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Abimelech relieveth David. than cried after the lad, and faid, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

Saul feeketh to kill Jonathan. 1. SAMUEL. to the place where thou didst hide thy felf when the bufinefs was in hand, and shalt remain by the ftone Ezel.

20 And I will thoot three arrows on the fide thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

21 And, behold, I will fend a lad, faying, Go, find out the arrows. If I exprefsly fay unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this fide of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt, as the

LORD liveth.

22 But if I fay thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way for the LORD hath sent thee away.

23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have fpoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was fome, the king fat

him down to eat meat.

25 And the king fat upon his feat, as at other times, even upon a feat by the wall: and Jonathan arofe, and Abner fat by Saul's file, and David's place was empty.

26 Nevertheless, Saul fpake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him: he is not clean; furely he is not clean.

27 And it came to pafs on the morrow, which was the fecond day of the month, that David's place was empty; and Saul faid unto Jonathan his fon, Wherefore cometh not the fon of Jeffe to meat, neither yesterday nor to-day?

28 And Jonathan anfwered Saul, David earneftly asked leave of me to go to Beth. lehem :

29 And he faid, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a facrifice in the city, and my brother he hath commanded me to be there; and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and fee my brethren: therefore he cometh not unto the king's table!

30 Then Saul's anger was kindled againft Jonathan, and he faid unto him, Thou fon of the perverfe rebellious woman, do not I know that thou haft chofen the fon of Jeffe to thine own confufion, and unto the confufion of thy mother's nakedness?

31 For as long as the fon of Jeffe liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be eftablished, nor thy kingdom: wherefore now fend and fetch him unto me, for he fhall furely die.

32 And Jonathan anfwered Saul his father, and faid unto him, Wherefore fhail he be flain? What hath he done?

33 And Saul caft a javelin at him to fmite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to flay David.

34 So Jonathan arofe from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the fecond day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him fhame.

35 And it came to pafs in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field, at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

36 And he faid unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I fhoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, fona.

fpeed, haffe, ftay not.
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make
And Jonathan's lad
gathered up the arrows, and came to his

mafter.

nathan and David knew the matter.
39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jo

his lad, and faid unto him, Go, carry them to
40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto
the city.

vid arofe out of a place toward the fouth, and 41 And as foon as the lad was gone, Da. fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times; and they kiffed one another, and wept one with another, until

David exceeded.

peace, forafmuch as we have fworn both of
42 And Jonathan faid to David, Go in
us in the name of the LORD, faying, The
LORD be between me and thee, and between
my feed and thy feed for ever.
and departed: and Jonathan went into the
And he arofe
city.

CHAP. XXI.

1 David, at Nob, obtaineth of Abimelech bal lowed bread: 8 he taketh Goliath's fword, 10 and at Gath feigneth himself mad.

THE

HEN came David to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and faid unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 And David faid unto Ahimelech the prieft, The king hath commanded me a bufi. nefs, and hath faid unto me, Let no man know any thing of the bufinefs whereabout I fend thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I place. have appointed my fervants to fuch and fuch a

3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is prefent.

4 And the priest answered David, and faid, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

5 And David anfwered the priest, and faid unto him, Ofa truth women have been kept from us about these three days fince I came out, and the veffels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a nianner common, yea, though it were fanctified this day in the veffel.

So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the fhew. bread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now a certain man of the fervants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefeft of the herdmer that belonged to Saul.

8 And David faid unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand fpear or fword? For I have neither brought my fword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required harte.

9 And the priest faid, The fword of Goliath the Philiftine, whom thou fleweft in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it for there is no other fave that here. And David fäid, There is none like that; give it me.

Doeg accufeth Abimelech.

Chap. xxii, xxill.

10 And David arofe, and fied that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achith the king of Gath.

11 And the fervants of Achifh faid unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not fing one to another of him in dances, faying, Saul hath flain his thoufands, and David his ten thoufands?

12 And Dayid laid up thefe words in his heart, and was fore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and fcrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his fpittle fail down upon his beard.

14 Then faid Achith unto his fervants, Lo, ye fee the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

15 Have I need of madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my prefence Shall this fellow come into my houfe! CHAP. XXII.

1 Companies refort to David at Adullam. 9 Doeg accufeth Abimelech, 17 Saul com mandeth to kill the priests.

DAV

AVID therefore departed thence, and efcaped to the cave Adullam and when his brethren and all his father's houfe heard it, they went down thither to him.

