing over to the men — and show ourselves to them.
9 “If they say this to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we shall stand still in our place and not go up to them.
10 “But if they say this, ‘Come up to us,’ then we shall go up. For יהוה has given them into our hand, and this is the sign to us.”
11 And both of them disclosed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, “See, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.”
12 And the men of the outpost called to Yonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and let us teach you a lesson.” Then Yonathan said to his armour-bearer, “Come up after me, for יהוה has given them into the hand of Yisra’ĕl.”
13 And Yonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armour-bearer after him. And they fell before Yonathan, and his armour-bearer was putting them to death behind him.
14 And that first smiting which Yonathan and his armour-bearer struck was about twenty men, in about half an acre of land.
15 And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The outpost and the raiders also trembled, and the ground shook. And it became a trembling of Elohim.
16 And the watchmen of Sha’ul in Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin looked and saw the crowd melting away, and they went here and there.
17 And Sha’ul said to the people who were with him, “Please inspect and see who has gone from us.” So they inspected and saw that Yonathan and his armour-bearer were missing.
18 And Sha’ul said to Aḥiyah, “Bring the ark of Elohim here.” For the ark of Elohim was with the children of Yisra’ĕl on that day.
19 And it came to be, while Sha’ul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines went on, and became great, so Sha’ul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”
20 And Sha’ul was called, and all the people who were with him, and they went to the battle. And see, every man’s sword was against his neighbour — a very great confusion.
21 And the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp, turned round, they too, to be with Yisra’ĕl, who were with Sha’ul and Yonathan.
22 And all the men of Yisra’ĕl who had hidden in the mountains of Ephrayim, heard that the Philistines fled, and they also pursued them in the battle.
23 Thus יהוה saved Yisra’ĕl that day, and the battle passed over to Bĕyth Awen.
24 And the men of Yisra’ĕl were distressed that day, for Sha’ul had placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until evening, and I have taken revenge on my enemies.” Therefore none of the people tasted food.
25 And all they of the land came into the woods, and there was honey on the ground.
26 And the people came into the woods and saw the honey, dripping. But no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
27 But Yonathan had not heard that his father had taken an oath of the people, and he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth. And his eyes lit up.
28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly took an oath of the people, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’ ” And the people were weary.
29 And Yonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Now see how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey.
30 “How much better if the people had well eaten today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For then, would not the slaughter among the Philistines have been greater?”
31 And they struck the Philistines that day from Miḵmash to Ayalon. So the people were very weary,
32 and the people pounced on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and slew them on the ground. And the people ate with the blood.
33 And they told Sha’ul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against יהוה by eating with the blood!” And he said, “You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today.”
34 And Sha’ul said, “Scatter among the people, and say to them, ‘Each one bring his ox near to me, and each one his sheep, and you shall slay them here, and eat. And do not sin against יהוה by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slew it there.
35 And Sha’ul built a slaughter-place to יהוה. It was the first slaughter-place he built to יהוה.
36 And Sha’ul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light, and not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to Elohim here.”
37 And Sha’ul asked of Elohim, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Do You give them into the hand of Yisra’ĕl?” But He did not answer him that day.
38 And Sha’ul said, “Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.
39 “For as יהוה lives, who saves Yisra’ĕl, though it be in Yonathan my son, he shall certainly die.” But not one among all the people answered him.
40 And he said to all Yisra’ĕl, “You be on one side, and my son Yonathan and I be on the other side.” And the people said to Sha’ul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41 Then Sha’ul said to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Give a perfect lot.” And Sha’ul and Yonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
42 And Sha’ul said, “Cast lots between my son Yonathan and me.” And Yonathan was taken.
43 Sha’ul then said to Yonathan, “Explain to me what you have done.” And Yonathan explained to him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. See, let me die!”
44 And Sha’ul answered, “Elohim do so and more also, for you shall certainly die, Yonathan.”
45 But the people said to Sha’ul, “Should Yonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Yisra’ĕl? Far be it! As יהוה lives, let not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with Elohim this day.” Thus the people ransomed Yonathan, and he did not die.
46 And Sha’ul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
47 And Sha’ul took the reign over Yisra’ĕl, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Mo’aḇ, and against the children of Ammon, and against Eḏom, and against the sovereigns of Tsoḇah, and against the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.
48 And he gathered an army and struck the Amalĕqites, and delivered Yisra’ĕl from the hands of those who plundered them.
49 And the sons of Sha’ul were Yonathan and Yishwi and Malkishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Mĕraḇ, and the name of the younger Miḵal.
50 And the name of Sha’ul’s wife was Aḥino‛am the daughter of Aḥima‛ats. And the name of the commander of his army was Aḇnĕr son of Nĕr, uncle of Sha’ul.’
51 And Qish was the father of Sha’ul, and Nĕr the father of Aḇnĕr was the son of Aḇi’ĕl.
52 And there was tough fighting against the Philistines all the days of Sha’ul. And when Sha’ul saw any mighty man or any brave man, he took him for himself.
1 And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “יהוה sent me to anoint you sovereign over His people, over Yisra’ĕl. And now, listen to the voice of the words of יהוה.
2 “Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘I shall punish Amalĕq for what he did to Yisra’ĕl, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up from Mitsrayim.
3 Now go, and you shall strike Amalĕq and put under the ban all that he has, and you shall not spare them, and put to death from man to woman, from infant to nursing child, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey.’ ”
4 Then Sha’ul summoned the people and mustered them in Tela’im, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Yehuḏah.
5 And Sha’ul came to a city of Amalĕq, and lay in wait in the wadi.
6 And Sha’ul said to the Qĕynites, “Go, turn aside, come down from among the Amalĕqites, lest I destroy you with them. For you did show loving-commitment to all the children of Yisra’ĕl when they came up out of Mitsrayim.” So the Qĕynites turned aside from the midst of the Amalĕqites.
7 And Sha’ul struck the Amalĕqites, from Ḥawilah all the way to Shur, which is before Mitsrayim.
8 And he caught Aḡaḡ sovereign of the Amalĕqites alive, and put under the ban all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Sha’ul and the people spared Aḡaḡ and the best of the sheep, and the cattle, and the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not put them under the ban. But all goods despised and worthless, that they put under the ban.
10 And the word of יהוה came to Shemu’ĕl, saying,
11 “I am grieved that I have set up Sha’ul as sovereign, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My words.” And it displeased Shemu’ĕl, and he cried to יהוה all night.
12 And Shemu’ĕl rose early in the morning to meet Sha’ul, and it was told to Shemu’ĕl, saying, “Sha’ul went to Karmel, and see, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and passed over, and went down to Gilgal.”
13 And Shemu’ĕl came to Sha’ul, and Sha’ul said to him, “Blessed are you of יהוה! I have performed the word of יהוה.”
14 But Shemu’ĕl said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear?”
15 And Sha’ul said, “They have brought them from Amalĕq, because the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to slaughter to יהוה your Elohim. And the rest we have put under the ban.”
16 And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “Wait, and let me declare to you what יהוה said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17 And Shemu’ĕl said, “Though you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl? And did not יהוה anoint you sovereign over Yisra’ĕl?
18 “And יהוה sent you on the way, and said, ‘Go, and you shall put under the ban the sinners, the Amalĕqites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
19 “And why did you not obey the voice of יהוה, but swooped down on the spoil, and did evil in the eyes of יהוה?”
20 And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ĕl, “I did obey the voice of יהוה, and I went on the way on which יהוה sent me, and brought back Aḡaḡ sovereign of Amalĕq, and I put Amalĕq under the ban.
21 “But the people took of the spoil, of the sheep and cattle, the best of that which should have been put under the ban, to slaughter to יהוה your Elohim in Gilgal.”
