The pilgrimage to Shiloh

1- 1 There was a man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the highlands of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son ofZuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives, one called Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children but Hannah had none. 3 Every year this man used to go up from his town to worship and sacrifice to Yahweh Sabaoth in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there as priests of Yahweh.

4 One day Elkanah offered sacrifice. He used to give portions to Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 to Hannah, however, he would give only one portion, although he loved her more, since Yahweh made her barren. 6 Her rival would taunt her to annoy her, because Yahweh had made her barren. 7 and this went on year after year; every time they went up to the temple of Yahweh she used to taunt her. And so Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why are you crying and why are you not eating? Why so sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"

The prayer of Hannah

9 Now after they had eaten in the hall, Hannah rose and took her stand before Yahweh, while Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh. 10 In the bitterness of her soul she prayed to Yahweh with many tears 11 and made a vow, saying, "Yahweh Sabaoth! If you will take notice of the distress of your servant, and bear me in mind and not forget your servant and give her a man-child, I will give him to Yahweh for the whole of his life and no razor shall ever touch his head."

12 While she prayed before Yahweh which she did for some time, Eli was watching her mouth, 13 for she was speaking under her breath; her lips were moving but her voice could not be heard. He therefore supposed that she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long are you going to be in this drunken state? Rid yourself of your wine." 15 "No, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman in great trouble; I have taken neither wine nor strong drink - I was pouring out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not take your maidservant for a worthless woman; all this time I have been speaking from the depth of my grief and my resentment." 17 Then Eli answered her; "Go in peace," he said, "and may the God of Israel grant what you have asked of him." And she said, 18 "May your maidservant find favour in your sight"; and with the woman went away; she returned to the hall and ate and was dejected no longer.

The birth and consecration of Samuel

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and then set out returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah had intercourse with Hannah his wife and Yahweh was mindful of her. 20 She conceived and gave birth to a son and called him Samuel "since" she said, "I asked Yahweh for him."

When a year had gone by, 21 the husband Elkanah went up again with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to Yahweh and to fulfill his vow. 22 Hannah however, did not go up, having said to her husband, "Not before the child is weaned. Then I will bring him before Yahweh and he shall stay there for ever." 23 Elkanah her husband then said to her, "Do what you think fit; wait until you have weaned him. May Yahweh bring about what you have said." So the woman stayed behind and nursed her child until his weaning.

24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her together with a three year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of Yahweh at Shiloh; and the child was with them. 25 They slaughtered the bull and the child's mother came to Eli. 26 She said, "If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to Yahweh. 27 This is the child I prayed for, and Yahweh granted me what I asked him. 28 Now I make him over to Yahweh for the whole of his life. He is made over to Yahweh."

There she left him, for Yahweh.

The song of Hannah

2- 1 Then Hannah said this prayer:

"My heart exults in Yahweh,

my horn is exalted in my God,

my mouth derides my foes,

for I rejoice in your power of saving.

2 There is none as holy as Yahweh,

(Indeed, there is no one but you)

No rock like our God.

3 Do not speak and speak with haughty words,

Let no arrogance come from your mouth.

For Yahweh is an all-knowing God

and his is the weighing of deeds.

4 The bow of the mighty is broken

but the feeble have girded themselves with strength.

5 The sated hire themselves out of bread

but the famished cease from labour;

the barren woman bears sevenfold,

but the mother of many is desolate.

6 Yahweh gives death and life,

brings down to Sheol and draws up:

7 Yahweh makes poor and rich,

he humbles and also exalts.

8 He raises the poor from the dust,

he lifts the needy from the dunghill

to give them a place with princes,

and to assign them a seat of honour;

for to Yahweh the props of the earth belong,

on these he has poised the world.

9 He safeguards the steps of his faithful

but the wicked vanish in darkness

(For it is not by strength that man triumphs).

10 The enemies of Yahweh are shattered,

the Most High thunders in the heavens.

Yahweh judges the ends of the earth,

he endows his king with power,

he exalts the horn of his Anointed."

11 Then she left for Ramah, but the boy stayed to minister to Yahweh in the presence of Eli the priest.

The sons of Eli

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they cared nothing for Yahweh 13 nor for the rights of the priests as regards the people. Whenever a man offered a sacrifice, the priest's would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being cooked; 14 he would thrust this into the caldron or pan, or dish or pot, and the priest claimed for his own whatever the fork brought up. That was how the behaved with all the Israelites who came there t Shiloh. 15 The priest's servant would even come up before the fat had been burned and say to the man who was making the sacrifice, "Give the priest meat for him to roast. He will not take boiled meat from you, but raw." 16 Then if the man replied, "Let them first burn the fat and then take for yourself whatever you wish," he would retort, "No! You must give it to me now or I will take it by force." 17 This sin of the young men was very great in the sight of Yahweh, because they treated the offering made to Yahweh with contempt.

Samuel at Shiloh

18 Samuel was in the service of Yahweh; the boy wore a linen loincloth around him. 19 His mother used to make him a little tunic which she brought him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May Yahweh grant you an heir by this woman in place of the one she has made over to Yahweh." And then they would go home. 21 Yahweh visited Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of Yahweh.

More about the sons of Eli

22 Though now very old, Eli came to hear everything that his sons were doing to all Israel. 23 And he said to them, "Why do you do these things I hear from all people? 24 No, my sons! The reports I hear are not good . . . 25 If man sins against man, God will be the arbiter, but if he sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him? " But they did not listen to their father's words, for Yahweh was determined to bring them to their deaths.

26 Meanwhile the boy Samuel went on growing in stature and in favour both with Yahweh and men.

Future punishment is announced

27 A man of God came to Eli and he said to him, "Yahweh says this, 'Did I not reveal myself to your father's House when they were in Egypt, slaves of the household of Pharaoh. 28 I chose them out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to carry the ephod; and to your father's House I granted all the burnt offerings of the sons of Israel. 29 Why do you look with envious eyes on the sacrifice and the offering I have ordered, honouring your sons more than me, by letting them grow fat on the best part of all the offerings of my people Israel? 30 Whereas - it is Yahweh the God of Israel who speaks - I had said that your House and your father's House would walk in my presence for ever, now, however, - it is Yahweh who speaks - far be this from me. For those who honour me I honour in my turn, and those who despise me are esteemed as nothing. 31 So the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father's House, till there is not one old man left in your House. 32 Like an envious enemy you will look on all the good that I shall do to Israel, but there shall be not one old man left in your House for ever. 33 One of you I will keep at my altar for his eyes to perish and his soul to wither, but the bulk of your House shall perish by the sword of men. 34 What happens to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas shall be a sign for you: on the one day both shall die. 35 I will raise up a faithful priest for myself; he shall do whatever I plan and whatever I desire. I will build him en enduring House and he will walk in the presence of my Anointed for ever. 36 And all that survive of your House will come and beg him on their knees for a silver piece or a loaf of bread and say: Please give me some priestly task, so that I can have a scrap of bread to eat.'"

God calls Samuel

3- 1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to Yahweh in the presence of Eli; it was rare for Yahweh to speak in those days; visions were uncommon. 2 One day, it happened that Eli was lying down in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of Yahweh where the ark of God was, 4 when Yahweh called, "Samuel! Samuel!" He answered, "Here I am." 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, since you called me." Eli said, "I did not call. Go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. 6 Once again Yahweh called, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, since you called me." He replied, "I did not call you, my son; go back and lie down." 7 Samuel as yet no knowledge of Yahweh and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Once again Yahweh called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, since you called me." Eli then understood that it was Yahweh who was calling the boy, 9 and said to Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, 'Speak, Yahweh , your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Yahweh then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, Yahweh, your servant is listening." 11 Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "I am about to do such a thing in Israel as will make the ears of all who hear it ring. 12 On that day, I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his House, from beginning to end. 13 You are to tell him that I condemn his House for ever because he has known that his sons have been cursing God, yet he has not corrected them. 14 Therefore - I swear it to the House of Eli - neither sacrifice nor offering shall ever expiate the guilt of the House of Eli."

15 Then Samuel lay still until the morning, when he opened the doors of Yahweh's temple. He was afraid to tell the vision to Eli, 16 but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son." "Here I am," he answered, 17 "What message did he give you?" Eli asked; "do not hide it from me. May God do this to you, and more, if you keep back anything of what he said to you." 18 Samuel then told him everything, keeping nothing back from him. Eli said, "He is Yahweh; let him do what he thinks good."

19 Samuel grew up and Yahweh was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground. 20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was accredited as a prophet of Yahweh. 21 Yahweh continued to appear in Shiloh, for he revealed himself to Samuel, 4- 1 and the word of Samuel went out to all Israel. By then, El was very old and his sons still persisted in their wicked behaviour toward Yahweh.

The defeat of the Israelites and capture of the ark

It happened at that time that the Philistines mustered to fight Israel and Israel went out to meet them in battle, encamping near Ebenezer while the Philistines were encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up their battle line against Israel, the battle was hotly engaged, and Israel was defeated by the Philistines and about four thousand of their army were killed on the field. 3 The troops returned to the camp and the elders of Israel said, "Why has Yahweh allowed us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of our God from Shiloh so that it may come among us and rescue us from the power of our enemies." 4 So the troops sent to Shiloh and brought away the ark of Yahweh Sabaoth, he who is seated on the cherubs; the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the ark. 5 When the ark of Yahweh arrived in the camp, all Israel gave a great shout so that the earth resounded. 6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What can this great shouting in the Hebrew camp mean?" And they realized that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp. 7 At this the Philistines were afraid; and they said, "God has come to the camp." "Alas!" They cried, "This has never happened before. 8 Alas! Who will save us from the power of this mighty God? It was he who struck down Egypt with every kind of plagues! 9 But take courage and be men, Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been slaves to you. Be men and fight." 10 So the Philistines joined battle and Israel was defeated, each man fleeing to his tent. The slaughter was great indeed, and there fell of the Israelites thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured too, and the two sons of Eli died, Hophni and Phinhas.

The death of Eli

12 A Benjaminite ran from the battle line, reaching Shiloh that same day, his clothes torn and dust on his head. 13 When he arrived, Eli was there, sitting on his seat beside the gate watching the road, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. This man, then, came to the town bringing the news, whereupon cries filled the town. 14 Eli heard the uproar and asked, "What does this great outcry mean? The manmade haste and told Eli. - 15 Eli was ninety-eight years old; his gaze was fixed. - 16 The man said to Eli, "I have come from the camp. I escaped from the ranks today." "My son," said Eli, "what has happened?" 17 The messenger replied, "Israel has fled before the Philistines; the army has been utterly routed. What is worse, your two sons are dead and the ark of God has been captured." 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his seat by the gate; his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had ruled Israel for forty years.

The death of the wife of Phinehas

19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child and near her time. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead she crouched down and gave birth, for her labour pains came on. 20 When she was to the point of death, the women standing around her said, "Do not be afraid, you have given birth to a son." But she did not answer and took no notice. 21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying "The glory has gone from Israel," Thinking of her father-in-law and husband and the capture of the ark of God. She said, "The glory has gone from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured."

The ark brings disaster to the Philistines

5- 1 When the Philistines had captured the ark of God they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Taking the ark of God, the Philistines put it in the temple of Dagon, setting it down beside Dagon. 3 Next morning the people of the temple of Dagon and there lay Dagon face down on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place. 4 But early next morning there lay Dagon face down again on the ground before the ark of Yahweh, and Dagon's head and two hands were lying severed on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left in its place. 5 This is why the priests of Dagon and indeed all who enter Dagon's temple do not step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to the present day.

6 The hand of Yahweh weighed heavily on the people of Ashdod and struck terror into them, afflicting them with tumours, in Ashdod and its territory. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us, for his hand lies heavy on us and on Dagon our god." 8 So they summoned all the Philistines chiefs to them, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They decided, "The ark of the God of Israel must go away to Gath." So they took the ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But after they had taken it there, the hand of Yahweh lay heavy on that town and a great panic broke out; the people of the town, from youngest to oldest, were struck with tumours that he brought out on them. 10 They then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it came to Ekron the Ekronites shouted, "They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel to bring death to s and our people." 11 They summoned all the Philistines chiefs and said, "Send the ark of the God of Israel away; let it go back to where it belongs and not bring death to us and our people" - for there was mortal panic throughout the town; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The people who did not die were struck with tumours and the wailing from the town went up to heaven.

The return of the ark

6- 1 The ark of Yahweh was in Philistines territory for seven months. 2 Then the Philistines called for their priests and diviners and asked, "What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Tell us how to send it back to where it belongs." 3 They replied, "If you do send the ark of the God of Israel away, you must not send it empty; you must pay him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and you will know why his hand would not turn away from you." 4 They then asked, "What guilt offering ought we to pay him?" They answered, "In the proportion to the number of the Philistine chiefs, five golden tumours and models of your rats, for the plague was the same for you all as for the chiefs. 5 So you must make models of your tumours and models of the rats that ravage your country, and you must pay honour to the God of Israel. Then perhaps he will lighten his hand on you and your gods and your country. 6 Why should you be as stubborn as Egypt and Pharaoh were? After he had brought evil on them, did they not let them leave? 7 Now, then, take and fit out a new cart, and two milch cows that have never borne the yoke. Then harness the cows to the cart and take their calves back to the byre. 8 Then take the ark of Yahweh, place it on the cart, and put the golden objects which you are paying him as guilt offering in a box beside it; then let it go its own way. 9 Watch it; if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Bet-shemesh, then it was he who did us this great harm; but if not, then you will know it was not his hand that struck us, but that this happened to us by chance."

10 The people did this. They took two milch cows and harnessed them to the cart and shut up their calves in the byre. 11 Then they placed the ark of Yahweh on the cart, with the box and the golden rats and the models of their tumours.

12 The cows made straight for Bet-shemesh keeping to the road, lowing as the went and turning neither to right not to left. The Philistines chiefs followed them as far as the boundaries of Bet-shemesh.

The ark at Bet-shemesh

13 The people of Beth-shemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the plain when, raising their eyes, they saw the ark and went joyfully to meet it. 14 When the cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh it stopped. There was a large stone there, and they cut up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a holocaust to Yahweh. 15 The Levites had taken down the ark of Yahweh and the box containing the golden objects beside it, and placed all this upon the large stone. The men of Beth-shemesh offered holocausts that day and offered sacrifices to Yahweh. 16 When the five Philistines chiefs had seen this, they went back to Ekron the same day. 17 These were the golden tumours the Philistines paid as guilt offering to Yahweh: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron; 18 as also the golden rats to the number of all the Philistines towns of the five chiefs, from fortified towns to open villages. The large stone on which they placed the ark of Yahweh is a witness to the present day in the field of Joshua of Bet-shemesh. 19 Of the people of Beth-shemesh the sons of Jeconiah had not rejoice when they saw the ark of Yahweh, and he struck down seventy of them. The people mourned because Yahweh had struck them so fiercely.

The ark at Kiriath-jearim

20 The men of Beth-shemesh then said, "ho can stand his ground before Yahweh this holy God; to whom shall we let him go up, away from us?" 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim saying, "The Philistines have sent back the ark of Yahweh; come down and take it up to your town."

7- 1 The men of Kiriath-jearim came and, taking up the ark of Yahweh, brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of Yahweh.

Samuel, judge and liberator

2 From the day the ark settled in Kiriath-jearim a long time passed, twenty years, and the whole House of Israel longed for Yahweh. 3 Then Samuel said to the whole House of Israel, "If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, put aside the foreign gods you now have, and the Astartes too, and set your heart on Yahweh and serve him alone; and he will deliver you from the hands of the Philistines." 4 And the Israelites put aside the Baals and Astartes and served Yahweh alone.

5 Then Samuel said, "Muster all Israel at Mizpah and I will plead with Yahweh for you." 6 So they mustered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh. They fasted that day and declared, "We have sinned against Yahweh." And it was at Mizpah that Samuel was judge over the Philistines.

7 The Philistines came to hear that the children of Israel had mustered at Mizpah and the Philistines chiefs marched against Israel. The Israelites heard of this and grew afraid of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, "Do not cease calling on Yahweh our God to save us from the power of the Philistines." 9 Then Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a holocaust to Yahweh, and he called on Yahweh on behalf of Israel and Yahweh answered his prayer. 10 While Samuel was offering the holocaust the Philistines approached to give Israel battle, but Yahweh thundered with a great noise that day against the Philistines and threw them into panic, and so they were routed before Israel. 11 The men of Israel then went out from Mizpah in pursuit of the Philistines and struck them down as far as below Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and erected it between Mizpah and Jeshanah and gave the name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has Yahweh aided us."

13 So the Philistines were humbled and no longer came into Israelite territory; 14 the hand of Yahweh lay on the Philistines all Samuel's lifetime. The towns of the Philistines had taken from Israel were given back to them, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel freed their territory from the power of the Philistines. There was peace, too, between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel was judge over Israel as long as he lived. 16 Each year he went on circuit through Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah and judged Israel in all these places. 17 He would then return to amah, for his home was there; there too he judged Israel. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.

The people ask for a king

8- 1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his two sons as judges over Israel. 2 The name of the first-born was Joel, that of the younger Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways; they wanted money, taking bribes and perverting justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 "Look," they said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways. So give us a king to rule over us, like the other nations." 6 It displeased Samuel that they should say, "Let us have a king to rule over us," so he prayed to Yahweh. 7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for it is not you they have rejected; they have rejected me from ruling over them. 8 All they have done to me from the day I brought them out of Egypt until now - they deserted me and served other gods - they are doing now to you. 9 Well then, obey their voice; only, you must warn them solemnly and instruct them in the rights of the king who is to reign over them."

The disadvantages of the monarchy

10 All that Yahweh had said Samuel repeated to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "These will be the rights of the king who is to reign over you. He will take your sons and assign them to his chariotry and cavalry, and they will run in front of his chariot. 12 He will use them as leaders of a thousand and leaders of fifty; he will make them plow his plowland and harvest his harvest and make weapons of war and the gear for his chariots. 13 He will also take your daughters as perfumers, cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, of your vineyards and olive groves and give them to his officials. 15 He will tithe your crops and vineyards to provide for his eunuchs and his officials. 16 He will take the best of your manservants and the maidservants, of your cattle and your donkeys, and make them work for him. 17 He will tithe your flocks, and you yourselves will become slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out on account of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but on that day God will not answer you."

19 The people refused to listen to the words of Samuel. They said, "No! We want a king, 20 so that we in our turn can be like the other nations; our king shall rule us and be our leader and fight our battles." 21 Samuel listen to all that the people had to say and repeated it in the ears of Yahweh. 22 Yahweh then said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and give them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go back, each to your own town."

Saul and his father's she-donkeys

9- 1 Among the men of Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. 2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of his life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome then he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people. 3 Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul's father Kish had strayed, so Kish said to Saul, "My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the she-donkeys." 4 They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. 5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, "Come, let us go back or my father will stop worrying over the she-donkeys and start being anxious about us." 6 He answered, "Look, there is a man of God in this town, a man held in honour; everything he says comes true. Let us go there, then; perhaps he will be able to guide us on the journey we have undertaken." 7 Saul replied to the servant, "But if we go, what can we take to the man? The bread in our sacks has gone, and we have no present to offer the man of God. What can we give him? 8 Again the servant answered Saul, "Look," he said, "I have a quarter of a silver shekel here; I will give it to the man of God and he shall tell us our road." 9 Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said! Come let us go." And they went off to the town where the man of God was.

