10 Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the 11 sword of Goliath, the Philistine. And the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob; and they came all of 12 them to the king. And Saul said: Hear now, thou son of 13 Ahitub. And he answered: Here I am, my lord. And Saul said to him: Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise 14 up against me a waylayer, as at this day. And Ahimelech answered the king, and said: And who among all thy servants is as David, trusty and the king's son-in-law, and has 15 access to thy private ear, and is honored in thy house? Did I that day begin to inquire of God for him? Be it far from Let not the king impute anything to his servant, to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of all 16 this, little or great. And the king said: Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17

me.

And the king said to the runners that stood about him: Turn, and slay the priests of Jehovah; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not reveal it to me. And the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of Jehovah. 18 And the king said to Doeg: Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five men that 19 wore a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword; both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

20

And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 21 named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abia

thar made known to David, that Saul had slain the priests 22 of Jehovah. And David said to Abiathar: I knew on that day, that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely

V. 17. Runners; that ran before his chariot (ch. 8: 11), as a body-guard on the road.

make it known to Saul. I am the cause, to all the persons 23 of thy father's house. Abide thou with me. Fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks thy life; for with me thou art well guarded.

1 AND they told David, saying: Behold, Philistines are war2 ring against Keilah; and they rob the threshing-floors. And David inquired of Jehovah, saying: Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David: Go, and 3 smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said to him: Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; and how much more if we go to Keilah, against the armies of the * Philistines? And David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him and said: Arise, go down to 15 Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into thy hand. And David and his men went to Keilah; and they fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. And David saved the inhabit6 ants of Keilah. And it came to pass, when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David to Keilah, there came down an ephod in his hand.

7

And it was made known to Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said: God has given him over into my hand; for he has shut himself in, by entering into a city 8 that has gates and bars. And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

And David knew that Saul was devising evil against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest: Bring hither the ephod. 10 And David said: Jehovah, God of Israel, thy servant has verily heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah, to de11 stroy the city for my sake. sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant has heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy 12 servant. And Jehovah said: He will come down. And David said: Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said: They will deliver thee up.

13 And David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was made known to Saul that David had escaped 14 from Keilah; and he forbore to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every 15 day; but God delivered him not into his hand. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest.

16

And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went into the forest 17 to David, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him: Fear not. For the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall 18 be next to thee; and that Saul my father also knows. And they two made a covenant before Jehovah. And David abode in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house.

19

And Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying: Does not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the 20 desert? And now, O king, go down, according to all the desire of thy soul to go down; and it shall be our part to 21 deliver him into the king's hand. And Saul said: Blessed 22 be ye of Jehovah, that ye have compassion on me. Go, I pray you; be heedful still, and know and see his place where his haunt is, who has seen him there. For it is told me that 23 he deals very craftily. And see and know, of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the 24 thousands of Judah. And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the wilderness 25 of Maon, in the plain on the south of the desert. And Saul

and his men went to seek him. And they made it known to David; and he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. Ard Saul heard it, and he pursued after 26 David in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of

27

the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men closed around upon David and his men to take them.

And there came a messenger to Saul, saying: Haste thee, 28 and come; for Philistines have invaded the land. And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

29

And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strongholds at En-gedi.

1 AND it came to pass, when Saul returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying: Behold, David 2 is in the wilderness of En-gedi. And Saul took three thousand men chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David 3 and his men on the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheep-folds on the way; and a cave was there. And Saul went in to cover his feet; and David and his men were 4 abiding in the sides of the cave. And the men of David

said to him: Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee: Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David 5 arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him be6 cause he cut off Saul's skirt. And he said to his men : Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing that 7 he is the anointed of Jehovah. And David stayed his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on the way.

8

And David arose afterward, and went forth out of the cave; and he cried after Saul, saying: My lord, the king! And Saul looked behind him, and David stooped with his 9 face to the earth, and bowed himself. And David said to Saul: Wherefore hearkenest thou to the words of men, say10 ing: Behold, David seeks thy hurt? Behold, this day thine

V. 28. Sela-hammahlekoth; meaning, Rock of the escapes.

my hand

eyes have seen that Jehovah gave thee to-day into in the cave. And some bade me kill thee, but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against 11 my lord, for he is Jehovah's anointed. And my father, see, yea, 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 no evil nor trespass in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; and thou huntest my life, to take it. 12 Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge 13 me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee. As says the proverb of the ancients: From the wicked proceeds 14 wickedness; and my hand shall not be upon thee.

After

whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom dost 15 thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea. And Jehovah is judge, and judges between me and thee; and he will see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.

16

And it came to pass, when David made an end of speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said: Is this thy voice, my son 17 David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David: Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me with good, and I have rewarded thee with evil. 18 And thou hast showed this day that thou dost deal kindly with me; in that when Jehovah delivered me into thy hand, 19 thou didst not kill me. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? Jehovah requite thee with good for 20 what thou hast done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom 21 of Israel shall be established in thy hand. And now swear to me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my 22 father's house. And David swore to Saul. And David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his house; and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1 AND Samuel died; and all Israel assembled, and lamented him; and they buried him in his house at Ramah. And

V. 17. Thou hast rewarded, etc. The meaning, more fully expressed, is :-Thou hast rewarded my evil with good, and I have rewarded thy good with evil.