22 Then Shemu’ĕl said, “Does יהוה delight in ascending offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of יהוה? Look, to obey is better than a slaughtering, to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of יהוה, He also does reject you as sovereign.”
24 And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ĕl, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of יהוה and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
25 “And now, please pardon my sin, and return with me, and let me bow myself to יהוה.”
26 But Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “I do not return with you, for you have rejected the word of יהוה, and יהוה does reject you from being sovereign over Yisra’ĕl.”
27 And as Shemu’ĕl turned around to go away, Sha’ul took hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore.
28 And Shemu’ĕl said to him, “יהוה has torn the reign of Yisra’ĕl from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, better than you.
29 “Moreover, the Eminence of Yisra’ĕl does not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
30 Then he said, “I have sinned. But esteem me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Yisra’ĕl, and return with me, and I shall bow myself to יהוה your Elohim.”
31 And Shemu’ĕl turned back after Sha’ul, and Sha’ul bowed himself to יהוה.
32 And Shemu’ĕl said, “Bring Aḡaḡ sovereign of the Amalĕqites here to me.” So Aḡaḡ came to him delightedly, and Aḡaḡ said, “Truly, the bitterness of death has turned aside.”
33 And Shemu’ĕl said, “As your sword bereaved women, let your mother be bereaved among women too.” Shemu’ĕl then hewed Aḡaḡ to pieces before יהוה in Gilgal.
34 And Shemu’ĕl went to Ramah, while Sha’ul went up to his house at Giḇ‛ah of Sha’ul.
35 And Shemu’ĕl did not see Sha’ul again until the day of his death, for Shemu’ĕl mourned for Sha’ul. And יהוה was grieved that He had made Sha’ul to reign over Yisra’ĕl.
1 And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “How long are you going to mourn for Sha’ul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Yisra’ĕl? Fill your horn with oil, and go, I am sending you to Yishai the Bĕyth Leḥemite. For I have seen among his sons a sovereign for Myself.”
2 And Shemu’ĕl said, “How would I go? When Sha’ul hears it, he shall kill me.” And יהוה said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to slaughter to יהוה.’
3 “And you shall invite Yishai to the slaughtering, then let Me show you what to do. And you shall anoint for Me the one I say to you.”
4 And Shemu’ĕl did what יהוה said, and went to Bĕyth Leḥem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come in peace?”
5 And he said, “In peace. I have come to slaughter to יהוה. Set yourselves apart, and you shall come with me to the slaughtering.” And he set Yishai and his sons apart, and invited them to the slaughtering.
6 And it came to be, when they came, that he saw Eliyaḇ and thought, “The anointed of יהוה is indeed before Him.”
7 But יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him, for not as man sees, for man looks at the eyes, but יהוה looks at the heart.”
8 Then Yishai called Aḇinaḏaḇ, and made him pass before Shemu’ĕl. And he said, “Neither has יהוה chosen this one.”
9 Next Yishai made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has יהוה chosen this one.”
10 And Yishai made seven of his sons pass before Shemu’ĕl. And Shemu’ĕl said to Yishai, “יהוה has not chosen these.”
11 And Shemu’ĕl said to Yishai, “Are these all the young men?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and see, he is tending the sheep.” And Shemu’ĕl said to Yishai, “Send and bring him, for we do not turn round till he comes here.”
12 And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and handsome. And יהוה said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!”
13 And Shemu’ĕl took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of יהוה came upon Dawiḏ from that day and onwards. And Shemu’ĕl arose and went to Ramah.
14 And the Spirit of יהוה turned aside from Sha’ul, and an evil spirit from יהוה troubled him.
15 And the servants of Sha’ul said to him, “Look, now, an evil spirit from Elohim is troubling you.
16 “Please, let our master command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilled player on the lyre. And it shall be that when the evil spirit from Elohim is upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you be well.”
17 And Sha’ul said to his servants, “Please get me a man that plays well, and bring him to me.”
18 And one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Yishai the Bĕyth Leḥemite, who knows how to play, a brave one, and a man of battle, and skilled in words, and a handsome man. And יהוה is with him.”
19 So Sha’ul sent messengers to Yishai, and said, “Send me your son Dawiḏ, who is with the sheep.”
20 And Yishai took a donkey loaded with bread, and a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son Dawiḏ to Sha’ul.
21 And Dawiḏ came to Sha’ul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer.
22 Sha’ul therefore sent to Yishai, saying, “Please let Dawiḏ stand before me, for he has found favour in my eyes.”
23 And it came to be, whenever the evil spirit from Elohim was upon Sha’ul, that Dawiḏ would take a lyre and play it with his hand. Then Sha’ul would become refreshed and well, and the evil spirit would leave him.
1 And the Philistines had gathered their armies for battle, and came together at Soḵoh, which belongs to Yehuḏah, and encamped between Soḵoh and Azĕqah, in Ephes Dammim.
2 And Sha’ul and the men of Yisra’ĕl were gathered and encamped in the Valley of Ělah, and drew up in battle array to meet the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Yisra’ĕl stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
4 Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines, named Golyath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And a bronze helmet was on his head, and he was armed with a scaled armour, and the weight of the coat was five thousand sheqels of bronze,
6 and bronze shin guards on his legs and a bronze spear between his shoulders.
7 And the wood of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred sheqels, and a shield-bearer went before him.
8 And he stood and shouted to the armies of Yisra’ĕl, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Sha’ul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9 “If he is able to fight with me, and shall strike me, then we shall be your servants. But if I overcome him and shall strike him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I shall reproach the armies of Yisra’ĕl. Give me a man, and let us fight together.”
11 And Sha’ul and all Yisra’ĕl heard these words of the Philistine, and they were broken down and in great fear.
12 Now Dawiḏ was the son of that Ephrathite of Bĕyth Leḥem in Yehuḏah, whose name was Yishai, and he had eight sons, and in the days of Sha’ul the man was old among men.
13 And the three oldest sons of Yishai went, they had gone to follow Sha’ul to the battle, and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliyaḇ the first-born, and his second Aḇinaḏaḇ, and the third Shammah.
14 And Dawiḏ was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Sha’ul,
15 but Dawiḏ went and returned from Sha’ul to feed his father’s sheep at Bĕyth Leḥem.
16 And for forty days the Philistine drew near, morning and evening, and took his stand.
17 Then Yishai said to his son Dawiḏ, “Please take to your brothers an ĕphah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.
18 “And take these ten cheeses to the commander of the thousand, and see how your brothers are, and bring back news of them.”
19 For Sha’ul and they and all the men of Yisra’ĕl were in the Valley of Ělah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And Dawiḏ rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a herdsman, and took and went as Yishai had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight, and they shouted for the battle.
21 And Yisra’ĕl and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army.
22 And Dawiḏ left his supplies in the hand of the keeper of the supplies, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.
23 And he was speaking with them and saw the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Golyath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines. And he spoke according to the same words, and Dawiḏ heard.
24 And all the men of Yisra’ĕl, when they saw the man, ran from him and were in great fear.
25 And the men of Yisra’ĕl said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? For he has come up to reproach Yisra’ĕl. And it shall be that the man who strikes him, the sovereign is going to enrich him with great riches, and give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption in Yisra’ĕl.”
26 And Dawiḏ spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who strikes this Philistine and shall take away reproach from Yisra’ĕl? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should reproach the armies of the living Elohim?”
27 And the people answered him according to this word, saying, “This is what is done for the man who strikes him.”
28 And Eliyaḇ his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliyaḇ’s displeasure burned against Dawiḏ, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 And Dawiḏ said, “Now what have I done? Was it not but a word?”