Saul meets Samuel

10 As they were going up the slope to the town they came across some girls going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer there?" - 11 Formerly in Israel when a man used to go to consult God he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," for a man who is now called a "prophet" was formerly called a "seer." - 12 The girls replied, "Yes, the seer is ahead of you. He has just come into the town, for the people are having a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 You will meet him as soon as you enter the town before he goes up to the high place for the meal. The people will not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; then the people invited eat afterward. Go up now and you will soon find him."

14 So the went up to the town, and as they were going through the gate Samuel came out in their direction on his way to the high place. 15 Now Yahweh had given Samuel a revelation the day before Saul came, saying, 16 About this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin; you are to anoint him as prince over my people Israel, and he will save my people from the power of the Philistines; for I have seen the distress of my people and their crying has come to me." 17 When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh told him, "That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule my people." 18 Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, "Tell me, please, where the seer's house is?" 19 Samuel replied to Saul, "I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall leave with you and tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As regards the she-donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found already. Besides, for whom is all the wealth of Israel destined, if not for you and all your father's House?" 21 Saul then replied, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel's tribes? And is not my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such words to me?"

22 Samuel then took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those invited; there were about thirty of them. 23 Samuel said to the cook, "Serve the portion I gave you, which I told you to put on one side." 24 The cook then took up the leg and the tail and set it in front of Saul, saying, "There! The part that has been kept is set before you. Eat!" So, Saul that day ate with Samuel.

25 From the high place they came down to the town. On the housetop they spread out coverlets for Saul and he lay down.

The consecration of Saul

26 At the break of the day Samuel called Saul on the housetop, "Get up; I must take leave of you." Saul got up, and the two of them, he and Samuel, went out into the street. 27 They had walked as far as the end of the town when Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stand still for a moment and I shall make known to you the word of God."

10- 1 Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul's head; then he kissed him, saying, "Has not Yahweh anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man who must rule Yahweh's people, and who must save them from te power of the enemies surrounding them. This shall be the sign for you that Yahweh has appointed you prince of his heritage: 2 when you leave me now, you will meet two men near the tomb of Rachel, on the frontiers of Benjamin . . . and they will say to you, 'The she-donkeys you went in search of have been found and your father has lost interest in the donkeys and is worrying about you, thinking, What am I to do about my son?' 3 Going further from there you will come to the Oak of Tabor where men will meet you, going up to God in Bethel; one will be carrying three kids, one three loaves of bread and the third a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread which you must accept from them. 5 After this you will go to Gibeah of God (where the Philistines pillar is) and as you come to the town you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, headed by harp, tambourine, flute and lyre; they will be in an ecstasy. 6 Then the spirit of Yahweh will seize on you, and you will go into an ecstasy with them, and be changed into another man. 7 When these signs are fulfilled for you, act as occasion serves, for God is with you. 8 You must go down before me to Gilgal; I will join you there to offer holocausts and communion sacrifices. You are to wait seven days for me to come to you, and then I will show you what you are to do."

The return of Saul

9 As soon as Saul had turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart and all these signs were accomplished that same day. 10 From there they came to Gibeah, and there was a group of prophets coming to meet him; the spirit of God seized on him and he fell into ecstasy in their midst. 11 When all who knew him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people said to each other, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul one of the prophets too?" 12 One of the group retorted, "And who is their father?" And this is the origin of the proverb: Is Saul one of the prophets too?

13 When Saul's ecstasy had passed he went back into the house 14 and his uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?" He replied, "In search of the she-donkeys; and when we saw we could not find them, we went to Samuel." 15 Saul's uncle then said, "Tell me, now, what did Samuel say to you?" 16 Saul said to his uncle, "He only told us that the donkeys were already found," but he said nothing to him about the kingship of which Samuel had spoken.

Saul is chosen king by lot

17 Samuel called the people together to Yahweh at Mizpah 18 and said to the Israelites, "Yahweh the God of Israel has spoken and says, 'I brought Israel out of Egypt and delivered you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' 19 But today you have rejected your God, he who saved you from all your calamities and desperate straits; and you have said, 'No, you must set a king over us.' Well then, take your positions before Yahweh according to your tribes and clans."

20 Samuel then made all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the lot fell to the tribe of Benjamin. 21 He then made the tribe of Benjamin come forward clan by clan, and the lot fell to the clan of Matri; he then made the clan of Matri come forward man by man, and the lot fell to Saul son of Kish. They looked for him but he was not to be found.

22 Once again they consulted Yahweh, "Has the man come here?" "There he is," Yahweh answered, "hidden among the baggage." 23 So they ran and brought him out and, as he stood among the people, he was head and shoulders taller than them all. 24 Then Samuel said to all the people, "Have you seen the man Yahweh has chosen? Of all the people there is none to equal him." And all the people acclaimed him, shouting. "Long live the king!"

25 Samuel explained the royal constitution to the people and inscribed it in a book which he placed before Yahweh. He then dismissed all the people, each to his home. 26 Saul too went home to Gibeah and with him went the mighty men whose hearts God has touched. 27 But there were some scoundrels who said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him, and offered him no present.

Victory over the Ammonites

About a month later, 11- 1 Nahash the Ammonite marched up and laid siege to Jabsh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us and we will be your subjects." 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "I will make a treaty with you on this condition, that you put out all your right eyes; I shall inflict this disgrace on the whole of Israel." 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days' grace while we send messengers throughout the territory of Israel, and if no one comes to out help, we will go over to you." 4 The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and reported this to the people, and all the people began to lament and weep.

5 Now Saul was just then coming in from the fields behind his oxen, and he said, "What is wrong? Why are the people weeping?" They explained to him what the men of Jabesh had said. 6 And the spirit of Yahweh seized on Saul when he heard these words, and his fury was stirred to fierce flame. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them to pieces which he sent by messengers throughout the territory of Israel wit these words: "If anyone will not march with Saul, this shall be done with his oxen!" At this, a dread of Yahweh fell on the people and they marched out as one man. 8 He inspected them at Bezek; there were three hundred thousand Israelites and thirty thousand of Judah. 9 He then said to the messengers who had come, "This is what you must say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow by the time the sun is hot help will reach you.'" The messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh who were overjoyed; 10 they said to Hahash, "Tomorrow we will go over to you and you can do what you like to us."

11 The next day, Saul disposed the army in three companies; they burst into the middle of the camp in the last watch of the night and struck down the Ammonites until high noon. The survivors were scattered that not two of them were left together.

Saul is proclaimed king

12 The people then said to Samuel, "Who said, 'Is Saul to reign over us?' Hand the men over for us to put them to death." 13 "No one is to be put to death," Saul replied, "For today Yahweh has brought victory to Israel." 14 Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and reaffirm the monarchy there."

15 So all the people went to Gilgal and there they proclaimed Saul king before Yahweh at Gilgal. They offered communion sacrifices there before Yahweh; and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Samuel gives way to Saul

12- 1 Samuel said to all Israel, "I have faithfully done all you asked of me, and I have appointed a king over you. 2 In future it is the king who will lead you. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here among you. I have led you from my youth until today. 3 Here I am. Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I ever wronged or oppressed anyone? Have I ever taken a bribe from anyone? If so I will here and now requite you." 4 You have neither wronged nor oppressed us," they said, "nor accepted a bribe from anyone." 5 He said to them, "Yahweh is witness against you and his anointed is witness today that you have found nothing in my hands? "He is witness," they replied.

6 Samuel then said to the people, "Yahweh is witness, he who raised up Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 7 So now stand here while I argue with you before Yahweh and remind you of all the saving works he performed for your ancestors. 8 When Jacob came to Egypt the Egyptians oppressed them, and your ancestors cried to Yahweh who sent Moses and Aaron; they brought your ancestors out of Egypt and gave them a settled home here. 9 Then they forgot Yahweh their God and he sold them into the power of Sisera, general of the army of Hazor, as also into the power of the Philistines and of the king of Moab who fought against them. 10 They cried to Yahweh, "We have sinned, for we have deserted Yahweh; we have served the Baals and the Astartes. Rescue us now from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.' 11 Then Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies surrounding you, and you lived in security.

12 "But when you saw Nahash, kin of the Ammonites, come to attack you, you said to me, 'No, a king must rule over us' - although Yahweh your God himself is your king. 13 Here then is the king you have chosen; Yahweh has set a king over you. 14 If you reverence and serve Yahweh and obey his voice and do not rebel against his order, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow Yahweh your God, all will be well. 15 But if you do not obey the voice of Yahweh, if you rebel against his order, his hand will be against you and against your king.

16 "Stand here, then, and watch the great wonder Yahweh will do before your eyes. 17 It is now wheat harvest, is it not? I will call on Yahweh and he shall send thunder and rain. Consider then and see what a very wicked thing you have done in the sight of Yahweh by asking for a king." 18 Samuel then called on Yahweh, and Yahweh sent thunder and rain the same day, and all the people held Yahweh and Samuel in great awe. 19 They all said to Samuel, "Plead for your servants with Yahweh your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil of asking to have a king."

20 Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your hearts. 21 Do not turn aside after empty idols which, being empty, are useless and cannot save, 22 since for the sake of his great name you his people will not desert his people, for it has pleased Yahweh to make you his people. 23 For my part, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh by ceasing to plead for you or instruct you in the good and right way. 24 Only reverence and serve Yahweh faithfully with all your heart, for you see the great wonder he has done among you. 25 But if you persist in wickedness, you and your king will perish."

Revolt against the Philistines

13- 1 . . . 2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; there were two thousand with Saul at Michmash and in the highlands of Bethel, and a thousand with Jonathan at Geba of Benjamin; the rest of the people Saul sent home, each man to his own tent.

3 Jonathan smashed the Philistines pillar which was at Gibeah and the Philistines learned that the Hebrews had risen in revolt. Saul had the trumpet sounded throughout the country, 4 and the whole of Israel heard the news: Saul has smashed the Philistines pillar, and now Israel has incurred the enmity of the Philistines. So all the people rallied behind Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines mustered to do battle with Israel, three thousand chariots, six thousand horse and a force as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They came up and pitched camp at Michmash, to the east of Bet-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that their situation was desperate, since they were hard-pressed, they hid in caves, in holes, in crevices, in vaults, in wells. 7 Many, too, crossed over the Jordan fords into the territory of Gad and Gilead.

Samuel breaks with Saul

Saul was still at Gilgal and all the people who followed him were trembling. 8 He waited for seven days, the period Samuel had fixed, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal and the army, deserting Saul, was dispersed. 9 So Saul said, "Bring me the holocaust and the communion sacrifices"; and he offered the holocaust. 10 Just as he was completing the offering of the holocaust Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him and greet him, 11 but Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul replied, "I saw the army deserting me and dispersing, and you had not come at the time fixed, while the Philistines were mustering at Michmash. 12 So I thought: Now the Philistines are going to fall on me at Gilgal and I have not implored the favour of Yahweh. So I felt obliged to act and I offered the holocaust myself." 13 Samuel answered Saul, "You have acted like a fool. If you had carried out the order Yahweh your God commanded you, Yahweh would have confirmed your sovereignty over Israel for ever. 14 But now your sovereignty will not last; Yahweh has searched out a man for himself after his own heart and designated him leader of his people, since you have not carried out what Yahweh ordered you." 15 Samuel then rose and left Gilgal to continue his journey.

Those of the people who remained followed Saul as he went to join the warriors, and went from Gilgal to Geba of Benjamin. Saul inspected the force that was with him; there were about six hundred men.

Preparations for war

16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the force that was with them took up their quarters in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17 The raiding contingent came out from the Philistine camp in three companies: one made for Ophrah in the land of Shual; 18 another for Beth-horon; and the third for the height overhanging the Valley of the Hyenas, toward the wilderness.

19 There was not a single smith in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had reasoned: We must prevent the Hebrews from forging swords or spears. 20 Hence all the Israelites were in the habit of going down to the Philistines to sharpen every plowshare, ax; mattock or goad. 21 The price was two thirds of a shekel for plowshares and axes, and one third for sharpening Mattocks and straightening goads. 22 So it was that on the day of battle of Michmash no one in the whole army with Saul and Jonathan had either sword or spear in his hand, except, however, Saul and his son Jonathan.

23 A Philistine outpost left for the Pass of Michmash.

Jonathan attacks the outpost

14- 1 One day, Jonathan son of Saul said to his armour-bearer, "Come on, let us go across to the Philistines outpost in the pass." But he did not warn his father. 2 Saul was on the outskirts of Geba, siting under the pomegranate tree that stands near the threshing floor; the force with him numbered about six hundred men. 3 Ahijah soon of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh at Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. The force did not know that Jonathan had left.

4 In the pass that Jonathan was trying to cross to reach the Philistines outpost there is a rocky spur on one side and a rocky spur on the other; one is called Bozez, the other Seneh. 5 The first spur stands to the north acing Michmash, the other south facing Geba. 6 Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, "Come on, let us go across to the outpost of these uncircumcised men; perhaps Yahweh will do something for us, for nothing can prevent Yahweh from giving us victory, whether there are many or few of them." 7 His armour-bearer said to him, "Do just as your heart tells you; as for me, my heart is with you." 8 Jonathan then said, "Look, we will go across to these people and let ourselves be seen. 9 If they say to us, 'Do not move till we come to you,' we shall stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if the say, 'Come up to us,' we will go up, for that will be a sign for us that Yahweh has given them into our power."

11 When they both let themselves be seen by the Philistines post, the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have been hiding." 12 The men of the post then hailed Jonathan and his armour-bearer. "Come up to us," they said, "we have something to tell you." Jonathan then said to his armour-bearer, "Follow me up; Yahweh has given them into the power of Israel." 13 Jonathan climbed up, hands and feet, with his armour-bearer behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer, coming behind, finished them off. 14 This first blow that Jonathan and his armour-bearer struck accounted for about twenty men . . .

Battle is engaged

15 There was panic in the camp and the countryside; all the men in the outpost, and the raiding contingent too, were terrified; the earth shook; it was a very panic of God. 16 Saul's lookout men in Geba of Benjamin could see the camp scattering in all directions. 17 Saul then said to the force that was with him, "Call the roll and see who has left us." So they called the roll, and Jonathan and his armour-bearer were missing.

18 aul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ephod"; for it was he who carried the ephod in the presence of Israel. 19 But while Saul was speaking to the priest, the turmoil in the Philistine camp grew worse and worse; and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." 20 Then Saul and the whole force with him formed up and advanced to where the fighting was, where men were all drawing their swords on each other in wild confusion. 21 The Hebrews who had earlier taken service with the Philistines and had accompanied them into camp, themselves defected to the Israelites with Saul and Jonathan. 22 ll the Israelites in hiding in the highlands of Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines were on the run, chased after them and joined in the fight. 23 hat day Yahweh gave Israel the victory, and the battle spread beyond Beth-horon.

Jonathan defies Saul's orders

24 Saul had imposed a great fast that day, laying the people under an oath, "Cursed be the man who eats food before the evening, before I have had revenge on my enemies!" So no one so much as tasted food.

25 Now there was a honeycomb lying on the ground; 26 but when the people came up to the honeycomb, though the swarm had gone no one put a hand to his mouth for fear of the oath. 27 But Jonathan, not having heard his father lay the oath on the people, put out the end of the stick he was holding, thrust it into the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth; then his eyes brighten. 28 But one of the men spoke up. "Your father," he said, "has bound the people with a strict oath to the effect that anyone who eats today will be accursed." 29 My father has done the nation a disservice. See how much brighter my eyes are now that I have eaten this mouthful of honey. 30 By the same token, if the people had eaten their fill of the booty they took from the enemy today, would not the defeat of the Philistines have been all the greater?"

The people commit a ritual fault

31 They struck at the Philistines that day from Michmash as far as Aijalon until the people were utterly wear. 32 They flung themselves on the booty and, taking sheep, oxen and calves, slaughtered them there on the ground and ate them with blood. 33 News of this came to Saul. "Look," they said, "the people are sinning against Yahweh, eating with the blood." At which he replied to those who brought the news, "Roll me a large stone here." 34 Then he said, "Scatter through the people and say to them, 'Let each man bring me his ox or his sheep; slaughter them here and eat, not sinning against Yahweh by eating with the blood.'" All the people then brought what each one had that night, and they slaughtered them there. 35 Saul built an altar to Yahweh; it was the first altar he had built to Yahweh.

The guilt of Jonathan is discovered, but he is saved by the people

36 Saul said, "Let us go down under cover of darkness and pursue and plunder the Philistines until dawn; we shall not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever you think right," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us approach God here." 37 Saul consulted God, "Shall I go and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's power?" But he gave him no reply that day. 38 Then Saul said, "Come forward, all you leaders of the people; consider carefully where today's sin may lie; 39 for as Yahweh lives who gives victory to Israel, even if it be in Jonathan my son, he shall be put to death." And not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then to all Israel he said, "Stand on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will stand on the other." And the people replied to Saul, "Do as you think right." 41 Then Saul said. "Yahweh, God of Israel, why did you not answer your servant today? If the fault lies on me or on my son Jonathan, O Yahweh, God of Israel, give Urim: if the fault lies on your people Israel, give Thummim." Jonathan and Saul were indicated and the people went free. 42 Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan"; and Jonathan was indicated.

43 Saul then said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." Jonathan said, "I only ate a mouthful of honey off the end of the stick I was holding. Here I am. I am ready to die." 44 Saul said, "May God do this to me and more if you do not die, Jonathan." 45 But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die after winning this great victory for Israel? Never let it be so! As Yahweh lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for his deeds today have been done with the help of God." And so the people ransomed Jonathan and he was not put to death.

46 Saul decided not to pursue the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.

Summary of Saul's reign

47 Saul consolidated his rule over Israel and fought against all his enemies everywhere: against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, Beth-rehob, the king of Zohah, the Philistines; wherever he turned he was victorious. 48 He did great deeds of valour; he defeated the Amalekites and delivered Israel from the power of their plunderers.

49 The sons of Saul were: Jonathan, Ishvi and Malchishua. The names of the two daughters were: the elder, Merah, and the younger, Michal. 50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of his army commander was Abner son of Ner; he was Saul's uncle. 51 Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner were the sons of Abiel.

52 There was fierce war against the Philistines throughout Saul's lifetime. Any strong man or man of valour that caught Saul's eye he recruited into his service.

The holy war against the Amalekites

15- 1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the man whom Yahweh sent to anoint you king over his people, over Israel, so now listen to the words of Yahweh. 2 Thus speaks Yahweh Sabaoth, 'I will repay what Amalek did to Israel when they opposed them on the road by which they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now, go and strike Amalek; put him under the ban with all that he possesses. Do not spare him, but kill man and woman, babe and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

4 Saul summoned the people and reviewed them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers (and ten thousand men of Judah). 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and lay in ambush in the river bed. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, leave your homes among the Amalekites or I may destroy you with them, for you were friendly to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

7 Saul then defeated the Amalekites, starting from Havilah in the direction of Shur, which is to the east of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive and, executing the ban, put all the people to the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fatlings and lambs and all that was good. They did not want to put those under the ban; they only put under the ban what was poor and worthless.

Saul is rejected by Yahweh

10 The word of Yahweh came to Samuel, 11 "I regret having made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not carried out my orders." Then Samuel was deeply moved, and all night long he cried out to Yahweh.

