Study Desk

And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath: and he did not seek for him again anymore.

And David said to Achish, 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 slave dwell in the royal city with you?

And David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those [nations] were the inhabitants of the land, who were from Telam, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.

And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, Know assuredly, that you shall go out with me in the host, you and your men.

And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, Tell my fortune, I pray you, with a spirit, and call up for me whoever I shall name to you.

And the woman said to him, Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the spiritists and the wizards out of the land: why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

And Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, As Yahweh lives, no punishment shall happen to you for this thing.

And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul.

And the king said to her, Don't be afraid: for what did you see? And the woman said to Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.

And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and has not answered me anymore, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.

And Yahweh has done for himself, as he spoke by me: and Yahweh has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David.

Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth, and was very afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines 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 how should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?

Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Yahweh 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 haven't found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day: nevertheless the lords don't favor you.

And 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 Yahweh his God.

And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for you shall surely overtake [them], and without fail shall recover [all].

But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drank any water, three days and three nights.

And who will listen to you in this matter? for as his share is that goes down to the battle, so shall his share be that tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike.

And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.