30 And he turned around from him toward another and said the same word. And these people answered him a word like the first word.
31 And when the words which Dawiḏ spoke were heard, they reported them to Sha’ul, and he sent for him.
32 And Dawiḏ said to Sha’ul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him, your servant is going, and shall fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Sha’ul said to Dawiḏ, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he a man of battle from his youth.”
34 Then Dawiḏ said to Sha’ul, “Your servant has been tending sheep for his father, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and rescued it from its mouth. And when it rose against me, I took hold of it by its beard, and struck it and killed it.
36 “Your servant has stricken both lion and bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, seeing he has reproached the armies of the living Elohim.”
37 And Dawiḏ said, “יהוה, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He does deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Sha’ul said to Dawiḏ, “Go, and יהוה be with you!”
38 And Sha’ul dressed Dawiḏ with his garments, and he put a bronze helmet on his head, and put a coat of armour on him.
39 And Dawiḏ girded his sword over his garments, and began to go, but he had not tried them. Then Dawiḏ said to Sha’ul, “I am not able to go with these, for I have not tried them.” So Dawiḏ took them off.
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came, and began drawing near to Dawiḏ, and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw Dawiḏ, he despised him, for he was a youth, and ruddy and of handsome appearance.
43 And the Philistine said to Dawiḏ, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed Dawiḏ by his mighty ones.
44 And the Philistine said to Dawiḏ, “Come to me, and I give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field!”
45 But Dawiḏ said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the Name of יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of the armies of Yisra’ĕl, whom you have reproached.
46 “This day יהוה shall deliver you into my hand, and I shall strike you and take your head from you, and give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines today to the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth know that Elohim is for Yisra’ĕl,
47 and all this assembly know that יהוה does not save with sword and spear, for the battle belongs to יהוה, and He shall give you into our hands.”
48 And it came to be, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet Dawiḏ, that Dawiḏ hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And Dawiḏ put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
50 Thus Dawiḏ was stronger than the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in the hand of Dawiḏ.
51 Then Dawiḏ ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Eqron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the way to Sha‛arayim, even as far as Gath and Eqron.
53 Then the children of Yisra’ĕl turned back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camps.
54 And Dawiḏ took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Yerushalayim, but he put his weapons in his tent.
55 And when Sha’ul saw Dawiḏ going out against the Philistine, he said to Aḇnĕr, the commander of the army, “Aḇnĕr, whose son is this youth?” And Aḇnĕr said, “As your being lives, O sovereign, I do not know.”
56 And the sovereign said, “Ask whose son this young man is.”
57 And when Dawiḏ returned from the striking of the Philistine, Aḇnĕr took him and brought him before Sha’ul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Sha’ul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And Dawiḏ said, “The son of your servant Yishai the Bĕyth Leḥemite.”
1 And it came to be, when he had ended speaking to Sha’ul, that the being of Yehonathan was knit to the being of Dawiḏ, and Yehonathan loved him as his own being.
2 And Sha’ul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father’s house any more.
3 And Yehonathan and Dawiḏ made a covenant, because he loved him as his own being.
4 And Yehonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to Dawiḏ, and his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his girdle.
5 And Dawiḏ went out wherever Sha’ul sent him. He acted wisely, and Sha’ul set him over the men of battle, and it was right in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of Sha’ul’s servants.
6 And it came to be, as they came in, as Dawiḏ was returning from striking the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Yisra’ĕl, singing and dancing, to meet Sha’ul the sovereign with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
7 And the women sang as they danced, and said, “Sha’ul struck his thousands, and Dawiḏ his ten thousands.”
8 And Sha’ul was very wroth, and this matter was evil in his eyes, and he said, “To Dawiḏ they have given ten thousands, and to me they have given thousands. So what more for him, except the reign?”
9 And from that day on Sha’ul eyed Dawiḏ.
10 And it came to be on the next day that an evil spirit from Elohim came upon Sha’ul, and he prophesied inside the house, while Dawiḏ was playing the lyre with his hand, as usual. And the spear was in the hand of Sha’ul.
11 Then Sha’ul hurled the spear, for he said, “Let me strike Dawiḏ, even to the wall.” But twice Dawiḏ withdrew from his presence.
12 And Sha’ul was afraid of Dawiḏ, because יהוה was with him, but from Sha’ul He had turned away.
13 Sha’ul therefore removed him from his presence, and made him his commander over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people.
14 And Dawiḏ was acting wisely in all his ways, and יהוה was with him.
15 And Sha’ul saw that he was acting very wisely, and was afraid of him.
16 But all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah loved Dawiḏ, as he went out and came in before them.
17 And Sha’ul said to Dawiḏ, “See my older daughter Mĕraḇ! I give her to you as a wife. Only be brave for me, and fight the battles of יהוה.” For Sha’ul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18 And Dawiḏ said to Sha’ul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s clan in Yisra’ĕl, that I should be son-in-law to the sovereign?”
19 And it came to be at the time when Mĕraḇ, Sha’ul’s daughter, should have been given to Dawiḏ, that she was given to Aḏri’ĕl the Meḥolathite as a wife.
20 And Miḵal, Sha’ul’s daughter, loved Dawiḏ. And they told Sha’ul, and the matter was right in his eyes.
21 And Sha’ul said, “Let me give her to him and let her be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines be against him.” So Sha’ul said to Dawiḏ a second time, “Become my son-in-law today.”
22 And Sha’ul commanded his servants, “Speak to Dawiḏ gently, and say, ‘See, the sovereign has delighted in you, and all his servants have loved you. And now, be the sovereign’s son-in-law!’ ”
23 And the servants of Sha’ul spoke those words in the hearing of Dawiḏ. And Dawiḏ said, “Does it seem to you a small matter to be a sovereign’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?”
24 And the servants of Sha’ul told him, saying, “Dawiḏ has spoken according to these words.”
25 And Sha’ul said, “Say to Dawiḏ, ‘The sovereign has no delight in any payment for the bride but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the sovereign’s enemies.’ ” But Sha’ul intended to have Dawiḏ fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And his servants declared these words to Dawiḏ, and it pleased Dawiḏ well to become the sovereign’s son-in-law. And the days had not expired,
27 and Dawiḏ arose and went, he and his men, and struck two hundred men of the Philistines. And Dawiḏ brought their foreskins, and they set them before the sovereign, to become the sovereign’s son-in-law. And Sha’ul gave him Miḵal his daughter as a wife.
28 And Sha’ul saw and knew that יהוה was with Dawiḏ, and Miḵal daughter of Sha’ul did love him.
29 So then Sha’ul was still more afraid of Dawiḏ. And Sha’ul came to be an enemy of Dawiḏ all the days.
30 And the princes of the Philistines went out to fight. And it came to be, whenever they went out, that Dawiḏ acted more wisely than all the servants of Sha’ul, so that his name came to be very precious.
1 And Sha’ul spoke to Yonathan his son and to all his servants, to put Dawiḏ to death. But Yehonathan, Sha’ul’s son, delighted much in Dawiḏ,
2 and Yehonathan declared to Dawiḏ, saying, “My father Sha’ul seeks to put you to death. And now, please be on your guard until morning, and dwell in secrecy, and hide.
3 “And I myself shall go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and speak with my father about you, and shall see, and shall let you know.”
4 And Yehonathan spoke well of Dawiḏ to Sha’ul his father, and said to him, “Let not the sovereign sin against his servant, against Dawiḏ, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you.
5 “For he took his life in his hands and struck the Philistine, and יהוה wrought a great deliverance for all Yisra’ĕl. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then do you sin against innocent blood, to put Dawiḏ to death without cause?”