12 In the morning Samuel went to meet Saul; word was brought him that Saul had gone to Carmel to raise himself a monument, and had passed on again and gone to Gilgal. 13 When Samuel reached Saul, Saul said to him, "Blessed may you be by Yahweh! I have carried out Yahweh's orders." 14 But Samuel replied, "Then what is the bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen I hear?" 15 Saul said, "They have brought them from Amalek because the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice them to Yahweh, your God; the rest we put under the ban."

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! Let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night." Saul said, Tell me." 17 Samuel continued, "Small as you may be in your own eyes, are you not head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh has anointed you king over Israel. 18 Yahweh sent you on a mission and said to you, "Go, put these sinners, the Amalekites, under the ban and make war on them until they are exterminated.' 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of Yahweh? Why did you fall on the booty and do what is displeasing to Yahweh?" 20 Saul replied to Samuel, "But I did obey the voice of Yahweh. I went on the mission which Yahweh gave me; I brought back Agag king of the Amalekites; I put the Amalekites under the ban. 21 From the booty the people took the best sheep and oxen of what was under the ban to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God in Gilgal." 22 But Samuel replied:

"Is the pleasure of Yahweh in holocausts and sacrifices

or in obedience to the voice of Yahweh?

Yes, obedience is better than sacrifice,

submissiveness better than the fat of rams.

23 Rebellion is a sin of sorcery,

presumption a crime of teraphim.

"Since you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you as king."

Saul vainly asks for pardon

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the order of Yahweh and your directions, being afraid of the people and doing what they said. 25 I pray you, forgive my sin; come back with me and I will worship Yahweh." 26 But Samuel answered Saul, "I will not come back with you, for you have rejected the word of Yahweh and he has rejected you as king of Israel." 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul caught at the hem of his garment and it tore, 28 and Samuel said to him, "Today Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you and given it to a neighbour of yours who is better than you." 29 (And yet the glory of Israel will not lie or go back on his word, for he is not a man to go back on his word.) 30 "I have sinned," Saul said, "but please still show me respect in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel, and come back with me, so that I can worship Yahweh your God." 31 Samuel followed Saul back and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

Agag's death and Samuel's departure

32 Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag the king of the Amalekites," and Agag came to him reluctantly. "Truly, death is a bitter thing," he said. 33 Samuel said:

"As your sword has made women childless,

so shall your mother be made childless among women."

Then Samuel butchered Agag before Yahweh at Gilgal.

34 Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went up home to Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again to the day of his death; Samuel was very sorry for Saul, but Yahweh regretted having made Saul king of Israel.

David is anointed

16- 1 Yahweh said to Samuel, "How long will you go on morning over Saul when I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons." 2 "How can I go? When Saul hears of it he will kill me." Then Yahweh said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and then I myself will tell you what you must do; you must anoint to me the one I point out to you."

4 Samuel did what Yahweh ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came trembling to meet him and asked, "Seer, have come with good intentions toward us?" 5 Yes, he replied, "I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, "Surely Yahweh's anointed one stands there before him." 7 but Yahweh said to Samuel, "Take no notice of his appearance or his height for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart." 8 Jesse then called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, "Yahweh has not chosen this one either," 9 Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, "Yahweh has not chosen this one either." 10 Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, Yahweh has not chosen these." 11 He then asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have? He answered, "There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes." 12 Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. Yahweh said, "Come, anoint him, for he is the one." 13 At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of Yahweh seized on David and stayed with him from that day on. As for Samuel, he rose and went to Ramah.

David takes service with Saul

14 Now the spirit of Yahweh had left Saul and an evil spirit from Yahweh filled him with terror. 15 Saul's servants said to him, "Look, an evil spirit of God is the cause of your terror. 16 Let our lord give the order, and your servants who wait on you will look for a skilled harpist; when the evil spirit of God troubles you, the harpist will play and you will recover." 17 Saul said to his servants, "Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me." 18 One of the soldiers then spoke up. "I have seen one of the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite," he said; "he is a skilled player, a brave and a fighter, prudent in speech, a man of presence, and Yahweh is with him." 19 At this, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, "Send me David your son who is with the sheep." 20 Jesse took five loaves, a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them to Saul by David his son. 21 And so David came to Saul and entered his service; Saul loved him greatly and David became his armour-bearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse saying, "Let David enter my service; he has won my favour." 23 And whenever the spirit fropm God troubled Saul, David took the harp and played; then Saul grew calm, and recovered, and the evil spirit left him.

Goliath defies the Israelite army

17- 1 The Philistines mustered their troops for war; they assembled at Socoh, which is a town of Judah, and pitched camp between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the Israelites also mustered, pitching camp in the Valley of the Terebinth, and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 These took their stand on the hills one side and the Israelites on the hills the other side, with the valley between them.

4 One of their shock-troopers stepped out from the Philistines rank; his name was Goliath, from Gath; he was six cubits and one span tall. 5 On his head was a bronze helmet and he wore a breastplate of scale armour; the breastplate weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He had bronze greaves on his leg and a bronze javelin across his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. A shield-bearer walked in front of him.

8 He took his stand in front of the ranks of Israel and shouted, "Why come out and range yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine and are you not the slaves of Saul? Choose a man and let him come down to me. 9 If he wins in a fight with me and kill me, we will be your slaves; but if I beat him and kill him, you shall become our slaves and be servants to us." 10 The Philistines then said, "I challenge the ranks of Israel today. Give me a man and we will fight in single combat." 11 When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistines they were dismayed and terrified.

David arrives in the camp

12 David was the son of an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah whose name was Jesse; Jesse had eight sons and, by Saul's time, he was old and well on in years. 13 The three eldest sons of Jesse followed Saul to the war. The name of the three sons who went to the war were: the first-born Eliab, the second Abinadab and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest; the three eldest followed Saul. 15 (David alternated between serving Saul and looking after his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 Morning and evening for forty days the Philistines advanced and took his stand.) 17 Jesse said to David his son, "Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves, and hurry to your brother's camp. 18 And take these ten cheeses to their commanding officer; ask after your brothers' health and bring some token from them; 19 They are with Saul and all the Israelites in the Valley of the Terebinth fighting the Philistines."

20 David rose early in the morning and, leaving the sheep with someone to guard them, took up his load and went off as Jesse had ordered him; he came to the encampment just as the troops were leaving to take up battle stations, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their lines facing one another. 22 David left the bundle in charge of the baggage guard, ran to the battle line and went to ask his brothers how they were.

23 While he was talking to them, the shock-trooper (his name was Goliath, the Philistine from Gath) came up from the Philistine ranks and made his usual speech, and David heard it. 24 As soon as the Israelites saw this man, they all ran away from him and were terrified. 25 The Israelites said, "Have you seen this man coming up now? He his coming to challenge Israel. The king will lavish riches on the man who kills him and give him his daughter in marriage and grant his father's House the freedom of Israel."

26 Then David asked the men who were standing near him, "What reward will the man have who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine who dares insult the armies of the living God?" 27 The people replied as before, "That is how the man will be rewarded who kills him." 28 Now Aliab his elder brother heard him talking to the men and his anger flared at David. "Why have you come down here?" He said. "Whom have you left in charge of those few sheep out there in the wilderness? I know your insolence and your wicked heart; you have come to watch the battle." 29 David retorted, "What have I done? Must I not speak?" 30 And he turned away from him to address another and asked the same question; and the people answered as before. 31 But David's words were noted and reported to Saul, who sent for him.

David volunteers to accept the challenge

32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on his account; your servant will go and fight this Philistine." 33 But Saul answered David, "You cannot go and fight the Philistine; you are only a boy and he has been a warrior from his youth."

34 David said to Saul, "Your servant used to look after sheep for his father and whenever a lion or a bear came out and took a sheep from the flock, 35 I used to follow him up and strike him down and rescue it from his mouth; if he turned on me I seized him by the hair at his jaw and struck him down and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has dared to insult the armies of the living God. 37 Yahweh who rescued me from the claws of lion and bear," David said, "Will rescue me from the power of this Philistine." Then Saul said to David, "Go, and Yahweh be with you!"

38 Saul made David put on his own armour and put on a bronze helmet on his head and gave him a breastplate to wear, 39 and over David's armour he buckled his own sword; but not being used to these things David found he could not walk. "I cannot walk with these," he said to Saul, "I am not used to them." So they took them off again

David and Goliath

40 He took his staff in his hand, picked up five smooth stones from the river bed, put them in his shepherd's bag, in his pouch, and with his sling in his hand he went to meet the Philistine. 41 The Philistine, his shield-bearer in front of him, came nearer and nearer to David; 42 and the Philistine looked at David, and what he saw filled him with scorn, because David was only a youth, a boy of fresh complexion and pleasant bearing. 43 The Philistine said to him, "Am I a dog for you to come against me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, "Come over here and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the fields." 45 But David answered the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of the armies of Israel that you have dared to insult. 46 Today Yahweh will deliver you into my hand and I shall kill you; I will cut off your head, and this very day I will give your dead body and the bodies of the Philistines army to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all the assembly may know that it is not by sword or by spear that Yahweh gives the victory, for Yahweh is lord of the battle and he will deliver you into our power."

48 No sooner had the Philistine started forward to confront David than David left the line of battle and ran to meet the Philistine. 49 Putting his hand in his bag, he took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead; the stone penetrated his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 Thus David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone and struck the Philistine down and killed him. David had no sword in his hand. 51 Then David ran and, standing over the Philistine, seized his sword and drew it from the scabbard, and with this he killed him, cutting off his head.

The Philistines saw that their champion was dead and took to flight. 52 The men of Israel and of Judah started forward, shouting their war cry, and pursued the Philistines as far as the approaches of Gath and the gates of Ekron. The Philistine wounded lay all along the road from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 From their determined pursuit of the Philistines the Israelites returned and plundered their camp. 54 And David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem; the man's armour he kept in his own tent.

David the conqueror of Goliath is presented to Saul

55 When Saul saw David going to engage the Philistine he said to Abner, his army commander, "Abner, whose son is that boy?" "On your life, O king," Abner replied, "I do not know." 56 So the king said, "Find out whose so the lad is."

57 When David came back after killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the Philistine's head in his hand. 58 Saul asked him, "Whose son are you, young man?" David replied, "The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

18- 1 After David had finished talking to Saul, Jonathan's soul became closely bound to David's and Jonathan came to him as his own soul. 2 Saul kept him by him that day forward and would not let him go back to his father's house. 3 Jonathan made a pact with David to love him as his own soul; 4 he took off the cloak he was wearing and gave it to David, and his armour too, even his sword, his bow and his belt. 5 Whenever David went out, on whatever mission Saul sent him, he was successful, and Saul put him in command of the fighting men; he stood well in the people's eyes and in the eyes of Saul's officers too.

The first stirrings of Jealousy in Saul

6 On their way back, as David was returning after killing the Philistine, the women came out to meet King Saul from all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing to the sound of tambourine and lyre and cries of joy; 7 and as they danced the women sang:

"Saul has killed his thousands,

and David his ten thousands."

8 Saul was very angry; the incident was not to his liking. "They have given David the ten of thousands," he said, "but me only the thousands; he has all but the kingship now." 9 And Saul turned a jealous eye on David from that day forward.

10 On the following day an evil spirit from God seized on Saul and he fell into a fit of frenzy while he was in his house. David was playing the harp as on other days and Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 Saul brandished the spear; "I am going to pin David to the wall," he said. But David twice evaded him.

12 Saul feared David, for Yahweh was with him but had turned away from Saul. 13 So Saul dismissed him fro his presence, making him commander of a thousand; he marched at the head of the people. 14 In all his enterprises David was successful, and Yahweh was with him. 15 And seeing how ell he succeeded, Saul was frightened of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was their leader in all their exploits.

David's marriage

17 Saul said to David, "Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you in marriage; but you must serve me bravely and fight the battles of Yahweh" - for Saul had made up his mind, "Let it be not my hand that strikes him down, but the hand of the Philistines!" 18 David replied to Saul, "Who am I and what is my ancestry and my father's family in Israel, that I should be the king's son-in-law?" 19 But when the time came Merab the daughter of Saul to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

20 Now Michal the daughter of Saul fell in love with David. When Saul heard this he was pleased. 21 He thought, "Yes, I will give her to him, but she will prove a snare for him and the hand of the Philistines will strike him." (Twice Saul said to David, "Now you shall be my son-in-law.") 22 Saul then gave this command to his servants, "Talk secretly to David and say, 'Look, the king his please with you and all his servants love you; it is time you became the king's son-in-law.'" 23 The king's servants repeated these words in David's ear, and David replied, "Does it strike you as an easy thing for me to become the king's son-in-law, poor and humble position as I am?" 24 Saul's servants then reported back what David had said. 25 Saul replied, "Tell David this, 'The king desires no settlement except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, for vengeance on the king's enemies."" Saul was planning that David should fall by the hands of the Philistines.

26 His servants brought this message to David and he was delighted at the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. The time had not yet expired 27 when David rose and set off, he and his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. David brought back their foreskins and counted them before the king so that he could be the king's son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28 Saul now realized that Yahweh was with David, and that all the House of Israel loved him; 29 then Saul feared David all the more and became David's lasting enemy. 30 The leaders of the Philistines went out to battle, but every time they went to battle David was more successful than all Saul's officers, and his name was held in great honour.

Jonathan intervenes on behalf of David

20- 1 David then fled from the huts at Ramah. And he went and talked to Jonathan, "What have I done, what is my guilt and what is my sin against your father that he is seeking my life?" 2 He answered, "You must not think that. He will not kill you. Look, my father does nothing, important or unimportant, without confiding it to me; why should he hide this from me? It is not true." 3 Your father knows very well that I enjoy your favour, and thinks, 'Jonathan must not come to know of this or he will be grieved.' But as Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, there is only one step between me and death."

4 Then Jonathan said to David, "What do you want me to do for you?" 5 David replied, "Look, tomorrow is New Moon and I should be sitting at table with the king, but you must let me go and hide in the fields till evening. 6 If your father notices my absence, you must say, 'David asked urgent leave of me to hurry off to Bethlehem, his own town, because they are holding the annual sacrifice there for all the clan.' 7 If he says, 'Very well,' your servant is safe, but if he is angry, you may be sure he is set on evil. 8 Do this favour for your servant, since you have united yourself with him by pact in Yahweh's name. But if I am guilty, then kill me yourself - why take me to your father?" 9 Jonathan replied, "You must not think that. If I had certain knowledge that my father was set on bringing evil upon you, would I not tell you?" 10 David then said to Jonathan, "Who will let me know If your father gives you a harsh answer?"

11 "Come," Jonathan said to David, "let us go out into the fields." So the pair of them went out into the fields. 12 Then Jonathan said to David, "Yahweh the God of Israel be witness! I will sound my father this time tomorrow; if all is well as concerns David and I do not then inform him, 13 then may Yahweh do this to Jonathan and more! If my father thinks fit to do you some harm, I will inform you and send you away, and you will go unharmed. And may Yahweh be with you as he used to be with my father. 14 If I am alive, show me Yahweh's own kindness; if I die, 15 never withdraw your own kindness from my House. When Yahweh cuts every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth, 16 let not the name of Jonathan be cut off with the House of Saul, or Yahweh will demand a reckoning of David." 17 Once again Jonathan swore the solemn oath to David because he loved him as his own soul.

18 Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is New Moon; your absence will be noticed, for your place will be empty. 19 The day after tomorrow your absence will be very marked, and you must go to the place where you hid on the day of the deed, and you must stay beside the heap of stones there. 20 For my part, the day after tomorrow I shall be shooting arrows toward it as though at a target. 21 Then I send a servant to say, 'Go and find the arrow.' If I say to the servant, 'The arrow is this side of you, get it,' come by all means, because it will be safe for you and there will be nothing to fear as sure as Yahweh lives. 22 But if I say to the youth, 'The arrow is ahead of you,' then be off, for Yahweh himself sends you away. 23 And as regards the agreement we made, you and I, why, Yahweh is witness between us for ever."

24 So David hid in the fields; New Moon came and the king sat down to his meal. 25 He sat in his usual place, the place by the hall, with Jonathan seated facing him and Abner sitting next to Saul; but David's place was empty. 26 Saul said nothing that day, thinking, "Something has happened; he is unclean." 27 On the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was still empty. 28 Saul said to Jonathan, "Why did not the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?" 29 Jonathan answered Saul, "David asked urgent leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 'Please let me go,' he said, 'for we are holding the clan sacrifice in the town and my brothers have ordered me to attend. So now if you approve of this, let me take leave and see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."

30 Then Saul's anger flared up against Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a wanton! Do I not know that you are in league with the son of Jesse to your own disgrace and the disgrace of your mother's nakedness? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth neither your person nor your royal rights are secure. Now, send and bring him to me; he is condemned to death." 32 Jonathan answered Saul his father and said, "Why should he die? What has he done?" 33 But Saul brandished his spear at him to strike him down, and Jonathan knew then that his father had already made up his mind that David should die. 34 Hot with anger Jonathan rose from the table and took no food that second day of the New Moon, being grieved on David's account because his father had insulted him.

35 Next morning Jonathan went out into the fields for the agreed meeting with David, taking a young servant with him. 36 He said to his servant, "Run and find the arrows I am going to shoot," and the servant ran while Jonathan shot an arrow ahead of him. 37 When the servant reached the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan shouted after him, "Is not the arrow ahead of you?" 38 Again Jonathan shouted after the servant, "Be quick, hurry, do not stand about." Jonathan's servant picked up the arrow and brought it back to his master. 39 The servant suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David knew what was meant.

40 Jonathan then gave his weapons to his servant and said, "Go and carry them to the town." 41 When the servant went off, David rose from beside the hillock and fell with his face to the ground and bowed down three times. Then they kissed each other and both shed many tears. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace. And as regards the oath that both of us have sworn in the name of Yahweh, may Yahweh be witness between you and me, between your descendants and mine for ever." 21- 1 David then rose and left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

David and the priest at Nob

2 David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came out trembling to meet David and said, "Why are you alone and no one with you?" 3 David replied to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has given me an order and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the mission I am sending you on, nor of the order I am giving you.' As regards my soldiers, I have arranged to meet them at such and such a place. 4 Meanwhile if you have five loaves of bread to hand, give them to me, or whatever there is." 5 The priest replied to David, "I have no ordinary bread to hand; there is only consecrated bread - provided your soldiers have kept themselves from women?"

6 David replied to the priest, "Certainly, women are forbidden us, as always when I set off on a campaign. The soldiers' thing are pure. Though this is a profane journey, they are certainly pure today as far as their things are concerned." 7 The priest then gave him what had been consecrated, for the only bread there was the bread of offering which is taken away from the presence of Yahweh to be replaced by warm bread when it is removed.

8 Now one of Saul's servant happened to be there that day, detained in the presence of Yahweh; his name was Doeg the Edomite and he was chief of Saul's guardsmen.

9 David then said to Ahimelech, "Have you no spear or sword here to hand? I did not bring either my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business was pressing." 10 The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine whom you killed in the Valley of the Terebinth is over there wrapped up in a cloth behind the ephod; if you wish to take it, do so, for there is no other here." David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."

David with the Philistines

11 That day David left, fleeing from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 12 But the servants of Achish said, "Is not this David, the king of the country? Was it not of him they sang in the dance:

'Saul has killed his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands?'"

13 David pondered these words and became very frightened of Achish the king of Gath. 14 When their eyes were on him he played the madman and, when they held him, feigned lunacy. He would drum on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his bear.

15 Achish said to his servants, "You can see this man is mad. Why bring him to me? 16 Have I not enough madmen without your bringing me this one to weary me with his antics? Is he to join my household?"

