 chapters 19 through 24 of the first book of Samuel from the Holy Bible in modern English. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recording by Mark Penfold. The Holy Bible in modern English translated by Farrar Fenton. The first book of Samuel, chapters 19 through 24. Chapter 19 Saul consequently ordered his son Jonathan and all his officers to kill David, but Jonathan, Saul's son, had a great admiration for David, so Jonathan informed David, telling him, My father Saul is trying to get you killed, so look out now in the morning and keep yourself in the house and do not come out, but I will go and station myself beside my father at the parade where you should be, and I will talk about you to my father and will watch the result and report it to you. Jonathan accordingly spoke well about David to his father Saul and said to him, Do not let the king hurt David, his officer, for he has not injured you, but has done you very great services. For he put his life in his hand and assailed the philishtim. The ever-living affected a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. So I now sin against innocent blood by killing David without a cause. Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, By the life of the Lord he shall not be killed. Jonathan afterwards went to David and reported to him the whole conversation. Jonathan also brought David to Saul, and he associated with him as formerly. When there was war again, David went out and fought with a philishtim and defeated them with a crushing defeat so that they fled before him. Then the evil spirit from the ever-living came upon Saul, and he sat in his room with his javelin in his hand while David was playing, and Saul tried to pin David with his javelin to the wall, but he rushed from Saul's presence and the javelin fastened itself in the wall, so David fled and hid himself that night. Saul, however, sent troops to David's house to keep watch and kill him in the morning, but Michal, his wife, informed David, saying, If you do not save your life tonight, you will be killed tomorrow. So Michal let David down out of a window, and he successfully escaped and hid himself. Then Michal took the pterofim and put them on the bed with a goat's beard laid for its beard, and covered it with clothing, so when Saul sent his guards to seize David she said, He is ill! Saul, however, sent messengers to see David himself, saying, Bring him on his bed to me that I may kill him! But when the messengers came they found the pterofim in the bed with a goat's beard on its face. Then Saul demanded of Michal, Why have you deluded me thus and let my enemy escape from me and hide himself? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me escape or I will kill you! Thus David escaped and hid himself and went to Samuel at Rama and informed him of all Saul had done to him. There he stayed with Samuel and they resided in the residency, but it was reported to Saul that David was at the residency at Rama. Saul consequently sent messengers to arrest David, but when they saw the company of reciters reciting and Samuel standing up directing them, the divine spirit came upon Saul's messengers and they themselves recited, and they reported it to Saul, who sent other messengers but they also recited. Saul, however, again sent messengers a third time and they also recited. Then he went himself to Rama and when he came to the great cistern that is at Sika, he asked, inquiring, Where are Samuel and David? and was told, They are at his house near Rama. But when he went to the house near Rama, then the divine spirit came upon him also and he went dancing and reciting until he came to the residency at Rama. He also tore off his clothes and himself recited before Samuel and fell down naked there all that day and all that night. When this comes the saying, Is Saul also among the reciters? CHAPTER XX Then David removed from the residency at Rama and appeared before Jonathan, asking him, What have I done? What is my fault? And how have I offended your father that he seeks my life? And he replied to him, Be calm, you shall not be killed. Look, my father does nothing great or little that he does not communicate to my ears. Then why should my father hide this affair? It cannot be so. But David swore even and said, He knows, your father knows that I have found favor in your eyes, so he says, Let not Jonathan know this for fear he should be grieved. But however, by the life of the ever living and by the life of your soul, what defense is there between me and death? Then Jonathan asked David, What do you demand about your life and I will provide it for you? And David replied to Jonathan, You know tomorrow is new moon, and I should sit with a king to dine, but I will withdraw and keep myself in the country until the third evening. If your father inquires for me, you must say, David asked me permission to run to Bethlehem, his village, for it is the set time for all his clan to sacrifice there. If he then says, Good, there is safety for your servant, but if it angers him, you will know that evil has been determined by him. Now act kindly to your friend, for you have made a bond of the ever living between your friend and yourself. But if I have offended, kill me yourself, for why should you betray me to your father? Then Jonathan answered, Go away, calm yourself, and if I find that injury is intended to be brought upon you from my father, I will come to you. But David replied to Jonathan, Whatever he said to me or may assert to you, your father is determined. When Jonathan replied to David, Come, and we will go into the fields. So they both went to the fields, where Jonathan said to David, By the ever living, the God of Israel, I will search out my father by this time, at three days after tomorrow, and find if he is good towards David, and if he is not, I will send to you and whisper it to you. The Lord do so to Jonathan, and more than that, if what is pleasant to my father is bad for you. I will inform you of it, and send you away, and you shall depart in safety. May the ever living be with you as he has been with my father. For you must not, whilst I live, ever fail to show me the mercy of the ever living, and not kill me. Let not your mercy cease from my family, for ever, not even when the ever living cuts off every single enemy of David from the face of the earth. For Jonathan makes a treaty with the house of David, and the ever living will inquire for it from the hand of David's enemies. Then Jonathan proceeded to swear David by his friendship for him, for he loved him as the friend of his life. Jonathan also said to him, Tomorrow is new moon, so guard yourself, for your house will be watched. But upon the third day come down cautiously, and go to the place where you hid yourself on the day of sacrifice, and seat yourself at the side of the rock of Azel, and I will shoot three arrows at random with a pretense of exercising myself at the butts. Then I will send my lad to go seek the arrows. But if I say to the youth, Look, the arrows are near you, then get yourself up and come, for you will be safe, and there is nothing as the Lord lives. But if I say to the boy, Look out, for the arrows are beyond you, and further on, you must fly, for the ever living sends you away. The bond we have bound ourselves by, you and I, remember, for the ever living is the intermediary between myself and you forever." David consequently hid himself in the fields. When the new moon came, the king sat down to table to dine, and the king sat on his usual seat by the wall when Jonathan came up, but Abner had seated himself at the table of Saul, who missed the presence of David. Saul, however, said nothing himself about it that day, for he reflected something has happened to him. Perhaps he is not clean, he has not been ready. When the second day after the new moon came, and he still missed the presence of David, Saul asked Jonathan his son, �Why has not the son of Jesai come today as formerly to dine?� and Jonathan replied to Saul. David asked me if he might go to Bethlehem and said, �Remit me, I pray, for our clan's sacrifice is in that village, and my brother has sent for me, and so if I have found favor in your sight, allow me, I pray, for I wish to see my brothers�. That is why he has not come to the king's table. But Saul was furious with Jonathan and exclaimed to him, �You young son of rebellion, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesai to your own dishonor, and to the dishonor of your mother's shame? For as long as the son of Jesai exists above ground, your leadership will not be secured, and now you have sent and taken him from me, nevertheless he is a son of death.� Jonathan, however, answered Saul his father and said to him, �Why should he die? What has he done?� Then Saul threw his javelin at him to stab him, so Jonathan knew that his father had decided upon the death of David. So Jonathan arose from the table with fury and ate no food the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved about David because his father had thus determined. But when dawn came Jonathan went out to the field to meet David, and a little lad with him, and he said to his lad, �Run, find the arrows I shoot.� The boy ran, so he shot an arrow to pass over him. When the lad came to the place to which the arrow had been shot by Jonathan, Jonathan called after the lad and said, �Holoo! Is not my arrow there beyond you?� Jonathan also called after the lad, �Make haste! Be quick! Don�t dawdle!� So the lad picked up the arrows of Jonathan and came to his master. The lad, however, knew nothing about the affair. Jonathan and David, however, understood the thing. Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, �Go! Return to the town!� The lad went and David got up from his hiding place and, bending his face to the earth, bowed three times and both kissed as friends, and both wept as friends until David was overcome. Then Jonathan said to David, �Go in the peace that we both have sworn to by the name of the ever-living, saying, �The ever-living shall be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants, for ever.� Chapter 21 Then he arose and departed, and Jonathan returned to the town. David then went to Akimalak, the priest at Nab, but Akimalak hesitated to receive David and asked him, �Why are you alone, and no one with you?� So David answered Akimalak, the priest. The king ordered me on a business and said to me, �Let no one know what the business is on which I send you, nor what I have ordered you.� So I appointed another place for my men, and now what have you got here? Give me those five cakes, or I shall take them myself. But the priest replied to David and said, �It is not common bread that is under my care, but consecrated bread. If the young men have kept themselves, however, from women� And David answered the priest and said, �Women have not approached us for three days since I set out. The accoutrements of the men are clean, and the way open, and indeed my accoutrements were cleaned that day.� Then the priest gave him the consecrated bread, for he had no other bread there except the bread of the presentation taken away from the piles before the ever-living to be replaced by hot bread on the day that he took it. There was, however, at the same time an officer of Saul�s resting before the ever-living, named Doag the Edomite, the chief of Saul�s shepherds, and David asked Akimalak, �Is there not here in your custody a spear or sword, for I could not bring my sword or my arms with me, for the order of the king was very urgent?