1 SAMUEL, XXV. B. C. 1061. David showeth his innocency. LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of 2 Saul's robe privily. 2 the robe which was Saul's. g 2Sa. 24.10. 1Jno.3.20, 21. hiki.21.3. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart g smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, The h LORD forbid that I should do thisi 2Sa.1.14. thing unto my master, the LORD'S 3 cut off. anointed, to stretch forth mine hand & Ps.7.4. against him, seeing he is the anointedi of the LORD. 7 So David 3 stayed k his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. Mat.5.44. Rǝ.12.17 21. Lev. 19. 16. Pr. 18.8. 26.20-22. 29.12. Ec.7.21. m ver.4. n Ps.35.7. 0 ch.25.20. P 2Ch.24.22. Ps.35. 1. 9T And David said to Saul, Where-q fore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 43.1. 119.154. Mi.7.9. 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have 4 judge. seen how that the LORD had de-r ch.26.24. livered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and some m bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee;s Mat.5.44. and I said, I will not put forth mine 5 shut up, hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed. ch.23.12. 26.8. Pr.25.21,22. u ch.23.17. 2Sa.21.6,8. 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea,t Ps. 18.20. see the skirt of thy robe in my hand for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil n nor transgression in w ch.23.29. mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest o my soul to take it. 12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. Samuel dieth. 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, s whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 18 And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the LORD had 5 delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward t thee good for that thou has done unto me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know u well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. 21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that v thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. 22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.w CHAPTER XXV. 1 Samuel dieth. 2 David in Paran sendeth to Nabal. AND ND Samuel died: and a all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.b 2 And there was a man in Maon, c whose 1 possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail and she was a woman of d (CHAP. 25.) good understanding, and of a beau a ch.29.3. Nu.20.29. b Ge.21.21. Nu. 10.12. 13.3,26. 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth |c ch.23.24. from the wicked: but mine hand or, business. shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. 1 d Pr. 14.1. 31.23,30. ever. 10.11,17. f Ge.38.13. 2Sa.13.23. my nume of peace. ch.17.22. 15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, 2 ask him in and see,p and plead g my cause, and 4 deliver r me out of thine hand. 16 T And it came to pass when David had made an end of speaking g 1Ch.12.18. these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son Da-3 vid? And Saul lifted up his voice, und wept. Luke 10.5. shamed, ver. 15,21. tiful countenance but the man was churlish, e and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. 4 T And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did f shear his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and 2 greet him in my name; 6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace g be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we 3 hurt them not, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. David provoked. Abigail's present. 1 SAMUEL, XXV. 8 Ask thy young men, and they will show thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day : họ give, i I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine k hand unto thy! servants, and to thy son David. 9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and 4 ceased. 10 T And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Whol is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now-adays that break away every man from his master. 11 Shall m I then take my bread, and my water, and my 5 flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? h Ne.8.10-12. Es.9.19. A Lu.11.41. 4 rested. m Ju.8.6. p Ex. 14.22. Job 1.10. 12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and q 25a.23,6,7. came and told him all those say-r Ge.32. 13. ings. Pr. 18. 16. 21 (Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evilt for good. 22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.) 23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted u off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 21 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine 9 audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, 10 regard this man of Belial, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Gird ye on every man his sword. 8 or, lumps. with him: but I thine handmaid 11 Nabal is his name, and folly is 13 And David said unto his men, s Ge, 32, 16,20. And they girded on every man his ears. his heart. v ver.33. 14 ¶ But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our, master; and he railed on them. 11 i. e. fool. 15 But the men were very good unto us, and we o were not 7 hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16 They were a wallp unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 12 Ge.20.6. saving. y Ge.33.11. 2K1.5.15. the feet of, 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil 14 walk at is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial g that a man cannot speak to him. ver.42. Ju.4.10. IKI.9.5. saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden v thee from coming to shed blood, and from 12 avenging thyselfw with thine own hand, now let thine z enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27 And now this 13blessingy which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that 14 follow my lord. 28 I pray thee, forgive the tresLORD will certainly make my lord a pass of thine handmaid: for the z sure house; because my lord fightetha the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not b been found in thee all thy days. 29 Yet à man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the z 2Sa.7.11,27. soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle c of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, 15 as out of the middle of a sling. Ps. 89.29. 18 T Then Abigail made haste, andr took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five a ch. 18. 17. sheep ready dressed, and five mea-b1Ki. 15.5. sures of parched corn, and an hun- Ps. 119.1-3. dred 8 clusters of raisins, and two c Mal.3.17. hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. 19 And she said unto her servants, s Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold, 15in the midst 30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 31 That this shall be no 16 grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but Nabal's death. 1 SAMUEL, XXVI. Saul cometh against David. when the LORD shall have dealt B. C. 1060. 1 44 T But Saul had given Michal well with my lord, then remembere thine handmaid. e Ge. 40. 14. 32 ¶ And David said to Abigail,f Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: Ge.24.27. 33 And blessed be thy advice, g and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept h me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go i upin peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. Ex. 18, 10. g Ps. 141.5. h ver. 26. i2S2.15.9. / Pr.20.1. Ec.10.19. m Job 15.21. 36 And Abigail came to Nabal : and behold, he held a feast k in his house. like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within P Pr.22.23. him, for he was very drunkeu:9 ver,26,34. wherefore she told him nothing,lessr 1Ki.2.44. or more, until the morning light. 37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart m died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote n Nabal that he died. Ps.7.16. Ru.2.10.13. Pr. 15,33. 17 at her feet, ver.27. f ch.27.3. 18 Phaltiel, u Is. 10.30. 