Study Desk

David said to Aviner, Aren't you a [valiant] man? and who is like you in Yisra'el? why then have you not kept watch over your lord, the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord.

He said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be the LORD that has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD: for they have driven me out this day that I shouldn't cling to the LORD's inheritance, saying, Go, serve other gods.

Now therefore, don't let my blood fall to the eretz away from the presence of the LORD: for the king of Yisra'el is come out to seek a flea, as when one does hunt a partridge in the mountains.

Then said Sha'ul, I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Sha'ul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Pelishtim; and Sha'ul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Yisra'el: so shall I escape out of his hand.

It was told Sha'ul that David was fled to Gat: and he sought no more again for him.

David said to Akhish, If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?

David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshuri, and the Gizri, and the `Amaleki; for those [nations] were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Mitzrayim.

It happened in those days, that the Pelishtim gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Yisra'el. Akhish said to David, Know you assuredly, that you shall go out with me in the host, you and your men.

David said to Akhish, Therefore you shall know what your servant will do. Akhish said to David, Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.

The woman said to him, Behold, you know what Sha'ul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: why then lay you a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

Sha'ul swore to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.

When the woman saw Shemu'el, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Sha'ul, saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Sha'ul.

The king said to her, Don't be afraid: for what do you see? The woman said to Sha'ul, I see a god coming up out of the eretz.

Shemu'el said to Sha'ul, Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up? Sha'ul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Pelishtim make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.

Then Sha'ul fell immediately his full length on the eretz, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Shemu'el: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

But he princes of the Pelishtim were angry with him; and the princes of the Pelishtim said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for with what should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?

Then Akhish called David, and said to him, As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day: nevertheless the lords don't favor you.

David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.