6 And Sha’ul listened to the voice of Yehonathan, and Sha’ul swore, “As יהוה lives, he does not die.”
7 Yehonathan then called Dawiḏ, and Yehonathan told him all these words. So Yehonathan brought Dawiḏ to Sha’ul, and he was in his presence as before.
8 And there was fighting again, and Dawiḏ went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them, a great smiting, and they fled before him.
9 And an evil spirit from יהוה came upon Sha’ul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And Dawiḏ was playing the lyre with his hand,
10 and Sha’ul sought to strike the spear through Dawiḏ, and into the wall, but he slipped away from the presence of Sha’ul, so he struck the spear into the wall. And Dawiḏ fled and escaped that night.
11 And Sha’ul sent messengers to Dawiḏ’s house to watch him and to put him to death in the morning. And Miḵal, Dawiḏ’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you are put to death.”
12 So Miḵal let Dawiḏ down through a window, and he went and fled and escaped.
13 And Miḵal took the household idol and laid it in the bed, and put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with a garment.
14 And when Sha’ul sent messengers to take Dawiḏ, she said, “He is sick.”
15 And Sha’ul sent the messengers back to see Dawiḏ, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed to put him to death.”
16 And the messengers came in and saw the household idol in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.
17 Sha’ul then said to Miḵal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he escaped?” And Miḵal answered Sha’ul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go, why should I put you to death?’ ”
18 Now Dawiḏ fled and escaped, and went to Shemu’ĕl at Ramah, and told him all that Sha’ul had done to him. And he and Shemu’ĕl went and dwelt in Nawith.
19 And it was reported to Sha’ul, saying, “See, Dawiḏ is in Nawith in Ramah!”
20 And Sha’ul sent messengers to take Dawiḏ. And they saw the assembly of the prophets prophesying, and Shemu’ĕl standing as leader over them, and the Spirit of Elohim came upon the messengers of Sha’ul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when Sha’ul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. So Sha’ul sent messengers again, the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then he himself went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Seḵu. And he asked, and said, “Where are Shemu’ĕl and Dawiḏ?” And one said, “There in Nawith in Ramah.”
23 So he went there to Nawith in Ramah. And the Spirit of Elohim was upon him too, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Nawith in Ramah.
24 And he also stripped off his garments and prophesied before Shemu’ĕl, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Sha’ul also among the prophets?”
1 And Dawiḏ fled from Nawith in Ramah, and went and said to Yehonathan, “What have I done? What is my crookedness, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
2 And Yehonathan said to him, “Far be it! You are not going to die! See, my father does no big matter nor small matter without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this matter from me? It is not so!”
3 But Dawiḏ swore again, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favour in your eyes, and he says, ‘Do not let Yehonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as יהוה lives and as your being lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 And Yehonathan said to Dawiḏ, “Whatever your desire is, I do it for you.”
5 And Dawiḏ said to Yehonathan, “See, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit with the sovereign to eat. But let me go, and I shall hide in the field until the third day at evening.
6 “If your father misses me at all, then you shall say, ‘Dawiḏ earnestly asked my permission to run over to Bĕyth Leḥem, his city, for a yearly slaughtering is made there for all the clan.’
7 “If he says thus, ‘It is well,’ your servant is safe. But if he is very displeased, then know that he has resolved to do evil.
8 “And you shall show loving-commitment to your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of יהוה with you. And if there is crookedness in me, put me to death yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
9 And Yehonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew with certainty that my father has resolved that evil is to come upon you, then would I not make it known to you?”
10 And Dawiḏ said to Yehonathan, “Who would make it known to me, or what if your father answers you sharply?”
11 And Yehonathan said to Dawiḏ, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” And they both went out into the field.
12 And Yehonathan said to Dawiḏ, “יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl be witness! When I search out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and see if there is good toward Dawiḏ, and I do not send to you or disclose it to you,
13 so let יהוה do so and much more to Yehonathan. And if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I shall disclose it to you and send you away, and you shall go in peace. And יהוה be with you as He has been with my father.
14 “But show me the loving-commitment of יהוה, not only while I still live, so that I do not die,
15 and do not cut off your loving-commitment from my house forever, no, not when יהוה has cut off every one of the enemies of Dawiḏ from the face of the earth.”
16 And Yehonathan made a covenant with the house of Dawiḏ, saying, “יהוה shall require it at the hand of the enemies of Dawiḏ.”
17 And Yehonathan again made Dawiḏ swear, because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own being.
18 So Yehonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you shall be missed, because your seat shall be empty.
19 “And on the third day, go down quickly and you shall come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed, and shall remain by the stone Ětsel.
20 “And let me shoot three arrows to the side of it as though shooting at a target,
21 and see, I shall send the youth, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them and come,’ then, as יהוה lives, there is safety for you and no concern.
22 “But if I say thus to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ go your way, for יהוה has sent you away.
23 “And as for the word which you and I have spoken of, see, יהוה is between you and me forever.”
24 And Dawiḏ hid in the field. And when the new moon came, the sovereign sat down by the food to eat.
25 And the sovereign sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall, with Yehonathan standing, and Aḇnĕr sitting by Sha’ul’s side, but the place of Dawiḏ was empty.
26 But Sha’ul spoke not a word that day, for he thought, “It is an accident; he is not clean, for he has not been cleansed.”
27 And it came to be the next day, the second day of the new moon, that Dawiḏ’s place was empty. And Sha’ul said to Yehonathan his son, “Why has the son of Yishai not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”
28 And Yehonathan answered Sha’ul, “Dawiḏ earnestly asked my permission to go to Bĕyth Leḥem.
29 “And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our clan has a slaughtering in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favour in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the sovereign’s table.”
30 Then the displeasure of Sha’ul burned against Yehonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Yishai to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31 “For as long as the son of Yishai lives on the earth, you shall not be established, you and your reign. And now, send and bring him to me, for he is a son of death.”
32 And Yehonathan answered Sha’ul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
33 At that, Sha’ul hurled a spear at him to smite him. Then Yehonathan knew that his father had resolved to put Dawiḏ to death.
34 And Yehonathan rose up from the table in the heat of displeasure, and ate no food the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for Dawiḏ, because his father put him to shame.
35 And it came to be, in the morning, that Yehonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with Dawiḏ, and a small youth was with him.
36 And he said to the youth, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the youth ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the youth came to the place where the arrow was which Yehonathan had shot, Yehonathan called out after the youth and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38 And Yehonathan shouted after the youth, “Make haste, hurry, do not stand still!” And Yehonathan’s youth picked up the arrows and came to his master.
39 But the youth knew not a speck. Only Yehonathan and Dawiḏ knew of the matter.
40 Then Yehonathan gave his weapons to the youth and said to him, “Go, take them to the city.”
41 And as soon as the youth had gone, Dawiḏ rose up from the south side, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another. And they wept together, but Dawiḏ more so.
42 And Yehonathan said to Dawiḏ, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the Name of יהוה, saying, ‘יהוה is between you and me, and between your seed and my seed, forever.’ ” Then he arose and left, and Yehonathan went into the city.
1 And Dawiḏ came to Noḇ, to Aḥimeleḵ the priest. And Aḥimeleḵ trembled when he met Dawiḏ, and asked him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”
2 And Dawiḏ said to Aḥimeleḵ the priest, “The sovereign has commanded me a word, and said to me, ‘Let no one know whatever of the word about which I send you, and which I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3 “And now, what do you have on hand? Give five loaves into my hand, or whatever is found.”
4 And the priest answered Dawiḏ and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is set-apart bread — provided the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5 And Dawiḏ answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are set-apart, and it is an ordinary mission, and also, it was set-apart in the vessel today.”