39 ¶ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed o be the LORD, that hath pleaded p the cause of my reproach from the (CHAP. 26.) hand of Nabal, and hath kept q his a ch.23.19. servant from evil: for the LORD Ps.54, title. hath returnedr the wickedness of b ch. 14.50. Nabal upon his own head. And 1 or, midst David sent and communed with! Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife. 41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, fet s thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. his daughter, David's wife, to 18 Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.u CHAPTER XXVI. Saul cometh to Hachilah against AND a the Ziphites came unto 2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wild erness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 5 T And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abnerb the son of Ner, the captain of his host. And Saul lay in the 1trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David, and said Abishaic the son of Zeruiah, broto Ahimelech the Hittite, and to ther to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground as his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath 2 delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore of his carlet me smite him, I pray thee, with riages, the spear, even to the earth at ch. 17.20. once, and I will not smite him the second time. c 1Ch.2.16. shut up. d ch.24.6, &c. e Ps.94.23. 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; ford who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless:? 10 David said furthermore, As Luke 187.the LORD liveth, the LORD e shall smite him; or his day ƒ shall come f De.31.14. to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.g Job 7.1. 42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of her's that went 17 after 11 The Lord forbid h that I should her; and she went after the messenstretch forth mine hand against the gers of David, and became his wife. LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, 43 David also took Ahinoam of take thou now the spear that is at Jezreel; and t they were also both h ch.24.6.12. his bolster, and the cruse of water, of them his wives. g ch.31.6. and let us go. David reproveth Abner. 1 SAMUEL, XXVII. 12 So David took the spear and B. C. 1060. the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from i the LORD was fallen upon them. 13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: i Ge.2.21. 15.12. 3 the sons of death, 2Sa.12.5. k ch.24.16. 12Sa.16.11. 24.1. Ge.8.21. Lev.26.31. m Ps. 119.10S. 14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, say-4 smell, ing, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? 15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who❘n De.4.27,28. is like to thee in Israel? wherefore Ps. 120.5. then hast thou not kept thy lord the Is.60.5. king? for there came one of the peo-5 cleaving. ple in to destroy the king thy lord. 16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liv-p ch. 15.24. eth, ye are 3 worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master 9 ver.24. the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 17 And Saul knew David's voice, 2Sa. 14. 16. 7 Ps.7.8. 18.20. Saul blesseth David. but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed. 24 And behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, und let him deliver s me out of all tribulation. 25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still t prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. CHAPTER XXVII. Saul hearing David to be in Gath, seeketh no more for him. AND David said in his heart, I shall now 1 perish a one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in the coast of Israel: so shall 1 escape out of his hand. 2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men b that were with him unto Achish, C the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David and said, Isk this thy voice, my Ps. 18, title, with his two wives, d'Ahinoam the son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. 18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? 19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words 34. 17, 18. 144.2. 2Co.1.9, 10. 2Tb.3.2. t Ge.32.28. Is.54.17. Ro.8.35,37. (CHAP. 27.) be con sumed. Is.40.27.31. 51.12. b ch.25.13. of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him 4 accept m an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they na have driven me out this day from 5 abiding in the inheritance o of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods. 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. c ch.21.10. d ch.25.43. e Ge.46.34. Jos.19.5. 2 3 the number of days. a year of days, ch.29.3. 21 T Then said Saul, Ip have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious q in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and said,h Ju.1.29. Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The LORD r render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD deivered thee into my hand to-day, g Jos. 13.2. 4 or, Gerzites. i Ex.17.16. k Ge.25.18. 5 or, did you not make? Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5 ¶ And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place e in some town in the country, that I may dwell there for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag f that day wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. 7 And 2 the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was 3 a full year and four months. 8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the 4 Gezerites, h and the Amalekites: i for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, & even unto the land of Egypt. 9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said & Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of Now Samuel a was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and 1 Ex.22.28. buried him in Ramah, even in his P8.82.6,7. m ch. 15.27. | Samuel is raised. LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. 11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. 14 And he said unto her, What 1 form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. m And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. 15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore u distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed o from me, p and answereth me no more, neither 2 by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that what I shall do. own city. And Saul had put away 1 is his form? thou mayest make known unto me those b that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land, 4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: c and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. d 5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid,e and his heart greatly trembled. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, f neither by dreams, g nor by Urim, h nor by prophets. 7 T Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that i I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they 14.14. Jer.2.17,19. o ch.18.12. p ver.6. or, for 8 ch.15.28. mine hand. t ch.13.9-13. IKI.20.42. 1Ch.10.13. Jer.48. 10. 16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?r 17 And the LORD hath done 3 to him, as he spake s by 4 me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: 18 Because t thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore u hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. 19 Moreover the LORD will also v deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. 20 Then Saul 5 fell straightway came to the woman by night and u Ps.50.21,22. all along on the earth, and was he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. v ch.31.1-6. haste and sore afraid, w because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. 9 And the woman said unto him, 21 ¶ And the woman came unto Behold, thou knowest what Saul Saul and saw that he was sore hath done, how he hath cut off k troubled and said unto him, Bethose that have familiar spirits, hold, thine handmaid hath obeyed and the wizards, out of the land Job 15.20.thy voice, and I have put my life wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? 10 And Saul sware to her by the w a x ch.19.5. in mine hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. |