2 And every one that was in diftrefs, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was difcontented, gathered themfeves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

3¶And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he faid unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

4 And he brought them before the king of Moab and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

5. And the prophet Gad faid unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee Into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forett of Hareth.

6 When Saul heard that David was difcovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his fpear in his hand, and all his fervants were ftanding about him ;)

7 Then Saul faid unto his fervants that flood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; Will the fon of Jeffe give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you captains of thousands, and captains of

hundreds;

That all of you have confpired againft me, and there is none that theweth me that my fon hath made a league with the fon of Jeffe, and there is none of you that is forry for me, or fheweth unto me that my fon hath ftirred up my fervant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

9 Then anfwered Doeg the Edomite, (which was fet over the fervants of Saul,) and faid, I faw the fon of Jeffe coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the fon of Ahitub.

10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the fword of Goliath the Philistine.

Then the king fent to call Ahimelech the priest, the fon of Ahitub, and all his

Saul's cruelty to the pries. father's houfe, the priests that were in Nob and they came all of them to the king.

12 And Saul faid, Hear now, thou fon of Ahi. tub. And he anfwered, Here I am, my lord. 13 And Saul faid unto him, Why have ye confpired against me, thou and the fon of Jeffe, in that thou hast given him bread, and a fword, and hafi enquired of God for him, that he should rife against me to lie in wait, as at this day?

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and faid, And who is fo faithful among all thy fervants as David, which is the king's fon-inlaw, and goeth at thy bidding, and is ho. nourable in thine houfe?

15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? Be it tar from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his fervant, nor to all the houfe of my father: for thy fervant knew nothing of all this, lefs or more.

16 And the king faid, Thou shalt furely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy tather's house.

17 And the king faid unto the footmen that food about him, Tarn and lay the priefts of the LORD; because their hand alfo is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not thew it to me. But the fervants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

18 And the king faid to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edoin ite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and flew on that day fourfcore and five perfons that did wear a linen ephod.

19 And Nob, the city of the priefts, fmote he with the edge of the fword, both men and wo men, children and fucklings, and oxen, and affes, and theep, with the edge of the fword.

20 And one of the fons of Ahimelech the fon of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

21 And Abiathar fhewed David that Saul had flain the LORD's priefts.

22 And David faid unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would furely tell Saul: 1 have occa. fioned the death of all the perfons of thy fa. ther's houfe.

23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that feeketh my life feeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in fafeguard.

CHAP. XXIII.

1 David, enquiring of the Lord, refcueth Keilab: 7 God beweth him Saul's coming, and the treachery of the Keilites: 13 be efcapeth from Keilab. THEN they told David, faying, Behold, the Philistines fight againft Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.

2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, faying, Shall I go and fmite thefe Philistines? And the LORD faid unto David, Go and fmite the Philiftines, and fave Keilah.

3 And David's men faid unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philiftines?

4. Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and faid, Arife, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and fmote them with

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8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to beliege David and his men.

9 And David knew that Saul fecretly practifed mifchief against him; and he fai to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

10 Then faid David, O LORD God of Ifracl, thy fervant hath certainly heard that Saul feeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my fake.

I Will the men of Keilah deliver me up Into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy fervant hath heard? O LORD God of Ifrael, I hefeech thee, tell thy fervant. And the Lor faid, He will come down.

12 Then faid David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men Into the hand of Saul! And the LORD faid, They will deliver thee up.

13Then David and his men, which were about fix hundred, arofe and departed out of Keilah, and went whitherfoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was efcap. ed from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

14 And David abode in the wildernefs in ftrong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph: and Saul fought him every day; but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 And David faw that Saul was come out to feck his life and David was in the wildernefs of Ziph in a wood.

16 And Jonathan Saul's fon arofe, and went to David into the wood, and ftrengthened his hand in God.

17 And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father fhall not find thee: and thou shalt be king over Ifrael, and I thall be next unto thee; and that alfo Saul my ta ther knoweth.

18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD. And David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his houfe.

19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, faying, Doth not David hide himfelf with us in trong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the fouth of Jechimon?

20 Now therefore, O king, come down, ac cording to all the defire of thy foul to come down; and our part fall be to deliver him into the king's band.

21 And Saul faid, Bleffed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compation on me.

22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and fee his place where his haunt is, and who hath feen him there for it is told me that he dealeth very fubtilly.