6 Then the priest gave him set-apart bread, for there was no bread there except the showbread which had been taken from before יהוה, in order to put hot bread in on the day it is taken away.
7 Now one of the servants of Sha’ul was there that day, detained before יהוה. And his name was Do’ĕḡ, an Eḏomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Sha’ul.
8 And Dawiḏ said to Aḥimeleḵ, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the matter of the sovereign was urgent.”
9 And the priest said, “The sword of Golyath the Philistine, whom you struck in the Valley of Ělah. See, it is wrapped in a garment behind the shoulder garment. If you would take it, take it. For there is none other except this one here.” And Dawiḏ said, “There is none like it, give it to me.”
10 And Dawiḏ rose and fled that day from before Sha’ul, and went to Aḵish the sovereign of Gath.
11 But the servants of Aḵish said to him, “Is this not Dawiḏ the sovereign of the land? Did they not sing of him to each other in dances, saying, ‘Sha’ul struck his thousands, and Dawiḏ his ten thousands’?”
12 And Dawiḏ took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Aḵish the sovereign of Gath,
13 and changed his behaviour before them, and feigned madness in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down on his beard.
14 Then Aḵish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is acting like a madman. Why do you bring him to me?
15 “Am I short of madmen, that you have brought this one to act as a madman near me? Should this one come into my house?”
1 And Dawiḏ went from there and escaped to the cave of Aḏullam. And his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, and went down to him there.
2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone bitter in being gathered to him. So he became head over them, and there were about four hundred men with him.
3 And Dawiḏ went from there to Mitspeh of Mo’aḇ and said to the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what Elohim does for me.”
4 And he left them with the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, and they dwelt with him all the time that Dawiḏ was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gaḏ said to Dawiḏ, “Do not remain in the stronghold. Leave, and go to the land of Yehuḏah.” So Dawiḏ left and went into the Ḥereth woods.
6 And Sha’ul heard that Dawiḏ and the men who were with him had been discovered, while Sha’ul was in Giḇ‛ah, sitting under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him.
7 And Sha’ul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Hear now, you Binyamites! Does the son of Yishai give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
8 “For all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Yishai. And there is not one of you who is grieved for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”
9 And Do’ĕḡ the Eḏomite, who was set over the servants of Sha’ul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Yishai going to Noḇ, to Aḥimeleḵ son of Aḥituḇ.
10 “And he inquired of יהוה for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Golyath the Philistine.”
11 And the sovereign sent someone to call Aḥimeleḵ the priest, son of Aḥituḇ, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Noḇ. And they all came to the sovereign,
12 and Sha’ul said, “Hear now, son of Aḥituḇ!” And he answered, “Here I am, my master.”
13 And Sha’ul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Yishai, by giving him bread and a sword, and have inquired of Elohim for him, to rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”
14 And Aḥimeleḵ answered the sovereign and said, “And who among all your servants is so trustworthy as Dawiḏ, who is the sovereign’s son-in-law, and has turned aside to your counsel, and is esteemed in your house?
15 “Have I today begun to inquire of Elohim for him? Far be it from me! Let not the sovereign lay a case against his servant, or against any in the house of my father. For your servant knew not of all this, little or much.”
16 And the sovereign said, “You shall certainly die, Aḥimeleḵ, you and all your father’s house!”
17 The sovereign then said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and put the priests of יהוה to death, because their hand also is with Dawiḏ, and because they knew when he fled and did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the sovereign would not lift their hands to come against the priests of יהוה.
18 And the sovereign said to Do’ĕḡ, “You turn and come against the priests!” So Do’ĕḡ the Eḏomite turned and came against the priests, and put to death on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen shoulder garment.
19 And he struck Noḇ, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, from men even to women, from children even to nursing infants, and oxen and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Aḥimeleḵ son of Aḥituḇ, named Eḇyathar, escaped and fled after Dawiḏ.
21 And Eḇyathar reported to Dawiḏ that Sha’ul had killed the priests of יהוה.
22 And Dawiḏ said to Eḇyathar, “I knew that day, when Do’ĕḡ the Eḏomite was there, that he would certainly inform Sha’ul. I am accountable for all the lives of your father’s house.
23 “Remain with me, do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you are safe.”
1 And they informed Dawiḏ, saying, “See, the Philistines are fighting against Qe‛ilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.”
2 So Dawiḏ inquired of יהוה, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And יהוה said to Dawiḏ, “Go and smite the Philistines, and save Qe‛ilah.”
3 And Dawiḏ’s men said to him, “See, we here in Yehuḏah are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Qe‛ilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 And Dawiḏ inquired of יהוה once again. And יהוה answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Qe‛ilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.”
5 So Dawiḏ and his men went to Qe‛ilah and fought with the Philistines, and he led away their livestock and struck them, a great smiting. Thus Dawiḏ saved the inhabitants of Qe‛ilah.
6 And it came to be, when Eḇyathar son of Aḥimeleḵ fled to Dawiḏ at Qe‛ilah, that he went down with a shoulder garment in his hand.
7 And Sha’ul was informed that Dawiḏ had gone to Qe‛ilah. Then Sha’ul said, “Elohim has estranged him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”
8 And Sha’ul summoned all the people to battle, to go down to Qe‛ilah to besiege Dawiḏ and his men.
9 And Dawiḏ knew that Sha’ul was plotting evil against him, and said to Eḇyathar the priest, “Bring the shoulder garment here.”
10 And Dawiḏ said, “O יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, Your servant has heard for certain that Sha’ul seeks to come to Qe‛ilah to destroy the city for my sake.
11 “Are the landowners of Qe‛ilah going to surrender me into his hand? Is Sha’ul coming down, as Your servant has heard? O יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, I pray, let Your servant know.” And יהוה said, “He is coming down.”
12 And Dawiḏ said, “Are the landowners of Qe‛ilah going to surrender me and my men into the hand of Sha’ul?” And יהוה said, “They are going to surrender you.”
13 Then Dawiḏ and his men, about six hundred, arose and left Qe‛ilah and went wherever they could go. And Sha’ul was informed that Dawiḏ had escaped from Qe‛ilah, and he ceased to go out.
14 And Dawiḏ remained in the wilderness, in strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Sha’ul sought him every day, but Elohim did not give him into his hand.
15 And Dawiḏ saw that Sha’ul had come out to seek his life while Dawiḏ was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Ḥoresh.
16 And Yehonathan, Sha’ul’s son, arose and went to Dawiḏ at Ḥoresh and strengthened his hand in Elohim,
17 and said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Sha’ul my father is not going to find you, and you are to reign over Yisra’ĕl, and I am to be next to you. Even my father Sha’ul knows that.”
18 And they made a covenant before יהוה. And Dawiḏ remained at Ḥoresh while Yehonathan went to his own house.
19 And the Ziphites came up to Sha’ul at Giḇ‛ah, saying, “Is Dawiḏ not hiding with us in strongholds Ḥoresh, in the hill of Ḥaḵilah, which is on the south of the wasteland?
20 “And now, O sovereign, by all the desire of your being, come down, come down, and our part is to surrender him into the sovereign’s hand.”
21 And Sha’ul said, “Blessed are you of יהוה, for you have sympathy with me.
22 “Please go, prepare yet further and find out and see the place where his hide-out is, who has seen him there. For I am told that he is very cunning.
23 “So look, and learn all about the hiding places where he hides. And you shall come back to me with certainty, then I shall go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I shall search for him throughout all the clans of Yehuḏah.”
24 And they rose up and went to Ziph before Sha’ul, while Dawiḏ and his men were in the Wilderness of Ma‛on, in the desert plain on the south of the wasteland.
