Jonathan perceived that he still wished for David's death, and had determined to kill him. Therefore he went forth to the place where David was hidden, and told him to flee away and escape from his father; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another. Then Jonathan sent David away; and he returned himself to Saul his father.

When David had fled forth again from Saul, he went to Ahimelech the high priest, who dwelt at Nob, a city in the land of the tribe of Benjamin, which belonged to the Levites; for the tabernacle of God was there at this time. And David told Ahimelech that he had been sent forth in haste on the king's business; and he asked him to give him five loaves of bread. Then Ahimelech said that he had no common bread, but only the hallowed bread-the loaves of the shew-bread, which had been placed on the golden table in the tabernacle of the Lord. And when Ahimelech knew that David and the young men that were with him were holy, and saw that there was a great necessity, he gave them some of the shew-bread

which had been removed from before the Lord, which according to the law none might eat, except the priests. Then David asked Ahimelech if he had a spear or sword with him; for he said, that he had not brought with him his sword or his weapons, because the king's business required haste. And Ahimelech told David that he had with him the sword of Goliath of Gath, whom David had slain and he said, "If thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it me."

So David took the sword of Goliath; and he fled away for fear of Saul, to the king of Gath, a city of the Philistines. But when he perceived that the men of Gath knew that it was he who had slain so many of their countrymen, he was afraid, and he fled away from Gath to a cave near Adullam in the land of Judah. And when his brethren and all his father's house heard that he was there, they went down to him. And all who were distressed or discontented went there also, and David became a captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men.

K

At this time David wrote the thirty-fourth psalm, to praise and bless the Lord who had brought him safely from the midst of his enemies to Adullam in the land of Judah.

When Saul heard that David had escaped from him, and that a company of men followed him, he was very wroth with his servants because they had suffered David to escape. Then Doeg, an Edomite, who was the chief of Saul's herdsmen, said that he had seen David at Nob, and that Ahimelech had given him food, and also the sword of Goliath.

Then Saul sent for Ahimelech the high priest, and all his father's house. And when they had come, he said that Ahimelech and all his house should die, because he had given bread and a sword to David. And he commanded his guards to slay Ahimelech, his sons, and his brethren. But the soldiers of Saul would not put forth their hand against the priests of the Lord. Then Saul said to Doeg the Edomite, "Turn thou and fall upon the priests." And Doeg the Edomite, who was a heathen, fell upon

the priests, and slew on that day Ahimelech and eighty-four priests of the family of Eli; and afterwards he slew all the families of the priests who dwelt at Nob. But one of the sons of Ahimelech, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David, and remained with him.

1 Samuel xx. xxi. xxii.

Chapter CXV.

THE WANDERINGS OF DAVID WHILE PURSUED BY SAUL.

WHILE David was at Adullam, in the land of Judah, with the men who followed him, it was told him that the Philistines had come up against Keilah, a city of Judah. Then he inquired of the Lord whether it was His will that he should lead his men to fight against the Philistines, the enemies of Israel; and the Lord bade him go. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech whom Saul had slain, was now the high priest, and David inquired of the Lord by him. Then David went

forth against the Philistines, and slew them with great slaughter, and delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

When Saul heard that David was at Keilah, he called together his men of war, and went forth to besiege that place, and take David. But the Lord warned David that the men of Keilah would deliver him up to Saul. Therefore he escaped forth from their city, and he went and dwelt in the wild and uninhabited country of the land of Judah, among the mountains and strongholds in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought for him continually; but the Lord preserved David his servant from the hand of the wicked king of Israel.

While David was in the wilderness of Ziph, Jonathan went forth to meet him there, that he might see him, and comfort him in his trials. And he said to David, "Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee: and that also Saul my father knoweth." And there again they made a covenant