� The priest replied, �The sword of Goliath the Philistine whom you defeated on the plain of Hala is here, wrapped in a cloth behind his armour. If you will take that, take it, for there is not another except it here.� And David replied, �There is none like it. Give it to me.� Then David arose and fled at once from the neighborhood of Saul, and went to Akish, king of Gath, but the officers of Akish said to him, �Is not this David the leader of the country?� Was it not about him they sang in the dances saying, �Saul has defeated his thousands, but David his ten thousands?� And David put these words into his heart, and was very terrified in the presence of Akish, king of Gath. So he altered his way of talking in their sight, and acted the fool towards them, and scribbled on the panels of the doors, and dribbled his spittle on his beard. Akish consequently said to his officers, �You see the man is mad! Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of fools that you have brought this one to me to play the fool for me? Let him get out of my house.� CHAPTER XXII Then David went from that place, and took refuge in the caves of Adulam, and his relatives heard of it, and they and all his father's family went down to him there. And every man in distress, and every man in debt, and every man of discontented mind collected to him, and he became a captain over them until there were about four hundred men with him in the caves. But David went from there to Mitzvah of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, �I beg you to allow my father and mother to be with you until I learn what God will do with me.� So the king of Moab granted it, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Then Gad the reciter said to David, �Do not remain in this stronghold, but go to the land of Judah.� So David went and came to the wood of Qaref. Saul, however, heard this, for David and the men who were with him were known, and Saul was resting on a hill under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his officers were standing about him. So Saul said to the officers who were around him, �Listen now, all you sons of thieves! I gave to the son of Jesai farms and vineyards as I did to all of you. I made you my kernels of regiments and my captains of companies. So why have you, all of you, conspired against me, and not opened my ears to the agreement of my son with the son of Jesai? And have you not shown it to me or informed me that my son had set my slave above myself secretly as he is today?� Then Doag the Edomite replied. He stood amongst the ministers of Saul, and said, �I saw the son of Jesai go to Noba to akimalak the son of Akaitub, who inquired for him of the ever-living, and gave him provisions, and handed him also the sword of Goliath the Philistine.� The king consequently sent and summoned akimalak Ben Akaitub the priest, and the whole of the priests of his father's family who were in Noba, and they all came to the king, when Saul said, �Listen now, Ben Akaitub�� and he replied, �I am here, my prince�� Then Saul asked him, �Why did you, you and the son of Jesai, hide from me that you supplied him with bread and a sword and inquired for him of God to rise against me in secret as he now does?� But akimalak answered the king, and said, �Who of all your officers should be more honorably trusted than David, a royal son-in-law, and the chief of your subjects and the most honored of your family?� Upon the day when I danced to inquire of God for him I did dance, let not the king bring trouble upon his servant with all my father's family, for your servant knew nothing of all this affair, little or great� The leader, however, replied, �You shall die, akimalak, you and all your father's family� And the leader commanded the guards around him to turn upon them and slay the priests of the ever-living for helping David, and because knowing of his flight they had not informed him. But the officers of the king would not go, would not extend their hands to strike the priests of the ever-living.� Then the leader said to Doeg, �Get up and fall upon the priests!� So Doeg the Edomite turned and fell upon the priests himself, and killed on that day eighty-five men, men who bore the ephods only. He also assailed Knob, the towns of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, child and infant, and ox and ass and sheep he massacred. But one son of akimalak Ben Akitub escaped, whose name was Abiyathar, and fled to David, and Abiyathar informed David how Saul had murdered the priests of the ever-living. And David said to Abiyathar, �I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would inform Saul, I am responsible for all the lives of your father's family. Stay with me, fear not, for he who seeks my life seeks yours as well, so you have a place of safety with me.� Chapter 23 They reported once to David, saying, �The Philishtim are deceiving Kailah and destroying the cornfields!� So David inquired of the ever-living, asking, �Shall I assail and defeat those Philishtim?� And the ever-living answered David, �Go and defeat the Philishtim and relieve Kailah!� But David's men said to him, �Look you, we are in terror here in Judah, so why should we go to Kailah to fight the regulars of the Philishtim?� Therefore David repeated the inquiry to the ever-living when the ever-living answered, �Arise, march to Kailah, for I will give the Philishtim into your power.� David and his men then marched to Kailah and fought with the Philishtim, and captured their baggage train and defeated them with great slaughter. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Kailah. And when Abiyathar, Ben Akaitub, followed David to Kailah, he took the ephod with him. It was however reported to Saul that David had come to Kailah, so Saul remarked, �God has betrayed him into my power, for he is prevented by doors and bars from leaving the town.� Saul therefore ordered all his forces for war to descend to Kailah to assail David and his men, but David had intelligence that Saul was planning evil against him, so he said to Abiyathar, the priest, �Bring the ephod here.� Then David prayed, �Ever-living God of Israel, listen, listen to your servant, for Saul seeks to advance upon Kailah to destroy the town because of me. Will the headmen of Kailah deliver me into his power? Will Saul descend as your servant has heard? Living God of Israel, inform your servant, I pray.� The ever-living answered, �He will descend.� Then David asked, �Will the headmen of Kailah deliver me and my men into the power of Saul?� And the ever-living replied, �They will deliver.� Consequently David and his men, about six hundred persons, arose and went out from Kailah and dispersed as they could, and it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Kailah, so he stopped his advance. Then David stayed in the dens of the desert and occupied a hill in the desert of Ziff, and Saul hunted him all his days, but God gave him not into his power. David also knew when Saul came out to seek him, but David kept in concealment in the desert of Ziff. Jonathan, however, the son of Saul, arose and went to David secretly, and cheered him up in God, and said to him, �Fear not, for the hand of my father Saul will not catch you, and you will be the leader of Israel, and I will be your lieutenant. My father Saul also knows this.� Then both of them made a treaty before the ever-living, but David continued in hiding, and Jonathan returned to his home. The Ziffites, however, went up to Saul to Ghibia to say, �Do you not know that David is hiding with us in a fort concealed among the hills of Kailah on the south of the desert? So now, with all the energy of your soul, commander, come down and we will deliver him to the commander's hand.� When Saul answered, �May you be blessed by the ever-living for your kindness to me? Go, I pray, ascertain further and learn, and watch the places that he haunts who seize him there, for they tell me he is very crafty. Examine and learn also about all the hiding places where he haunts, and report them to me accurately. Then I will come to you, and if he is skulking about in the country, I will chase him with all the regiments of Judah.� They occuringly arose, and went from the audience with Saul to Ziff. But David and his men were then in the Desert of Mayan, in the waist to the south of the desert, where Saul and his men marched in pursuit. But David received intelligence of it, and came down from the hillfort, and rested in the Desert of Mayan. Saul, however, heard of this, and pursued after David to the Desert of Mayan. But Saul marched on one side of the hill, and David and his men on the other side of the hill, with David hurrying in his march from the approach of Saul. For Saul and his men wished to surround David and his men, and capture them. Then a messenger rushed to Saul, saying, �Make haste and march, for the Philistine have burst into the country!� Saul therefore ceased the pursuit after David, and went to encounter the Philistine, in consequence of which that place is called the Peak of Turnagain. CHAPTER XXIV From there David went, and settled in the fort of Angeli. Again when Saul returned from after the Philistine, he was informed that David was in the Desert of Angeli. So Saul took three thousand men, the choice of all Israel, and marched to seek David and his men in the high peaks of Jalim. When he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there is a cave, Saul went in to rest his feet, but David and his men were in the backward reaches of the caves. Then David's men said to him, �Now is the time that the ever-living said to you, �I will put your enemy into your power, and you can do to him whatever is good in your eyes.� So David arose and took away the embroidered quilt with which Saul was covered. But afterwards David's heart reproved him for taking away the quilt which was on Saul, and he said to his men, �Trouble will come to me from the ever-living if I do such a thing to my prince, to the Lord's anointed as to lay my hand upon him, for he has been consecrated to the ever-living.� David consequently restrained his men from action, and would not allow them to attack Saul. So Saul left the cave and proceeded on his way. Then David got up and went out of the cave and called after Saul, and said, �My Lord, Commander�. When Saul looked behind him, David bent his face earthward and bowed to him. David then said to Saul, �Why do you listen to the tales of the man who says David seeks to do you injury? Look, this very day your eyes can see that the ever-living gave you into my power in the cave, and they wished to murder you. But I pitied you and said, �I will not lift my hand against my prince, for he has been consecrated to the ever-living.� And now, Father, see? Look, here is the embroidered quilt that covered you in my hand. I took the quilt away from you, but did not murder you. Know and be convinced, therefore, that there is no wrong in my hand, or rebellion, or sin against you. Yet you hunt for my life to take it. Let the ever-living decide between me and you when the ever-living will acquit me rather than you, for my hand has not been against you. As the verse of the catmonite says, from the wicked wickedness springs, but my hand shall not be against you. After what does the commander of Israel come out? After what do you chase? After a dead dog? After a single flea? But let the ever-living be judge and decide between me and you, and examine my cause, and acquit me from you.