6 When Ahimelech's son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephoda with him.

7 When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said, "Elohim has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has a gate with a double door held shut by a bar." 8 So Saul called together all the troops to go to war and blockade Keilah, where David and his men were.

9 When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, "Bring the ephod." 10 Then David said, "Yahweh Elohim of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? Yahweh Elohim of Israel, please tell me."

"He will come," Yahweh answered.

12 "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" David asked.

"They will hand you over," Yahweh answered.

13 So David and his men, about six hundredb in all, left Keilah. They went wherever they could go. Then Saul was told, "David has escaped from Keilah!" So he gave up the campaign. 14 David lived in fortified camps in the desert, and he lived in fortified camps in the mountains of the desert of Ziph. Saul was always searching for him, but Elohim didn't let him capture David.

David in the Desert of Ziph 15 David was afraid becausec Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. 16 Saul's son Jonathan came to David at Horesh. He strengthened David's faith in Yahweh.d 17 "Don't be afraid," he told David, "my father Saul won't find you. You will rule Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this." 18 Both of them made a pledge in Yahweh's presence. David stayed in Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

19 Then the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah. They said, "David is hiding with us in fortified camps at Horesh on the hills of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon. 20 Come, Your Majesty, whenever you want. We will hand him over to you."

21 Saul responded, "Yahweh bless you for feeling sorry for me! 22 Please make more plans, and watch where he goes. Who has seen him there? I'm told he's very clever. 23 Watch and learn about all the hiding places where he may be hiding, and come back to me with the facts. Then I'll go with you, and if he's in the country, I'll search for him among all the families of Judah." 24 They left for Ziph ahead of Saul.

David in the Desert of Maon David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plains south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men came to look for him, David was told the news. So he went to his mountain stronghold in the desert of Maon. Saul heard about it and pursued David into the desert of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, and Saul and his men were going around the mountain toward David and his men, trying to capture them. 27 Then a messenger came to Saul and said, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the country."

28 Saul gave up pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. So that place was called Slippery Rock.a 29 From there David went to stay in the fortified camps of En Gedi.

David Spares Saul's Life 24 b1 When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told "Now David is in the desert near En Gedi." 2 Then Saul took 3,000 of the besttrained men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to some sheep pens along the road where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself while David and his men were sitting further back in the cave.

4 David's men told him, "Today is the day Yahweh referred to when he said, 'I'm going to hand your enemy over to you. You will do to him whatever you think is right.'"

David quietly got up and cut off the border of Saul's robe. 5 But afterward, David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the border of Saul's robe. 6 He said to his men, "It would be unthinkable for me to raise my hand against His Majesty, Yahweh's anointed king, since he is Yahweh's anointed." 7 So David stoppedc his men by saying this to them and didn't let them attack Saul.

Saul left the cave and went out onto the road. 8 Later, David got up, left the cave, and called to Saul, "Your Majesty!" When Saul looked back, David knelt down with his face touching the ground. 9 David asked Saul, "Why do you listen to rumors that I am trying to harm you? 10 Today you saw how Yahweh handed you over to me in the cave. Although I was told to kill you, I spared you, saying, 'I will not raise my hand against Your Majesty because you are Yahweh's anointed.' 11 My master, look at this! The border of your robe is in my hand! Since I cut off the border of your robe and didn't kill you, you should know and be able to see I mean no harm or rebellion. I haven't sinned against you, but you are trying to ambush me in order to take my life. 12 May Yahweh decide between you and me. May Yahweh take revenge on you for what you did to me. However, I will not lay a hand on you. 13 It's like people used to say long ago, 'Wickedness comes from wicked people.' But I will not lay a hand on you. 14 Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? One flea? 15 So Yahweh must be the judge. He will decide between you and me. He will watch and take my side in this matter and set me free from you."

16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that you speaking, my servant David?" and Saul cried loudly. 17 He told David, "You are more righteous than I. You treated me well while I treated you badly. 18 Today you have proved how good you've been to me. When Yahweh handed me over to you, you didn't kill me. 19 When a person finds an enemy, does he send him away unharmed? Yahweh will repay you completely for what you did for me today. 20 Now I know that you certainly will rule as king, and under your guidance the kingdom of Israel will prosper. 21 Swear an oath to Yahweh for me that you will not wipe out my descendants or destroy my name in my father's family."