David begins his wonderings

22- 1 David left there and took refuge in the Cave of Adullam; his brothers and all his father's family heard of it and joined him there. 2 All the oppressed, those in distress, all those in debt, anyone who had a grievance, gathered around him and he became their leader. There were about four hundred men with him.

3 David went from there to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Allow my father and mother to stay with you until I know what God intends to do for me." 4 He left them with the king of Moab and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

5 But the prophet Gad said to avid, "Do not stay in the stronghold; go and make your way into the land of Judah." So David went away and came to the forest of Hereth.

The massacre of the priests of Nob

6 Saul came to hear that David and the men with him had been discovered. Saul was at Gibeah, seated under the tamarisk on the high place, spear in hand, with his officers standing around him. 7 "Listen, men of Benjamin," Saul said to his officers standing around him, "is the son of Jesse ready to give you all fields and vineyards and to make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds 8 that you all conspire against me? No one told me when my son made a pact with the son of Jesse; none of you felt sorry for me or told me when my son incited my servant to become my enemy, as is now the case."

9 Doeg the Edomite then spoke up - he was standing near Saul's officers: "I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob," he said, "to Ahimelech son of Ahitub. 10 This man consulted Yahweh for him, gave him provisions and also the sword of Goliath the Philistine." 11 Then the king sent and summoned the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his whole family, the priest of Nob; they all came to the king.

12 Saul said, "Now listen, son of Ahitub." He answered, "I am here, my lord." 13 "Why have you conspired against me," Saul said, "you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and consulting God on his behalf, for him to rebel against me as is now the case?" 14 Ahimelech answered the king, "Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, son-in-law to the king, captain of your bodyguard, honoured in your household? 15 Was today the first time I ever consulted God on his behalf? Far be it from me to do otherwise! Let not the king bring any charge against his servant or against his whole family, for your servant knew nothing whatever of the whole affair." 16 But the king answered, "Most surely you shall die. Ahimelech, you and your whole family."

17 The king said to the guardsmen who were standing beside him, "Step forward and put the priests of Yahweh to death, for they too have supported David, they knew he was making his escape yet did not tell me." But the king's servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of Yahweh. 18 The king then said to Doeg, "You step forward and strike the priests." Doeg the Edomite stepped forward and struck the priests himself, that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 As for Nob, the town of the priests, Saul put it to the sword, men and women, children and infants, cattle and donkeys and sheep.

20 One son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and fled away to join David 21 and told him that Saul had slaughtered the priests of Yahweh. 22 David said to Abiathar, "I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, he would be sure to inform Saul. I am responsible for the death of all your kinsmen. 23 Stay with me, have no fear, for he who seeks your life seeks mine too; you will be safe with me."

David at Keilah

23- 1 They brought the news to David, "The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors." 2 David consulted Yahweh, ""Shall I go and fight these Philistines?" Yahweh answered David, "Go and fight the Philistines and save Keilah." 3 But David's men said to him, ""We go in fear here in Judah; how much more, then, if we go to Keilah to fight against the Philistines?" 4 So David consulted Yahweh again and Yahweh replied, "Be on your way; go down to Keilah for I will give the Philistines into your power." 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, and carried off their cattle and inflicted a great defeat on them. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech took refuge with David, he went down to Keilah with the ephod in his hand.

7 When word was brought to Saul that David had gone to Keilah he said, "God has delivered him into my power, for he has walked into a trap by going into a town with gates and bars." 8 Saul called all the people to arms, to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. 9 David however, was aware that Saul was plotting evil against him and said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." 10 David said, "Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul is preparing to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. 11 Will Saul come down as your servant heard? Yahweh, God of Israel, I beg you, let your servant know." Yahweh replied, "He will come down." 12 Then David asked, "Will the townsmen of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" Yahweh replied, "They will hand you over." 13 At this, David made off with his men, about six hundred in number; they left Keilah and went where they could. When the news was brought to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he abandoned the expedition.

14 David stayed in the wilderness, in the stronghold; he stayed in the mountains, in the wilderness of Ziph; Saul search for him continually, but God did not deliver him into his power.

David at Horesh. A visit from Jonathan

15 David was afraid because Saul had mounted an expedition to take his life. At this time he was at Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph. 16 Jonathan son of Saul set off and went to David at Horesh and encouraged him in the name of God. 17 "Have no fear," he told him, "for the hand of my father Saul will not reach you; you are the one who is to reign over Israel, and I shall be second to you. Saul my father is himself aware of this." 18 And the two made a pact in the presence of Yahweh. David stayed at Horesh and Jonathan went home.

David has a narrow escape from Saul

19 Now some of the men of Ziph went up to Saul at Gibeah. "Is not David in hiding among us," they said, "in the strongholds at Horesh, on the Hill of Hachilah to the south of the wastelands? 20 Now whenever you wish to go down, O king, do so; it will be our task to deliver him into the king's power." 21 Saul replied, "May you be blessed by Yahweh, for coming to help me. 22 Go now, make surer still. Find out and note the place his footsteps hurry to, for i have been told he is very cunning. 23 Take careful notice of all the hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me when you are certain. I will then come to you; and if he is in the country, I will track him down through all the clans of Judah."

24 So they set off and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain to the south of the wastelands. 25 When Saul and his men set out in search of Him, David was informed of it and went down to the rock that is in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David into the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul and his men proceeded along one side of the mountain, David and his men along the other. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul with his men were trying to outflank David and his men and so capture them, 27 when a messenger came to Saul and said, "Come at once, the Philistines have invaded the country." 28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to fight the Philistines. This is why that place is called the Rock of Divisions.

David spares Saul

24- 1 David went away from there, and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi. 2 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is now in the wilderness of Engedi." 3 Saul thereupon took three thousand men chosen from the whole of Israel and went in search of David and his men east of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 4 He came to the sheepfolds along the route where there was a cave, and went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the ave; 5 David's men said to him, "Today is the day of which Yahweh said to you, 'I will deliver your enemy into your power, do what you like with him.'" David stood up and, unobserved, cut off the 6 border of Saul's cloak. Afterward David reproached himself for having cut off the border of Saul's cloak. 7 He said to his men, "Yahweh preserve me from doing such a thing to my lord and raising my hand against him, for he is the anointed of Yahweh." 8 David gave his men strict instructions, forbidding them to attack Saul.

Saul then left the cave and went on his way. 9 After this, David too left the cave and called after Saul, "My lord king!" Saul looked behind him and David bowed to the ground and did homage. 10 Then David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the men who say to you, "David means to harm you?' 11 Why, your own eyes have seen today how Yahweh put you in my power in the cave and how I refused to kill you, but spared you. 'I will not raise my hand against my lord,' I said, 'for he is the anointed of Yahweh.' 12 O my father, see, look at the border of your cloak in my hand. Since I cut off the border of your cloak, yet did not kill you, you must acknowledge frankly that there is neither malice nor treason in my mind. I have not offended against you, yet you hunt me down to take my life.13 May Yahweh be judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be laid on you. 14 (As the old proverb says: Wickedness goes out from the wicked, and my hand will not be laid on you.) 15 On whose trail has the king of Israel set out? On whose trail are you in hot pursuit? On the trail of a dead dog! On the trail of a single flea! 16 May Yahweh be the judge and decide between me and you; may he take up my cause and defend it and give judgment for me, freeing me from your power."

17 When David was finished saying these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is that your voice, my son David?" And Saul wept aloud. 18 "You are a more upright man than I," he said to David, "for you have repaid me with good while I have repaid you with evil. 19 Today you have crowned your goodness toward me since Yahweh had put me in your power yet you did not kill me. 20 When a man comes on his enemy, does he let him go unmolested? May Yahweh reward you for the goodness you have shown me today. 21 Now I know you will indeed reign and that the sovereignty in Israel will be secure in your hands. 22 Now swear to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my descendants after me nor blot out my name from my family." 23 This David swore to Saul and Saul went home while David and his men with him went back to the stronghold.

The death of Samuel

25- 1 Samuel died and the whole Israel assembled to mourn him. They buried him at his home in Ramah.

The story of Nabal and Abigail

David then set off and went down to the wilderness of Maon.

2 Now there was a man in Maon whose business was at Carmel, a man of means who owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was engaged in shearing his sheep at Carmel. 3 The man's name was Nabal and his wife's Abigail. She was a woman of intelligence and beauty, but the man was brutish and ill-mannered. He was a Calebite.

4 When David learned in the wilderness that Nabal was at his sheepshearing, 5 he sent ten soldiers, saying to them, "Go up to Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in my name. 6 You are to say this to my brother, 'Peace to you, peace to your House, peace to all that is yours! 7 I hear that you have the shearers; now your shepherds were with us and we did not molest them, nor did they find anything missing all the time they were at Carmel. 8 Ask your soldiers and they will tell you. May these soldiers win your favour, for we come on a day of feasting. Whatever you have to hand please give to your servants and to David you son.'"

9 David's soldiers came and said all this to Nabal in David's name, and waited. 10 Then Nabal answered David's soldier, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who run away from their masters. 11 Am I to take my bread and my wine and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?" 12 David's soldiers turned away and went back the way they had come, and they told all this to David. 13 Then David said to his men, "Every man buckle on his sword!" And they buckled on their swords, and David buckle on his too: about four hundred men followed David while two hundred remained with the baggage.

14 Now one of thee servants had brought the news to Abigail, Nabal's wife. He said, "David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he flared at them. 15 Now these men were very good to us; they did not molest us and we did not find anything missing all the time we were out in the fields while we were in their neighbourhood. 16 They were a protection to us night and day, all the time we were in their neighbourhood minding the sheep. 17 Now bear this in mind and see what you can do, for the ruin our master and of his whole House is decided on, and he is so ill-tempered no one can say a word to him."

18 Abigail hastily took two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep ready prepared, five measures of roasted grain, a hundred bunches of Raisins and two hundred cakes of figs and loaded them on donkeys. 19 She said to her servants, "Go on ahead of me, I will follow you" - but she did not tell her husband.

20 As she was riding her donkey down behind a spur of the mountain, David and his men happened to be coming down in her direction; and she met them. 21 Now David had decided, "It was a waste of time guarding all this man's property in the wilderness. Nothing was missing of all he had, and yet he returned evil for good. 22 May God do this to David and more if by morning I leave one male alive of all those who belong to him!" 23 As soon as Abigail saw David she quickly dismounted from her donkey and, falling on her face before David, bowed down to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, "Let me take the blame, my lord. Let your servant speak in your ear; listen to the words of your servant. 25 Pay no attention to this ill-tempered man Nabal for his nature is like his name; 'Brute' is his name and brutish his character. But I your servant did not see the soldiers my lord had sent. 26 And now, my lord, as Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, by Yahweh who kept you from the crime of bloodshed and from taking vengeance with your own hand, may your enemies, and all those who plan evil against my lord become like Nabal. 27 As for the present your servant brings my lord, let it be given to the soldiers of my lord's own following. 28 I ask you to forgive your servant's fault, for then Yahweh will grant my lord a lasting dynasty, for my lord is fighting the battles of Yahweh, and in all your life there is no wickedness to be found in you. 29 Should men set out to hunt you down and try to take your life, my lord's life will be kept close in the satchel of life with Yahweh your God, while as for the lives of your enemies he will fling them away, as from a sling. 30 When Yahweh has done for my lord all the good he has promised you, when he has made you prince of Israel, 31 you do not want to have any reason to grieve or feel remorse at having shed blood needlessly and avenged yourself with your own hand. And when Yahweh has shown his goodness to my lord, then remember your servant."

32 David said to Abigail, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! 33 Blessed be your wisdom and blessed you yourself for restraining me today from the crime of bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand! 34 But as Yahweh the God of Israel lives, he who kept me from harming you, had you not hurried out to meet me, I swear that Nabal would not have had one male left alive by the morning." 35 David then accepted from her what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace; see, I have listened to you and have granted your request."

36 Abigail returned to Nabal. He was holding a feast, a princely feast, in his house; Nabal was in high spirits, and as he was very drunk she told him nothing at all till it was daylight. 37 In the morning then, when the wine had left him, his wife told him all that had happened and his heart died inside him and he became like a stone. 38 About ten years later Yahweh struck Nabal, and he died.

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be Yahweh who has avenged the insult I received at Nabal's hands and has restrained his servant from doing evil; Yahweh has brought Nabal's wickedness down on his own head."

David then sent Abigail an offer of marriage. 40 When David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife." 41 She rose and bowed down her face to the ground. "Consider your servant a slave," she said, To wash the feet of my lord's servants." 42 Quickly Abigail stood up again and mounted a donkey; followed by five of her slave girls she followed David's messengers and became his wife.

43 David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel and he kept them both as wives. 44 Saul had given Michal his daughter, the wife of David, to Palti son of Laish, from Gallim.

David spares Saul

26- 1 Now the men of Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah. "Is not David in hidding," they said, "on the Hill of Hachilah on the edge of the wastelands? 2 So Saul set off and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand men chosen from Israel to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul pitched camp on the Hill of Hachilah, which is on the edge of the wilderness, by the roadside. David was then living in the wilderness and saw that Saul was coming after him there. 4 Accordingly, David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed arrived. 5 Setting off, David went to the place where Saul had pitched camp. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner commander of his army were lying. Saul was lying inside the camp with the troops bivouacking around him.

6 Speaking to Abimelach the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, David said, "Who will come down with me into the camp of Saul? Abishai answered, "I will go down with you." 7 So in the dark David and Abishai made their way toward the force, where they found Saul lying asleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying around him.

8 Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has put your enemy in your power; so now let me pin him to the ground with his own spear. Just one stroke! I will not need to strike twice." 9 David answered Abshai, "Do not kill him, for who can lift his hand against Yahweh's anointed and be without guilt? 10 As Yahweh lives," David said, "Yahweh himself will strike him down, whether his time to die comes, or he gos out to battle and perishes then. 11 Yahweh forbid that I should raise my hand against Yahweh's anointed! But now take the spear beside his head and the pitcher of water and let us go away." 12 David took the spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul's head, and they made off. No one saw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.

13 David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the mountain a long way off; there was a wide space between them. 14 David then called out to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, "Abner, will not answer?" Abner replied, "Who is that calling?" 15 David said to Abner, "Are you no man? Who is your like in Israel? Why did you not guard your lord the king then? Some man of the people came to kill the king your lord. 16 What you did was not well done. As Yahweh lives, you all deserve to die since you did not guard your lord, Yahweh's anointed. Look where the king's spear is now, and the pitcher of water that was beside his head."

17 Then Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, my son David?" David answered, "It is my voice, my lord king. 18 Why does my lord pursue his servant?" He said. "What have I done? What evil am I guilty of? 19 May my lord king now listen to the words of his servant: if Yahweh himself has incited you against me, let him accept an offering; but if men have done it, may they be accursed before Yahweh, for now they have driven me out so that I have no share in the heritage of Yahweh. They have said, 'Go and serve other gods. 20 So now, do not let my blood fall to the groung out of the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has gone out in quest of my life as a man hunts a partridge on the mountains."

21 Saul replied, "I have sinned. Come back, my son David; I will never harm you again since you have shown such respect for my life today. Yes, my course has been folly and my error grave." 22 David answered, "Here is the king's spear. Let one of the soldiers come across and take it. 23 Yahweh repays everyone for his uprightness and loyalty. Today Yahweh put you in my power, but I would not raise my hand against Yahweh's anointed. 24 Just as today your life counted for much in my sight, so shall my life count for much in the sight of Yahweh and he will deliver me from all distress."

25 Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David! You will do great things and will succeed." Then David went on his way and Saul returned home.

He takes refuge at Gath

27- 1 "One of these days," David thought, "I shall perish at the hand of Saul. I can do no better than to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will give up tracking me through the length and breadth of Israel and I shall be safe from him." 2 So David set off and went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, down to Achish son of Maoch the king of Gath. 3 He settled at Gath with Achish, he and his men, each with his family and David with his wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the wife of Nabal from Carmel. 4 When news reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, he stopped searching for him.

David as vassal of the Philistines

5 David said to Achish, "If you will grant me a favour, let me be given a place in one of the country towns for me to settle in. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" 6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and for this reason Ziklag has been the property of Judah to the present day. 7 The length of time that David stayed in Philistine territory was a year and four months.

8 David and his men went out on raids against the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites, for these are the tribes inhabiting the region that goes from Telam in the direction of Shur and as far as the land of Egypt. 9 David laid the countryside waste and left neither man nor woman alive but he took the sheep and oxen, donkeys, camels and garments and came back, bringing them back to Achish. 10 Achish would ask, "Where did you go raiding today? David would reply, "Against the Negeb of Judah," or "the Negeb of Jerameel," or "the Negeb of the Kenites." 11 But David never brought a man or woman back alive to Gath, "in case," as he thought, "they inform against us and say, 'David did such and such.'" This was David's practice all the time he stayed in Philistine territory. 12 Achish trusted David. "He has made himself hated by his own people Israel," he thought, "and so will be my servant for ever."

The Philistines go to war against Israel

28- 1 At that time the Philistines mustered their forces for war to fight Israel, and Achish said to David, "It is understood that you join forces with me, you and your men?" 2 In that case, you will soon see what your servant can do." Achish replied to David, "Right, I shall appoint you as my permanent bodyguard."

Saul and the witch of En-dor

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned him and buried him at Ramah, his own town. Saul had expelled, the necromancers and wizards from the country.

4 Meanwhile the Philistines had mustered and pitched camp at Shunem. Saul mustered all Israel and they encamped at Gibea. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine camp he was afraid and there was a great trembling in his heart. 6 Saul consulted Yahweh, but Yahweh gave him no answer, either by dream or oracle or prophet. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Find a woman who is a necromancer for me to go and consult her." His servants replied, "There is a necromancer at En-dor."

8 And so Saul, disguising himself and changing his clothes, set out accompanied by two men; their visit to the woman took place at night. "Disclose the future to me," he said, "by means of a ghost. Conjure up the one I shall name to you." 9 The woman answered, "Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has swept the necromancers and wizards out of the country; why are you setting a trap for my life, then, to have me killed?" 10 But Saul swore to her by Yahweh, "As Yahweh lives," he said, "no blame shall attach to you for this business." 11 Then the woman asked, "Who shall I conjure up for you?" He replied, "Conjure up Samuel."

12 Then the woman saw Samuel and, giving a great cry, she said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." 13 The king said, "Do not be afraid! What do you see?" The woman answered Saul, "I see a ghost rising up from the earth." 14 "What is he like?" He asked. She answered, "It is an old man coming up; he is wrapped in a cloak." Then Saul knew it was Samuel and he bowed down his face to the ground and did homage.

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed my rest, conjuring me up?" Saul replied, "I am in great distress; the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has abandoned me and no longer answer me either by prophet or dream; and so I have summoned you to tell me what I must do." 16 Samuel said, "And why do you consult me, when Yahweh has abandoned you and is with your neighbour? 17 Yahweh has done to you as he foretold through me; he has snatched the sovereignty from your hand and given it to your neighbour, David, 18 because you disobeyed the voice of Yahweh and did not execute his fierce anger against Amelek. That is why Yahweh treats you like this now. 19 What is more, Yahweh will deliver Israel and you, too, into the power of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me; and Israel's army, too, for Yahweh will deliver it into the power of the Philistines."