� And when David had finished uttering this address to Saul, Saul asked, �Is that your voice, my son, David?� Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept, and said to David, �You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me with benefit, but I have repaid you with violence, and further you have shown it today by having acted kindly to me, for when the ever-living had delivered me to your power, you did not kill me. For when did a man find his enemy and helped him kindly on his way? The ever-living, however, will repay you generously in return for what you have done to me, and indeed I know that you will lead, and that the leadership of Israel will be fixed in your hand. Therefore swear to me by the ever-living not to destroy my descendants after me, not to blot out my name from my father's house.� So David swore to Saul, and Saul went to his home, and David and his men went up to the fort. The end of chapters 19-24 of the First Book of Samuel, recording by Mark Penfold. Chapters 25-31 of the First Book of Samuel, from the Holy Bible in Modern English. At this time Samuel died, and the Parliament of Israel collected and mourned for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. Thereupon David arose and went down to the desert of Paran. There was a man in Mayan whose property lay in Carmel, and the man was very great, for he possessed three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was at this time shearing his sheep in Carmel. This man's name was Nabal, and his wife was named Abigail. She was a very clever woman and beautiful in appearance, but her husband was brutish and excessively bad, like one of his dogs. David heard in the desert that Nabal was shearing his sheep, so David sent some of his lads, and David said to the lads, March to Carmel and go to Nabal, and wish him well in my name. You must also say this, Good health to you, how are you, and how are your family, and how is all that you have? I have heard that you are shearing. Although your shepherds are near us, I have not hurt them, nor has anything been missing from them all the time they have been in Carmel. Ask your lads, and they will tell you so. So let these youths find favor in your sight, for they come at a good time. Therefore give what comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David. David's lads accordingly went, and reported to Nabal all this speech in the name of David, and sat down. But Nabal answered David's servants, Who is David, and what is the son of Jesai? Nowadays plenty of slaves run away from their masters, and why should I take my bread and my drink and my roast meat that I have roasted for my shearers, and give to fellows who come from I don't know where? David's lads consequently went their way and returned to and came and reported to him all these things. Consequently David said to his men, Girt on your swords! and they all girt their swords. David also girt on his sword, and there went up after David about four hundred men, while two hundred guarded the baggage. One of the lads from among Nabal's servants, however, informed Abigail, his wife, saying, David has sent messengers from the desert to congratulate our master, and he has abused them. Now these men have been very good to us, and have not hurt us, nor stolen anything all the time we wandered about near them in the open field. They were a guard to us by night and by day all the time we were near them, shepherding the sheep. And now I know and see what troubles me, for there will be plenty of evil for our master and for all his household, because he is such a brute one cannot speak to him. At this Abigail hastened and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five cooked sheep, and five quarters of corn, and a hundred packets of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them upon asses, and said to the lad, Go on before me, I will follow after you. But she did not inform her husband Nabal. Now she rode on her ass and went down to the foot of the hills, and saw David and his men advancing on her. So she approached them, and David said, I never broke the bargain. I protected all that belonged to this fellow in the desert, and nothing was missing belonging to him, but he has returned me bad for good. May God do this to the enemies of David, and add to this, if I leave anything belonging to him at morning light, even an urchin behind the wall. Then Abigail was afraid of David, therefore she hastened and dismounted from her ass, and fell down on her face, because of the anger of David, and bowed to him to the earth. Then she knelt at his feet and said, Let the fault be to me, my lord, and let your handmaid speak in your hearing, and listen to the words of your handmaid. Let not my lord lay to his heart about that black guard Nabal, for he is like his name, a fool, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, saw not the lads of my lord whom you sent. So now, my lord, by the life of the ever-living, by the life of your soul, oh, that the ever-living would restrain you from going to bloodshed, and save you from your own hand. But may your enemies be like Nabal, and whoever seeks to injure my lord. And this present here, which your servant has brought to my lord, give it to the lads who march after the footsteps of my lord. Overlook, therefore, the fault of your handmaid, for the ever-living will make for my lord a safe home. For you fight the battles of the ever-living, my prince, and harm will not meet you all your time. When a man rises to pursue you to seek your life, then the life of my lord will be treasured in the treasury of your ever-living god, while the life of your enemies will be slung from the hand of the slinger. It will be so, for the ever-living will effect for my prince all the good he has promised to you, and will appoint you to be a leader to Israel. So let not this be an agitation and disturbance to the heart of my prince to cause him to shed needless blood. Let my prince save himself from himself, and the ever-living will reward my prince when you will remember your handmaid. Then David replied to Apigale, Thank the lord of Israel who has sent you today to meet me, and bless your skill, and bless you who have prevented me today from bloodshed and saving my hand from myself, for certainly by the life of the ever-living, the god of Israel, who restrained me from injuring you, if you had not been quick and come to meet me, there would not have been left to Nabal and urchin behind his wall this morning. David then accepted what she had brought to him, and said to her, Go in peace to your home. You see, I have listened to your voice, and gladdened your face. Apigale therefore went to Nabal, but he was drinking in his house as at a royal feast, and the heart of Nabal was pleased with himself, and he was very drunk, so she told him nothing, great or small, until morning light. But in the morning when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife informed him of these events, when his heart died in his breast, and he became like a stone, and ten days after, the ever-living struck Nabal, and he died. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he exclaimed, Thank the ever-living who has avenged my insult on the head of Nabal, and restrained his servant from wrong, for the ever-living has returned the insults of Nabal upon his own head. David also sent and spoke to Apigale to take her as a wife, so David's officers went to Apigale at Carmel and said to her, David has sent us to you to take you to himself as a wife. Then she arose and bowed her face earthward and said, I am your servant to attend to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. Then Apigale prepared in haste and mounted her ass, and five of her maids went with her on foot, and marched after the messengers of David. Thus she became his wife. David also took a Kinoam of Jezraal, and they were both his wives. Saul, however, gave Mikal his daughter, the wife of David, to Faltai Ben-Laish, who was from Galim. CHAPTER XXVI The Ziphites then went to Saul at Gibeah, and said, Do you know that David is in hiding in the hills of Kikala opposite Jechemon? Saul consequently arose and went down to the desert of Ziph with three thousand men, the choicest of Israel, to hunt after David in the desert of Ziph, and Saul encamped in the hills of Kikala opposite Jechemon by the roadside. But David occupied the desert, and saw when Saul came after him towards the desert. David also sent spies, and learned that Saul came resolutely. David therefore arose, and came to the place where Saul was encamped, and David saw the place where Saul and Abner Ben-Nur, the commander of Saul's army, slept. But Saul slept within a barricade of wagons, with his forces around them. So David addressed Akimalek the Hittite, and Abashai Ben-Zeruia, brother of Joab, and said, Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp? And Abashai replied, I will go down with you. Therefore David and Abashai went to the army at night and saw Saul laid asleep within the barricade of wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the forces sleeping around them. Then Abashai said, God has today delivered your enemy into your hand, so now I will pin him at a stroke with a spear to the earth and not awaken him. But David answered his officer, You shall not destroy him, for who can raise his hand against the consecrated to the everliving and be blameless? Then David added, By the life of the everliving, if the Lord struck him, or his day came and he died, or he went down to battle and was killed, but it would bring trouble on me from the everliving if I raised my hand against the Lord's consecrated. However, take the spear that is by his head and the jug of water, and let us be gone. So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside the head of Saul and went away with them. And none saw, and none knew, and none awoke, for they all slept. A deep sleep had fallen on them from the everliving. David then passed over the fort and stood at the top of a hill at a distance with a great space between them, from where David called to the forces and to Abner Ben-Nur, asking, Are you there, Abner? And Abner rejoined and said, Who are you calling to the commander? So David replied to Abner, Are you not a man, and who is like you in Israel? So why have you not guarded your master the commander? For a person has been to destroy the commander, your Lord. By the life of the everliving it is not a good thing that you have done, for you are liable to death for not guarding your master who is consecrated to the everliving. So now look for your commander's spear and water jug which were by his head. But Saul recognized the voice of David and asked, Is that your voice, son David? And David replied, It is my voice, my Lord commander. And then he continued, Why does my Lord hunt so after his servant? For what have I done? And what wrong is there in my hand? Let my Lord the king listen therefore to what your servant says. If the everliving has excited you, let me be a sweet perfumed offering. But if any of mankind curse them before the everliving for driving me out from the inheritance of the everliving to herd with vagabonds, saying, Go, go serve other gods. But now let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the everliving. For what has the commander of Israel come out to hunt a single flea as they had a partridge on the mountains? Then Saul answered, I have done wrong. Come back, my son David, for