17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? and David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.

CHAP. XXVII.

AND David said in his heart, shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

g2 And David arose, and he passed
over with the six hundred men that
were with him unto Achish, the son
of Maoch, king of Gath.
f 3 And David dwelt with Achish
at Gath, he and his men, every man
with his household, even David with
his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreel-
itess, and Abigail the Carmelitess,
Nabal's wife.

4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD for the king of Israel 5¶ And David said unto Achish, is come out to seek a flea, as when If I have now found grace in thine one doth hunt a partridge in the eyes, let the give me a place in mountains. some town in the country, that I f 21 Then said Saul, I have sin-may dwell there: for why should thy ned: return, my son David: for I servant dwell in the royal city with will no more do thee harm, because thee? my soul was precious in thine eyes 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag this day behold, I have played the that day: wherefore Ziklag perfool, and have erred exceedingly. taineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The LORD render to every g 8 And David and his men went man his righteousness and his faith-up, and invaded the Geshurites, and fulness for the LORD delivered thee the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: into my hand to-day, but I would not for those nations were of old the instretch forth my hand against the habitants of the land, as thou goest LORD'S anointed. to Shur, even unto the, land of Egypt.

24 And behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

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

9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the

Jerahmeclites, and against the south | came to the woman by night and

of the Kenites.

11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. CHAP. XXVIII.

he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.

f 9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he bath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth,

AND it came to in those there shall no punishment happen to

days, that the Philistines gathered their arinies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men. 2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever. f3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

thee for this thing.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. D 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, say. ing, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

m 13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

D 14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is cog4 And the Philistines gathered vered with a mantle. And Saul themselves together, and came and perceived that it was Samuel, and he pitched in Shunem: and Saul ga-stooped with his face to the ground, thered all Israel together, and they and bowed himself. pitched in Gilboa.

5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that bath a familiar spirit at En-dor.

8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they

f 15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? and Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

r 17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of

thy hand, and given it to thy neigh-passed on by hundreds, and by bour, eren to David: thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

10 Wherefore now rise up early hundred men that were with him, in the morning with thy master's and came to the brook Besor, where servants that are come with thee: those that were left behind stayed. and as soon as ye be up early in the f morning, and have light, depart. g 11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

f 11 T And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he AND it came to pass, when did eat; and they made him drink

CHAP. XXX.

David and his men were water;

12 And they gave him a piece of

come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded a cake of figs, and two clusters of the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives that were therein; they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell

3 So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were sick. taken captives.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

g14 We made an invasion upon 4 Then David and the people the south of the Cherethites, and that were with him lifted up their upon the coast which belongeth to voice and wept, until they had no Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; more power to weep. and we burned Ziklag with fire. f 15 And David said unto him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. f 16 T And when he had brought him down, behold they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

e 6 And David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons, and for his daughters: But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

d 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

r8 And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him. Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

f 9 So David went, he and the six

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.'"

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

g 29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,

a 19 And there was nothing lack- Siphmoth, and to them which were ing to them, neither small nor great, in Eshtemoa, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. 20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said,g 30 And to them which were in This is David's spoil. Hormah, and to them which were in f21 ¶ And David came to the Chor-ashan, and to them which were two hundred men, which were so in Athach.

faint that they could not follow Dag 31 And to them which were in vid, whom they had made also to Hebron, and to all the places where abide at the brook Besor: and they David himself and his men were went forth to meet David, and to wont to haunt. meet the people that were with him: And when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

g

CHAP. XXXI. TOW the Philistines fought against Israel and the men c 22 Then answered all the wicked of Israel fled from before the Philismen, and men of Belial, of those tines, and fell down slain in mount that went with David, and said, Be- Gilboa.

cause they went not with us, wef 2 And the Philistines followed will not give them aught of the spoil hard upon Saul and upon his sons; that we have recovered, save to and the Philistines slew Jonathan, every man his wife and his children, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, that they may lead them away, and Saul's sons. depart. 3 And the battle went sore against c 23 Then said David, Ye shall Saul, and the archers hit him; and not do so, my brethren, with that he was sore wounded of the archers. which the LORD hath given us, whef 4 Then said Saul unto his armourhath preserved us, and delivered bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust the company that came against us me through therewith; lest these into our hand.

24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

f26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you, of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD:

g 27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,

g

uncircumcised 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.

5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7¶ And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines I came and dwelt in them.

28 And to them which were in! 8 And it came to pass on the Aroer, and to them which were in morrow, when the Philistines came