20 Saul was overcome and fell full length on the ground. He was terrified by what Samuel had said, besides this, he as weakened by having eaten nothing all that day and all that night. 21 The woman than came to Saul, and seeing his terror said, "Look, your servant has obeyed your voice; I have taken my life in my hands, and have obeyed the command you gave me. 22 So now you in your turn listen to what your servant says. Let me set a little food before you for you to eat and get some strength for your journey." 23 But he refused. "I will not eat," he said. His servants however pressed him, and so did the woman. Allowing himself to be persuaded by them, he rose from the ground and sat on the divan. 24 The woman owned a fattened calf which she quickly slaughtered, and she took some flour and kneaded it and with it baked cakes of unleavened bread; 25 she put these before Saul and his servants; and after they had eaten they set off and left the same night.

David is sent away by the Philistine leaders

29- 1 The Philistines mustered all their forces at Aphek while the Israelites were encamped near the spring which is in Jezreel. 2 The Philistine lords paraded in their groups of hundred and a thousand, with David and his men bringing up the rear with Achish. 3 The Philistine leaders asked, "Who are these Hebrews?" Achish replied to the Philistine leaders, "Why, this is David the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me for the last one or two years. I have had no fault to find with him from the day he gave himself up to me to the present time." 4 But the Philistine leaders were angry with him. "Send the man back," they said, "Let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us to battle, in case he turns on us once battle is joined. Would there be a better way for the man to regain his master's favour than with the heads of these men here? 5 Is not this David of Whom they sang in the dance:

'Saul has killed his thousands,

David his tens of thousands?'"

6 So Achish called David and said, "As Yahweh lives, you are loyal, and to me it seems only right you should accompany me in the campaign, for I have found nothing wrong in you from the day you came to me to the present time. But you are not acceptable to the leaders. 7 So go back, and go in peace, rather than antagonize the leaders of the Philistines."

8 "But what have I done," David asked Achish, "What fault have you had to find with your servant from the day I entered your service to the present time, for me not to be allowed to go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?" 9 Achish answered, "You know that in my sight you are as blameless as an angel of God; but the Philistine leaders have said, 'He must not go out with us to battle.' 10 So now, get up early in the morning, you and your master's servants who came with you, and go to the place I assigned you. Let there be no rancour in your heart, for to me you are blameless. You must get up early in the morning and when it is light enough you must be off."

11 So David rose early, he and his men, and set off in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.

The campaign against the Amalekites

30- 1 Now by the time David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negeb and Ziklag; the had stormed Ziklag and burned it down. 2 They had taken the women captive with all those who were there, both small and great. They had not killed anyone, but taken the prisoners and gone on their way. 3 When David and his men arrived, they found the town burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people with him wept aloud till they were to weak to weep any more. 5 David's two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the wife of Nabal from Carmel.

6 David was in great trouble, for the people were talking of stoning him: all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David took courage from Yahweh his God. 7 To the priest Abiathar son of Abimelech David said, "Bring the ephod." Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 Then David consulted Yahweh, "Am I to go in pursuit of these raiders? Shall I overtake them?" The answer was, "Go in pursuit; you will certainly overtake them and rescue the captives." 9 David accordingly set off with the six hundred men who were with him, and reached the wadi Besor. 10 David then continued the pursuit with four hundred men, two hundred staying behind who were too exhausted to cross the wadi Besor.

11 Out in the country they found an Egyptian and brought him to David. They gave him bread which he ate, and water to drink; 12 they also gave him a piece of fig cake and two bunches of raisins; he ate these and his spirits revived, for he had neither eaten bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 David then said to him, "Whose man are you and where do you come from?" He answered, "I am a young Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite; my master abandoned me because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We raided the Negeb of the Cherethites, and the Negeb of Judah, and the Negeb of Caleb too, and we burned Ziklag down." 15 David said, "Will you lead me down to these raiders?" He replied, "Swear to me by God not to kill me or hand me over to my master and I will lead you down to these raiders."

16 And when he led him down there they were, scattered over the whole countryside, eating, drinking and rejoicing, because of the enormous booty they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 David struck them down from dawn till evening, putting them under the ban. None escaped except for four hundred soldiers who mounted camels and fled. 18 David set free all whom the Amalekites had captured. David set his two wives free also. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, booty or sons and daughters, everything that had been captured; David brought all back. 20 They captured the flocks and herds as well and drove them in front of him. "This is David's booty," they shouted.

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him, those he had left at the wadi Besor; they came out to meet David and the troops with him, and, approaching David and the troops, asked how they had fared. 22 But all the rogues and scoundrels among the men who had gone with David said, "They did not go with us so we will not give them any of the booty we have rescued, though each can take his wife and children away and go." 23 But David said, "Do not act like this after what Yahweh has done for us; he has protected us, delivering into our hands the raiders who set on us. 24 Who would agree with you on this? No:

"As the share is of him who goes down to the battle,

so is the share of him who stays with the baggage.

!They must share alike." 25 And from that day forward he made this a statute a an ordinance for Israel which obtains to the present day.

26 When David came to Ziklag he sent parts of the booty to the elders of Judah, proportionate to their towns, with this message, "Here is a present do you from the booty taken from the enemies of Yahweh":

27 for those in Bethel,

for those in Ramoth of the Negeb,

28 dor those in Jattir,

for those in Aroer,

for those in Siphmoth,

for those in Eshtemoa,

29 for those in Carmel,

for those in the towns of Jerahmeel,

for those in the towns of the Kenites,

30 for those in Hormah,

for those in Borashan,

for those in Athach,

31 for those in Hebron

and for all the places Which David and his men had frequented.

The battle of Gilboa and the death of Saul

31- 1 The Philistines made war on Israel and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and were slaughtered on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines pressed Saul and his sons hard and killed Jonathan, Abinedab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The fighting grew heavy about Saul; the bowmen took him off his guard, so that he fell wounded by the bowmen. 4 Then Saul said to his armour-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through with it; I do not want these uncircumcised men to come and gloat over me." But his armour-bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 His armour-bearer, seeing that Saul was dead, fell on his sword too and died with him. 6 And so Saul and his three sons and his armour-bearer died together that day. 7 When the Israelites who were on the other side of the valley saw that the men of Israel had taken flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. The Philistines then came and occupied them.

8 When the Philistines came on the following day to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and, stripped him of his armour, had it carried around the land of the Philistines to proclaim the good news to their idols and their people. 10 They placed his armour in the temple of Astarte; they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the warriers set out, marching throughout the night, and took the bodies of Saul and his sons off the wall of Beth-shan, and bringing them to Jabesh they burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk of Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.

David learns of Saul's death

1- 1 After the death of Saul, David returned from his rout of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. 2 On the third day a man came from the camp where Saul had been, his garments torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did homage. 3 "Where do you come from?" David asked him. "I have escaped from the Israelite camp," he said. 4 David said to him, "What happened? Tell me." He replied, "The people have fled from the battlefield and many of them have fallen. Saul and his sons are dead too."

5 David then asked the young soldier who brought the news, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" 6 "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young soldier replied, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry pressing him hard. 7 Then he turned around and saw me, and shouted to me, "Here I am.' 8 He said, "Who are you?' 'An Amalekite,' I replied. 9 Then he said, 'Stand over me and kill me, for a giddiness has come on me, though my life is wholly in me still.' 10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that once he fell he could not survive. Then I took the crown he wore on his head and the bracelet on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."

11 Then David took hold of his garments and tore them, and all the men with him did the same. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted until the evening for Saul and Jonathan, for the people of Yahweh and for the House of Israel, they had fallen by the sword.

13 David said to the young soldier who had brought the news, "Where are you from?" "I am the son of a resident alien," he answered, "an Amalekite." 14 David said, "How is it you sere not afraid to lift your hand to destroy Yahweh's anointed?" 15 Then David called one of his soldiers. "Come here," he said, "strike him down." The man struck him and he died. 16 "Your blood be on your own head," David said, "for your own lips gave evidence against you when you said, 'I killed Yahweh's anointed.'"

David elegy over Saul and Jonathan

17 Then David made this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 It is written in the Book of the just, so that it may be taught to the sons of Judah. It runs:

19 Alas, the glory of Israel has been slain on heights!

How did the heroes fall?

20 Do not speak of it in Gath,

nor announce it in the streets of Ashkelon

or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,

the daughters of the uncircumcised will gloat.

21 O mountains of Gilboa,

let there be no dew or rain on you;

treacherous fields,

for there the hero's shield was dishonoured!

The shield of Saul was anointed not with oil

22 but with blood of the wounded, fat of the warriors;

the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,

nor the sword of Saul return idle.

23 Saul and Jonathan, loved and lovely,

neither in life, nor in death, were divided.

Swifter than eagles were they,

stronger were they than lions.

24 O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul

who clothed you in scarlet and fine linen,

who set brooches of gold

on your garments.

25 How did the heroes fall

in the thick of the battle?

26 O Jonathan, in your death I am stricken,

I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother.

Very dear to me you were,

your love to me more beautiful

than the love of a woman.

27 How did the heroes fall

and the battle armour fail?

David consecrated king at Hebron

2- 1 After this David consulted Yahweh. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" He asked. Yahweh answered, "Go up." "Which shall I go to?" David asked. "To Hebron," was the reply. 2 So David went up with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the wife of Nabal from Carmel. 3 The men who were with him, David made go up too, each with his family, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. 4 There the men of Judah came and anointed David king over the House of Judah.

David's message to Jabesh

They told David that the people of Jabesh-gilead had given Saul burial, 5 so David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead. "May you be blessed be Yahweh,/ he said, "for doing this kindness to Saul your lord, and for burying him. 6 And now may Yahweh show kindness and faithfulness to you! I too shall treat you well because you have done this. 7 And now take courage and be men of valour. Saul your lord is dead, but the House of Judah has anointed me to be their king."

Abner makes Ishbaal king over Israel

8 Abner son of Ner, Saul's army commander, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9 He had made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin, and indeed over all Israel. 10 Ishbaal son of Saul was forty years old when he became king of Israel, and reigned for two years. Only the House of Judah supported David. 11 The reign of David's reign over Judah in Hebron was seven years and six months.

War between Israel and Judah. The battle of Gibeon

12 Abner son of Ner with Ishbaal's followers marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Joab son of Zeruiah with David's followers also marched out, encountering them by the pool of Gibeon. There they halted, one party on one side of the pool, and the other opposite.

14 Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young soldiers come forward and hold a contest before us." "Let them come forward," Joab replied. 15 So they came forward and were numbered off, twelve from Benjamin for Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of David's followers. 16 Each caught his adversary by the head and drove his sword into his side so that they all fell together. Hence the place was called the Field of Sides; it is at Gibeon.

17 That day a very fierce battle took place, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by David's followers. 18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift-footed as a wild gazelle. 19 Asahel set off in pursuit of Abner turning neither to right nor left as he went in pursuit of him. 20 Abner turned. "Asahel," he said, "is that you?" He answered, "It is." 21 "Turn to your right or your left," Abner said, "catch one of the soldiers and take his spoil." But Asahel would not break off the pursuit. 22 Again Abner spoke to Asahel, "Stop pursuing me, unless you want me to strike you to the ground; and then how could I look your brother Joab in the face again?" 23 But he refused to turn away, so Abner struck him in the belly with the butt of his spear so that the spear came out at his back; and he fell there and died on the spot. On coming to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, everyone halted.

24 Joab and Abishai took up the pursuit of Abner and at sunset reached the Hill of Ammah, which is to the east of the valley, on the road to Giah. 25 The Benjaminites gathered behind Abner in close formation and halted at the top of the Hill of Ammah. 26 Abner called out to Joab, "Is the sword to go on eating its fill for ever?" He said. "Do you not know that this will end in disaster? How long will it be before you order these people to stop pursuing their brothers?" 27 "As Yahweh lives," Joab replied, "if you had not spoken, these men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until morning." 28 Joab then sounded the trumpet and all the troops halted; they pursued Israel no further and fought no more.

29 All that night Abner and his men made thair way through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan and, marching throughout the morning, came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab, giving up the pursuit of Abner, mustered his whole force; David's followers had lost nineteen men in addition to Asahel, 31 but had killed three hundred and sixty of Benjamin, Abner's men. 32 They took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which is at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched throughout the night and day dawned as they reached Hebron.

3- 1 So the war dragged on between the House of Saul and the House of David, but David grew steadily stronger, and the House of Saul ever weaker.

The sons born to David at Hebron

2 Sons were born to David at Hebron; his first-born Ammon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 his second Chileab, by Abigail wife of Nabal from Carmel; the third Absolom the son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 the fourth Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 the sixth Ithream, by Eglah wife of David. These were born to David at Hebron.

The rift between Abner and Ishbaal

6 This is what took place during the war between the House of Saul and the House of David. Abner took complete control in the House of Saul. 7 Now there was a concubine of Saul's named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, and Abner took her, Ishbaal said to Abner, "Why have slept with my father's concubine?" 8 At these words of Ishbaal Abner flew into a rage. "Am I a dog's head?" he shouted. "Here am I full of goodwill toward the House of Saul your father, his brothers and his friends, not leaving you to the hands of David, and now you find fault with me about a woman! 9 May God do this to Abner and more if I do not bring about what Yahweh has promised on oath to David, 10 to take the sovereignty from the House of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba." 11 Ishbaal dared not say a single word in answer to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

Abner negotiates with David

12 Abner sent messengers to say to David," . . . Come to an agreement with me and I will give you my support to win all Israel over you." 13 Very well," David said, "I will come to an agreement with you. I impose one condition however; you will not be admitted to my presence unless you bring me Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me." 14 David then sent messengers to Ishbaal son of Sal. "Give me back my wife Michal," he said, "Whom I won with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines." 15 So Ishbaal sent for her to be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Her husband set off with her and followed her, weeping, as far as Bahurim; but Abner said to him, "Go back," and he went.

17 Now Abner had conferred with the elders of Israel. "For a long time now," he said, "you have wanted David for your king. 18 Now you must take action; Yahweh has given this promise about David. 'By the hand of my servant David I will deliver my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and all their enemies.'" 19 Abner also spoke to the men of Benjamin, and then went to Hebron t tell David all that had been agreed by Israel and the House of Benjamin.

20 Abner accompanied b twenty men came to David at Hebron, and David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Then Abner said to David. "I must be off. I am going to rally all Israel to my lord king. They will make an alliance with you, and you will reign over all that you desire." So David allowed Abner to go, and he went unmolested.

The murder of Abner

22 The followers of David were just coming back with Joab from a raid, bringing a great amount of booty with them. Abner was no longer with David at Hebron, since David had allowed him to go, and he had gone unmolested. 23 When Joab arrived and the whole force that was with him, Joab was told, "Abner son of Ner has been to the king and he has allowed Abner to go away unmolested." 24 Then Joab went to the king. "What have you done? He said. "Abner comes to you and you allow him to go unmolested? Why? 25 Do you know Abner son of Ner? He came to trick you, to know your every move, to find out what you are doing."

26 Joab left David's presence and sent messengers after Abner and these, unknown to David, brought him back from the Well Sirah. 27 When Abner reached Hebron, Joab drew him apart to the side of the gate as if to have a word with him in private, and there struck him in the belly. And so, for the blood of Joab's brother Asahel, he died. 28 Afterward when David heard of this, he said, "I and my kingdom are innocent for ever before Yahweh of the blood of Abner son of Ner; 29 may it fall on the head of Joab and on all is family! May the House of Joab never lack men with the discharge or the leprosy, or only fit to hold a distaff, or falling by the sword, or short of bread!" 30(Joab and his brother Abishai had murdered Abner because he killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.) 31 David then said to Joab and all the troops who were with him, "Tear your garments, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner"; and King David walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner's grave, and the people all wept too. 33 The king made this lament over Abner:

"Should Abner have died as a fool dies?

34 Your hands were not tied, your feet not chained;

you fell hands as a man falls at the hands of criminals."

And all the people wept once more over him.

35 They all tried then to persuade David to have some food while it was still daylight, but David took this oath, "May God do this to me and more if I taste bread or anything whatever until sundown!" 36 All the people took note of this and it pleased them; indeed, everything the king did pleased the people. 37 That day all the people and all Israel understood that the king had no part in the death of Abner son of Ner.

38 The king said to his officers, "Do you not know that in Israel a prince, a great man, has fallen today? 39 I, though I am king by anointing, am weak at this present time, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too ruthless for me. May Yahweh pay back the wrongdoer in proportion to the wrong he has done."

The murder of Ishbaal

4- 1 When Ishbaal son pf Saul heard the newa that Abner had died at Hebron. His heart failed him, and the whole of Israel was alarmed. 2 Now Ishbaal son of Saul had two freebooting chieftains; one was called Baanah, the other Rechab. They were the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and Benjaminites - for beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin. 3 The people of Beeroth had taken refuge id Gittaim where they have remained to this day as resident aliens.

4 Jonathan son of Saul had a son with crippled feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried away she fell and was lamed. His name was Meribbaal.

5 The sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, Recahb and Baanah, set out; they came to Ishbaal's house at the hottest part of the day when he was taking his midday rest. 6 The woman who kept the door had been cleaning wheat, and she had drowsed off to sleep. Rechab and his brother Baanah stole by 7 and entered the house where Ishbaal was lying in his bedroom on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head; and taking the head with them, they travelled all night by the road of the Arabah. 8 They brought Isbaal's head to David at Hebron. "Here," they said to the king, "is the head of Ishbaal son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. Yahweh has avenged my lord the king today on Saul and on his offspring."

9 But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah by saying, "As Yahweh lives, who has delivered me from all adversity, 10 the man who thought to bring me good news when he told me Saul was dead, this man I seized and killed at Ziklag, rewarding him for his good news. 11 How much more when bandits have killed an honest man of his house, and on his bed! Am I not bound to demand account of his blood from you, and wipe you from the earth?" 12 Then David gave the order to his soldiers, who put them to death, cut off their hands and feet, and hung them beside the Pool of Hebron. Ishbaal's head they took and buried in Abner's grave at Hebron.

David is anointed king of Israel

5- 1 All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron. "Look," they said, "we are your own flesh and blood. 2 In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and Yahweh said to you, "You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel.'" 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh, and they anointed David king of Israel.

4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. 5 He reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven years and six months; then he reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for thirty-three years.

The capture of Jerusalem

6 David and his men marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites living there. These said to David, "You will not get in here. The blind and the lame will hold you off." (That is to say: David will never get in here.) 7 But David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David. 8 That day David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites and goes up by the conduit . . . " As for the blind and the lame, David hated them in his soul. (Hence the saying: the blind and the lame shall not enter the Temple.) 9 David went to live in the fortress and called it the Citadel of David. David then built a wall around it, from Millo going inward. 10 David grew greater and greater, and Yahweh, God of Sabaoth, was with him.

11 Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar wood and carpenters and stonemasons, who built David a palace. 12 David knew that Yahweh had confirmed him as king over Israel, and for the sake of his people Israel was making his reign glorious.

The sons born to David in Jerusalem

13 After coming from Hebron, David took other concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shummua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet.

Victory over the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of all Israel, they all marched up to seek him out. On hearing this, David went down to the stronghold. 18 When the Philistines arrived they deployed in the Valley of the Rephaim. 19 David consulted Yahweh; "Shall I attack the Philistines?" He asked, "Will you deliver them into my power?" Yahweh answered David, "Attack! I will most surely deliver the Philistines into you power." 20 Accordingly David went to Baal-perazim and there defeated them. David said, "Yahweh has made a breach in my enemies for me like a breach the waters make." For this reason that place was called Baal-perazim. 21 They had left their gods behind them there, and David carried them off.