I will never injure you since my life has been respected in your sight today. I have acted like a fool and 10,000 times mad. David replied and said, Here is the commander's spear. Let one of the lads come over and take it for the everliving rewards a man for his honesty and fidelity. Now as the everliving gave you today to my power, and I refrain from lifting my hand against the consecrated to the everliving, therefore as your life was respected today in my eyes, let thus my life be respected in the eyes of the everliving, for he will deliver me from every trouble. Then Saul said to David, Son David, you are noble. What you wish you will accomplish by the self-command you have exercised. David then went his way and Saul returned to his residence. CHAPTER 27 David, however, said in his heart, I shall fall some day into the hand of Saul. Would it not be well for me to take refuge in the country of the Philistium, when Saul will give a punting after me again in any of the districts of Israel, and I shall protect myself from his hand? David consequently passed over, he and the 600 men with him, to Akish Ben-Mauk, king of Gath, where David and his men settled in Gath with Akish, each with his family, and David with his two wives, Aquinoman, the Jesrealitist, and Abigail, the widow of Nabal, the Carmelitus. And it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so Saul did not again hunt for him. David afterwards said to Akish, If now I have found favor in your sight, give me a residence in one of your country villages, and I will stay there, for why should your servant live in the royal city with you? Akish consequently assigned to him at once Ziklag, therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day, and the length of time that David stayed in the country of the Philistium was a year and four months, but David and his men went and plundered the Gishorites and the Gersites and the Amalekites, who were in the country which lies towards the wall of the land of Mitzar. So David conquered the country, leaving neither men nor women alive, but taking the sheep and cattle and asses and camels and clothing, then returned and came to Akish. And Akish asked, Where have you been plundering this time? David answered, Towards the south of Judah and towards the south of the Irakmalites and to the south of the Kenites, for David did not let a man or a woman go with him to Gath, remarking, For fear they should tell of us and say, David has done this. He, however, plundered in this way all the time he stayed in the country of the Philistium, and Akish believed David, reflecting, He will make himself stink with his nation, the Israelites, and then he will be my subject forever. Chapter 28 It was at this time the Philistium assembled their forces for war with Israel, and Akish said, I know that you will go with me to the campaign with your men. And David answered, You know well enough what your servant will do. And Akish replied to David, Certainly, therefore I will appoint you as captain of my guard all the time. When Samuel died and all Israel had mourned for him, they buried him near Rama in his own village, and Saul drove away the spirit raisers and the soothsayers from the country. But the Philistium collected and advanced and encamped at Shunam. Saul also assembled the forces of Israel and encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the camp of the Philistium he feared and his heart trembled extremely. Saul consequently inquired of the ever-living, but the ever-living did not answer him neither by dreams nor by visions nor by prophets. Consequently Saul said to his officers, Seek me a woman who possesses a divining spirit, and I will go and inquire of her. And his officers replied to him, There is a woman at Endor who possesses a spirit. Then Saul stripped and clothed himself in different colors, and went he and two officers with him, and came to the woman at night and said to her, Will you call to a spirit for me now and bring to me whoever I tell you? But the woman replied to him, What? When you know what Saul has done, who has driven the spirit raisers and the scientists from the country? So why do you seek for my life to get me killed? Then Saul swore to her by the ever-living, saying, By the ever-living life nothing hurtful shall happen to you for the affair. So the woman asked him, Whom shall I bring up to you? And he replied, Bring up Samuel to me. And when the woman saw Samuel, she shrieked with a loud voice and said to Saul, Why have you deceived me? You are Saul. But the king answered her, Fear not for me. Who? What have you seen? And the woman said to Saul, I saw divine messengers ascending out of the earth. He then asked her, What is he like? She replied, An old man is now coming up, and he is covered with a cloak. And Saul recognized that it was Samuel, and fell face-forward to the ground and was terrified. Then Samuel said to Saul, For what have you disturbed me to bring me up? And Saul replied, I am in great distress for the Felishtimer at war with me, and God has turned from me and answers me no more, neither by means of instructors nor by dreams. So I called to you to tell me what to do. Samuel then asked, And for what do you inquire of me when God has turned away and is far from you? The ever-living will do to you as he said through me. For the ever-living has taken the commandorship from your hand and will give it to your neighbor, to David, because you did not listen to the voice of the ever-living and did not execute his deep wrath upon the Amalekites. Therefore the ever-living has brought this trouble to you today. The ever-living also will give Israel with you into the hands of the Felishtim, and tomorrow you shall be with me. The ever-living will also give the camp of Israel into the hand of the Felishtim. Saul then immediately fell down to the earth, for he could not stand and was greatly terrified at the words of Samuel. Beside there was no strength in him, for he had not eaten food all that day and all that night. But the woman came to Saul in great terror and agitation and said to him, You see your servant has listened to your voice, and I have placed my life in my hand, and have listened to the request you made me. Therefore listen now yourself to the voice of your servant, and I will put before you a mouth full of food, so eat it, and it will strengthen you that you can go on your way. But he refused and said, I will not eat. His attendants however urged him and the woman also. He therefore listened to their voices and arose from the ground and rested upon a couch, and the woman, having a fat calf in the stable, hastened and killed it, and took flour and kneaded and baked biscuits, and approached Saul and his attendants, and they ate, and arose and went away in the night. The Philistim had now assembled all their forces at Afak, and Israel had encamped at the well which is in Jezra'el, and the forces of the Philistim advanced by battalions and regiments, but David and his men were with Akish in the rear. The generals of the Philistim however asked, Who are these Hebrews? and Akish answered the generals of the Philistim, Is not this David, the officer of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me for this year or two, and I have not found in him any fault from the day he deserted until now? The generals of the Philistim however collected about him, and the generals of the Philistim said to him, Send the man away, and let him go to his residence, where let him be retained, for he shall not advance with us to the campaign lest he betray us in the campaign. For how could he reconcile himself to his prince? Would it not be by the heads of our men? Is not this David about whom they chorused with dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? Akish consequently summoned David and said to him, By the everliving life in my opinion you have been right and good in your intercourse with me in the camp, nor have I found anything wrong about you from the day you came up to me until this time. But the opinion of the nobles is not good about you, therefore return and go away quietly and create no offense in the sight of the Philistim lords. David however asked Akish, Why, what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I came to you until this day that I may not go and fight the enemies of my lord the king? But Akish answered and said to David, I acknowledge you are as good in my opinion as a messenger of God. The generals of the Philistim however say he shall not advance with us to the campaign. So now rest till the morning with the servants of your prince who came with you, but arise at dawn of light with them and depart. Consequently David and his men rested until they marched at dawn to return to the country of the Philistim, then the Philistim advanced to Jezra'el. CHAPTER XXX But when David and his men arrived at Ziklag on the third day, they found that the Amalekites had devastated the south up to Ziklag and attacked Ziklag and burnt it with fire, and captured the women who were in it from the least to the greatest. They did not kill a single person, but carried them off and departed. So when David and his men came to the town, they saw it burnt by fire and their wives, children and daughters carried off. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until there was no more strength in them to weep. The two wives of David also were captured, Akinoham the Jezra'elitis and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, and it troubled David greatly for the people threatened to stone him, for the soul of all the forces was bitter because of their sons and daughters, but David relied upon his ever-living God. David consequently said to Abiathar, the priest, son of Akinohalek, bring me the ephod, and Abiathar brought the ephod to David and David inquired of the ever-living, asking, Shall I pursue this troop, and can I overtake them? When he replied to him, Follow, for you shall overtake and deliver. Therefore David and the six hundred men with him marched and came to the canal at the wall, where part halted. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, whilst two hundred men who were exhausted halted at the passage of the canal of the wall, and they found a man, an Egyptian in the field, and took him to David. They gave him food, and he ate, and they quenched him with water. They also gave him a slice of fig cake and two bunches of raisins, and he ate, and his energy returned to him, for he had not eaten food nor drank water for three days and three nights. David then asked him, Who are you, or from where? And he answered, I am a young Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite, and my master abandoned me three days ago because I broke down. We had devastated the pastures of the Kifites as high up as Judah, and the pastures of Kaleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fire. David next asked him, Will you guide me to this gang? And he replied, Swear to me by God that you will not kill me, and not give me up to the hand of my master, and I will lead you to that gang. So he led them, and they were scattered all over the ground, eating and drinking, and feasting upon the great booty they had taken from the country of the Philishtim and from the land of Judah. David therefore assailed them with spirit from the evening to the next day, and none of them escaped except four hundred young men who mounted on camels and fled. Then David rescued all the Amalekites had taken, and David also rescued his two wives, and they lost no one, small or great, of their sons or daughters. And the plunder and all that they had taken with them, David got back. But David took all the sheep and cattle they drove out from that camp to himself, and said, This is David's booty. But when David approached the two hundred men who had been exhausted by the march after David, and who stayed by the canal of the wall, they came out to meet David and the force with him, and David came to them and wished them health. But all the vile and blackguardly fellows among those who marched with David objected, and said, Because they did not go with us, none of the booty that we have captured shall be given to them, except to each one his wife and children. Let them take them and be off. David, however, said, You shall not do so, brothers, since the everliving has given it to us and has guarded us and delivered the gang who fell upon us into our power. And who will listen to this talk of yours? As for the share of the man who goes into battle, and the share of him who stays with the baggage, both shall be equal. So from that day forwards it was fixed as an institution and decree for Israel until this time. When David arrived at Ziklag, he sent part of the booty to the princes of Judah, his neighbors, saying, Here is a present to you from the plunder of the enemies of the everliving. To those also in Bethel, and those in Ramah Nageb, and those in Jathir, and those in Ashima, and those in Raqal, and those in the villages of the Arakmalai, and to those in the villages of the Kenites, and those in Karma, and those in Korashan, and to those in Athak, and to those in Kebron, and to all the places where men had been with his men. But the Philishtim fought with Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philishtim, and fell routed on the mountains of Gilboa. Thus the Philishtim defeated Saul and his sons, and the Philishtim killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melkeshua, the sons of Saul. Then the battle rested upon Saul, but the archers advanced upon him with their bows, and he was grievously wounded by the archers. Saul consequently said to his squire, Brow your sword and stab me with it, for fear these fellow fellows should come and stab me, and outrage over me. But his squire refused, for he was in great terror, so Saul took the sword and fell upon it, and when his squire saw that Saul was dead, then he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died with his three sons and his squire and all his guards in one day. But when the Israelites who were beyond the valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the army of Israel was routed and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the villages and fled, and the Philishtim came and occupied them. When it was morning the Philishtim came to strip the slain and found Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gilboa, so they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent around the country of the Philishtim to proclaim the good news in the temples of their idols and to the people. Then they placed his arms in the temples of Ashtaroth and hung up his body upon the walls of Beth-Shan, but the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilad heard about it and what the Philishtim had done to Saul. Consequently all the brave men arose and marched all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the walls of Beth-Shan and brought them to Jabesh and burnt them there. They afterward took the bones and buried them under the tamarind tree in Jabesh and mourned seven days. Chapter 1 It was after the death of Saul when David was resting from the defeat of the Amalekites for two days after David had returned to Ziklag that on the third day a man came from the camp of the army of Saul with his clothes torn and earth on his head and when he reached David he inclined to the earth and bowed. Then David asked him, Where do you come from? and he replied, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. What has been the event? David asked him further. Inform me, I pray. When he replied, both the regular soldiers and also ten thousand of the militia have fallen and Saul has been killed and Jonathan, his son, is dead. Then David asked the young man, Can you tell me if you know how Saul was killed and Jonathan, his son and the youth related to him? I happened to be upon the hill of Gilboa and saw Saul leaning on his spear and the chariots and horsemen were charging down upon him and he looked behind me and saw and called to me when I replied, I am here. Then he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. When he said, Stand by and kill me for I am seized with terror and all my spirit has left me. So I stood by him and killed him. Then I examined who he might be after he had fallen and took the coronet which was on his head and the bracelets from his arms and have brought them here to my lord. Then David seized his robes and tore them and all his men who are with him did the same and they mourned and wept and lamented until the evening over Saul and over Jonathan, his son and over the army of the ever living and over the house of Israel who had fallen by the sword. David afterwards asked the young man, Will you inform from where you come? And he answered, I am the son of a foreigner and Amalekite. Then David said to him, Were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the consecrated to the Lord? And David called to one of his lads and said, Go up to and assail and kill him. And David said to him, Your blood is on your own head for your mouth gave evidence against you saying I killed the Lord's anointed. David also chanted this elegy over Saul and his son Jonathan and ordered the tribe of Judah to be taught archery as it is recorded in the history of the heroes. Have not the glorious heroes fallen Israel? Upon your hills? Tell it not in the city gaff. Publish it not in the streets of Ascolon. Lest it glad and felicitous daughters lest the girls of the vile rejoice. Let no dew fall on the hills of Gilboa or rain on the highland fields. For there the hero's shield was cast, Saul's shield unprotected by oil. From the blood of the wounded, from the strength of the brave, the bow of Jonathan turned not away, nor Saul flashed his sword in vain. Saul and Jonathan loved and were friends in life, and in death they were not divided. They had the voices of eagles, they were as lions strong. Daughters of Israel weep for Saul, who clothed you with many jewels. Put not on your gold and gems, for the heroes are fallen in war with Jonathan matchless in might. I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan. Pleasant to me was your wonderful love. It surpassed the love for women. How have the mighty fallen, and the arms of the warrior failed? Chapter 2 And after that David inquired from the ever-living, saying, Shall I go up to one of the forts of Judah? When the ever-living answered him, Go up! Then David asked, To which shall I go up? And the ever-living replied to him, To Hebron! So David went up with his two wives, Akinnoam, the Jezralitis, and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, and the men who were with him accompanied David each with his family and settled in the city of Hebron. Then the men of Judah came and consecrated David as king over the house of Judah, and informed him that the men of Yabesh-Gilad had buried Saul. David therefore sent messengers to the men of Yabesh-Gilad and said to them, May you be blessed by the ever-living for showing this kindness to your prince, to Saul, and burying him. May the ever-living therefore show you kindness and truth, and I also make you this present on account of what you have done. Strengthen your hand and also be brave men, although your Lord Saul is dead. But as for me, the house of Judah have consecrated me king over themselves. But Abner Ben-Nur, the commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and brought him to the camp, and he reigned over Gilad, and Asher, and Jezral, and Ephraim, and Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old at his coronation over Israel, and was king two years. But Judah followed David, and the period of time that David was king in Hebron was seven years and six months. Abner Ben-Nur, and the servants of Ishbosheth, son of Saul, went out from Makhanim to Gebeon, and Joab, David's officer, went out and advanced to the pool of Gebeon simultaneously, and he occupied one side of the pool, and they the other side. Then Abner said to Joab, Let the lads get up and make sport before us. When Joab answered, let them get up. So they arose, and passed over to the number of twelve for Benjamin, and Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David, and they seized each on the hand of his antagonist, and stabbed into the side of his antagonist, and they fell down together. So they named that place Traitors Rock. It is near Gebeon. Consequently there arose an extremely fierce battle on that day, and Abner and the Generals of David retired before the troops of David, and there were three sons of Zeruaia there, Joab and Apashai, and Ashahel, and Ashahel was swift afoot like a wild stag, so Ashahel ran after Abner and did not turn from his path to the right or the left from following Abner, but Abner turned on himself and asked, Is that you, Ashahel? And he replied, It is! Then Abner said to him, Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the fellows for yourself and take his armor, but Ashahel would not turn from following him. So Abner again said to Ashahel, Turn from following me! Why must I strike you to the earth? For then I could not lift up my face to your brother, Joab! But he refused to turn away, so Abner struck him with the butt of his spear on the belly, and the spear went through to his back, and he fell there and died terribly. And when the forces arrived at the spot where Ashahel had fallen and died, they halted. But Abashai and Joab pursued Abner until sunset, and at sunset they had reached Gibat-Amaa, which is opposite Gika on the way to the desert of Gibiad. And there the Benjaminites collected to Abner and formed into line and stood on the top of the hill, whence Abner called to Joab and said, Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be a bitterness to you hereafter, that you have not ordered the forces to turn back from pursuing your own countrymen? When Joab answered, By the life of God, if you are not spoken, the forces should not have ceased from pursuing their countrymen until the morning. Then Joab signaled by the trumpet, and all the force halted and pursued Israel no farther, and did not continue the battle. So Abner and his men marched towards the Arba all that night, and crossed the Jordan, and went to Bethron, whence they arrived at Makhanim. Joab also returned from the pursuit of Abner, and collected the whole of his forces, and found there were lost from David's servants, 19 men, and Ashahel. But David's troops wounded of Benjamin and Abder's men, 360, and killed 60. They also took up Ashahel, and buried him in the grave of his father in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night, and they broke to them in Hebron. The war extended, however, between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David advanced and strengthened, but the house of Saul became weaker. David also had sons born to him in Hebron, of whom the eldest was Amon from Akinoham the Jezreolitis, and the second Kylab from Abigail the widow of