22 So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went home, and David and his men went to their fortified camp.

Samuel Dies 25 1 Samuel died, and all Israel gathered to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David went to the desert of Paran.

David, Nabal, and Abigail 2 Now, there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 This man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. She was sensible and beautiful, but he was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb.

4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men and told them, "Go to Carmel, visit Nabal, and greet him for me. 6 Say to him, 'May you live long! May you, your home, and all you have prosper! 7 I hear that your sheepshearers are with you. Your shepherds have been with us, and we have not mistreated them. Nothing of theirs has been missing as long as they've been in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and let them tell you. Be kind to my young men, since we have come on a special occasion. Please give us and your son David anything you can spare.'"

9 When David's young men came to Nabal, they repeated all of this to him for David, and then they waited.

10 "Who is David?" Nabal answered David's servants. "Who is Jesse's son? So many servants nowadays are leaving their masters. 11 Should I take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to men coming from who knows where?"

12 David's young men returned and told him all this.

13 "Each of you put on your swords!" David told his men. And everyone, including David, put on his sword. About four hundred men went with David, while two hundred men stayed with the supplies.

14 One of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, "David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, who yelled at them. 15 Those men were very good to us. They didn't mistreat us, and we found that nothing was missing wherever we went with them when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall protecting us day and night as long as we were watching the sheep near them. 17 Now, consider what you should do because our master and his whole household are doomed. And he's such a worthless man that it's useless to talk to him."

18 So Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, 2 full wineskins, 5 butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, 100 bunches of raisins, and 200 fig cakes and loaded them on donkeys. 19 "Go on ahead," she told her young men, "and I'll follow you." But she didn't tell her husband Nabal about it.

20 She was riding on her donkey down a hidden mountain path when she met David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had thought, "I guarded this man's stuff in the desert for nothing! Not one of his possessions was missing. Yet, he has paid me back with evil when I was good to him. 22 May Elohim punish mea if I leave even one of his menb alive in the morning."

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from her donkey. She immediately bowed down in front of David with her face touching the ground. 24 After she bowed at his feet, she said, "Sir, let me be held responsible for this wrong. Please let me speak with you. Please listen to my words. 25 You shouldn't take this worthless person Nabal seriously. He is like his name. His name is Nabal [Godless Fool], and he's foolish. But I didn't see the young men you sent.

26 "Yahweh has kept you from spilling innocent blood and from getting a victory by your own efforts. Now, sir, I solemnly swear, as Yahweh and you live, may your enemies and those who are trying to harm you end up like Nabal. 27 Here is a gift I am bringing to you. May it be given to the young men who are in your service. 28 Please forgive my offense. Yahweh will certainly give you, sir, a lasting dynasty, because you are fighting Yahweh's battles. May evil never be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone pursued you and sought your life, your life is wrapped in the bundle of life which comes from Yahweh your Elohim . But he will dispose of the lives of your enemies like stones thrown from a sling. 30 When Yahweh does all the good he promised and makes you ruler of Israel, 31 you shouldn't have a troubled conscience because you spilled blood for no good reason and claimed your own victory. When Yahweh has given you success, remember me."

32 David said to Abigail, "Blessed be Yahweh Elohim of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. 33 May your good judgment be blessed. Also, may you be blessed for keeping me from slaughtering people today and from getting a victory by my own efforts. 34 But I solemnly swear-as Yahweh Elohim of Israel, who has kept me from harming you, lives-if you hadn't come to meet me quickly, Nabal certainly wouldn't have had one of his men left at dawn."

35 Then David accepted what she brought him and told her, "Go home in peace. I've listened to what you've said and granted your request."

36 When Abigail came to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his home. It was like a king's banquet. He was in a good mood and very drunk, so she didn't tell him anything until dawn. 37 But in the morning, when the effects of the wine had worn off, his wife told him what had happened. Nabal's heart failed, and he could not move.a 38 About ten days later Yahweh made him even more sick, and Nabal died.

39 When David heard Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be Yahweh, who defended me against the insults of Nabal and kept me from doing wrong. Yahweh has turned Nabal's own wickedness back on him."

Then David sent men on his behalf to propose marriage to Abigail. 40 When David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they told her, "David has sent us to you so that we can take you to him to be his wife."

41 She bowed down with her face touching the ground. "I am ready to serve," she said. "I am ready to wash the feet of my master's servants." 42 Then Abigail quickly got up and rode on a donkey with five of her female servants following her. So she went with David's messengers and became his wife.

