1 Samuel 26-28

Complete Jewish Bible

26 The people from Zif went to Sha’ul in Giv‘ah and said, “David is hiding himself on Hakhilah Hill, across from Yeshimon.” ² Then Sha’ul set out and went down to the Zif Desert with three thousand men chosen from Isra’el, to search for David in the Zif Desert. ³ Sha’ul pitched camp on Hakhilah Hill, across from Yeshimon, near the road. David was staying in the desert, and he saw that Sha’ul was coming into the desert after him. ⁴ So David dispatched spies and determined that Sha’ul had definitely come.

⁵ David set out and went to where Sha’ul had pitched his camp. He saw where Sha’ul and Avner the son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping. Sha’ul was lying inside the barricade with the troops asleep all around him. ⁶ David said to Achimelekh the Hitti and Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah, Yo’av’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Sha’ul in the camp?” Avishai said, “I will go down with you.” ⁷ So David and Avishai went to the soldiers by night. Sha’ul was lying there asleep inside the barricade. His spear was stuck in the ground next to his head, with Avner and the troops asleep all around him. ⁸ Avishai said to David, “God has handed your enemy over to you today; so now, please, let me pin him to the ground with just one stroke of the spear. I won’t strike him a second time.” ⁹ But David said to Avishai, “Don’t destroy him! Nobody can raise his hand against Adonai’s anointed without becoming guilty!” ¹⁰ David then added, “As Adonai lives, Adonai will strike him down, or the day will come for him to die, or he will go down to battle and be swept away. ¹¹ Adonai forbid that I should raise my hand against Adonai’s anointed! But now, we’ll take the spear by his head and the jug of water, and get out of here.” ¹² So David took the spear and the water jug from Sha’ul’s head and got away. Nobody saw or knew about it, and no one awoke, because they were all asleep — a deep sleep from Adonai had fallen over them.

¹³ David crossed to the other side and climbed to the top of the distant ridge, leaving a considerable space between them. ¹⁴ Then David called out to the troops and to Avner the son of Ner. “Avner! Aren’t you going to answer?” Avner answered, “Who are you, calling to the king?” ¹⁵ David said to Avner, “Aren’t you the brave one! Who is there in Isra’el to compare with you? So why haven’t you kept watch over your lord the king? Someone came in to kill the king, your lord! ¹⁶ It’s not good, what you’ve done! As Adonai lives, you deserve to die; because you didn’t keep watch over your lord, Adonai’s anointed. And now, see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was next to his head!”

¹⁷ Sha’ul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord king!” ¹⁸ and continued, “Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What evil am I planning? ¹⁹ Please, now, may my lord the king hear what his servant is saying. If it is Adonai who has stirred you up against me, let him receive an offering. But if it’s human beings, then a curse on them before Adonai! — because, as things stand today, they have driven me out, so that I can no longer share in Adonai’s inheritance — they’ve said, ‘Go, serve other gods!’ ²⁰ Now don’t let my blood fall on the ground away from the presence of Adonai. The king of Isra’el has gone out in search of a single flea, as if he were hunting partridge in the mountains!”

²¹ Then Sha’ul said, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you any longer, because you regarded my life as precious today. Yes, I have behaved like a fool. I was altogether in the wrong.” ²² David answered, “Here is the king’s spear. Send one of the men over to bring it back. ²³ Adonai will give every person a reward suited to his uprightness and faithfulness. Adonai put you in my power today, but I would not raise my hand against Adonai’s anointed. ²⁴ Look: just as I put great value on your life today, so may my life be given great value by Adonai. May he deliver me from every kind of trouble!” ²⁵ Sha’ul answered David, “Blessings on you, my son David! No question that you will accomplish everything you set out to do!” So David went on his way, and Sha’ul returned to his place.

27 But David said to himself, “One day Sha’ul will sweep me away. The best thing for me to do is to escape into the territory of the P’lishtim. Then Sha’ul will give up trying to find me here or there in Isra’el’s territory, and at last I’ll be free of him.” ² So David set out with his six hundred men and passed on to Akhish the son of Ma‘okh, king of Gat. ³ David lived with Akhish, he and his men, each man with his household — including David with his two wives Achino‘am from Yizre‘el and Avigayil from Karmel, Naval’s widow. ⁴ Sha’ul was told that David had escaped to Gat, whereupon he stopped searching for him.

⁵ David said to Akhish, “If you are now favorably disposed toward me, let me have a place to live in one of the cities in the countryside. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ That very day Akhish gave him Ziklag, and that’s why to this day Ziklag belongs to the kings of Y’hudah.