Nabal, the Carmelite, and the third Abshalom, the son of Makkah, the daughter of Thalim, king of Gishur, and the fourth Adoniah, the son of Hagef, and the fifth Shifatias, son of Abital, and the sixth Ithram by Agla of the wives of David. These were born to David in Hebron. But the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, and Abner was the strength of the house of Saul. Saul, however, had a slave wife, and her name was Orisva, the daughter of Ava. And he asked to Abner, Why have you gone to that slave wife of my father? But Abner was very angry at the words of Ishbosheth and exclaimed, Am I a dog's head who have shown kindness to the house of Saul, your father, and his relatives, and friends, instead of to Judah, and have not delivered you to the hand of David, that you accuse me of sin today with that woman? May the everliving do so to Abner, and more than that, if, according to what the everliving has promised to David, I will not do for him and transfer the army from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba. And he was not able in return to reply a word to Abner, for he was afraid of him. Abner consequently sent messengers privately to David to ask, Who's is the country? And adding, Make your bargain with me, and I will give my hand to you to turn all Israel to you. And he replied, Right, I will make a bargain with you, only one thing I will demand of you, that is, you shall not see my face unless you bring into my presence Mikal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me. Then David sent ambassadors to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, to say, Give me my wife Mikal, whom I acquired by a hundred foreskins of the Philishtim. So Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Faltayal Ben-Losh, but her husband went along with her and wept with her to Bakarim, where Abner said to him, Be off, go back and be quiet. Then Abner's plan was to say to the judges of Israel, Formerly you were seeking David to be king over you, so now effect it, for the everliving has spoken to David, saying, By the hand of David my servant, I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philishtim, and from the power of all their enemies. Abner also whispered in the ears of Benjamin. At last Abner sent to tell David privately in Hebron that all was ready in the ears of Israel, and all was good in the opinion of Benjamin. Then Abner himself went to David at Hebron with twenty officers, and David made a feast for Abner and the officers who were with him. Abner afterwards said to David, I will arise and go, and bring to your majesty the representatives of Israel, and they will make a treaty with you when you can reign in all your soul's desires. David then took leave of Abner, and he departed in peace. Just then, however, a detachment of the troops of David arrived with Joab, and brought a great booty with them. Abner was not, however, in Hebron with David, for he had taken leave and gone quietly. When Joab and all the army with him arrived, they informed Joab, saying, Abner Ben-Nur has been with a king, but he has taken leave of him, and he has gone away in peace. Then Joab went to the king and demanded, What have you done? Why has Abner been to you and you have let him go, and he has departed in peace? Do you know Abner Ben-Nur? He came only to pump you and to learn your purposes and plans. Then Joab went out unknown to David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah, but David did not know it. So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab met him in front of the gate, and spoke to him pleasantly. Then stabbed him in the belly, and killed him on account of the blood of Asche-Hell, his brother. When David afterwards heard of this, he exclaimed, I and my kingdom are completely guiltless before the ever-living of the blood of Abner Ben-Nur, let there rest on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, sickness and disease and convulsion and sword stroke and want of bread. Thus Joab and Abashai, his brother, murdered Abner because of the death of Asche-Hell, their brother, at Ghibion in battle. But David said to Joab and to all the force that were with him, Tear your clothes and gird on sack cloth and mourn for Abner, and King David went after the beer. So they buried Abner in Hebron, when the King lifted up his voice and wept at the tomb, and all the army wept. The King also lamented Abner, and said, Abner, how like a flower you fade in death, your hands unbound, your feet not chained together, for falling by the sons of crime you fell, and all the forces continued to weep over him. When all the army brought food to David to eat on that day, they heard David say, May God do so to me and more than that, if before the sun sets I taste of food of any kind whatever. So all the army admired and approved all the King did. It was good in the opinion of the forces, and all the army and all Israel recognized at the time that the King had not caused the death of Abner Ben-Nur. The King also said to his ministers, Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel, and I, the King, am weak and feeble, and these men, the sons of Zeruaya, overpower me? May the everliving make repayment of the wrong they have done to their neighbor. Chapter 4 When the son of Saul heard that Abner had been killed in Hebron, his and all Israel's hands dropped down. But there were two men, generals of division to the son of Saul, the one named Banah, and the other, Rekab, sons of Rimon the Barothite, of the tribe of Benjamin, for Baroth had been assigned to Benjamin, but the Barothites removed to get him and are settled there until today. But Jonathan the son of Saul had a son, a cripple who was five years old when news came from Jezraal about Saul and Jonathan, and his nurse took him up and ran away, but in the hurry of flight she fell, and he was lame'd, so he was named Mithibosheth. The sons of Rimon the Barothite, Rekab and Banah, went secretly one day to the palace of Ishbosheth when he was lying on his couch at noon, and arrived at the interior of the palace through the corn stores. Then both Rekab and Banah, his brother crawled slyly and came to the chamber where he lay upon his couch in his sleeping room, where they stabbed and killed him and cut off his head. They then took his head and went off and traveled all night and brought the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, to David at Hebron, and said to the king, Here is the head of Ishbosheth, Ben Saul, your enemy, who sought your life, which the ever-living has given to our prince the king. You are revenged today on Saul and his race. But David replied to Banah and his brother, sons of Rimon the Barothite, and said to them, By the life of the ever-living, who rescued my life from all its distress, when a man reported to me, Saul has been killed, as though it would be pleasant in my opinion, I seized that man who brought me that news and ordered his execution in Siklag. You villains have murdered a good man in his own house upon his bed. So now I will require his blood from your hands, and I will rid the earth of you. David then commanded his attendants and they slew them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up by the pool in Hebron, but they buried the head of Ishbosheth in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron and addressed him, saying, Formerly when Saul was king over us, you led out and brought back Israel, and the Lord said to you, You shall shepherd my people of Israel, so therefore become now the leader of Israel. All the judges of Israel also came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a treaty with them before the ever-living, and all Israel rejoiced with King David. David was thirty years old at his election as king, and was king forty years. He was king over Judah in Hebron, seven years and six months, and king in Jerusalem thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. When the king and his generals marched against Jerusalem, the Jebusites occupied the district, and they taunted David, saying, Do not come here, for the lame and the blind and the crippled can say David shall not enter here. David, however, captured the suburb of Zion, which is now the city of David, and David at the time the aqueduct was captured, said, Destroy all the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind hated of David's soul, because they said, The blind and the lame can prevent you entering our place. David afterwards settled in the fortress and walled around it from Meloa to his palace. Thus David advanced and became great, and the ever-living God fought for him. Kyram, king of Zour, also said to David Cedarwood and workmen in wood, and stonecutters, and they built David a palace, for David knew that the ever-living had fixed his kingship over Israel, and that he had raised him to the kingship over his people Israel. David also married slave wives and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and they also bore David sons and daughters. These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem, Shamina and Shobab and Nathan and Shulaman, Solomon and Ibn Kar and Alayshua and Nephag and Japhaya and Alayshama and Alayada and Alayphalat. When the Philistim heard that David had been consecrated king over Israel, the Philistim forces advanced to assail David, but David heard of it and proceeded to the frontier, where the Philistim had posted themselves on the plain of Refayim. Then David inquired from the ever-living, If I attack the Philistim, will you give them into my power? And the ever-living replied, Attack, for I will give the Philistim into your power. So David went to Baal Frashim and Fatheir and said, Lord, sweep my enemies before me as water sweeps, therefore the name of that place is called Sweepton. The Philistim also abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away. The Philistim, however, again advanced and encamped on the plain of Refayim when David inquired of the ever-living, and he answered, Do not advance, turn their rear and come upon them opposite the valley of Weeping, and when you hear the sound of marching at the heads of the valley of Weeping, then rush forward, for the ever-living will advance before you to defeat the army of the Philistim. David consequently did as the ever-living commanded, and defeated the Philistim at Giba on the road to Ghazer. CHAPTER VI David afterwards assembled all the gentry of Israel, thirty thousand. Then David arose and marched with all his army from Bali of Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, where the name of the ever-living power who rests above the caribim is called upon, and they placed the Ark of God upon a wagon and carried it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill, and Uzah and Achaio, sons of Abinadab, the priests, were with the new wagon and brought it from the house of Abinadab on the hill, bearing the Ark of the ever-living God. But Achaio walked before the Ark, with David and all the house of Israel rejoicing before the ever-living, with boughs of trees and harps and loots and trumpets and timbrels and cymbals. When they came to the paved square, and Uzah was driving the Ark of God, he seized hold of it for the bullocks stumbled. But the ever-living was angry with Uzah, and God struck him there from the seat, and he died on the spot beside the Ark of God. Then David was terrified because the ever-living had suddenly crushed Uzah, and that place is called Uzah's Crush to this day. And David was