25 And Sha’ul and his men went to seek him, and they informed Dawiḏ, so he went down to the rock, and remained in the Wilderness of Ma‛on. And when Sha’ul heard this, he pursued Dawiḏ in the Wilderness of Ma‛on.
26 And Sha’ul went on one side of the mountain, and Dawiḏ and his men on the other side of the mountain. And Dawiḏ was hurrying to get away from Sha’ul, for Sha’ul and his men were surrounding Dawiḏ and his men to take them.
27 Then a messenger came to Sha’ul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”
28 So Sha’ul turned back from pursuing Dawiḏ, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammaḥleqoth.
29 And Dawiḏ went up from there and remained in strongholds at Ěn Geḏi.
1 And it came to be, when Sha’ul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, “See, Dawiḏ is in the Wilderness of Ěn Geḏi.”
2 So Sha’ul took three thousand chosen men from all Yisra’ĕl, and went to seek Dawiḏ and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
3 And he came to the sheepfolds, on the way, and there was a cave. And Sha’ul went in to relieve himself. Now Dawiḏ and his men were sitting in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of Dawiḏ said to him, “See, the day of which יהוה said to you, ‘See, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you!’ ” And Dawiḏ arose and gently cut off a corner of Sha’ul’s robe.
5 And it came to be afterward that the heart of Dawiḏ struck him because he had cut the robe of Sha’ul.
6 So he said to his men, “Far be it from me, by יהוה, that I should do this matter to my master, anointed of יהוה, to stretch out my hand against him, for he is the anointed of יהוה.”
7 And Dawiḏ dispersed his servants with words, and did not allow them to rise against Sha’ul. And Sha’ul rose up from the cave and went on his way.
8 And afterward Dawiḏ arose and went out of the cave, and called out to Sha’ul, saying, “My master the sovereign!” And when Sha’ul looked behind him, Dawiḏ bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
9 And Dawiḏ said to Sha’ul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘See, Dawiḏ seeks to do you evil’?
10 “See, this day your eyes have seen that יהוה gave you today into my hand in the cave, and one said to kill you. But my eye pardoned you, and I said, ‘I do not stretch out my hand against my master, for he is the anointed of יהוה.’
11 “And my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, while you are hunting my life to take it.
12 “Let יהוה judge between you and me, and let יהוה revenge me on you, but my hand is not against you.
13 “As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wrong comes from the wrongdoer.’ But my hand is not against you.
14 “After whom has the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
15 “And יהוה shall be judge, and rightly rule between you and me, and see and plead my case, and rightly rule me out of your hand.”
16 And it came to be, when Dawiḏ had ended speaking these words to Sha’ul, that Sha’ul said, “Is this your voice, my son Dawiḏ?” So Sha’ul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 And he said to Dawiḏ, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
18 “And you have shown today how you have done good to me, for when יהוה surrendered me into your hand you did not kill me.
19 “For if a man finds his enemy, shall he let him get away safely? And let יהוה reward you with good for what you have done to me today.
20 “And now look, I know that you shall certainly reign, and that the reign of Yisra’ĕl shall be established in your hand.
21 “And now, swear to me by יהוה that you do not cut off my seed after me, nor destroy my name from my father’s house.”
22 And Dawiḏ swore to Sha’ul. Then Sha’ul went home, and Dawiḏ and his men went up to the stronghold.
1 And Shemu’ĕl died, and all Yisra’ĕl gathered and mourned for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And Dawiḏ arose and went down into the Wilderness of Paran.
2 Now there was a man in Ma‛on and his work was in Karmel, and the man was very great. And he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he came to be shearing his sheep in Karmel.
3 And the name of the man was Naḇal, and the name of his wife Aḇiḡayil. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful. But the man was hard and evil in his doings. And he was of Kalĕḇ.
4 And Dawiḏ heard in the wilderness that Naḇal was shearing his sheep.
5 And Dawiḏ sent ten young men, and Dawiḏ said to the young men, “Go up to Karmel, and you shall come to Naḇal, and greet him in my name,
6 and say this, ‘Long life and peace to you! And peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!
7 And now, I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us. We did not put them to shame, and not a speck of theirs was missing all the days they were in Karmel.
8 Ask your young men, and let them inform you. So let my young men find favour in your eyes, for we come on a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son Dawiḏ.’ ”
9 And the young men of Dawiḏ came and spoke to Naḇal according to all these words in the name of Dawiḏ, and waited.
10 But Naḇal answered the servants of Dawiḏ and said, “Who is Dawiḏ, and who is the son of Yishai? The servants who are running away from their masters, have become many nowadays.
11 “And shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
12 And the young men of Dawiḏ turned around on their way and went back, and came and reported to him all these words.
13 And Dawiḏ said to his men, “Each one gird on his sword.” So they each girded on his sword, and Dawiḏ also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with Dawiḏ, and two hundred remained with the baggage.
14 And one of the young men informed Aḇiḡayil, the wife of Naḇal, saying, “See, Dawiḏ has sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he scoffed at them.
15 “But the men were very good to us, and did not put us to shame, nor did we miss any item all the days we accompanied them, when we were in the fields.
16 “They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the days we were with them tending the sheep.
17 “And now, know and see what you should do, for evil has been resolved against our master, and against all his household, and he is too much of a son of Beliya‛al to speak to.”
18 Then Aḇiḡayil made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep made ready, five measures of roasted grain, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
19 And she said to her servants, “Pass over before me. See, I am coming after you.” But she did not inform her husband Naḇal.
20 And it came to be, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill, and there were Dawiḏ and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them.
21 And Dawiḏ had said, “Only in vain have I protected all that this one has in the wilderness, so that not a speck was missing of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.
22 “Let Elohim do so, and more also, to the enemies of Dawiḏ, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”
23 And Aḇiḡayil saw Dawiḏ, and she hastened to come down from the donkey, and fell on her face before Dawiḏ, and bowed down to the ground,
24 and fell at his feet and said, “On me, my master, let this crookedness be on me! And please let your female servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your female servant.
25 “Please, let not my master regard this man of Beliya‛al, Naḇal. For as his name is, so is he: Naḇal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your female servant, did not see the young men of my master whom you sent.
26 “And now my master, as יהוה lives and as your being lives, since יהוה has withheld you from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies be as Naḇal, even those seeking evil against my master.
27 “And now this present which your female servant has brought to my master, let it be given to the young men who follow my master.
28 “Please forgive the transgression of your female servant. For יהוה is certainly making a steadfast house for my master, because my master fights the battles of יהוה, and evil is not found in you in all your days.
29 “And if a man rises to pursue you and seek your life, and the life of my master has been bound in the bundle of the living with יהוה your Elohim, then the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.
30 “And it shall be, when יהוה has done for my master according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has commanded you to be ruler over Yisra’ĕl,
31 do not let this be a staggering and stumbling of heart to my master, that you have shed blood without cause, or that my master has saved himself. And when יהוה has done good to my master, then remember your female servant.”
32 And Dawiḏ said to Aḇiḡayil, “Blessed be יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, who sent you to meet me today!
33 “And blessed is your good taste, and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.
34 “Nevertheless, as יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl lives, who has kept me back from doing evil to you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, not a male would have been left to Naḇal by break of day, for certain.”
35 And Dawiḏ received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your voice and have accepted your face.”
36 And Aḇiḡayil went to Naḇal, and see, he was at a feast in his house, like the feast of a sovereign. And Naḇal’s heart was glad within him, and he was exceedingly drunk. So she told him not a word, little or much, until morning light.
37 And it came to be, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Naḇal, and his wife had told him these matters, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.