⁷ After David had been living in the country of the P’lishtim for a year and four months, ⁸ he and his men began going up and raiding the G’shuri, the Gizri and the ‘Amaleki (from ancient times these people had lived in the land in the direction of Shur, all the way to Egypt). ⁹ David would attack the land, leaving alive neither men nor women, but taking the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and clothing. Then he would return and go to Akhish. ¹⁰ Akhish would ask, “Where were you raiding today?” and David would answer, “Against the Negev of Y’hudah,” or “Against the Negev of the Yerachme’eli,” or “Against the Negev of the Keni.” ¹¹ The reason David spared neither men nor women to be brought to Gat is that he thought, “We don’t want them telling on us, saying, ‘David did so-and-so.’” That’s how he conducted his raids for as long as he lived in the country of the P’lishtim. ¹² And Akhish believed him; he said, “David has caused his own people Isra’el to despise him utterly; he will be my servant forever.”

28 In due time the P’lishtim assembled their armies for war against Isra’el. Akhish told David, “You know, of course, that you and your men will join me and the army in battle.” ² David answered Akhish, “I see that you already know what your servant will do.” Akhish said to David, “For that answer, I am making you my personal bodyguard for life.”

³ Now Sh’mu’el was dead; all Isra’el had mourned him and buried him in his city, Ramah. Also Sha’ul had expelled from the land those who tell the future by communicating with the dead or with a demonic spirit.

⁴ The P’lishtim assembled; then they went and pitched camp at Shunem; while Sha’ul gathered all Isra’el together and pitched camp at Gilboa. ⁵ When Sha’ul saw the army of the P’lishtim, he became afraid — it struck terror in his heart. ⁶ But when he consulted Adonai, Adonai didn’t answer him — not by dreams, not by urim and not by prophets.

⁷ Then Sha’ul said to his servants, “Try to find a woman who tells the future by communicating with the dead; I want to go and consult with her.” His servants answered him, “Yes, there’s a woman in ‘Ein-Dor who tells the future by communicating with the dead.” ⁸ So Sha’ul disguised himself by wearing different clothing, went with two men, came to the woman by night and said, “Tell me the future, please. Bring up from the dead the person I name to you.” ⁹ The woman answered, “Here, you know what Sha’ul did, how he expelled from the land those who tell the future by communicating with the dead or with a demonic spirit. Why are you trying to entrap me into causing my own death?” ¹⁰ But Sha’ul swore to her by Adonai, “As Adonai lives, you will not be punished for doing this.” ¹¹ Then the woman asked, “Whom should I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Sh’mu’el.” ¹² When the woman saw Sh’mu’el, she let out a shriek. Then the woman said to Sha’ul, “Why have you deceived me? You yourself are Sha’ul!” ¹³ The king replied, “Don’t be afraid. Just tell me what you see.” The woman said to Sha’ul, “I see a god-like being coming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ He asked her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An old man is coming up; he’s wearing a cloak.” Sha’ul realized it was Sh’mu’el, so he bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

¹⁵ Sh’mu’el asked Sha’ul, “Why have you disturbed me and brought me up?” Sha’ul answered, “I’m very upset; because the P’lishtim are making war against me; and God has left me and doesn’t answer me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. This is why I’ve called you, so that you can let me know what to do.” ¹⁶ Sh’mu’el said, “Why ask me, if Adonai has left you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ Adonai has done for himself what he foretold through me — Adonai has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to your fellow countryman David, ¹⁸ because you didn’t obey what Adonai said and execute his furious anger toward ‘Amalek. That’s why Adonai is doing this to you today. ¹⁹ Adonai is giving Isra’el as well as yourself over into the power of the P’lishtim, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Adonai will hand over Isra’el’s army to the power of the P’lishtim.”

²⁰ Sha’ul immediately fell full length on the ground and became terribly frightened because of what Sh’mu’el had said. He had no strength left in him, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night. ²¹ The woman approached Sha’ul, saw that he was panic-stricken and said to him, “Here, your servant listened to what you said; I put my life in my hands and did what you requested me to do. ²² Now therefore, please, you listen to what your servant says: let me put a little food in front of you; then eat, so you will have some strength when you go on your way.” ²³ But he refused and said, “I won’t eat.” Then his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded what they said. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house; she hurried to slaughter it; then she took flour, kneaded it and baked matzah with it. ²⁵ She served it to Sha’ul and his servants, and they ate. Afterwards, they got up; and they went away that night.