Be cutteth of Saul's Birt

24 And they arofe, and went to Ziph be fore Saul: but David and his men quere in the wildernefs of Maon, in the plain on the fouth of Jefhimon.

25 Saul alfo and his men went to feck him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wil. dernefs of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he purfued after David in the wilderness of

Maon.

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27 But there came a meffenger unto Saul, faying, Hafte thee, and come; for the Philif tines have invaded the land.

28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines therefore they called that place Sela-ham mah-lekoth.

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in ftrong holds at En-gedi. CHAP. XXIV.

4 David, in a cave at En-gedi, spareth Saul's life: 8 hefbeweth thereby his innocency. AND it came to pafs, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, faying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

2 Then Saul took three thousand chofen men out of all Ifrael, and went to feek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

3 And he came to the theepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men re. mained in the fides of the cave.

4 And the men of David said unto him, Be hold the day of which the LORD faid unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayeft do to him as it fhall feem good unto thee. Then David arofe, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

$ And it came to pafs afterward, that Da vid's heart fmote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

6 And he faid unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to ftretch forth mine hand against him, fecing he is the anointed of the LORD.

7 So David ftayed his fervants with these words, and fuffered them not to rife againft Saul. But Saul rofe up out of the cave, and went on his way.

8 David alfo arofe afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, faying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David ftooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

9 And David faid to Sau!, Wherefore heareft thou men's words, faying, Behold, Da. vid feeketh thy hurt?

10 Behold, this day thine eyes have feen how that the LORD had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and fume bade 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all me kill thee: but mine eye fpared thee; and I the lurking places where he hideth himself, faid, I will not put forth mine hand against and come ye again to me with the certainty, my ord; for he is the LORD's anointed. and I will go with you: and it thall come to 11 Moreover, my father, fee, yea, fee the pafs, if he be in the land, that I will fearch skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that him out throughout all the thousands of I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed Judah. thee not, know thou and fee that there ft

David [paresh Saul's life.

Chap. xxv. neither evil nor tranfgreffion is mine hand, and I have not finned against thee; yet thou bunteft my foul to take it.

42 The LORD judge between me and thee, And the LORD avenge me of thee; but mine hand thall not be upon thee.

13 As faith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; but mine hand fhall not be upon thee,

14 After whom is the king of Ifrael come out? After whom dost thou purfue? After a dead dog, after a flea?

15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and fee, and plead my caufe, and deliver me out of thine hand.

16 And it came to pafs, when David had made an end of Speaking thefe words unto Saul, that Saul faid, Is this thy voice, my fon David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 17 And he faid to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou haft rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

18 And thou haft fhewed this day how that thou haft dealt well with me: forafmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedft 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 haft done unto me this day.

20 And now, behold, I know well that thou tha furely be king, and that the kingdom of ifrael fhall be eftablished in thine hand.

21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my feed atter me, and that thou wilt not deftroy my name oul of my father's houfe.

22 And David fware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

CHAP. XXV.

1 Samuel dieth. 10 David provoked to defroy Nabal, 14 Abigail, by her wisdom, preventeth bim. 33 Nabal dieth.

AND Samuel died; and all the Ifraelites

were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his houfe at Ramah. And David arofe, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

2 And there was a man in Maon, whofe poffeffions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thoufand goats; and he was thearing his fheep in Carmel.

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail and be was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlith and evil in his doings: and he was of the house of Caleb.

4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did fhear his sheep.

5 And David sent out ten young men, and David faid unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

6 And thus fhall ye fay to him that liveth in profperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine houfe, and peace be unto all that thou haft.

7 And now I have heard that thou haft fhearers: now thy thepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught mithing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel,

Nabal's churliness.

8 Aik thy young men, and they will thew thee. Wherefore, let the young men find fayour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatfoever cometh to thine hand unto thy fervants, and to thy fon David.

9 And when David's young men came, they fpake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceafed.

10 And Nabal answered David's fervants, and faid, Who is David? and who is the fon o Jelle There be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

11 Shal I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my thearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be?

12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all thofe fayings.

13 And David faid unto his men, Gird ye on every man his word. And they girded on every man his fword; and David alfo gireed on his fword and there went up after David about four hundred men and two hundred abode by the stuff.

14 But one of the young men to'd Abl gail, Nabal's wife, faying. Behold, Davis fent meffengers out of the wilderness to falute our mafter; and he railed on them.

