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Then Dauid enquired of the Lord yet againe: And the Lord answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah: for I will deliuer the Philistines into thine hand.

And it was told Saul that Dauid was come to Keilah: and Saul said, God hath deliuered him into mine hand: for he is shut in, by entring into a towne that hath gates and barres.

Then saide Dauid, O Lord God of Israel, thy seruant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the citie for my sake.

And he said vnto him, Feare not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not finde thee, and thou shalt be king ouer Israel, and I shall be next vnto thee: and that also Saul my father knoweth.

And Saul said, Blessed be yee of the Lord, for yee haue compassion on me.

Goe, I pray you, prepare yet, and know, and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seene him there: for it is told mee that he dealeth very subtilly.

And Saul went on this side of the mountaine, and Dauid and his men on that side of the mountaine: and Dauid made haste to get away for feare of Saul: for Saul and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about to take them.

But there came a messenger vnto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come: for the Philistines haue inuaded the land.

Behold, this day thine eyes haue seene, how that the Lord had deliuered thee to day into mine hand in the caue: and some bade me kill thee, but mine eye spared thee, and I said, I will not put foorth mine hand against my lord, for hee is the Lords Anointed.

Moreouer my father, See, yea see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see, that there is neither euill nor transgression in mine hand, and I haue not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soule, to take it.

And he said to Dauid, Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast rewarded mee good, whereas I haue rewarded thee euill.

For if a man finde his enemie, will hee let him goe well away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good, for that thou hast done vnto me this day.

Aske thy yong men, and they will shew thee: wherefore let the yong men finde fauour in thine eyes: (for we come in a good day) giue, I pray thee, whatsoeuer commeth to thine hand, vnto thy seruants, and to thy sonne Dauid.

Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers, and giue it vnto men, whom I know not whence they bee?

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt doe: for euill is determined against our master, and against all his houshold: for he is such a sonne of Belial, that a man cannot speake to him.

(Now Dauid had said, Surely in vaine haue I kept all that this fellow hath in the wildernesse, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained vnto him: and he hath requited me euil for good.

Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, euen Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: But I thine handmaid saw not the yong men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

I pray thee, forgiue the trespasse of thine handmaide: for the Lord will certainely make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battels of the Lord, and euill hath not bene found in thee all thy dayes.

For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liueth, which hath kept mee backe from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not bene left vnto Nabal, by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall.

And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king; & Nabals heart was merry within him, for hee was very drunken: wherefore shee tolde him nothing, lesse or more, vntill the morning light.