38 And it came to be in about ten days, that יהוה smote Naḇal, and he died.
39 And Dawiḏ heard that Naḇal was dead, and he said, “Blessed be יהוה, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Naḇal, and has kept His servant from evil! For יהוה has returned the evil of Naḇal on his own head.” And Dawiḏ sent and spoke to Aḇiḡayil, to take her as his wife.
40 And when the servants of Dawiḏ had come to Aḇiḡayil at Karmel, they spoke to her saying, “Dawiḏ sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.”
41 And she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your female servant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my master.”
42 And Aḇiḡayil hurried and rose, and rode on a donkey, with five of her female attendants. And she followed the messengers of Dawiḏ, and became his wife.
43 Dawiḏ had also taken Aḥino‛am of Yizre‛ĕl, and so both of them were his wives.
44 But Sha’ul had given Miḵal his daughter, Dawiḏ’s wife, to Palti son of Layish, who was from Galliym.
1 And the Ziphites came to Sha’ul at Giḇ‛ah, saying, “Is not Dawiḏ hiding himself in the hill of Ḥaḵilah, overlooking the wasteland?”
2 And Sha’ul rose up and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, and with him three thousand chosen men of Yisra’ĕl, to seek Dawiḏ in the Wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Sha’ul encamped in the hill of Ḥaḵilah, overlooking the wasteland, by the way, while Dawiḏ was dwelling in the wilderness, and he saw that Sha’ul came after him into the wilderness.
4 And Dawiḏ sent out spies, and learned that Sha’ul had indeed come.
5 And Dawiḏ rose up and came to the place where Sha’ul had encamped. And Dawiḏ saw the place where Sha’ul lay, and Aḇnĕr son of Nĕr, the commander of his army. And Sha’ul was lying within the enclosure, with the people encamped all around him.
6 And Dawiḏ spoke up and said to Aḥimeleḵ the Ḥittite and to Aḇishai son of Tseruyah, brother of Yo’aḇ, saying, “Who does go down with me to Sha’ul in the camp?” And Aḇishai said, “I, I go down with you.”
7 And Dawiḏ and Aḇishai came to the people by night and saw Sha’ul lying asleep within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head, and Aḇnĕr and the people lay all around him.
8 And Aḇishai said to Dawiḏ, “Elohim has surrendered your enemy into your hand this day. And now, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right into the earth, and not a second time!”
9 But Dawiḏ said to Aḇishai, “Do not destroy him, for who shall stretch out his hand against the anointed of יהוה, and be guiltless?”
10 Dawiḏ also said, “As יהוה lives, except יהוה does smite him, or his day come that he shall die, or he shall go out to battle and perish,
11 far be it from me, by יהוה, that I stretch out my hand against the anointed of יהוה. And now, please take the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.”
12 So Dawiḏ took the spear and the jug of water by Sha’ul’s head, and they went away. And no man saw it or knew it or awoke, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from יהוה had fallen on them.
13 And Dawiḏ passed over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill far away, a great distance being between them.
14 And Dawiḏ called out to the people and to Aḇnĕr son of Nĕr, saying, “Do you not answer, Aḇnĕr?” And Aḇnĕr answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the sovereign?”
15 And Dawiḏ said to Aḇnĕr, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Yisra’ĕl? Why then have you not guarded your master the sovereign? For one of the people came in to destroy your master the sovereign.
16 “What you have done is not good. As יהוה lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not guarded your master, the anointed of יהוה. And now see where the sovereign’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”
17 And Sha’ul recognised Dawiḏ’s voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son Dawiḏ?” And Dawiḏ said, “It is my voice, my master, O sovereign.”
18 And he said, “Why is this that my master is pursuing his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?
19 “And now, please, let my master the sovereign hear the words of his servant: If יהוה has moved you against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, then they are cursed before יהוה, for they have driven me out today that I should not join myself to the inheritance of יהוה, saying, ‘Go, serve other mighty ones.’
20 “And now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of יהוה. For the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
21 And Sha’ul said, “I have sinned. Come back, my son Dawiḏ. For no more am I going to do evil to you, because my life was precious in your eyes today. See, I have acted foolishly, and have greatly strayed.”
22 And Dawiḏ answered and said, “See, the sovereign’s spear! And let one of the young men come over and get it.
23 “And let יהוה reward every man for his righteousness and his trustworthiness, for this day יהוה gave you into my hand, but I would not stretch out my hand against the anointed of יהוה.
24 “And see, as your life has been valued in my eyes today, so let my life be valued in the eyes of יהוה, and let Him deliver me out of all distress.”
25 And Sha’ul said to Dawiḏ, “Blessed are you, my son Dawiḏ, achieving much, and indeed prevailing!” Then Dawiḏ went on his way, and Sha’ul returned to his place.
1 And Dawiḏ said in his heart, “Now I shall perish by the hand of Sha’ul, some day. There is naught better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Sha’ul shall give up searching for me any longer in any part of Yisra’ĕl, and I shall escape out of his hand.”
2 So Dawiḏ rose up and passed over with the six hundred men who were with him to Aḵish son of Ma‛oḵ, sovereign of Gath.
3 And Dawiḏ dwelt with Aḵish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household — Dawiḏ with his two wives, Aḥino‛am the Yizre‛ĕlitess, and Aḇiḡayil the Karmelitess, Naḇal’s widow.
4 And it was reported to Sha’ul that Dawiḏ had fled to Gath, so he sought him no more.
5 And Dawiḏ said to Aḵish, “If I have now found favour in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, to dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
6 And Aḵish gave him Tsiqlaḡ that day. That is why Tsiqlaḡ has belonged to the sovereigns of Yehuḏah to this day.
7 And the time that Dawiḏ dwelt in the country of the Philistines came to be a year and four new moons.
8 And Dawiḏ and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalĕqites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Mitsrayim.
9 And when Dawiḏ had stricken the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away sheep, and cattle, and donkeys, and camels, and garments, and returned and came to Aḵish.
10 And Aḵish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And Dawiḏ would say, “Against the South of Yehuḏah, or against the South of the Yeraḥme’ĕlites, or against the South of the Qĕynites.”
11 Dawiḏ did not keep alive man nor woman, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they inform against us, saying, ‘Thus Dawiḏ did.’ ” And this was his practice all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
12 And Aḵish trusted Dawiḏ, saying to himself, “He has indeed made himself a stench to his people in Yisra’ĕl, and has become my servant forever.”
1 And it came to be in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies for battle, to fight with Yisra’ĕl. And Aḵish said to Dawiḏ, “You know, of course, that you are to go out with me in the army, you and your men.”
2 And Dawiḏ said to Aḵish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant should do.” And Aḵish said to Dawiḏ, “Very well, I make you one of my chief guardians forever.”
3 And Shemu’ĕl had died, and all Yisra’ĕl had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Sha’ul had put away the mediums and the spiritists from the land.
4 And the Philistines were gathered, and came and encamped at Shunĕm. And Sha’ul gathered all Yisra’ĕl, and they encamped at Gilboa.
5 And when Sha’ul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
6 And Sha’ul inquired of יהוה, but יהוה did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.
7 Sha’ul then said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, to go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Look, there is a woman who is a medium at Ěn Dor.”
8 And Sha’ul disguised himself and put on other garments, and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please divine for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name.”
9 But the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Sha’ul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to put me to death?”
10 And Sha’ul swore to her by יהוה, saying, “As יהוה lives, no punishment comes upon you for this matter.”
11 And the woman said, “Whom do I bring up for you?” So he said, “Bring up Shemu’ĕl for me.”
12 And when the woman saw Shemu’ĕl, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Sha’ul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? You yourself are Sha’ul!”
13 And the sovereign said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Sha’ul, “I saw a spirit coming up out of the earth.”
