28About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, "You and your men will be expected to join me in battle."H3117H6430H6908H4264H6908H6635H3898H3478H397H559H1732H3045H3045H3318H4264H582 2"Very well!" David agreed. "Now you will see for yourself what we can do." Then Achish told David, "I will make you my personal bodyguard for life."H1732H559H397H3651H3045H5650H6213H397H559H1732H7760H8104H7218H3117 3Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.H8050H4191H3478H5594H6912H7414H5892H7586H5493H178H3049H776 4The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.H6430H6908H935H2583H7766H7586H6908H3478H6908H2583H1533 5When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.H7586H7200H4264H6430H3372H3820H3966H2729 6He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.H7586H7592H3068H3068H6030H2472H224H5030 7Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor."H559H7586H5650H1245H802H1172H178H3212H1875H5650H559H802H1172H178H5874 8So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman's home at night, accompanied by two of his men. "I have to talk to a man who has died," he said. "Will you call up his spirit for me?"H7586H2664H3847H312H899H3212H8147H582H935H802H3915H559H7080H178H5927H559 9"Are you trying to get me killed?" the woman demanded. "You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?"H802H559H3045H7586H6213H3772H178H3049H776H5367H5315H4191 10But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, "As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this."H7586H7650H3068H559H3068H2416H518H5771H7136H1697 11Finally, the woman said, "Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?" "Call up Samuel," Saul replied.H559H802H5927H559H5927H8050 12When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, "You've deceived me! You are Saul!"H802H7200H8050H2199H1419H6963H802H559H7586H559H7411H7586 13"Don't be afraid!" the king told her. "What do you see?" "I see a god coming up out of the earth," she said.H4428H559H3372H7200H802H559H7586H7200H430H5927H776 14"What does he look like?" Saul asked. "He is an old man wrapped in a robe," she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.H559H8389H559H2205H376H5927H5844H4598H7586H3045H8050H6915H639H776H7812 15"Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?" Samuel asked Saul. "Because I am in deep trouble," Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won't reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do."H8050H559H7586H7264H5927H7586H559H3966H6887H6430H3898H430H5493H6030H3027H5030H2472H7121H3045H6213 16But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?H559H8050H7592H3068H5493H6145 17The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.H3068H6213H1696H3027H3068H7167H4467H3027H5414H7453H1732 18The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.H834H8085H6963H3068H6213H2740H639H6002H3068H6213H1697H3117 19What's more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat."H3068H5414H3478H3027H6430H4279H1121H3068H5414H4264H3478H3027H6430 20Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel's words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.H7586H5307H4116H4393H6967H776H3966H3372H1697H8050H3581H398H3899H3117H3915 21When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, "Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.H802H935H7586H7200H3966H926H559H8198H8085H6963H7760H5315H3709H8085H1697H1696 22Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back."H8085H6963H8198H7760H6595H3899H6440H398H3581H3212H1870 23But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.H3985H559H398H5650H802H6555H8085H6963H6965H776H3427H4296 24The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread.H802H4770H5695H1004H4116H2076H3947H7058H3888H644H4682 25She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.H5066H6440H7586H6440H5650H398H6965H3212H3915
29The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel.H6430H6908H4264H663H3478H2583H5869H3157 2As the Philistine rulers were leading out their troops in groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish.H5633H6430H5674H3967H505H1732H582H5674H314H397 3But the Philistine commanders demanded, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish told them, "This is David, the servant of King Saul of Israel. He's been with me for years, and I've never found a single fault in him from the day he arrived until today."H559H8269H6430H5680H397H559H8269H6430H1732H5650H7586H4428H3478H3117H8141H4672H3972H3117H5307H3117 4But the Philistine commanders were angry. "Send him back to the town you've given him!" they demanded. "He can't go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? Is there any better way for him to reconcile himself with his master than by handing our heads over to him?H8269H6430H7107H8269H6430H559H7725H376H7725H7725H4725H6485H3381H4421H4421H7854H7521H113H7218H582 5Isn't this the same David about whom the women of Israel sing in their dances, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"H1732H6030H4246H559H7586H5221H505H1732H7233 6So Achish finally summoned David and said to him, "I swear by the LORD that you have been a trustworthy ally. I think you should go with me into battle, for I've never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today. But the other Philistine rulers won't hear of it.H397H7121H1732H559H3068H2416H3477H3318H935H4264H2896H5869H4672H7451H3117H935H3117H5633H2896H5869 7Please don't upset them, but go back quietly."H7725H3212H7965H6213H7451H5869H5633H6430 8"What have I done to deserve this treatment?" David demanded. "What have you ever found in your servant, that I can't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?"H1732H559H397H6213H4672H5650H3117H6440H3117H935H3898H341H113H4428 9But Achish insisted, "As far as I'm concerned, you're as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle.H397H6030H559H1732H3045H2896H5869H4397H430H8269H6430H559H5927H4421 10Now get up early in the morning, and leave with your men as soon as it gets light."H7925H1242H113H5650H935H7925H1242H215H3212 11So David and his men headed back into the land of the Philistines, while the Philistine army went on to Jezreel.H1732H582H7925H3212H1242H7725H776H6430H6430H5927H3157
30Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.H1732H582H935H6860H7992H3117H6003H6584H5045H6860H5221H6860H8313H784 2They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.H802H7617H4191H376H1419H6996H5090H3212H1870 3When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,H1732H582H935H5892H8313H784H802H1121H1323H7617 4they wept until they could weep no more.H1732H5971H5375H6963H1058H3581H1058 5David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.H1732H8147H802H7617H293H3159H26H802H5037H3761 6David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.H1732H3966H3334H5971H559H5619H5315H5971H4843H376H1121H1323H1732H2388H3068H430 7Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod!" So Abiathar brought it.H1732H559H54H3548H288H1121H5066H646H54H5066H646H1732 8Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?" And the LORD told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!"H1732H7592H3068H559H7291H310H1416H5381H559H7291H5381H5381H5337H5337 9So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor.H1732H3212H8337H3967H376H935H5158H1308H3498H5975 10But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.H1732H7291H702H3967H376H3967H5975H6296H5674H5158H1308 11Along the way they found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink.H4672H376H4713H7704H3947H1732H5414H3899H398H8248H4325 12They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins, for he hadn't had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. Before long his strength returned.H5414H6400H1690H8147H6778H398H7307H7725H398H3899H8354H4325H7969H3117H7969H3915 13"To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" David asked him. "I am an Egyptian—the slave of an Amalekite," he replied. "My master abandoned me three days ago because I was sick.H1732H559H559H5288H4713H5650H376H6003H113H5800H7969H3117H2470 14We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag."H6584H5045H3774H3063H5045H3612H8313H6860H784 15"Will you lead me to this band of raiders?" David asked. The young man replied, "If you take an oath in God's name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them."H1732H559H3381H1416H559H7650H430H4191H518H5462H3027H113H3381H1416 16So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah.H3381H5203H6440H776H398H8354H2287H1419H7998H3947H776H6430H776H3063 17David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.H1732H5221H5399H6153H4283H4422H376H702H3967H5288H376H7392H1581H5127 18David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.H1732H5337H6002H3947H1732H5337H8147H802 19Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back.H5737H4480H6996H1419H1121H1323H7998H3947H1732H7725 20He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. "This plunder belongs to David!" they said.H1732H3947H6629H1241H5090H6440H1931H4735H559H1732H7998 21Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully.H1732H935H3967H582H6296H3212H310H1732H3427H5158H1308H3318H7125H1732H7125H5971H1732H5066H5971H7592H7965 22But some evil troublemakers among David's men said, "They didn't go with us, so they can't have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone."H6030H7451H376H1100H582H1980H1732H559H1980H5414H7998H5337H376H802H1121H5090H3212 23But David said, "No, my brothers! Don't be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us.H559H1732H6213H251H3068H5414H8104H5414H1416H935H3027 24Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment."H8085H1697H2506H3381H3381H4421H2506H3427H3627H2505H3162 25From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.H3117H4605H7760H2706H4941H3478H3117 26When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. "Here is a present for you, taken from the LORD's enemies," he said.H1732H935H6860H7971H7998H2205H3063H7453H559H1293H7998H341H3068 27The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,H834H1008H5045H7418H3492 28Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,H6177H8224H851 29Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites,H7403H5892H3397H5892H7017 30Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,H2767H3565H6269 31Hebron, and all the other places David and his men had visited.H2275H4725H1732H582H1980
31Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.H6430H3898H3478H582H3478H5127H6440H6430H5307H2491H2022H1533 2The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.H6430H1692H7586H1121H6430H5221H3083H41H4444H7586H1121 3The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.H4421H3513H7586H3384H582H7198H4672H3966H2342H3384H582H7198 4Saul groaned to his armor bearer, "Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me." But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.H559H7586H5375H3627H8025H2719H1856H6189H935H1856H5953H5375H3627H14H3966H3372H7586H3947H2719H5307 5When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.H5375H3627H7200H7586H4191H5307H2719H4191 6So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.H7586H4191H7969H1121H5375H3627H582H3117H3162 7When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns.H582H3478H5676H6010H5676H3383H7200H582H3478H5127H7586H1121H4191H5800H5892H5127H6430H935H3427 8The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa.H4283H6430H935H6584H2491H4672H7586H7969H1121H5307H2022H1533 9So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul's death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.H3772H7218H6584H3627H7971H776H6430H5439H1319H1004H6091H5971 10They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan.H7760H3627H1004H6252H1045H8628H1472H2346H1052 11But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,H3427H3003H1568H8085H6430H6213H7586 12all their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies.H2428H376H381H6965H3212H3915H3947H1472H7586H1472H1121H2346H1052H935H3003H8313 13Then they took their bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.H3947H6106H6912H815H3003H6684H7651H3117
86[A prayer of David.] Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.H8605H1732H5186H241H3068H6030H6041H34 2Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God.H8104H5315H2623H430H3467H5650H982 3Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly.H2603H136H7121H3117 4Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.H8055H5315H5650H136H5375H5315 5O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.H136H2896H5546H7227H2617H7121 6Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry.H238H3068H8605H7181H6963H8469 7I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.H3117H6869H7121H6030 8No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do!H430H136H4639 9All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name.H1471H6213H935H7812H6440H136H3513H8034 10For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.H1419H6213H6381H430 11Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.H3384H1870H3068H1980H571H3161H3824H3372H8034 12With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever,H3034H136H430H3824H3513H8034H5769 13for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.H1419H2617H5337H5315H8482H7585 14O God, insolent people rise up against me; a violent gang is trying to kill me. You mean nothing to them.H430H2086H6965H5712H6184H1245H5315H7760 15But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.H136H410H7349H2587H750H639H7227H2617H571 16Look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant; save me, the son of your servant.H6437H2603H5414H5797H5650H3467H1121H519 17Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.H6213H226H2896H8130H7200H954H3068H5826H5162
Dublin, OH
or by the prophets.H7586