43 David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Both she and Abigail were his wives. 44 Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Palti, Laish's son, who was from Gallim.

Abigail

Abigail was the widow of a foolish man named Nabal, who incurred David's wrath and then died of a heart attack. She was both wise and decisive, and after her husband's death, she married David. She referred to God as Yahweh (1 Sam. 25:26)

Saul's Final Pursuit of David 26 1 The people of Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah. "David is hiding at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon," they said.

2 Saul went to the desert of Ziph, taking with him 3,000 of Israel's besttrained men to search for David. 3 Saul camped by the road at the hill of Hachilah near Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he realized Saul had come to the desert for him, 4 David sent spies to confirm that Saul had arrived.

5 Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. David saw the place where Saul and Ner's son Abner, the commander of the army, were lying. Saul was lying in the camp, and the troops were camped around him.

6 David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, who was Zeruiah's son and Joab's brother, "Who will go with me to Saul in the camp?"

Abishai answered, "I'll go with you."

7 So David and Abishai went among Saul's troops that night. Saul was lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8 Abishai said to David, "Today Elohim has turned your enemy over to you. Please let me nail him to the ground with one stab of the spear. I won't have to do it twice!"

9 "Don't kill him!" David told Abishai. "No one has ever attacked Yahweh's anointed king and remained free of guilt. 10 I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives," David added, "Yahweh will strike him. Either his time will come when he'll die naturally, or he'll go into battle and be swept away. 11 It would be unthinkable for me to attack Yahweh's anointed king. But please take that spear near his head and that jar of water, and let's go."

12 David took the spear and the jar of water near Saul's head, and they left. All of them were asleep. No one saw them, knew about it, or woke up. Yahweh had made them fall into a deep sleep.

13 David went over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away. (There was a wide space between them.) 14 Then David called to the troops and to Ner's son Abner. "Won't you answer, Abner?" he asked.

"Who is calling the king?" Abner asked.

15 David asked Abner, "Aren't you a man? Is there anyone like you in Israel? Then why didn't you guard your master, the king? Someone came to kill His Royal Majesty. 16 What you've done isn't good. I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives, you are dead men. You didn't guard your master, Yahweh's anointed king. Look at the king's spear and the jar of water that were near his head."

17 Saul recognized David's voice. "Is that your voice, my servant David?" he asked.

"It is my voice, Your Royal Majesty," David answered. 18 "Why are you pursuing me?" he added. "What have I done? What crime have I committed? 19 Your Majesty, please listen to my words. If Yahweh has turned you against me, let him be satisfied with an offering. But if mere mortals have turned you against me, let them be cursed by Yahweh. They have prevented me from having a share of Yahweh's inheritance. 'Go and serve other gods,' they tell me. 20 Don't let my blood fall to the ground, away from Yahweh's presence. The king of Israel has come to search for one flea like someone hunting a partridge in the hills."

21 "My servant David," Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back. I will not harm you again, because you valued my life today. I've acted like a fool and made a terrible mistake."

22 David responded, "Here's the king's spear. One of the young men should come over and get it. 23 Yahweh will reward any person who is righteous and faithful. Yahweh handed you over to me today, but I refused to attack Yahweh's anointed king. 24 As I placed great value on your life today, may Yahweh place great value on my life and rescue me from all trouble."

25 Then Saul said, "Blessed are you, my servant David. You will accomplish many things and certainly will succeed."

So David went his way, while Saul returned home.

David at Ziklag 27 1 David said to himself, "One of these days Saul will sweep me away. The best thing for me to do is to make sure that I escape to Philistine territory. Then Saul will give up looking all over Israel for me, and I'll escape from him." 2 So David went with his 600 men to King Achish of Gath, Moach's son. 3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each one had his family, and David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail (who had been Nabal's wife) from Carmel. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he didn't search for him anymore.

5 David said to Achish, "If you will permit me, let me have a place in one of the outlying towns so that I can live there. Why should I live in the royal city with you?" 6 So Achish immediately gave him Ziklag. (This is why Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah today.) 7 David stayed in Philistine territory for one year and four months. 8 Then David and his men went to raid the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (They lived in the territory which extends from Telaima to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked the territory, he left no man or woman alive. He also took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and returned to Achish.