afraid of the ever-living at the time, and said, The Ark of the ever-living shall not come to me! So David would not take with him the Ark of the ever-living to the city of David, but placed it in the house of Abed Edam, the Gardener, and the Ark of the ever-living remained in the house of Abed Edam, the Gardener, three months, then the ever-living blessed Abed Edam and all his family. And it was reported to King David that the ever-living had blessed the house of Abed Edam and all that belonged to him for receiving the Ark of God. So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Abed Edam with rejoicing to the city of David. But when the bearers of the Ark of the ever-living had advanced six steps, they sacrificed a bollock and fat calf, and David danced with all his might before the ever-living, and David was clothed with an ephod. Thus David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the ever-living with cheering and sounds of trumpets. But when the Ark of the ever-living came to the city of David, Mikal the daughter of Saul leaned and looked out of a window and saw King David skipping and dancing before the ever-living, and she despised him in her heart. Thus they brought the Ark of the ever-living and set it in its place within the pavilion which David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and thank offerings before the ever-living. When David had completed the burnt offerings and thank offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the ever-living power. He also distributed to all the people, to all collected from Israel, both men and women, a loaf of bread and a horn of wine and a cake. Then all the people returned each to his house. When Mikal the daughter of Saul came to meet David, she said, How dignified the King of Israel was today when he exhibited himself to the eyes of his servant girls as common fellows exhibit themselves. But David replied to Mikal, It was before the ever-living who chose me instead of your father and instead of all your house and commanded me to be guardian over all the people of the ever-living over Israel, so I sported before the ever-living. And I will degrade myself more than that and will humble myself in my own eyes, but by the servant girls whom you mention I shall be honored. But for Mikal the daughter of Saul there shall be no child for her to the day of her death. The end of chapters one through six of the second book of Samuel, recording by Mark Penfold. Chapters seven through twelve of the second book of Samuel from the Holy Bible in modern English. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recording by Mark Penfold. The Holy Bible in modern English, translated by Farrar Fenton. The second book of Samuel, chapters seven through twelve. Chapter seven. But when the king dwelt in his palace and the ever-living had given him peace all round from his enemies, then the king said to Nathan the prophet, See, I now rest in a palace of cedar, but the Ark of God remains under curtains. When Nathan answered the king, Ah, that is in your heart, do it, for the ever-living is with you. But in that night the message of the ever-living came to Nathan, saying, Go and speak to my servant David to say, Thus says the ever-living, Will you build me a house to dwell in, when I have not rested in a house from the days I brought Israel up out of the Mitsarayim to this day, but have marched with a pavilion and tabernacle in which I have traveled with the forces of the children of Israel? Have I spoken to the one tribe of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel to ask, Why have you not built me a palace of cedar? Consequently now say this to my servant David, Thus says the ever-living power, I took you from following after the sheep to become a leader over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you went and have defeated your enemies before you and made your name great like the name of those famous on the earth. I have also provided a position for my people Israel and planted them and they shall rest in it and never fear, nor shall the sons of evil again afflict as formerly. But from the day when I dictated a constitution to my people Israel and gave you rest from all your enemies, did the ever-living inquire, What house will you make for the Lord? Your days, however, shall be completed and you shall sleep with your fathers, but I will raise an air after you who shall come from your loins and I will fix him in your kingship. He shall build a house to my name and I will establish the throne of his kingship forever. I shall be his father and he will be my son. He will be a guide to the wandering and I will cause him to correct men with a staff and the sons of Adam with a touch and I will never turn my friendship from him as I turned it from Saul when I caused it to turn from him to you. For your house and your kingship shall endure forever. Your throne shall be established forever. All these words and all this vision Nathan related to David. King David consequently went and sat before the ever-living and said, Who am I, Lord, my prince? And who was my father that you have brought me so far? But even this is little in your sight, Supreme Lord, for you have promised also to extend the house of your servant and to show this to a man, Supreme Lord. So why again should David speak to you further, since you know your servant, Supreme Lord? For according to your promise in your heart you have given all this greatness to glorify your servant. Therefore I magnify you ever-living God, for there is none like you and there is no God except you from all that we hear with our ears. And who are like your people is real, a singular nation in the earth to whom a God comes to instruct it as a people and to fix a fame upon it and to effect for it the mighty works and wonders in your land, in the presence of your people whom you redeemed from the heathen of Mitsarayim and their Gods and established the people of Israel for yourself as a people forever and you are become their ever-living God and also ever-living God, the promise you have promised to your servant and to his house to fix it forever, do what you have promised and he will magnify your name forever proclaiming the ever-living God of hosts, the God over Israel. So let the house of your servant David ever-living be established before you. For you ever-living power, the God of Israel, have opened the ear to your servant when he said, I will build you a house. Therefore let your servant find the heart to pray this prayer to you. For you ever-living Lord are the God and your promises will become true and also this good promise to your servant. Therefore you have begun to bless the family of your servant that it may exist forever before you. For you ever-living Lord have promised and with your blessing have blessed the family of your servant forever. Chapter 8 It was after this that David attacked the Felishtim and subdued them when David took their metropolis from the Felishtim. He also attacked Moab and appointed a land tax upon their farms and imposed two taxations, one instead of inflicting death and a tax for tribute whilst they lived. Thus the Moabites became David's subjects and paid tribute. David next defeated Hadadizar Ben-Reqab, king of Zoba on his march to recover his power upon the river Euphrates when David captured 1,700 of their chariots and 20,000 footmen. But David destroyed all the chariot horses and only preserved 100 chariots. The RMI of Damasque however came to assist Hadadizar, king of the Delta, but David defeated 22,000 men of them in Aram. David afterward placed garrisons in Aram of Damasque and Aram became subject to David and bore tribute for the ever-living worked for David wherever he went. Consequently David took the shields of gold which the officers of Hadadizar carried and brought them to Jerusalem. King David also took from Batak and Berotha'i, cities of Hadadizar, a very great quantity of brass. When Tai'i, the king of Kamath, heard that David had defeated all the forces of Hadadizar, Tai'i sent his son Joram to King David to ask for peace upon him and to congratulate him upon the way he had fought Hadadizar and defeated him, for Tai'i had been a general of Hadadizar, and he brought with him articles of silver and gold and brass. These also King David brought to the ever-living with the silver and gold which he took from all the nations whom he subdued, from Aram and from Moab and from the Benai Aemon and from the Philishtim and from Amalek and from the booty of Hadadizar Ben-Rakab, king of the Delta of Zoba. David also acquired fame on his turning the flank upon defeating the 18,000 of Aram at the river's mouth by the sea. He placed garrisons in the whole of Edom and all Edom was subdued to David. Thus the ever-living protected David wherever he went, for David reigned over all Israel and David administered justice and right to all his people. Joab Ben-Zeruaya was over his army, and Jehoshaphat Ben-Akhaylud was chancellor, and Zadok Ben-Akhaytub and Ahimelech Ben-Abiyathar priests, and Saraya secretary, and Benaya Ben-Jahoyedah commanded the guards and light infantry, and the sons of David became priests. Chapter 9 Then David inquired, Who is there yet of the family of Saul remaining, and I will show him kindness on account of Jonathan? And Saul had in his family a servant whose name was Zyba, so they invited him to David when the king asked him, Are you Zyba? and he replied, You're a servant! Then the king asked him, Is there yet remaining any one of the family of Saul, and I will show him kindness for God's sake? And Zyba replied to the king, There is still a son of Jonathan, lame in his feet, when the king asked him, Where is he? Zyba said, He is in the house of Makri Ben-Amiyal, the tax-collector. King David therefore sent and took him from the house of Makri Ben-Amiyal, the tax-collector, and he brought Mofibosheth Ben-Jonathan, the son of Saul, to David, and he inclined his face and bowed to him. Then David said, Mofibosheth, and he replied, You see your servant! And David said to him, Fear nothing, for I will show you kindness on account of your father, Jonathan, and I will assign to you all the estate of Saul your ancestor, and you shall eat bread always at my table. But he bowed to him and replied, Why should you regard such a dead dog's head as I am? Then the king called to Zyba, the attendant of Saul, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his family I have given to the son of your prince, so you and your sons can attend to the property for him and cultivate the estate for him, and provide the son of your prince with a maintenance. But Mofibosheth, the son of your prince, shall always be supplied with food at my table, and for Zyba there shall be fifteen attendants and ten servants. And Zyba replied to the king, Your servant will do all exactly as my lord the king has ordered to his servant, and I will maintain Mofibosheth at my table like one of the sons of the king. Mofibosheth also had a young son whose name was Micah, who always lived in the house of Zyba, the steward of Mofibosheth. Mofibosheth, however, resided in Jerusalem, for he was always at the table of the king, and he was lame in both his feet. CHAPTER X It was after these events that the king of the Benaiamen died, and Kanon his son reigned in his stead. So David said, I will show friendship to Kanon Ben Nakash as I did to his father. Therefore officers of David went to the country of the Benaiamen, but the chiefs of the Benaiamen sent