22 Again the Philistines marched up and deployed in the Valley of the Rephaim. 23 David consulted Yahweh, who answered, "Do not attack them from the front, go around to the rear and engage them opposite the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of steps in the tops of the balsam trees, advance, for that will be Yahweh going out ahead of you to rout the army of the Philistines." 25 David did as Yahweh had ordered and routed the Philistines from Gibeon as far as the Pass of Gezer.

The ark in Jerusalem

6- 1 David again mustered all the picked troops of Israel, thirty thousand men. 2 Setting off with the whole force then with him, David went to Baalah of Judah, to bring up the ark of God which bears the name of Yahweh Sabaoth who is seated on the cherubs. 3 They place the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it from Abinadab's house which is on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the cart, 4 Uzzah walked alongside the ark of God and Ahio went in front. 5 David and all the House of Israel danced before Yahweh with all their might, singing to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. 6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah stretched his hand out to the ark of God and steadied it, as the oxen were making it tilt. 7 Then the anger of ahweh blazed out against Uzzah, and for this crime God struck him down on the spot, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 David was displeased that Yahweh had broken out against Uzzah, and that place was called Perez-uzzah, as it still now.

9 David went in fear of Yahweh that day. "However can the ark of Yahweh come to me?" 10 So David decided not to take the ark into the Citadel of David and took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11 The ark of Yahweh remained in the ouse of Obed-edom of Gath for three months, and Yahweh blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.

12 Word was brought to King David that Yahweh had blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that belonged to him on account of the ark of God. David accordingly went and brought the ark of God up from Obed-edom's house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing. 13 When the bearers of the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep. 14 And David danced whirling around before Yahweh with all his might, wearing loincloth around him. 15 Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh with acclaim and the sound of the horn. 16 Now as the ark of Yahweh entered the Citadel of David, Michal the daughter of Saul was watching from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of Yahweh in and put it in position inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered holocausts before Yahweh, and communion sacrifices. 18 And when David had finished offering holocaust and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth. 19 He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread to each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house.

20 As David was coming back to bless his household Michal, the daughter of Saul, went out to meet him. "What a fine reputation the king of Israel has won himself today," she said, "displaying himself under the eyes of his servant maids, as any buffoon might display himself." 21 David answered Michal, "I was dancing for Yahweh, not for them. As Yahweh lives, who chose me in preference to your father and his whole House to make me leader of Israel, Yahweh's people, I shall dance before Yahweh 22 and demean myself even more. In your eyes I may be base, but by the maids you speak of I shall be held in Honour." 23 And to the day of her death Michal, the daughter of Saul, had no children.

The prophecy of Nathan

7- 1 Once David had settled into his house and Yahweh had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, "Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent." 3 Nathan said to the king, "Go and do all that is in your mind, for Yahweh is with you."

4 But that very night the word of Yahweh came to Nathan:

5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus Yahweh speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have never stayed in a house from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today, but have always led a wanderer's life in a tent. 7 In all my journeying with the people of Israel, did I say to any one of the judges of Israel, whom I had appointed as shepherds of Israel my people; Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" 8 This is what you must say to my servant David, 'Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be the leader of my people Israel; 9 I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. 10 I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, 11 in the days when I appointed judges over the people Israel; I will give them rest from al their enemies. Yahweh will make you great; Yahweh will make you a House. 12 And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with you ancestors. I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. 13 (It is he who shall build me a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) 14 I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. 15 Yet I will not withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. 16 Your house and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.'"

17 Nathan related all these words to avid and this whole revelation.

David's prayer

18 King David then went in and, seated before Yahweh, said:

"Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? 19 Yet in your sight, Lord Yahweh, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future . . . 20 What more can David say to you, when you yourself have singled out your servant, Lord Yahweh? 21 For your servant's sake, this dog of yours, you have done so great a thing by revealing this to your servant. 22 In this is your greatness, Lord Yahweh; there is none like you, no God but you alone, as our own ears have heard. 23 Is there another people on earth like your people Israel, with a God setting out to redeem them and make them his people, make them renowned, work great and terrible things on heir behalf, drive nations out and gods before his people? 24 You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Yahweh, have become their God. 25 Now, Lord Yahweh, always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said. 26 Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say, 'Yahweh Sabaoth is God over Israel.' The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, 27 since you yourself, Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, 'I will build you a House'; hence your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you. 28 Yes, Lord Yahweh, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to your servant. 29 Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for you, Lord Yahweh, have spoken; and with your blessing the House of your servant will be for ever blessed."

The wars of David

8- 1 After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. From the hands of the Philistines he took . . . 2 He also defeated the Maobites, and making them lie down on the ground measured them off by the line; he measured out two lines to be put to death and one full line to have their lives spared. The Maobites became subject to David, paying him tribute.

3 David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, on his way to extend his power over the river. 4 David captured one thousand seven hundred charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him; David hamstrung all the chariot teams, keeping only a hundred of them. 5 The Amamaeans of Damascus came to the help of Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand men of the Aramaeans. 6 Then David imposed governors on Aram of Damascus, and the Aramaeans became subject to David, paying him tribute. Wherever David went, Yahweh gave him victory. 7 David took the golden shields carried by the guards of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Betah and Berothai, towns belonging to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated Hadadezer's entire army, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadadezer, since Hadadezer was the enemy of Tou. Hadoram brought with him articles of silver, gold and bronze, 11 which King David also consecrated to Yahweh as he had already consecrated the silver and gold taken from the nations he had subjugated. 12 Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amelek; from the spoil, too, of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 Thus David won fame for himself. On his return he defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand of them. 14 He imposed governors on Edom and all the Edomites became subject to David. Wherever David went, Yahweh gave victory.

The administration of the kingdom

15 David ruled over all Israel, administering law and justice to all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was in command of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 Zodak son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech were priests; 18 Seraiah was secretary; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and Pelethites; David's sons were priests.

David's kindness to Jonathan's son

9- 1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of Saul's family that I can show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" 2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. "You are Ziba?" The king asked. "At your service," he answered. 3 The king said, "Is there no one still left of Saul's family for me to show him God's kindness?" "There is still on of Jonathan's sons," Ziba answered the king, "a man with crippled feet." 4 "Where is he?" The king asked. Ziba replied, " He is living in the household of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar." 5 So the king sent to have him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar.

6 On entering David's presence, Meribbaal son of Jonathan, son of Saul, fell on his face and did homage. David said, "Meribbaal!" He answered, "I am at your service." 7 Then David said; "Do not be afraid; I intend to show you kindness for your father Jonathan's sake. I will restore all the land of Saul your father to you and you shall always eat at my table." 8 And Meribbaal did homage. "What is your servant," he said, "that you should show favour to a dead dog like me?"

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said, "Everything belonging to Saul and his family I give to your master's son. 10 You must work the land for him, you and your sons and your slaves; you must harvest the produce to provide food for your master's family to eat. But Meribbaal, your master's son, shall always take his meals at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves. 11 Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do everything my lord the king has ordered his servant."

So Meribbaal ate at David's table like one of the King's sons. 12 Meribbaal had a young son whose name was Mica. All those who lived in Ziba's house became Meribbaal's servants. 13 Meribbaal lived in Jerusalem, since he always ate at the king's table. He was crippled in both feet.

David's ambassadors are insulted

10- 1 After this, the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him. 2 David thought, "I will show the same kindness for Hanun son of Nahash as his father showed me." And though his servants David sent him his condolences on his father's death. But when David's servants reached the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their master, "Do you imagine David means to honour your father when he sends you messengers of sympathy? On the contrary, the reason why David has sent his servants to you is to explore the city, to reconnoiter it and so overthrow it." 4 Whereupon Hanun seized David's servants, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut their clothes halfway up to the buttocks, and sand them away. 5 When David was told, he sent someone to meet them, for the men were covered with shame. "Tay in Jericho," the king said, "untill your beards have grown again, and come back then."

The first Ammonite campaign

6 The Ammmonites saw that they had incurred the enmity of David and accordingly sent messengers to hire the Aramaeans of Beth-rehob and the Aramaeans of Zobah, twenty thousand foot; also the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men. 7 When David heard this, he sent Joab with all common soldiers and the champions. 8 The Ammonites marched out and drew up their line of battle at the approaches to the gate, while the Aramaeans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah kept thir distance in the open country. 9 Joab, seeing that he had to fight on two fronts, to his front and to his rear, chose the best of Israel's picked men and drew them up in line facing the Aramaeans. 10 He entrusted the rest of the army to his brother Abishai, and drew them up in line facing the Ammonites. 11 "If the Aramaeans prove too strong for me," he said, "you must come to my help; if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I will go to yours. 12 Take courage and stand firm for the sake of our people and the towns of our God. And may Yahweh do as he thinks right." 13 Joab and the force with him joined battle with the Aramaeans, who fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw that the Aramaeans had taken flight, they too fled before Abisha and withdrew into their town. Then Joab returned from the war with the Ammonites and came back to Jerusalem.

Victory over the Aramaeans

15 Seeing that they had been defeated by Israel, the Aramaeans consolidated their forces. 16 Hadadezer sent messengers and mobilized the Aramaeans from beyond the river. They came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army, at their head. 17 Word of this was brought to David, who mustered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and reached Helam. The Aeamaeans drew up in line facing David and engaged him. 18 But the Aramaeans gave ground before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their chariots teams and forty thousand men; he also struck Shobach their general, who died then and there. 19 When all the vassal kings of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. The Aramaeans were afraid to give any more help to the Ammonites.

The second Ammonite campaign. David's sin

11- 1 At the turn of the year, the time when the kings go campaigning, David sent Joab and with him his own guards and the whole of Israel. They massacred the Ammonites and laid siege to Rabbah. David however remained in Jerusalem.

2 It happened toward evening when David had risen from his couch and was strolling on the palace roof, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. 3 David made inquiries about this woman and was told, "Why, that is Bathsheba, Eliam's daughter, the wife of Uriah the Hittite." 4 She came to him, and he slept with her; now she had just purified herself from her courses. She then went home again. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, "I am with child."

6 Then David sent Joab a message, "Send me Uriah the Hittite," whereupon Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came into his presence, David asked after Joab and the army and how the war was going. 8 David then said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and enjoy yourself." Uriah left the palace, and was followed by a present from the king's table. 9 Uriah however slept by the palace door with his master's bodyguard and did not go down to his house.

10 This was reported to David; "Uriah," they said, "Did not go down to his house." So David asked Uriah, "Have you not arrived from a journey? Why do you not go to your house?" 11 But Uriah answered, "Are not the ark and the men of Israel and Judah lodged in tents; and my master Joab and the bodyguard of my lord, are they not in the open fields? Am I to go to my house, then, and eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As Yahweh lives, and as you yourself live, I will not do no such thing!" 12 Then David said to Uriah, "Stay on here today; tomorrow I shall send you back." So Uriah stayed that day in Jerusalem. 13 The next day David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out and lay on his couch with his master's bodyguard, but he did not go down to his house.

14 Next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, "Station Uriah in the thick of the fight and then fall back behind him so that he may be struck down and die." 16 Joab, then besieging the town, posted Uriah in a place where he knew there were fierce fighters. 17 The men of the town sallied out and engaged Joab; the army suffered casualties, including some of David's bodyguard; and Uriah the Hittite was killed too.

18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 To the messenger he gave this order: "When you have finished telling the king all the details of the battle, 20 the king's anger may be provoked; he may say, "Why did you go so near the town to fight? Did you not know they would shoot from the ramparts? 21 Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Was it not a woman who dropped a millstone on him from the ramparts, causing his death at Thebez? Why did you go so near the ramparts? If so, you are to say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite has been killed too.'"

22 So the messenger left, and on his arrival told David all that Joab had instructed him to say. David was angry with Joab. "Why did you go so near the ramparts?" He said to the messenger. "Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Was it not a woman who dropped a millstone on him from the ramparts,, causing his death at Thebez? Why did you go so near the ramparts?" 23 The messenger answered David, "Because their men made a show of force against us and sallied out against us in the open. We drove them back to the approaches of the gate, 24 but the bowmen shot at your bodyguard from the ramparts; some of the king's bodyguard perished, and your servant Uriah the Hittite was killed too."

25 Then David said to the messenger, "Say this to Joab, 'Do not take the matter to heart; the sword devours now one and now another. Storm the town in grater force and overthrow it.' That this is the way to encourage him." 26 When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent to have her brought to his house; she became his wife and bore him a son. But what David had done displeased Yahweh.

David is rebuked by Nathan. His repentance

12- 1 Yahweh sent Nathan the prophet to David. He came to him and said:

"In the same town were two men

one rich, the other poor.

2 The rich man had flocks and herds

in great abundance;

3 the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb,

one only, a small one he had bought.

This he fed, and it grew up with him and his children,

eating his bread, drinking from his cup,

sleeping on his breast; it was like a daughter to him.

4 When there came a traveller to stay, the rich man

refused to take one of his own flock or herd

to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him.

Instead he took the poor man's lamb

and prepared it for his guest."

5 David's anger flared up against the man. "As Yahweh lives," he said to Nathan, "the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must make fourfold restitution for the lamb, for doing such a thing and showing no compassion."

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man. Yahweh the God of Israel says this, 'I anointed you king over Israel; I delivered you from the hands of Saul; 8 I gave your master's house to you, his wives into your arms; I gave you the House of Israel and of Judah; and if this were not enough, I would add as much again for you. 9 Why have you shown contempt for Yahweh, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

11 Thus Yahweh speaks, 'I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.'"

13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh." Then Nathan said to David, "Yahweh, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die. 14 Yet because you have outraged Yahweh by doing this; the child that is born to you is to die." 15 Then Nathan went home.

The death of Bathsheba's child. The birth of Solomon

Yahweh struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to avid and it fell gravely ill. 16 David pleaded with Yahweh for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night on the bare ground, covered with sacking. 17 The officials of his household came and stood around him to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. David's officers were afraid to tell him the child was dead. "Even when the child was alive," they thought, "we reasoned with him and he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He will do something desperate." 19 David, however, noticed that his officers were whispering among themselves, and realized that the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked the officers. They answered, "He is dead."

20 David got up from the ground, bathed and anointed himself and put on fresh clothes. Then he went into the sanctuary of Yahweh and prostrated himself. On returning to his house he asked for food to be set before him, and ate. 21 His officers said, "Why are you acting like this? When the child was alive you fasted and wept; now the child is dead you get up and take food." 22 "When the child was alive," he answered, "I fasted and wept because I kept thinking, 'Who knows? Perhaps Yahweh will take pity on me and the child will live.' 23 But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him but he cannot come back to me."

24 David consoled his wife Bathsheba. He went with her and slept with her. She conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Solomon. Yahweh loved him 25 and made this known through the prophet Nathan who named him Jedidiah in accordance with the word of Yahweh.

The capture of Rabbah

26 Joab attacked Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the water town. 27 He then sent messengers to tell David, "I have stormed Rabbah and captured the water town. 28 So now muster the rest of the troops and pitch camp against the town and take it, unless you want me to capture the town and give it my name." 29 So David mustered the whole army and marched on Rabbah; he stormed the town and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of Milcom; it weighted one talent of gold, and in it was set a precious stone which made an ornament for David's head. He carried off great quantities of spoil from the town. 31 He brought away, its population and set them to work with saws, iron picks and iron axes, and employed them in brickmaking. He treated all the Ammonite towns in the same way. Then David and the whole army returned to Jerusalem.

Amnon violates Tamar his sister

13- 1 After this, the following events took place. Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; Amnon son of David fell in love with her. 2 Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar that it made him ill, for she was a virgin and it seemed to Amnon impossible to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend called Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 "Son of the king," he said, "tell me why, morning after morning, you look so worn? Will you not tell me? Amnon answered, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." 5 Then Jonadab said, "Lie down on your bed, pretend to be ill and when your father comes to visit you, say, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat; let her prepare the food before your eyes for me to see; only at her hands will I eat.'" 6 So amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. Then the king came to visit him and Amnon said to the king, "Let my sister Tamar come and make a cake or two; I will eat at her hand. 7 David then sent word to Tamar at the palace, "Go to your brother Amnon"s house and prepare some food for him." 8 Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon who was lying there in bed. She took dough and kneaded it, and she made cakes there before his eyes and baled the cakes. 9 Then she took the pan and dished them up in front of him, but he refused to eat. "Let everyone leave me," he said; so they all withdrew. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food to the inner room so that I can eat at your hands." So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the inner room. 11 And as she was offering the food to him, he caught hold of her and said, "Come; lie with me, my sister." 12 But she answered, "No, my brother! Do not violate me. This is not a ting men do in Israel. Do not commit such an outrage. 13 Wherever should I go, bearing my shame? While you would become an outcast in Israel. Go now and speak to the king; he will not refuse to give me to you." 14 But he would not listen to her; he overpowered her and, raping her, lay with her.

15 Then Amnon was seized with extreme hatred for her; the hatred he now felt for her was greater than his earlier love. "Get up and go," he said. 16 "No, my brother," she said, "to send me away would be a greater wrong than the other you have done me." But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the soldier who was his servant. "Get rid of this woman for me," he said, "throw her out and bolt the door after her." 18 (She was wearing a long-sleeved gown, for this was what the king's unmarried daughters wore in days gone by.) So the servant put her out and bolted the door after her.

19 Tamar took dust and put it on her head, tore the long-sleeved gown she was wearing, laid her hand on her head, and went away uttering cries as she went. Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? 20 Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this so much to heart." But Tamar remained disconsolate in her brother Absalom's house.

21 When King David heard the whole story, he was very angry; but he had no wish to harm his son Amnon, since he loved him; he was his first-born. 22 Absalom however would not so much as speak to Amnon, for he hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

Absalom kills Amnon and flees

23 Two years later, when Absalom had the sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, he invited the entire royal household. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, "At this moment your servant has the sheepshearers. Will the king and his officers be pleased to come with your servant?" 25 "No, my son," the king replied, "we must not all come and be a burden to you." And though Absalom was insistent, he would not go but dismissed him. 26 Absalom persisted, "Then at least let my brother Amnon come with us." The king said, "Why should he go with you? 27 But Absalom insisted, so he allowed Amnon and all the king's sons to go with him.

Absalom prepared a royal banquet 28 and then gave this order to is servants; "Listen carefully; when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and I say, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Have no fear. I myself have given you the order. Take courage, be brave." 29 Absalom's servant treated Amnon as Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons started up, mounted their mules and took flight.

30 While they were on the road, a rumour reached David, "Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one is left." 31 The king rose and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All the officers in attendance tore their garments too. 32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, spoke up. "Let not my lord imagine," he said, "that they hae killed all the young men, the sons on the king; Amnon alone is dead, for Absalom's face gave warning of this ever since Amonon violated his sister Tamar. 33 Let not my lord the king imagine that all the king's sons are dead; Amnon alone is dead 34 and Absalom has taken flight."

The soldier on sentry duty looked up and saw a large troop advancing down the slope on the Bahurim road. The sentry came to tell the king. "I saw men," he said, "coming down the Bahurim road on the mountainside." 35 Then Jonadab said to the king, "Here come the king's sons; it has turned out just as your servant said." 36 He had scarcely finished speaking when the king's sons arrived, and they cried aloud and wept; the king and all the officers wept bitterly too. 37 Absalom however had taken flight and gone to Talmai of Ammihud, king of Geshur, where he stayed for three years. 38 And all that time the king observed mourning for his son.