10 Achish would ask, "Whom did you raid today?"b And David would answer, "the Negev in Judah," or "the portion of the Negev where the descendants of Jerahmeel live," or "the portion of the Negev where the Kenites live." 11 He did not bring a single man or woman back to Gath alive. He thought, "They could tell Achish what I really did." This was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. 12 And Achish believed David. Achish thought, "He has definitely made his own people in Israel despise him. He'll be my servant from now on."

28 1 At that time the Philistines had gathered their army to fight against Israel. Then Achish said to David, "You need to know that you and your men will be going with me into battle."

2 "Very well," David responded to Achish, "you will then know what I can do."

"Very well," Achish told David, "I will make you my bodyguard for life."

Saul's Sin-The Occult 3 Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his hometown Ramah. (Saul had rid the land of mediums and psychics.) 4 The Philistines assembled and camped in Shunem. Saul also assembled the whole Israelite army, and they camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul looked at the Philistine army, he was very afraid-terrified. 6 He prayed to Yahweh, but Yahweh didn't answer him through dreams, the Urim,c or prophets. 7 Saul told his officers, "Find me a woman who conjures up the dead. Then I'll go to her and ask for her services."

His officers told him, "There is a woman at Endor who conjures up the dead."

8 After disguising himself by putting on other clothes, Saul left with two men and came to the woman that night. He said to her, "Please consult with a dead person for me. Conjure up the person I request."

9 The woman told him, "You know that Saul rid the land of mediums and psychics. Why are you trying to trap me and have me killed?"

10 But Saul took an oath in Yahweh's name, "I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives, you will not be harmed if you do this."

11 "Whom should I conjure up for you?" the woman asked.

"Conjure up Samuel for me," he answered.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly and asked, "Why did you deceive me? You're Saul!"

13 "Don't be afraid," the king said to her. "What do you see?"

"I see a god rising from the ground," the woman answered.

14 "In what form?" he asked her.

She answered, 'An old man is coming up, and he's wearing a robe." Then Saul knew it was Samuel. Saul knelt down with his face touching the ground.

15 Samuel asked Saul, "Why did you disturb me by conjuring me up?"

Saul answered, "I'm in serious trouble. The Philistines are at war with me, and Elohim has turned against me and doesn't answer me anymore-either by the prophets or in dreams. So I've called on you to tell me what to do."

16 Samuel said, "Why are you asking me when Yahweh has turned against you and become your enemy? 17 Yahweh has done to you exactly what he spoke through me: Yahweh has torn the kingship out of your hands and given it to your fellow Israelite David. 18 Yahweh is doing this to you today because you didn't listen to him or unleash his burning anger on Amalek. 19 For the same reasons Yahweh will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And then Yahweh will hand Israel's army over to the Philistines."

20 Immediately, Saul fell flat on the ground. He was frightened by Samuel's words. He also had no strength left, because he hadn't eaten anything all day or all night. 21 The woman came over to Saul and saw that he was terrified. "I listened to you," she told him, "and I took my life in my hands when I did what you told me to do. 22 Now please listen to me. I will serve you something to eat. Eat it so that you will have strength when you leave."

23 But he refused. "I don't want to eat," he said. Nevertheless, his officers and the woman kept urginga him until he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

24 The woman immediately butchered a fattened calf that she owned. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked some unleavened bread. 25 Then she served it to Saul and his officers. They ate and left that same night.

The Philistines Reject David 29 1 The Philistines assembled their whole army at Aphek, and Israel camped at the spring in Jezreel. 2 The Philistine leaders were marching by with their companies and regiments. David and his men were marching in the rear with Achish.

3 The Philistine officers asked, "What are these Hebrews doing here?"

Achish asked the Philistine officers, "Isn't this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me now for a year or two? I've found nothing wrong with him from the day he defected until now."

4 But the Philistine officers were angry with Achish. "Send the man back," the Philistine officers told him. "Return him to the place you assigned him. He shouldn't go with us into battle. He shouldn't be allowed to become our enemy during the battle. Is this man going to try to regain his master's favor? He'll do it with the lives of our men! 5 Isn't this David of whom people sing in dances: 'Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands'?"

6 Then Achish called David and told him, "I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives, you are a dependable man. I consider your campaigning with me a good thing, because I've never found anything wrong with you from the day you came to me until now. But the rulers don't approve of you. 7 So leave peacefully without doing anything to displease the Philistine rulers."