1 Samuel 31:1 The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
1 Samuel 31:3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him.
1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.
1 Samuel 31:5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.
1 Samuel 31:6 So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.
1 Samuel 31:7 When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel’s men had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.
1 Samuel 31:8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:9 They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news in the temples of their idols and among the people.
1 Samuel 31:10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
1 Samuel 31:11 When the residents of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
1 Samuel 31:12 all their brave men set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
1 Samuel 31:13 Afterward, they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
1 Samuel 30:1 David and his men arrived in Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag.
1 Samuel 30:2 They also had kidnapped the women and everyone in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off as they went on their way.
1 Samuel 30:3 When David and his men arrived at the town, they noticed it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped.
1 Samuel 30:4 David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep.
1 Samuel 30:5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped.
1 Samuel 30:6 David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in Yahveh his God.
1 Samuel 30:7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,
1 Samuel 30:8 and David asked Yahveh: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” Yahveh replied to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”
1 Samuel 30:9 So David and the six hundred men with him went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind.
1 Samuel 30:10 David and four hundred of the men continued the pursuit, while two hundred stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.
1 Samuel 30:11 David’s men found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink.
1 Samuel 30:12 Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate his breath returned, for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.
1 Samuel 30:13 Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?” “I’m an Egyptian boy, the slave of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago.
1 Samuel 30:14 We raided the south country of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag.”
1 Samuel 30:15 David then asked him, “Will you lead me to these raiders?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”
1 Samuel 30:16 So he led him, and noticed the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.
1 Samuel 30:17 David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred boys who got on camels and fled.
1 Samuel 30:18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives.
1 Samuel 30:19 Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.
1 Samuel 30:20 He took all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, “This is David’s plunder!”
1 Samuel 30:21 When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor, they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them,
1 Samuel 30:22 but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”
1 Samuel 30:23 But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what Yahveh has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us.
1 Samuel 30:24 Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”
1 Samuel 30:25 And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it still continues today.
1 Samuel 30:26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Notice a gift for you from the plunder of Yahveh’s enemies.”
1 Samuel 30:27 He sent gifts to those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir;
1 Samuel 30:28 to those in Aroer, in Siphmoth, and in Eshtemoa;
1 Samuel 30:29 to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites;
1 Samuel 30:30 to those in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, and in Athach;
1 Samuel 30:31 to those in Hebron, and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed.
1 Samuel 29:1 The Philistines brought all their military units together at Aphek while Israel was camped by the spring in Jezreel.
1 Samuel 29:2 As the Philistine leaders were passing in review with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were passing in review behind them with Achish.
1 Samuel 29:3 Then the Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish answered the Philistine commanders, “That is David, slave of King Saul of Israel. He has been with me a considerable period of time. From the day he defected until today, I’ve found no fault with him.”
1 Samuel 29:4 The Philistine commanders, however, were enraged with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the battle. What better way could he ingratiate himself with his master than with the heads of our men?
1 Samuel 29:5 Isn’t this the David they sing about during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?”
1 Samuel 29:6 So Achish summoned David and told him, “As Yahveh lives, you are an honorable man. I think it is good to have you fighting in this unit with me, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until today. But the leaders don’t think you are reliable.
1 Samuel 29:7 Now go back quietly and you won’t be doing anything the Philistine leaders think is wrong.”
1 Samuel 29:8 “But what have I done?” David replied to Achish. “From the first day I entered your service until today, what have you found against your slave to keep me from going to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
1 Samuel 29:9 Achish answered David, “I’m convinced that you are as reliable as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’
1 Samuel 29:10 So get up early in the morning, you and your masters’ slaves who came with you. When you’ve all gotten up early, go as soon as it’s light.”
1 Samuel 29:11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
1 Samuel 28:1 At that time, the Philistines gathered their military units into one army to fight against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You know, of course, that you and your men must march out in the army with me.”
1 Samuel 28:2 David replied to Achish, “Good, you will find out what your slave can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will appoint you as my permanent bodyguard.”
1 Samuel 28:3 By this time Samuel had died, all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city, and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
1 Samuel 28:4 The Philistines gathered and camped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel, and they camped at Gilboa.
1 Samuel 28:5 When Saul saw the Philistine camp, he was afraid and his heart pounded.
1 Samuel 28:6 He inquired of Yahveh, but Yahveh did not answer him in dreams or by the Lights[1] or by the prophets.
1 Samuel 28:7 Saul then said to his slaves, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” His servants replied, “Notice, there is a woman at En-dor who is a medium.”
1 Samuel 28:8 Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I tell you.”
1 Samuel 28:9 But the woman said to him, “I notice that you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you setting a trap for my throat to get me killed?”
1 Samuel 28:10 Then Saul swore to her by Yahveh: “As surely as Yahveh lives, no punishment will come to you from this.”
1 Samuel 28:11 “Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?” the woman asked. “Bring up Samuel for me,” he answered.
1 Samuel 28:12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, “Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!”
1 Samuel 28:13 But the king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” “I see a spirit form coming up out of the ground,” the woman answered.
1 Samuel 28:14 Then Saul asked her, “What does he look like?” “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “He’s wearing a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.
1 Samuel 28:15 “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Samuel asked Saul. “I’m in serious trouble,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn’t answer me anymore, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what I should do.”
1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel answered, “Since Yahveh has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me?
1 Samuel 28:17 Yahveh has done exactly what he said through me: Yahveh has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.
1 Samuel 28:18 You did not obey Yahveh and did not carry out his burning anger against Amalek; therefore Yahveh has done this to you today.
1 Samuel 28:19 Yahveh will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and Yahveh will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 28:20 Immediately, Saul fell flat on the ground. He was terrified by Samuel’s words and was also weak because he had not eaten anything all day and all night.
1 Samuel 28:21 The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Notice, your servant has obeyed you. I took my throat in my hands and did what you told me to do.
1 Samuel 28:22 Now please listen to your servant. Let me set some food in front of you. Eat and it will give you strength so you can go on your way.”
1 Samuel 28:23 He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his slaves and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.
1 Samuel 28:24 The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.
1 Samuel 28:25 She served it to Saul and his slaves, and they ate. Afterward, they got up and left that night.
1 Samuel 27:1 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.”
1 Samuel 27:2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went over to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
1 Samuel 27:3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.
1 Samuel 27:4 When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
1 Samuel 27:5 Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your slave live in the royal city with you?”
1 Samuel 27:6 That day Achish gave Ziklag to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today.
1 Samuel 27:7 The length of time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
1 Samuel 27:8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur as far as the land of Egypt.
1 Samuel 27:9 Whenever David attacked the land, he did not leave a single person alive, either man or woman, but he took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he came back to Achish,
1 Samuel 27:10 who inquired, “Where did you raid today?” David replied, “The south country of Judah,” “The south country of the Jerahmeelites,” or “The south country of the Kenites.”
1 Samuel 27:11 David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.'” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory.
1 Samuel 27:12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself repulsive to his people Israel, he will be my slave forever.”
jeffersonvann 