Joab negotiates the return of Absalom

39 The king's heart was now ne longer against Absalom, once he had recovered from Amnon's death. 14- 1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah observed that the heart of the king was again turning to Absalom, 2 so he sent to Tekoa for a quick-witted woman. "Pretend to be in mourning," he said. "Put on mourning garments; do not anoint yourself with oil; act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. 3 Go then to the king and say this to him." And Joab out into her mouth the words she had to say.

4 o the woman of Tekoa went to the king and fell with her face to the ground and did homage. "Help, O king!" She said. 5 The king said, "What is the matter?" "Alas," she replied, "I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 Your servant had two sons and out in the fields, where there was no one to intervene, they quarrelled with each other. And one of them struck the other and killed him. 7 And now the whole clan has risen against your servant. 'Give up the man who killed his brother,' they say. 'For the life of the brother he murdered we will have his death, and so destroy the heir too.' By this means they will put out what embers remain to me, and leave my husband neither name nor survivor on the face of the earth." 8 The king then said to the woman, "Go to your house; I myself will give orders concerning your case." 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord king! May the guilt be on me and on my family; the king and his throne are innocent of it." 10 "Bring me the man who threatened you," the king replied, "and he shall never hurt you again." 11 Then she said, "Let the king be pleased to pronounce the name of Yahweh his God, so that the avenger of blood may not do greater harm and destroy my son." "As Yahweh lives," he said, "not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

12 Then the woman said, "Permit your servant to say something else to my lord the king." "Go on," he said. 13 "Why then," the woman said, "has the king - who in making this decision convicts himself - so conspired against God's people by not bringing back home the one he has banished? 14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground that can never be gathered up again, nor does God raise a corpse; let the king make plans then for the one who has been banished not to remain away from him in exile.

15 "Now the reason why I have come to speak about this to my lord the king is because people have frightened me, and your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; perhaps the king will do what his servant asks. 16 For the king will consent to deliver his servant from the hands of the man who would cut us off, myself and my son with me, from God's heritage. 17 May the word of my lord the king,' your servant thought, 'set me at rest. For my lord the king is like the angel of God for discerning good and evil.' May Yahweh your God be with you."

18 Answering her the king said, "Please do not evade the question I am about to ask you." The woman said, "Let my lord the king ask his question." 19 "Is not the hand of Joab behind you in al this?" The king asked. The woman replied, "As surely as you live, my lord king, I cannot get away from the things which my lord the king has said. Yes, it was your servant Joab who asked me to do this; he put all these words into your servant's mouth. 20 Your servant Joab acted in this way to disguise the matter, but my lord has the wisdom of the angel of God; he knows all that takes place on earth."

21 The king then said to Joab, "Very well, the suit is granted. Go and bring the young man Absalom back." 22 Joab fell with his face to the ground, did homage and blessed the king. "M lord king," Joab said, "your servant knows now that he has won your favour, since the king has done what his servant asked." 23 Joab then set off and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 The king, however , said, "Let im retire to his own house; he is not to appear in my presence." So Absalom retired to his house and was not received by the king.

Some details about Absalom

25 In the whole of Israel there was no man who could be praised for his beauty as much as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was not a blemish on him. 26 When he cut the hair of his head - and he would cut it every year; he would cut it then because it grew too heavy for him - he would weigh the hair; two hundred shekels, king's weight. 27 To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter called Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

Absalom obtains his pardon

28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without being received by the king. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. He sent for him a second time, but Joab would not come. 30 So he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine and he has barley in it; go and set fire to it." Absalom's servants set fire to the field. 31 At this, Joab went off to Absalom at his house. "Why," he asked him, "have your servants set fire to the field belonging to me?" 32 Absalom answered Joab, "Look now, I sent word to you to say I wanted you to go to the king with this message, 'Why did I come back from Geshur? Better for me to be there still. Now I wish to be received by the king, and if I am guilty, let him put me to death.'" 33 Joab went to the king and told him this. He then summoned Absalom who went to the king and bowed before him, throwing himself on his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

Absalom's intrigues

15- 1 After this, Absalom procured a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would rise early and stand beside the road leading to the gate; and whenever a man with some lawsuit had to come before the king's court, Absalom would call out to him and ask; "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes in Israel." 3 Then Absalom would say, "Look, your case is sound and just, but there is not one deputy of the king's who will listen to you." 4 Absalom would go on to say, "Oh, who will appoint me judge in the land? Then anyone with a lawsuit or a plea could come to me and I would see he had justice." 5 And whenever anyone came up to do homage to him, he would stretch out his hand and take him and kiss him. 6 Absalom acted in this way with all the Israelites who came to the king for justice, and so Absalom seduced the hearts of the men of Israel.

Absalom's rebellion

7 At the end of four years Absalom said to the king, "Allow me to go to Hebron to fulfill the vow I made Yahweh; 8 for wen I was at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this vow: 'If Yahweh brings me back to Jerusalem,' I said, 'I will offer worship to Yahweh in Hebron.'" 9 The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he set off and went to Hebron.

10 Absalom sent couriers throughout the tribes of Israel saying, "When you hear the trumpet sound you are to say, 'Absalom is king at Hebron!'" 11 With Absalom there went two hundred men from Jerusalem; they were invited guest and came in all innocence, quite unaware. 12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from Giloh his town, and had him with him while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew in strength and Absalom supporters grew in number.

David's flight

13 A messenger came to David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are now with Absalom." 14 So David said to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem, "Let us be off, let us fly, or we shall never escape from Absalom. Leave as quickly as you can in case he mounts a surprise attack and worst us and puts the city to the sword." 15 The king's officers answered, "Whatever my lord the king decides, we are at your service." 16 The king left on foot with all his household, leaving ten concubines to look after the palace. 17 The king left on foot with all the people and stopped at the last house. 18 All his officers stood at his side. All the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, with Ittai and all the six hundred Gittites who had come in his retinue from Gath, marched past the king. 19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "You, why are you coming with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner, an exile too from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday; should I take you wandering today with us, when I do not know myself where I am going? Go back, take your fellow countrymen with you, and may Yahweh show you kindness and faithfulness." 21 But Ittai answered the king, "As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, for death or life, there will be your servant too." 22 So David said to Ittai, "Go then, pass on." And Ittai of Gath passed on with all his men and retinue. 23 All the people wept aloud. The king took his stand in the wadi Kidron, and all the people marched past him toward the wilderness.

The ark leaves the city

24 Zadok was there too and all the Levites carrying the ark of God. They set down the ark of God beside Abiathar until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back to the city. Should I win the favour of Yahweh, he will bring me back and permit me to see it and its dwelling place again. 26 But should he say, 'I take no pleasure in you,' then here I am, let him deal with me as he likes." 27 The king said to Zadok the priest, "Look, you and Abiathar go back in peace to the city, with your two sons, your own son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. 28 I intend to wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you bringing me news." 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.

Hushai undertakes to work for David

30 David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feet bare. And all the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went. 31 Then David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, "Yahweh, turn Ahithophel's counsel to folly."

32 As David reached the summit, where God is worshiped, he saw Hushai the Archite, the companion of David, coming to meet him with his tunic torn and with earth on his head. 33 David said, "If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, MI will be your servant, my lord king; once I was your father's service, but now I will serve you,' you will be able to thwart the counsels of Ahithophel for me. 35 Will not the priest Zadok and Abiathar be with you? Anything you hear from the palace you must report to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. 36 With them, you will find, are their two sons, Zadok's son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar's son Jonathan; through them you are to send me word of all you hear." 37 Hushai, the companion of David, re-entered the city just as Absalom was reaching Jerusalem.

David and Ziba

16- 1 When David had passed a little the summit, Ziba the servant of Meribbaal came to meet him with a pair on donkeys, saddled and laden with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of the season's fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 The king said to Ziba, "What are you going to do with that?" "The donkeys," Ziba replied, "are for the king's family to ride, the bread and the fruits for the soldiers to eat, the wine is for drinking by those who grow weary in the wilderness." 3 And where is your master's son?" The king asked. Ziba answered the king. "Why, he has stayed in Jerusalem because, he says, 'The House of Israel will give me back my father's kingdom today.'" 4 Then the king said to Ziba, "All that Meribbaal owns is now yours." Ziba said, "My homage, lord king! May I deserve your favour!"

Shimei curses David

5 As David was reaching Bahurim, out came a man of the same clan as Saul's family. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he came he uttered curse after curse 6 and threw stones at David and at all the king's officers, though the whole army and all the champions flanked the king right and left. 7 The words of his curse were these, "Be off, be off, man of blood, scoundrel! 8 Yahweh has brought on you all the blood of the House of Saul whose sovereignty you have usurped; and Yahweh has transfered that same sovereignty to Absalom your son. Now your doom has overtaken you, man of blood that you are." 9 Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Is tis dead dog to curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut his head off." 10 But David replied, "What business is it of mine and yours, son of Zeruiah? Let him curse. If Yahweh said to him 'Curse David,' what right has anyone to say, 'Why have you done this?'" 11 David said to Abishai and all the officers, "Why, my own son, sprung from my body, is now seeking my life; so now how much the more this Benjaminite? Let him curse on if Yahweh has told him to. 12 Perhaps Yahweh will look on my misery and repay me with good for his curse today." 13 So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei continued along the mountainside opposite him, cursing as he went, throwing stones and flinging earth. 14 The king and all the people who were with him arrived exhausted at . . . where he refreshed himself.

Hushai with Absalom

15 Absalom entered Jerusalem with all the men of Israel; with him was Ahithophel. 16 When Hushai the Archite, the companion of David, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" 17 "Is this your affection for your friend?" Absalom said to Hushai. "Did you not leave with your friend?" 18 Hushai answered Absalom, "No, I belong to the man whom Yahweh and these people and all the men of Israel have chosen, and on his side I will remain. 19 Besides, whom should I serve, if not his son? As I served your father, so I shall serve you."

Absalom and David's concubines

20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Think carefully. What shall we do?" 21 Ahithophel answered Absalom, "Go to your father's concubines whom he left to look after the palace; then all Israel will hear that you have incurred your father's enmity, and the resolution of all your supporters will be strengthened." 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the housetop and in the sight od all Israel Absalom went to his father's concubines. 23 In those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like an oracle asked from God; and so was all Ahithophel's advice respected, as by David, so by Absalom.

Hushai thwarts Ahithophel's plans

17- 1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men and set off this very night in pursuit of David. 2 I shall fall on him while he is tired and dispirited; I shall strike terror into him, and all the people who are with him will take flight. Then I shall strike down the king alone 3 and bring all the people back to you, as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; the rest of the people will go unharmed." 4 The suggestion appealed to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 "Next call Hushai the Archite," Absalom said. "Let us hear what he too has to say." 6 When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said, "This is what Ahithophel says. Are we to do as he suggested? If not, say something yourself." 7 Hushai answered Absalom, "On this occasion the advice Ahithophel has offered is not good. 8 You know," Hushai went on, "that your father and his men are champions and as angry as a wandering bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is used to warfare; he will not let the army rest during the night. 9 At this very moment he is hiding in a hollow or somewhere else. If at the outset there are casualties among our troops, word will go around of disaster to the army supporting Absalom. 10 And then even the valiant, with a heart like the heart of a lion, will be quite unmanned; for all Israel knows that your father is a champion and that the men with him are valiant. 11 For my part, I offer this advice: let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, muster around you, numerous as the sand on the seashore, with your royal person marching in their midst. 12 We shall come up with him wherever he is to be found; we shall fall on him as the dew falls on the ground, and not leave him or one of the men with him alive. 13 Should he retire into a town, all Israel will bring ropes to that town, and we will drag it into the wadi until not a pebble of it is to be found." 14 Then Absalom and all the people of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel." Yahweh had determined to thwart Ahithophel's shrewd advice and so to bring disaster on Absalom.

15 Hushai then told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Ahithophel gave such and such advice to Absalom and the elders of Israel, but I advised so and so. Now send quickly and tell David this, 'Do not camp in the plains of the wilderness tonight but cross to the other side as fast as you can, or the king and all the army with him will be annihilated.'"

David is warned and crosses the Jordan

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were stationed at the Fuller's spring; a maidservant was to go and warn them and they in turn were to warn King David, for they dared not let themselves be seen entering the town. 18 A young man saw them nonetheless and told Absalom. Then both of them hastily made off and came to the house of a man of Bahurim. In his courtyard was a cistern and they got down in it. 19 The woman took a covering and, spreading it over the mouth of the cistern, scattered crushed grain on it so that nothing showed.

20 Absalom's servant came to the woman in the house and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" "They have gone further on toward the water," the woman answered. They searched, but finding nothing went back to Jerusalem. 21 When they had gone, the men climbed out of the cistern and went to warn King David. "Be on your way," they told David, "and cross the water quickly, for Ahithophel has given such and such advice about you." 22 So David and all the troops with him set off and crossed the Jordan. By dawn no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set off and went home to his own town. Then having set his house in order, he strangled himself and so died. He was buried in his father's tomb.

Absalom crosses the Jordan. David at Mahanaim

24 David had reached Mahanaim crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Absalom had put Amasa in command of the army in place of Joab. This Amasa was the son of a man called Ithra the Ishmaelite, who har married Abigail the daughter of Jesse and sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. 26 Israel and Absalom pitched camp in the land of Gilead.

27 When David reached Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28 brought mattresses, rugs, bowls and crockery, wheat, barley, meal, roasted grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, curds and cheese, sheep and oxen, which they presented to David and the people with him for them to eat. "The army," they said, "has been hungry and tired and thirsty in the wilderness."

The defeat of Absalom's party

18- 1 David reviewed the troops that were with him, and appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds to lead them. 2 David divided the army into three groups, one under the command of Joab, another under the command of Abishai son of Zuriah, Joab's brother, and the third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. Then David said to the troops, "I too will marche with you in person." 3 But the troops replied, "You must not go. If we are routed, they will not give us a thought; and if half of us die, they will not give us a thought; but you are the equal of ten thousand of us. Besides it is better for you to be ready to reinforce us from the town." 4 David said, "I will do as you think best." And the king stood by the gate as the troops marched out by their hundreds and their thousands. 5 The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai and Ittai, "For my sake treat Absalom gently." And all the troops heard that the king had given orders about Absalom to all the commanders. 6 So the troops marched out to take the field against Israel, and battle was joined in the Forest od Ephraim. 7 There Israel's army was beaten by David's followers; it was a great defeat that day, with twenty thousand casualties. 8 The fighting spread throughout the region and, of the troops, the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.

The death of Absalom

9 Absalom happened to run into some of David's followers. Absalom was riding a mule and the mule passed under the thick branches of a great oak. Absalom's head caught fast in the oak and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule he was riding went on. 10 Someone saw this and told Joab. "I have just seen Absalom," he said, "Hanging from an oak." 11 Joab said to the man who told him, "If you saw him, why did you not strike him to the ground then and there? I would have taken it on myself to give you ten silver shekels and a belt too." 12 But the man answered Joab, "Even were I to feel the weight of a thousand silver shekels in my hand, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. In our own hearing the king gave you and Abishai and Ittai these orders, 'For my sake spare young Absalom.' 13 Had I acted treacherously, thus endangering my life, nothing is hidden from the king, and you yourself would have stood by idle." 14 Then Joab said, "I cannot waste my time with you like this." And he took three lances in his hand and thrust them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive there in the oak tree. 15 Then ten soldiers, Joab's armour-bearers, stepped forward, cut Absalom down and finished him off.

16 Then Joab had the trumpet sounded and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab held the troops back. 17 They took Absalom, flung him into a deep pit in the forest and reared a great cairn over him. All the Israelites had fled, each man to his tent.

18 Now Absalom during his lifetime had undertaken the erection of the pillar to himself which is in the Valley of the King. "I have no son," he said, "to preserve the memory of my name." So he had given the pillar his name, and it is called to this day the Pillar of Absalom

The news is brought to David

19 Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "I must run and tell the good news to the king that Yahweh has vindicated his cause by ridding him of his enemies." 20 But Joab said, "Today you would be no bearer of good news, some other day you will be; but today you would not be bringing good news, for the king's son is dead." 21 Then Jab said to the Cushite, "Go and tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran off. 22 But Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted. "Come what way," he said to Joab, "I must myself run after the Cushite." "My son," Joab said, "why run? You will get no reward for your news." 23 But he replied, "Come what may, I am going to run." "Then run," Joab said. And Ahimaaz set off to run by way of the plain and passed the Cushite.

24 David was sitting between the two gates. The lookout had gone up to the roof of the gate, on the ramparts; he looked up and saw a man running all by himself. 25 The watch called out to the king and told him. The king said, "If he is by himself, he has good news to tell." As the man drew still nearer, 26 the watch saw another man running, and the watch who was on top of the gate called out, "Here comes another man running by himself." David said, "He too is a bearer of good news." 27 The watchman said, "I recognize the way the first man runs; Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs like that." "He is a good man," the king said, "and he comes with good news."

28 Ahimaaz approached the king. "All hail!" he said, and bowed down before the king with his face to the earth. "Blessed be Yahweh your God," he said, "who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king!" 29 "Is all well with young Absalom?" The king asked, Ahimaaz replied, "I saw there was a great uproar when Joab despatched your servant, but I do not know what it was." 30 The king said, "Move aside and stand there." He moved aside and stood waiting.

31 Then the Cushite arrived. "Good news for my lord the king!" Cried the Cushite. "Yahweh has vindicated your cause today by ridding you of all who rebelled against you." 32 "Is all well with young Absalom?" The king asked the Cushite. "May the enemies of my lord the king," the Cushite answered, "and all who rebelled against you to your hurt, share the lot of that young man."

David mourns for Absalom

19- 1 The king shuddered. He went up to the room over the gate and burst into tears, and weeping said, "My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! Would I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!" 2 Word was brought to Joab, "The king is now weeping and mourning for Absalom." 3 And the day's victory was turned to mourning for all the troops, because they learned that the king was grieving for his son. 4 And the troops returned stealthily that day to the town, as troops creep back when routed in battle. 5 The king had veiled his face and was crying aloud, "My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"

6 Then Joab went indoors to the king. "Today," he said, "you are covering the faces of all your servants with shame when they have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives too and your concubines, 7 all because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you have made it plain that commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you, be pleased. 8 Now get up, come out and reassure your soldiers, for if you do not come and swear by Yahweh not one man will stay with you tonight; and this will be worse misfortune for you than all that has happened to you from your youth until now." 9 So the king rose and took his seat at the gate. All the troops soon heard the news: "The king," they say, "Has taken his seat at the gate. All the whole army assembled in front of the king.

Preparations for David's return

Israel had fled, each man to his tent. 10 Throughout the tribes of Israel all were quarrelling. "The king," they said, "Delivered us from the power of our enemies, he saved us from the hands of the Philistines, and now himself has had to flee the country to escape from Absalom; 11 While Absalom, whom we had anointed to reign over us, has now died in battle. So now why not do something about bringing the king back?"

12 Word of what was being said throughout Israel reached the king. Then King David sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king home? 13 You are my brothers, you are my own flesh and blood, why should you be the last to bring the king back?' 14 Say to Amasa too, 'Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God do this to me and more, if you are not my army commander from now on in place of Joab.'" 15 Then all the men of Judah were won over as one man, sending word to the king, "Come back, you and all who serve you."

