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day, and behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; 13 The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan : but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25 And David's place was empty: 26 Nevertheless, Saul spake not any thing that day. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor to day? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me, to go to Bethlehem: 29 And he said, Let me go, i pray thee, for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there. 30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother? 31 Fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

34 So Jonathan arose from the table, for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. 35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field, at the time appointed with David. 41 And David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times:

1 Sam. and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peaće, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose

and departed and Jonathan went into the city.

CHAP. XXIV. David spareth Saul.

AND it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, 3 He came to the sheep-cotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto 'my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul: but Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

9 And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10 Behold this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord delivered thee to day into

mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee, but mine eye spared thee, and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. 12 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. 15 The Lord, therefore, be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. 16 And it came to pass when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil, 18 And thou has shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away ? Wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. 20 And now behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

CHAP. XXXI. Saul's death.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul, and upon his sons and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishuah, Saul's sons. 4 Then said Saul unto his armour-bearer, draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these un

circumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 7 And when the men of Israel saw that Saul and his sons were dead, they for. sook the cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

II. SAMUEL.

CHAP. I. David's Lamentation.

2 IT came to pass, that behold, a mari came out of the camp to David. 3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I'escaped. 4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son. 19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 24 Ye

daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

CHAP. V. David overcometh the Philistines.

THEN came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 10 And David went on, and grew great; and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 19 And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine, hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up; for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters.

CHAP. VI. David bringeth back the Ark.

AGAIN, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with

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