to Kanon their prince. Does David pay honor to your father in your sight by sending comforters to you? Is it not for the purpose of examining the city and to survey it, and to explore it that David has sent his officers to you? Kanon consequently took David's officers and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their clothing to the buttocks and dismissed them. But strangers reported to David, so he sent to meet them, for his officers had been grossly insulted, and the king said, Stay in Jericho until your beards are grown, then return. The Benaiamen, however, were terrified after they had insulted David. Consequently the Benaiamen sent and hired of the Aramae of Beth-Rihab and of the Aramae of Zoba, twenty thousand infantry, and the king of Maka with a thousand men, and of the people of Taub, twelve thousand men. David, however, heard of it, and sent Joab with a strong division of the guards, but the Benaiamen came out and arranged for battle opposite the gate, and Aramae Zoba and Rikob and the men of Taub and Maka were separate in the open country. Joab consequently saw that there was upon him a battle in front and rear, so he chose all the guards of Israel and arranged to meet the Aramae, and the remainder of the force he gave to Abishai, his brother, and arranged them to meet the Benaiamen, and said, If the Aramae are too strong for me, you must save me, and if the Benaiamen are too strong for you, then I will march to help you. Courage, and be bold for the honor of our people, and the honor of the city of our God, and may the everliving do what is good in his sight. Then Joab and the force with him advanced to the fight with Aramae, and they fled before him. When the Benaiamen saw that the Aramae fled, then they fled before Abishai and went into the city. Joab, however, refrained from pursuing the Benaiamen and returned to Jerusalem. But when the Aramae saw that they were defeated by Israel, they assembled together and sent to Hadid-e-Zair, and he sent to the Aramae beyond the river, and procured their forces, and Joab, general of the army of Hadid-e-Zair, to lead them. But it was reported to David, who collected the forces of Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and went to Kailam, where Aramae drew out to meet David, and they fought with him. But Aramae fled before Israel, and David destroyed of the Aramaeites 700 chariots and 4000 horsemen, and defeated and killed Joab, the general of the army there. When all the kings who were subject to Hadid-e-Zair saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and were subject, and Aramae feared to help the Benaiamen further. Chapter 11 But when the turn of the year came, the season when generals go out to war, David sent Joab and his officers with him and the forces of Israel, and reduced the Benaiamen to great distress. David, however, remained in Jerusalem. One night David arose from his bed, and walked on the veranda of his house, and saw a woman bathing herself on a roof, and a very beautiful woman she was. So David sent and inquired about the woman, and was told, She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Alayam, the wife of Uraya the Hettite. Then David sent messengers, and took her, and went to her, and lay with her, and prostituting he defiled her, and then sent her home. But the woman conceived, so she sent and informed David, and said, I am with child. David therefore sent to Joab to say, Send Uraya the Hettite to me. Joab accordingly sent Uraya to David, and Uraya came to him, when David asked, Is Joab well, and the army well, and the war going successfully? Then David said to Uraya, Go down to your house, and wash your feet. Uraya accordingly left the palace of the king, but went after the business of the king. Afterwards Uraya lay down in the court of the king's palace with all the officers of his prince, and did not go to his own house. But David was informed, Uraya has not gone to his house. David consequently asked Uraya, How was it when you have come from a journey, that you have not gone to your house? When Uraya answered David, the Ark and Israel and Judah remain intense with my commander Joab, and the officers of my prince lie on the surface of the field. So should I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? By your life and by the life of your soul, I would not do such a thing as that. Then David said to Uraya, Stay here today, and tomorrow I will send you off. Uraya therefore remained in Jerusalem that day and the next, and David invited him, and he ate in his presence, and he gave him drink, and made him drunk. Yet he went at night and lay down in his bed, with other officers of his prince, and did not go down to his home. Consequently when morning came, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uraya, and wrote in the letter commanding, Station Uraya tomorrow in the front of the battle, at the most dangerous place, then you withdraw from his rear, and let him be assailed and killed. Joab was then besieging the city, so he posted Uraya at the spot where he knew there were brave men. And those men sallied out of the city, and attacked Joab, who fell back with the troops of the officers of David, and Uraya the Hittite was killed. Then Joab sent an informed David of all the events of the battle, and instructed the messenger, saying, Tell the whole of the events of the battle to the king. But if it happens that it raises anger in the king, and he says to you, Why did you approach the city to fight? Did you not know they would see you from the wall? Who hit Abimelech Ben Jerubal? Was it not a woman who flung upon him a piece of a millstone from off the wall, and killed him? Then you must say. Also your officer Uraya the Hittite has been killed. So the messenger went, and came, and reported to David all that Joab sent him for. The messenger also said to David, The man overpowered us, and came out to us in the open field when we advanced opposite the gate. And the sentinels picked out your officers from off the wall, and killed some of the officers of the king. And your general Uraya the Hittite also was killed. Then David said to the messenger, Say this to Joab, Let not this event be grievous in your eyes, for the sword devours here and there. Be energetic in your assault upon the city, and breach it, and master it. When the wife of Uraya heard he was dead, she mourned over her lord, and refused to eat. David however sent an additor to his family, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was wrong in the sight of the ever-living. CHAPTER XII The ever-living consequently sent Nathan the preacher to David, and he came to him, and said, There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very great flocks and herds, but the poor had nothing except a little single she-lam which he had bought, and he comforted it, and it grew up with him and his children, and ate of his crumbs, and drank of his cup and lay on his lap, and was like a daughter to him. But a traveller came to the rich man, who grudged to take from his own flocks and herds to prepare, and offered to his visitor, but seized the she-lam of the poor man, and prepared it for the man who had come to him. Then David was very furious at the man, and exclaimed to Nathan, By the life of the ever-living, the man who has done that shall die, and for the she-lam he shall pay for as a fine whoever has done this thing, and he shall have no pity. But Nathan replied to David, You are the man, thus says the ever-living God of Israel. I consecrated you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul, and I gave you the palace of your prince, and the wives of your prince to your bosom, and I gave you the houses of Israel and Judah, and I added portions to you from here and from there. So why have you despised the commandment of the ever-living by committing this sin in his sight? You have cut off Uriah the Hittite by the sword, and have taken his wife to yourself as a wife, and have murdered him by the sword of the Benai-Amen. So now the sword shall not depart from your house forever as a punishment for you despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be a wife for yourself. Thus says the ever-living, I will raise against you outrage from your own family, and I will cause your wives to be taken in your sight and given to your neighbor, and he shall ravish your wives in the sight of this son, for you have done it secretly, but I will affect this event in the presence of all Israel, and in the face of the son. Then David exclaimed to Nathan, I have sinned against the ever-living. When Nathan replied, the ever-living also will pardon your offense, you shall not die. However, since you have given occasion for the enemies of the ever-living to libel by this thing, the son that will be born to you will certainly die. Nathan then went to his home. The ever-living subsequently struck the child which the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and it was mortal. David, however, entreated God on account of the child, and mourned, and slept on the ground until the officers of his palace came to him and took him up from the earth. But he would not be comforted, and would not eat bread with them. At the end of seven days, however, the child died. But David's officers feared to tell him that the child was dead. For, they said, when the child was alive and we spoke, he would not listen to our voice. Therefore, if we should say, the child is dead, he will do worse. David, however, perceived that his ministers were whispering, and David understood that the child was dead. So David asked his ministers, has the child died? And they replied, he has died. Then David arose from the ground, and washed, and dressed, and changed his clothing, and went to the house of the ever-living, and worshipped. Then he went to his palace, and asked for, and they offered him food, and he ate. But his ministers asked him, What a thing this is that you get on account of the child. You mourned and wept for him when alive, but now the child has died, you get up and eat bread. When David replied, whilst the child was alive, I mourned and wept, for I reflected, who knows, but the ever-living will pity me, and let the child live. But now he has died. Why should I grieve? Am I ever able to bring him back to me? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. David also comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went to her, and slept with her. And she bore a son, and called his name Solomon. And the ever-living loved him, and sent by the means of Nathan the reciter, and called his name Jadadaya, pardoned by the ever-living. Joab, however, was warring with the Bani Aiman at Raba, and he captured the royal city. So Joab sent messengers to David to say, I am fighting at Raba, and have captured the city of waters, so now collect the remainder of the forces, and come to the citadel to capture it, or I shall capture the citadel, and they will fix my name upon it. David consequently collected the forces, and went to Raba, and attacked and captured it, and took the crown from off the head of its king. Its value was a talent of gold, and the beautiful stone on the top was David's. And they brought out from the town a very great quantity of booty. He also brought out the people, and settled them in Megra, and at the ironworks, and to manufacture iron, and distributed them through his dominions, and did the same to all the cities of the Bani Aiman, after which David returned with all the forces to Jerusalem.