Episodes connected with David's return: Shimei

16 So the king turned about and reached the Jordan. Judah, coming to meet the king to escort the king across the Jordan, had arrived at Gilgal. 17 Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 18 With him were a thousand men from Benjamin. Ziba, the servant of the House of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, arrived at the Jordan before the king 19 and worked manfully ferrying the king's family across and doing whatever he wanted.

20 While the king was crossing the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera fell at his feet and said to the king, "Let not my lord hold me guilty. Do not remember the wrong your servant did, the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Put it out of your mind. 21 For your servant admits that he has sinned, and here I am today, first of all the House of Joseph to come and meet my lord the king." 22 Then Ahishai son of Zuriah spoke out. "Does nor Shimei deserve death for cursing Yahweh's anointed?" 23 But David said, "What is there between me and you, sons of Zuriah, for you to be my enemies today? On such a day, could anyone in Israel be put to death? Today I know for sure that I am king over Israel. 24 Your life is spared," the king said. And the king gave him his oath.

Meribbaal

25 Meribbaal son of Saul had also gone down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet and hands, he had neither trimmed his mustache nor washed his clothes from the day the king left to the day he came back in peace. 26 When he arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, "Why did you not come with me, Meribbaal?" 27 My lord king," he answered, "my servant deceived me. Your servant said to him, 'Saddle my donkey; I shall ride it and go with the king,' for the servant is lame. 28 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do as you think right. 29 For all my father's family earned no better than death from the hands of my lord the king, and yet you have admitted your servant among those who eat at your table. What right have I to make further appeal to the king?" 30 The king said, "Why say no more? I rule that you and Ziba are to share the property." 31 Let him take it all," Meribbaal said to the king, "since my lord the king has come home in peace."

Barzillai

32 Barzillai the Gileadite, too, had gone down from Rogelim and had stayed with the king to escort him as far as the Jordan. 33 Barzillai was a man of great age; he was eighty years old. He had kept the king in provisions during his stay at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. 34 "Come with me," the king said to Barzillai, "and I will provide for your old age in Jerusalem with me." 35 But Barzillai answered the king, "How many years have I left to live, for me to go up to Jerusalem with the king? 36 I am eighty years old now; can I tell good from bad? Has your servant any taste for his food and drink? Can I still hear the voice of men and women singers? Why should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? 37 Your servant will just cross the Jordan with the king; why should the king grant me such reward? 38 Allow your servant to go back to die in my own town near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go with my lord the king; treat him as you think right." 39 The king said, "Let Chimham go with me then; I will do things for him that will please you, and anything you request I will do for him for your sake." 40 All the people then crossed the Jordan and the king crossed too; he kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and the latter returned to his home.

Judah and Israel dispute over the king

41 The king went on to Gilgal and Chimham stayed with him. All the people of Judah accompanied the king and half the people of Israel too. 42 Then all the men of Israel came to the king. "Why," they asked the king, "have our brothers, the men of Judah, carried you off and brought the king and his family across the Jordan, and David's men with him?" 43 All the men of Judah retorted to the men of Israel, "Because the king is more closely related to us. Why do you take offense at this? Have we eaten at the king's expense or levied portions for ourselves?" 44 The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king. We are your elder too. Why have you despised us then. Were we not the first to speak of bringing back the king?" But the language of the men of Judah was more vehement than that of the men of Israel.

The revolt of Sheba

20- 1 Now there happened to be a scoundrel there called Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, who sounded the trumpet and cried:

"We have no share in David,

we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.

Every man to his tents, Israel!"

2 At this all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king on his way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 So David came to his palace at Jerusalem. He took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and had them put under guard. He provided for their upkeep but never went to them again; they were shut away until the day they died, widows, as it were, of a living man.

The assassination of Amasa

4 The king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me, and be here yourself within three days." 5 Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the time David had fixed. 6 David then said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bichri is more dangerous to us than ever Absalom was, so take your master's guards and be after him, or he may reach fortified towns and elude us." 7 Behind Abishai marched Joab, the Cherethites, the Pelethites and all the champions, marching from Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri. 8 They were near the great stone at Gibeon when Amasa came face to face with them. Joab was wearing his uniform, over which he had buckled on a sword hanging from his waist in its scabbard; the sword came out and fell. 9 Joab said to Amasa, "Are you well, my brother?" And with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss him.10 Amasa paid no attention to the sword Joab was holding, and Joab struck him with it in the belly and spilled his entrails on the ground. He did not need to strike a second blow; and so Amasa died. Joab and Abishai hurried on in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

11 One of Joab's soldiers stood on guard beside Amasa. "Whoever is on Joab's side," he said, "whoever is for David, let him follow Joab." 12 Meanwhile Amasa lay in the middle of the road in pools of blood. Seeing that everyone was stopping, the man dragged Amasa off the road into the field and threw a cloak over him, because he saw that everyone stopped on reaching him. 13 When Amasa had been taken off the road, the men all went their way, following Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

The rebellion ends

14 The latter went all through the tribes as far as Abel of Beth-maacah and all the Bichrites . . . They mustered and went after him. 15 Besieging him in Abel of Beth-maacah, the threw up earthworks against the city. 16 As all the troops who were with Joab were sapping the wall to bring it down, a quick-witted woman stood on the outer wall and shouted from the town, "Listen! Listen! Say to Joab, 'Come here, I want to speak to you.'" 17 He came forward and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said to him, "Listen to what your servant says." "I am listening," he replied. 18 Then she spoke. "In olden days," she said, "they used to say, 'Let them ask in Abel and in Dan if all is over 19 with what Israel's faithful ones have laid down.' Yet you are trying to destroy a town, yes a mother city, in Israel. Why do you wish to devour the heritage of Yahweh?" 20 "Far, far be it from me," Joab said. "I neither wish to devour nor destroy. 21 This is not the issue; but a man of the highlands of Ephraim called Sheba son of Bichri has revolted against the king, against David. Hand that one over and I will raise the siege of the town." "Very well," the woman said to Joab, "his head shall be thrown over the wall to you." 22 The woman went back into the town and spoke to all the people as her intelligence dictated. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it down to Joab. He had the trumpet sounded and they withdrew from the town, each man to his tents. Joab himself returned to the king in Jerusalem.

David's officials

23 Joab commanded the whole army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoram was in charge of forced labour; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva, secretary; Zadok and Abiathar, priests, Ira the Jairite was also a priest of David.

The great famine and the execution of Saul's descendants

21- 1 In the time of David there was a famine lasting for three whole years. David consulted Yahweh, and Yahweh said, "There is blood on Saul and his family because he put the Gibeonites to death." 2 The king then summoned the Gibeonites and said to them - now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, they were a remnant of the Amorites to whom the Israelites had bound themselves by oath; but Saul in his zeal for the Israelites and for Judah had tried to crush them - 3 "What must I do for you?" David therefore asked the Gibeonites, "how make amends, for you to call down the blessing on the heritage of Yahweh?" 4 The Gibeonites answered, "It is no mere matter of silver or gold between ourselves and Saul and his family; nor is it for us to have any man in Israel put to death." David said, "Say what you want and I will do it for you." 5 So they told the king. "It is about the man who decimated us and planned to annihilate us so that we should no longer exist anywhere in Israelite territory. 6 Let seven of his sons be handed over to us, for us to impale them before Yahweh at Gibeon on the mountain of Yahweh." "I will hand them over," the king said. 7 The king spared Meribbaal son of Jonathan, son of Saul, on account of the oath by Yahweh that bounded them together, David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 But the king took the two sons tah Rizpah the daughter of Aiah had born Saul, Armoni and Meribbaal; also the five sons that Merab the daughter of Saul had borne Adriel son ao Barzillai, of Meholah. 9 He handed these over to the Gibeonites who impaled them on the mountain before Yahweh. The seven of them perished together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it over herself on the rock from the beginning of the barley harvest until the rain fell from the sky on them; she did not allow the birds of heaven to come at them by day nor the wild beasts by night. 11 David was told whay Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine, had done. 12 avid went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the chief men of Jabesh-gilead. These had stolen them from the square in Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung them when the Philistines had defeated Saul at Gibea. 13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there and put them together with the bones of those who had been impaled. 14 They buried the bones of Saul, of his son Jonathan, and of those who had been impaled, in the land of Benjamin at Zela in the tomb of Saul's father, Kish. They did all that the king ordered; and after that, God took pity on the country.

Various exploits against the Philistines

15 Once again the Philistines made war on Israel. David went down with his guards; they pitched camp at Gob and fought the Philistines. Then there arose Dodo 16 son of Joash, a descendant of Rapha. His spear weighted three hundred shekels of bronze; he was wearing a new sword and was confident he could kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah went to his rescue; he struck down the Philistine and killed him. It was then that David's men urged him, "You must never again go into battle with us," they said, "in case you put out the lamp of Israel."

18 After this, war with the Philistines broke out at Gob again. This was when Sibecai of Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of Rapha.

19 Again war with the Philistines broke at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed Goliath of Gath, the shaft of whose spear was lie a weaver's beam. 20 There was another battle at Gath, where there was a man of huge stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He too was a descendant of Rapha. 21 Jonathan, son of David's brother, Shimeah, killed him when he defied Israel.

22 These four were descendants from Rapha of Gath and fell at the hands of David and his guards.

A psalm of David

22- 1 David addressed the words of this song to Yahweh when Yahweh had delivered him from all his enemies and from the hands of Saul. 2 He said:

Yahweh is my rock and my bastion,

3 my deliverer is my God.

I take refuge in him, my rock,

my shield, my horn of salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge.

From violence you rescue me.

4 He is to be praised; on Yahweh I call

and am saved from my enemies.

5 The waves of death encircled me,

the torrents of Belial burst on me;

6 the cords of Sheol girdled me,

the snares of death were before me.

7 In my distress I called to Yahweh

and to my God I cried;

from his temple he heard my voice,

my cry came to his ears.

8 Then the earth quivered and quaked,

the foundations of the heavens trembled

(They quivered because he was angry);

9 from his nostrils a smoke ascended,

and from his mouth a fire that consumed

(live embers were kindled at it).

10 He bent the heavens and came down,

a dark cloud under his feet;

11 he mounted a cherub and flew,

and soared on the wings of the wind.

12 Darkness he made a veil to surround him,

his tent a watery darkness, dense cloud;

13 before im a flash enkindled

hail and fiery embers.

14 Yahweh thundered from heaven,

the Most High made his voice heard;

15 he let his arrows fly and scattered them,

launched the lightnings and routed them.

16 The bed of the seas was revealed,

the foundations of the world were laid bare

at Yahweh's muttered threat,

at the blast of his nostrils' breath.

17 He sends from on high and takes me,

he draws me from deep waters,

18 he delivers me from my powerful enemy,

From foes too strong for me.

19 They assailed me on my day of disaster,

but Yahweh was my support;

20 he freed me, set me at large,

he rescued me, since he loves me.

21 Yahweh requites me as I act justly,

as my hands are pure so he repays me,

22 since I have kept the ways of Yahweh,

and not fallen from my God.

23 His judgments are all before me,

his statutes I have not put from me;

24 I am blameless in his presence,

I keep sin at arm's length.

25 And Yahweh repays me as I act justly,

as my purity is in his sight.

26 Faithful you are with the faithful,

Blameless with the blameless,

27 pure with the one who is pure,

but drafty with the devious,

28 you save a people that is humble

and humiliate eyes that are haughty.

29 Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp,

my God lights up my darkness;

30 with you I storm the barbican,

with my God I leap the rampart.

31 This God, his way is blameless,

the word of Yahweh is without dross.

He it is who is the shield

of all who take refuge in him.

32 Who else is God but Yahweh.

Who else a rock save our God?

33 This God who girds me with strength

and makes my way without blame,

34 who makes my feet like the hinds'

And holds me from falling on the heights,

35 who trains my hands for battle,

my arms to bend a bow of bronze.

36 You give me your saving shield

and your armour covers me over.

37 Wide room you have made for my steps under me;

my feet have never faltered.

38 I pursue my enemies and destroy them,

nor turn back till an end is made of them;

39 I strike them down, and they do not rise,

they fall, they are under my feet.

40 You have girt me with strength for the flight,

bent down my assailants beneath me,

41 made my enemies turn their back to me;

and those who hate me I destroy.

42 They cry out, there is no one to save,

to Yahweh, but there is no reply;

43 I crush them fine as the dust of the squares,

trample them like the mud of the streets.

44 You deliver me from a people in revolt,

you place me at the head of the nations,

a people I did not know are now my servants,

45 foreigners come wooing my favour,

no sooner do they hear than they obey me,

46 foreigners grow faint of heart,

they come trembling out of their fastnesses.

47 Life to Yahweh! Blessed be my rock!

Exalted be the God of my salvation,

48 the God who gives me vengeance

and crushes the peoples beneath me,

49 who rescues me from my enemies.

You lift me high above those who attack me,

you deliver me from the man of violence.

50 or this I will praise you, Yahweh, among the heathen,

and sing praise to your name.

51 His king he saves and saves again,

displays his love for his anointed,

for David and his heirs for ever.

The last words of David

23- 1 These are the last words of David:

Oracle of David son of Jesse,

oracle of the man raised to eminence,

the anointed of the God of Jacob,

the singer of the songs of Israel.

2 The spirit of Yahweh speaks though me,

his word is on my tongue;

3 the God of Jacob has spoken,

the Rock of Israel has said to me:

He who rules men with justice,

who rules in the fear of God,

4 is like morning light at sunrise

(On a cloudless morning)

Making the grass of the earth sparkle after rain.

5 Yes, my House stands firm with God:

he has made an everlasting covenant with me,

all in order, well assured;

does he not bring to flower all that saves me, all I desire?

6 But godless men are all like desert thorns,

for these are never gathered by hand:

7 no one touches them

unless with iron or the shaft of a spear,

and then they are burned in the fire.

David's champions

8 These are the names of David's champions: Ishbaal the Hachmonite, leader of three; it was he who wielded his battle-ax against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. 9 After him there was Eleazar son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three champions. He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines mustered for battle there and the men of Israel retreated before them.10 But he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines until his hand was so numb that it stuck to the sword. Yahweh brought about a great victory that day, and though the army rallied behind Eleazar it was only to plunder. 11 After him there was Shamma son of Elah, the Hararite. The Philistines had mustered at Lehi. There was a field full of lentils there; the army took flight before the Philistines, 12 but he positioned himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh brought about a great victory.

13 Three out of thirty went down at the beginning of the harvest and came to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of the Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and there was a Philistine garrison in Bethlehem. 15 "Oh," David sighed, "if someone would fetch me a drink of water from the well that stands by the gate at Bethlehem!" 16 At this the three champions, forcing their way through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well that stands by the gate of Bethlehem, and bringing it away presented it to David. But he would drink none of it and poured it out as a libation to Yahweh. 17 "Yahweh keep me," he said, "from drinking this! This is the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives." And so he would not drink. Such were the deeds of the three champions.

18 Abishai, the brother of Joab nd son of Zeruiah, was leader of the thirty. It was he who wielded his spear against three hundred whom he killed, winning himself a name among the thirty. 19 He was more famous than the thirty and became their captain, but he was no rival for the three.

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a hero from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits, struck down the two champions of Moab and, one snowy day, went down and killed the lion in the cistern. 21 He was also the man who killed an Egyptian of great stature. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down against him with a staff, tore the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed the man with it. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, winning him a name among the thirty champions. 23 He was more famous than the thirty, but he was no rival for the three. David put him in command of his bodyguard.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty;

Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bbethlehem;

25 Shammah from Harod;

Elika from Harod;

26 Helez from Beth-pelet;

Ira son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa;

27 Abiezer from Anathoth;

Sibbecai from Hushah;

28 Zalmon from Ahoh;

Maharai from Netophah;

29 Held son of Baanah, from Netophah;

Ittai son of Ribai, from Gibeah of Benjamin;

30 Benaiah from Pirathon;

Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash;

31 Abialbon from Beth-arabah;

Azmaveth from Bahurim;

32 Eliahba from Shaalbon;

Jashen from Gimzo;

Jonathan 33 son of Shammah, from Hazar;

Ahiam son of Sharar, from Harar;

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai, from Beth-maacah;

Eliam son of Ahithophel, from Gilo;

35 Hezro from Carmel;

Paari from Arab;

36 Igal son of Nathan, from Zobah;

Bani the Gadite;

37 Zelek the Ammonite;

Naharai, from Beeroth, armour-bearer to Joab son of Zeruiah;

38 Ira from Jattir;

Gareb from Jattir;

39 Uriah the Hittite -

thirty-seven in all.

The census

24- 1 The anger of Yahweh once again blazed out against the Israelites and he incited David against them. "Go," he said, "take a census of Israel and Judah." 2 The king said to Joab and to the senior army officers who were with him, "Now go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population." 3 Joab said to the king, "May Yahweh your God multiply the people a hundred times while my lord the king still has eyes to see it, but why my lord the king be so set on this?" 4 But the king enforced his order on Joab and the senior officers, and Joab and the senior officers went from the king's presence to take a census of the people of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan and made a start with Aroer and the town that is in the middle of the wadi, moving on to the Gadites and toward Jazer. 6 They then went to Gilead and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; neat they went on to Dan and from Dan made their way around toward Sidon. 7 They then came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites, ending up in the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba. 8 Having covered the whole country, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab gave the king the figures for the census of the people; Israel numbered eight hundred thousand armed men capable of drawing sword, and Judah five hundred thousand men.

The pestilence. God's forgiveness

10 But afterward David's heart misgave him for having taken the census of the people. "I have committed a grave sin," David said to Yahweh. "But now, Yahweh, I beg you to forgive your servant for his fault. I have been very foolish." 11 But when David got up next morning, the following message had come from Yahweh to the prophet Gad, David's seer. 12 "Go and say to David, 'Yahweh says this: I offer you three things; choose one of them for me to do to you.'"

13 So Gad went to David and told him. "Are three years of famine to come on your country," he said, "or will you flee three months before your pursuing enemy, or would you rather have three days' pestilence in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me." 14 David said to Gad, "This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of Yahweh, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men." 15 So David chose pestilence.

It was the time of the wheat harvest. Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning till the time appointed and the plague ravaged the people, and from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of them died. 16 The angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but Yahweh thought better of this evil, and said to the angel who was destroying the people. "Enough! Now withdraw your hand." The angel of Yahweh was beside the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he spoke to Yahweh. "It was I who sinned," he said, "I who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then, and on my family."

An altar is built

18 Gad went to David that day and said, "Go up and erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 19 So at Gad's bidding David went up as Yahweh had ordered him. 20 When Araunah looked down and saw the king and his officers advancing toward him - he came forward and with his face to the ground did the king homage. 21 Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" Araunah asked. David answered, "To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to Yahweh, so that the plague may leave the people." 22 "Let my lord the king take it," Araunah said to David, "and offer up what he thinks right. Here are the oxen for the holocaust, the threshing sled and the oxen's yoke for the wood. 23 The servant of my lord the king gives all this to the king. And," Araunah said to the king, "may Yahweh your God accept your offering."

24 But the king said to Araunah, "No, I must pay you money for it; I will not offer Yahweh my God holocausts that have cost me nothing." So David paid fifty shekels in silver for the threshing floor and oxen. 25 David built an altar to Yahweh there and offered holocausts and communion sacrifices. Then Yahweh took pity on the country and the plague was turned away from Israel.