15 But the men were very goo unto us, and we were nor hurt, neither miffed we any thing, as long as we were converfant with them, when we were in the fields:

16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

17 Now therefore know and confider what thou wilt do for evil is determined againft our mafter, and against all his household for he is fuch a fon of Belial, that a man cannot Speak to him.

18 Then Abigail made hafte, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine,

and five theep ready dreffed, and five mea fures of parched corn, and an hundred clufters of raifins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on affes.

19 And the faid unto her fervants, Go on before me; behold I come after you. But The told not her husband Nabal.

20 And it was fo, as the rode on the ais, that the came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and the met them.

21 Now David had faid, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, fo that nothing was miffed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

22 So and more alfo do God unto the ene mies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him, by the morning light, any that pilleth against the wall.

23 And when Abigail faw David, the hated, and alighted off the afs, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

24 And fell at his feet, and faid, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, fpeak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

23 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, to is he; Nabal is his name, and

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Nabal's death.

T. SAMUEL.

David taketh Saul's spear.

folly is with him: but I thine handmaid come to Abigail, to Carmel, they spake unto faw not the young men of my lord, whom her, faying, David fent us unto thee, to take thou didst fend. thee to him to wife.

26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD Liveth, and as thy foul liveth, feeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to hed blood, and from avenging thyfelf with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that feek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

27 And now this blething, which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trefpafs of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a fure houfe; becaufe my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

29 Yet a man is rifen to purfué thee, and to feek thy foul: but the foul of my lord thall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the fouls of thine enemies, them shall he fling out, as out of the middle of a fling.

30 And it fhall come to pafs, when the LORD fhall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath fpoken concerning thee, and thall have appointed thee ruler over Ifrael;

31 That this fhall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast thed blood caufelefs, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD fhall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

32 And David faid to Abigail, Bleffed be the LORD God of Ifrael, which fent thee this day to meet me :

33 And bleffed be thy advice, and bleffed be thou, which haft kept me this day from coming to feed blood," and from avenging myfelf with mine own hand.

34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Ifrael liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadft harted and come to meet me, furely there had not been left unto Nabal, by the morning light, any that piffeth against the wall.

35 So David received of her hand that which the had brought him, and faid unto her, Go up in peace to thine houfe; fee, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accépted thy person.

36¶And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feaft in his houfe like the feaft of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore the told him nothing, lefs or more, until the morning light.

37 But it came to pafs in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him thefe things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a fone.

38 And it came to pafs about ten days after, that the LORD fmote Nabal, that he died.

39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he faid, Bleffed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the caufe of my reproach trom the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his fervant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wick. ednefs of Nabal upon his own head. And David fent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wite.

o And when the fervants of David were

41 And the arofe, and bowed herself on er face to the earth, and faid, Behold, let thine handmaid be a fervant to wash the feet of the fervants of my lord.

42 And Abigail hafted, and arofe, and rode upon an afs, with five damfels of her's that went after her; and the went after the meffengers of David, and became his wife.

43 David alfo took Ahinoam of Jezreel and they were also both of them his wives. 44 But Saul had given Michal his daugh ter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laith, which was of Gallim.

CHAP. XXVI.

3 Saul cometh to Hachilab againf David. 5 David, in the trench, fiayeth Abiskai from killing Saul, but taketh his fpear and rufe. AND the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah faying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jethi

mon?

2 Then Saul arole, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thoufand chofen men of Ifrael with him, to feek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jefhimon by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he faw that Saul came after him into the wilder nefs.

4 David therefore fent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 5 And David arofe, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the fon of Ner, the captain of his hoft and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

6 Then answered David and faid to Ahime. lech the Hittite, and to Abifhai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Jeab, faying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp! And Abishai faid, I will go down with thee.

ple by night: and, behold, Saul lay fleeping within the trench, and his fpear ftuck in the ground at his bolfter but Abner and the people lay round about him.

7 So David and Abithai came to the peo

8 Then faid Abithai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore let me fmite him, I pray thee, with the fpear, even to the earth at once, and I will not fmite him the fecond time.

9 And David said unto Abithai, Deftroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?

10 David faid furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall fmite him; or his day thall come to die; or he thall defcend into battle, and perish.

11 The LORD forbid that I fhould ftretch forth mine hand again ft the LORD's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the fpear that is at his boifter, and the crufe of water, and let us go.

12 So David took the fpear and the crufe of water from Saul's boiffer; and they gat them away, and no man faw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all afleeps because a deep fleep from the LORD was fal. len upon them.

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