14 And he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Sha’ul knew that it was Shemu’ĕl, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance.
15 And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Sha’ul answered, “I am deeply distressed, for the Philistines are fighting against me, and Elohim has turned aside from me and does not answer me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. So I have called you, to reveal to me what I should do.”
16 Then Shemu’ĕl said, “And why do you ask me, seeing יהוה has turned aside from you and has become your enemy?
17 “And יהוה has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For יהוה has torn the reign out of your hand and given it to your neighbour, to Dawiḏ.
18 “Because you did not obey the voice of יהוה nor execute His burning wrath upon Amalĕq, therefore יהוה has done this matter to you today.
19 “Further, יהוה also gives Yisra’ĕl with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons are with me. יהוה also gives the army of Yisra’ĕl into the hand of the Philistines.”
20 And immediately Sha’ul fell on the ground, his complete length, and greatly feared because of the words of Shemu’ĕl. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.
21 And the woman came to Sha’ul and saw that he had been greatly disturbed, and said to him, “See, your female servant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and have listened to the words which you spoke to me.
22 “And now, please listen to the voice of your female servant too, and let me set a piece of bread before you. And eat, so that you have strength when you go on your way.”
23 But he refused and said, “I am not going to eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him. And he listened to their voice. So he rose from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 And the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it.
25 And she brought it before Sha’ul and his servants. And they ate, and rose up and went away that night.
1 And the Philistines gathered all their armies at Aphĕq, while Yisra’ĕl encamped by a fountain which is in Yizre‛ĕl.
2 And the princes of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and Dawiḏ and his men were passing on in the rear with Aḵish.
3 And the princes of the Philistines said, “Who are these Hebrews?” And Aḵish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not Dawiḏ, the servant of Sha’ul sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no evil in him since he came over.”
4 But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him, and the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, let him return to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he appease his master, if not with the heads of these men?
5 “Is this not Dawiḏ, of whom they sang to each other in dances, saying, ‘Sha’ul struck his thousands, and Dawiḏ his ten thousands’?”
6 And Aḵish called Dawiḏ and said to him, “As יהוה lives, you have been straight, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my eyes. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. But in the eyes of the princes you are not good.
7 “And now, return, and go in peace, and do no evil in the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.”
8 And Dawiḏ said to Aḵish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my master the sovereign?”
9 But Aḵish answered and said to Dawiḏ, “I know that you are as good in my eyes as a messenger of Elohim, but the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘Let him not go up with us to the battle.’
10 “And now, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, then go.”
11 And Dawiḏ and his men rose up early to go in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Yizre‛ĕl.
1 And it came to be, when Dawiḏ and his men came to Tsiqlaḡ, on the third day, that the Amalĕqites had invaded the South and Tsiqlaḡ, and struck Tsiqlaḡ and burned it with fire.
2 And they took captive the women and those who were there, from small to great. They did not kill anyone, but they led them away and went their way.
3 And Dawiḏ and his men came to the city and saw it burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive.
4 And Dawiḏ and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And Dawiḏ’s two wives, Aḥino‛am the Yizre‛ĕlitess, and Aḇiḡayil the widow of Naḇal the Karmelite, had been taken captive.
6 And Dawiḏ was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the being of all the people was grieved, each for his sons and his daughters. But Dawiḏ strengthened himself in יהוה his Elohim.
7 And Dawiḏ said to Eḇyathar the priest, son of Aḥimeleḵ, “Please bring the shoulder garment here to me.” So Eḇyathar brought the shoulder garment to Dawiḏ.
8 And Dawiḏ inquired of יהוה, saying, “Do I pursue this band? Do I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall certainly overtake them, and certainly rescue.”
9 So Dawiḏ went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the wadi Besor, where a halt was made by those who were left behind,
10 while Dawiḏ pursued, he and four hundred men — for two hundred halted, who were too faint to pass over the wadi Besor.
11 And they found a man in the field, a Mitsrian, and took him to Dawiḏ. And they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water,
12 and gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his strength came back to him, for he had not eaten bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 And Dawiḏ said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man from Mitsrayim, servant of an Amalĕqite. And my master left me behind, for I had been sick three days.
14 “We attacked the south of the Kerĕthites and against that which belongs to Yehuḏah, and upon the south of Kalĕḇ, and we burned Tsiqlaḡ with fire.”
15 And Dawiḏ said to him, “Could you bring me down to this marauding band?” And he said, “Swear to me by Elohim that you neither kill me nor surrender me into the hands of my master, then I bring you down to this marauding band.”
16 And he brought him down and saw they were spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and celebrating, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Yehuḏah.
17 And Dawiḏ struck them from twilight until the evening of the next day. And none of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.
18 And Dawiḏ rescued all that the Amalĕqites had taken. Dawiḏ also rescued his two wives.
19 And there was none missing to them, whether small or great, whether sons or daughters, or spoil or whatever they had taken from them. Dawiḏ recovered all.
20 Besides, Dawiḏ captured all the flocks and herds they had driven before those livestock, and they said, “This is Dawiḏ’s spoil.”
21 And Dawiḏ came to the two hundred men who were too faint to follow Dawiḏ, who had also been left at the wadi Besor. And they went out to meet Dawiḏ and to meet the people who were with him. And when Dawiḏ came near the people, he greeted them.
22 And all the evil and worthless men of those who went with Dawiḏ answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we do not give them any of the spoil that we have rescued, except for every man’s wife and children, and let them take them and go.”
23 But Dawiḏ said, “My brothers, do not do so with what יהוה has given us, who has protected us and gave into our hand the band that came against us.
24 “And who would listen to you in this matter? For as his portion is who goes down to the battle, so is his portion who remains with the baggage, they share alike.”
25 And it came to be, from that day forward, he appointed it for a law and a right-ruling for Yisra’ĕl to this day.
26 And when Dawiḏ came to Tsiqlaḡ, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Yehuḏah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of יהוה,”
27 to those in Bĕyth Ěl, and to those in Ramoth of the South, and to those in Yattir,
28 and to those in Aro‛ĕr, and to those in Siphmoth, and to those in Eshtemoa,
29 and to those in Raḵal, and to those in the cities of the Yeraḥme’ĕlites, and to those in the cities of the Qĕynites,
30 and to those in Ḥormah, and to those in Korashan, and to those in Athaḵ,
31 and to those in Ḥeḇron, and to all the places where Dawiḏ had gone up and down, he and his men.
1 And the Philistines were fighting against Yisra’ĕl, and the men of Yisra’ĕl fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard after Sha’ul and his sons. And the Philistines struck Yehonathan, and Aḇinaḏaḇ, and Malkishua, sons of Sha’ul.
3 And the battle went hard against Sha’ul, and the archers hit him, so that he was severely wounded by the archers.
4 And Sha’ul said to his armour-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and roll themselves on me.” But his armour-bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Sha’ul took the sword and fell on it.
5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Sha’ul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.
6 Thus Sha’ul died, and three of his sons, and his armour-bearer, also all his men, together on that day.
7 And they saw — the men of Yisra’ĕl who were beyond the valley, and those who were beyond the Yardĕn — that the men of Yisra’ĕl had fled and that Sha’ul and his sons were dead. So they forsook the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And the next day it came to be, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Sha’ul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head and stripped off his armour, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to announce it in the house of their idols and to the people.
10 And they placed his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Bĕyth Shan.
11 And the inhabitants of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ heard what the Philistines had done to Sha’ul,
12 and all the brave men arose and went all night, and took the body of Sha’ul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bĕyth Shan. And they came to Yaḇĕsh and burned them there.
13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Yaḇĕsh, and fasted for seven days.