David cuts Saul's skirt.

CHAP. XXIV. XXV. Saul acknowledges his fault.

thee.

side of the mountain: and David made hand, and I have not sinned against thee; haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul yet thou huntest my soul to take it. and his men compassed David and his 12 The LORD judge between me and men round about to take them. thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: 27 ¶ But there came a messenger unto but my hand shall not be upon Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, the Philistines have invaded the land. Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: 28 Wherefore Saul returned from pur- but my hand shall not be upon thee. suing after David, and went against the 14 After whom is the king of Israel Philistines: therefore they called that come out? after whom dost thou pursue? place Sela-hammah-lekoth." after a dead dog, after a flea?

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi. CHAP. XXIV.

15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of

AND it came to pass, when Saul was thy hand.

returned from following the Philis- 16 And it came to pass when David tines, that it was told him, saying, Be- had made an end of speaking these words hold, Davidis in the wilderness of En-gedi. unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen my son David? And Saul lifted up his men out of all Israel, and went to seek voice, and wept. David and his men upon the rocks of the 17 And he said to David,Thouart more wild goats. righteous than 1: for thou hast rewardedme good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

3 And he came to the sheep-cotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me 4 And the men of David said unto him, into thy hand, thou killedst me not. Behold the day of which the LORD said 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine let him go well away? wherefore the enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest LORD reward thee good, for that thou hast do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. done unto me this day. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

20 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the 5 And it came to pass afterward, that kingdom of Israel shall be established in David's heart smote him, because he had thy hand. cut off Saul's skirt.

21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is 22 And David sware unto Saul. And the anointed of the LORD. Saul went home; but David and his men 7 So David stayed his servants with gat them up unto the hold. these words, and suffered them not to rise

cave, and went on his way.

CHAP. XXV.

against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the AND Samuel died: and all the Israelites were gathered together, and la8 David also arose afterward, and went mented him, and buried him in his house out of the cave, and cried after Saul, say-at Ramah. And David arose, and went ing, My lord the king. And when Saul down to the wilderness of Paran. looked behind him, David stooped with 2 And there was a man in Maon, whose his face to the earth, and bowed himself. possessions were in Carmel; and the man 9 ¶ And David said to Saul, Wherefore was very great, and he had three thousand hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was David seeketh thy hurt? shearing his sheep in Carmel.

10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; how that the LORD hath delivered thee to- and the name of his wife Abigail: and she day into my hand in the cave: and some was a woman of good understanding, and bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared of a beautiful countenance: but the man thee; and I said, I will not put forth my was churlish and evil in his doings; and hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's he was of the house of Caleb. anointed. 4 T And David heard in the wilderness

11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see that Nabal did shear his sheep. the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in 5 And David sent out ten young men, that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed and David said unto the young men, Get thee not, know thou and see that there is you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and neither evil nor transgression in my greet him in my name:

David provoked to kill Nabal.

I. SAMUEL.

Abigail prevents it.

6 And thus shall ye say to him that came down against her; and she met them. liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, 21 (Now David had said, Surely in and peace be to thy house, and peace be vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in unto all that thou hast. the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

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 8 Ask thy young men, and they will that pisseth against the wall.) shew thee. Wherefore let the young men 23 And when Abigail saw David, she find favour in thine eyes: for we come in hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell bea good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever fore David on her face, and bowed berself cometh to thy hand unto thy servants, to the ground,

and to thy son David.

24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon

9 And when David's young men came, me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: they spake to Nabal according to all those and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak words in the name of David, and ceased. in thine audience, and hear the words of 10 T And Nabal answered David's ser- thy handmaid. vants, and said, Who is David? and who 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid 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 12 So David's young men turned their the LOPD hath withholden thee from com-' way, and went again, and came and told ing to shed blood, and from avenging thyhim all those sayings. self with thine own hand, now let thine 13 And David said unto his men, Gird enemies, and they that seek evil to my ye on every man his sword. And they lord, be as Nabal.

girded on every man his sword; and Da- 27 And now this blessing which thy vid also girded on his sword: and there handmaid hath brought unto my lord, went up after David about four hundred let it even be given unto the young men men; and two hundred abode by the stuff. that follow my lord.

on them.

14 But one of the young men told 28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, thy handmaid: for the LORD will cerDavid sent messengers out of the wilder-tainly make my lord a sure house; because ness to salute our master; and he railed my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all 15 But the men were very good unto thy days. us, and we were not hurt, neither missed 29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, we any thing, as long as we were conver- and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my sant with them, when we were in the fields: lord shall be bound in the bundle of life 16 They were a wall unto us both by with the LORD thy God; and the souls of night and day, all the while we were thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as with them keeping the sheep. out of the middle of a sling. 17 Now therefore know and consider 30 And it shall come to pass, when the what thou wilt do: for evil is determined LORD shall have done to my lord accordagainst our master, and against all his ing to all the good that he hath spoken conhousehold: for he is such a son of Belial, cerning thee, and shall have appointed that a man cannot speak to him. thee ruler over Israel;

18 T Then Abigail made haste, and 31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, took two hundred loaves, and two bottles nor offence of heart unto my lord, either of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that five measures of parched corn, and a hun- my lord hath avenged himself: but when dred clusters of raisins, and two hundred the LORD shall have dealt well with my cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. lord, then remember thy handmaid. 19 And she said unto her servants, Go 32¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed on before me; behold, I come after you. be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee But she told not her husband Nabal. this day to meet me:

20 And it was so, as she rode on the 33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessass, that she came down by the covert of ed be thou, which hast kept me this day the hill, and behold, David and his men from coming to shed blood, and from