Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for it is His battle, and : Goliath is slain.-And when the Philistine arose and was coming, and drew nigh to meet David, David made haste, and ran to the fight to meet the Philistine. And he put his hand into his scrip, and took a stone, and cast it with the sling, and fetching it about struck the Philistine in the forehead and the stone was fixed in his forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth. And David prevailed over the Philistine, with a sling and a stone, and he struck and slew the Philistine. And as David had no sword in his hand, he ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines seeing that their champion was dead, fled away. And the men of Israel and Juda rising up shouted, and pursued after the Philistines till they came to the valley and to the gates of Accaron, and there fell many wounded of the Philistines in the way of Saraim, and as far as Geth, and as far as Accaron. And the children of Israel returning, after they had pursued the Philistines, fell upon their camp. And David taking the head of the Philistine brought it to Jerusalem: but his armour he put in his tent. Now at the time that Saul saw David going out against the Philistines, he said to Abner the captain of the army: Of what family is this young man descended, Abner? And Abner said: As thy soul liveth, O king, I know not. And the king said: Inquire thou, whose son this man is. And when David was returned, after the Philistine was slain, Abner took him, and brought him in before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him: Young man, of what family art thou? And David said: I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking 1 Kings XVIII, 1-11. to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father's house. And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he behaved himself prudently: and Saul set him over the soldiers, and he was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the eyes of Saul's servants. Saul's Jealousy.-Now when David returned, after he slew the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets. And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand; what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and forward. And the day after the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand, and threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David stept aside out of his presence twice. SECT. LXIII. SAUL IS JEALOUS OF DAVID, AND SEEKS TO KILL HIM. 1 Kings David marries Michol.-And Saul feared David, because XVIII. the Lord was with him, and was departed from himself. 12-30. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him a captain over a thousand men, and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. And Saul saw that he was exceeding prudent, and began to beware of him. But all Israel and Juda loved David, for he came in and went out before them. And Saul said to David: Behold my elder daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife: only be a valiant man, and fight the battles of the Lord. Now Saul said within himself: Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him. And David said to Saul: Who am I, or what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-inlaw of the king? And it came to pass at the time when Merob the daughter of Saul should have been given to David, that she was given to Hadriel the Molathite to wife. But Michol the other daughter of Saul loved David. And it was told Saul, and it pleased him. And Saul said: I will give her to him, that she may be a stumbling-block to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David: In two things* thou shalt be my son-in-law this day. And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: Behold *That is, by two titles: first, because he had slain Goliath; and secondly, on another condition, which he was now going to tell him. thou pleasest the king, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law. And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king's son-in-law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability. And the servants of Saul told him, saying: Such words as these hath David spoken. And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines. And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king's son-in-law. And after a few days David rose up and went with the men that were under him, and he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he might be his sonin-law. Saul therefore gave him Michol his daughter to wife. And Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David. And Michol the daughter of Saul loved him. And Saul began to fear David more, and Saul became David's enemy continually. And the princes of the Philistines went forth and from the beginning of their going forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very famous. Saul seeks to kill David.-And Saul spoke to Jonathan his 1 Kings son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But XIX. 1-18. Jonathan the son of Saul loved David exceedingly. And Jonathan told David, saying: Saul my father seeketh to kill thee wherefore look to thyself, I beseech thee, in the morning, and thou shalt abide in a secret place and shalt be hid. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art and I will speak of thee to my father, and whatsoever I shall see, I will tell thee. And Jonathan spoke good things of David to Saul his father, and said to him: Sin not, O king, against thy servant David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and his works are very good towards thee. And he put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Why therefore wilt thou sin against innocent blood by killing David, who is without fault? And when Saul heard this he was appeased with the words of Jonathan, and swore: As the Lord liveth he shall not be slain. Then Jonathan called David and told him all these 1 Kings XXV. 1. words and Jonathan brought in David to Saul, and he was before him, as he had been yesterday and the day before. And the war began again, and David went out and fought against the Philistines, and defeated them with a great slaughter, and they fled from his face. And the evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, and he sat in his house, and held a spear in his hand and David played with his hand. And Saul endeavoured to nail David to the wall with his spear. And David slipped away out of the presence of Saul: and the spear missed him, and was fastened in the wall, and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul therefore sent his guards to David's house to watch him, that he might be killed in the morning. And when Michol David's wife had told him this, saying: Unless thou save thyself this night, to-morrow thou wilt die, she let him down through a window. And he went and fled away, and escaped. And Michol took an image and laid it on the bed, and put the goat skin with the hair at the head of it, and covered it with clothes. And Saul sent officers to seize David, and it was answered that he was sick. And again Saul sent to see David, saying: Bring him to me in the bed, that he may be slain. And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon the bed, and a goat skin at its head. And Saul said to Michol: Why hast thou deceived me so, and let my enemy go and flee away? And Michol answered Saul: Because he said to me: Let me go, or else I will kill thee. But David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel in Ramatha, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Najoth.* Death of Samuel.—And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.† 1 Kings David spares Saul's Life.-And Saul camped in Gabaa XXVI. Hachila, which was over-against the wilderness in the way: 3-25. and David abode in the wilderness. And seeing that Saul was come after him into the wilderness, he sent spies, and learned that he was most certainly come thither. And David arose secretly, and came to the place where Saul was, and when he had beheld the place, wherein Saul slept, and Abner the son of * It was probably a school or college of prophets, in or near Ramatha, under the direction of Samuel. The Scripture gives us an account of a number of incidents that happened during the three years before this, while Saul pursued David from place to place. Ner, the captain of his army, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the rest of the multitude round about him, David spoke to Achimelech the Hethite, and Abisai the son of Sarvia the brother of Joab, saying: Who will go down with me to Saul into the camp? And Abisai said: I will go with thee. So David and Abisai came to the people by night, and found Saul lying and sleeping in the tent, and his spear fixed in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people sleeping round about him. And Abisai said to David: God hath shut up thy enemy this day into thy hands: now then I will run him through with my spear even to the earth at once, and there shall be no need of a second time. And David said to Abisai: Kill him not: for who shall put forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and shall be guiltless? And David said: As the Lord liveth, unless the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down to battle, and perish: the Lord be merciful unto me, that I extend not my hand upon the Lord's anointed. But now take the spear, which is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go. So David took the spear, and the cup of water, which was at Saul's head, and they went away: and no man saw it, or knew it, or awaked, but they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them. And when David was gone over to the other side, and stood on the top of the hill afar off, and a good space was between them, David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying: Wilt thou not answer, Abner? And Abner answering, said: Who art thou that criest, and disturbest the king? And David said to Abner: Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to kill the king thy lord. This thing is not good, that thou hast done as the Lord liveth, you are the sons of death, who have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now where is the king's spear, and the cup of water, which was at his head? And Saul knew David's voice, and said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord the king. And he said: Wherefore doth my lord persecute his servant? What have I done? or what evil is there in my hand? Now therefore hear, I pray thee, my lord the king, the words of thy servant: If the Lord stir thee up against me, let him accept of sacrifice: but if the sons of men, they are cursed in the sight of the Lord, who have cast me out this day, that I should not dwell in the inheritance of the Lord, saying: Go, serve strange |