²⁹ If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living under the care of the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

²⁶ Saul went on one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.^{(A) 27} Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.”

²⁶ and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.^[a]

²¹ After they had gone, the men came up out of the well and went and told King David. They said to David, “Go and cross the water quickly, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.”^{(A) 22} So David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; by daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

¹⁴ Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea?^{(A) 15} May the Lord, therefore, be judge and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it and plead my cause and vindicate me against you.”^(B)