Chronological
28 Now at that time, the Philistines assembled their bands and army to fight with Israel. Therefore, Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you shall go out with me to the battle, you and your men!”
2 And David said to Achish, “Surely, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Surely, I will make you keeper of my head, forever.”
3 By then, Samuel had died. And all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the sorcerers and the soothsayers out of the land.
4 Then the Philistines assembled themselves and came and camped in Shunem. And Saul assembled all Israel, and they camped in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid; and his heart trembled greatly.
6 Therefore, Saul asked counsel of the LORD, and the LORD did not answer him, by dreams or by Urim or even by Prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and ask of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman at En Dor who is a medium.”
8 Then Saul changed himself and put on other clothes. And he and two other men went. And they came to the woman at night. And he said, “Please conjure up for me, and bring up for me him whom I shall name to you.”
9 And the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has destroyed the sorcerers and the soothsayers out of the land. Why, then, do you seek to entrap me, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no harm shall come to you for this thing.”
11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he answered, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me?! For you are Saul!”
13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. For what did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw gods ascending up out of the earth!”
14 Then he said to her, “What is his form?” And she answered, “An old man comes up, wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel. And he turned his face to the ground and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?” Then Saul answered, “I am in great distress! For the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either by Prophets or by dreams. Therefore, I have called you, so that you may tell me what I shall do.”
16 Then Samuel said, “Why, then, do you ask of me, seeing the LORD has gone from you and is your enemy?
17 “The LORD has only done for him as He spoke by my hand. For the LORD will tear the kingdom out of your hand and give it your neighbor David.
18 “Because you did not obey the Voice of the LORD or execute His fierce wrath upon the Amalekites, therefore the LORD has done this to you this day.
19 “Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel, with you, into the hands of the Philistines. And tomorrow, you and your sons shall be with me. And the LORD shall give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
20 Then Saul fell full length on the earth and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel, so that there was no strength in him. For he had eaten no bread all day or all night.
21 Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was very troubled, and said to him, “See, your handmaid has obeyed your voice; and I have put my soul in my hand and have obeyed your words which you said to me.
22 “Now, therefore, you please also listen to the voice of your handmaid and let me set a morsel of bread before you, so that you may eat and strengthen yourself and go on your journey.”
23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him. And he obeyed their voice. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.
24 Now, the woman had a fat calf in the house. And she hurried and killed it and took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it.
25 Then she brought them before Saul, and before his servants. And when they had eaten, they stood up and went away the same night.
29 So the Philistines were gathered together with all their armies in Aphek. And the Israelites camped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
2 And the princes of the Philistines went forth by hundreds and thousands; but David and his men came behind with Achish.
3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is not this David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And I have found nothing in him since he has dwelt with me, until this day.”
4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him. And the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Send this fellow back, so that he may go back to his place to which you have appointed him. And let him not go down with us to battle, lest that in the battle he be an adversary to us. For with what would he obtain the favor of his master if not with the heads of these men?
5 “Is not this that David of whom they sang in dances, saying, ‘Saul killed his thousand and David his ten thousand?’”
6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been upright and good in my sight when you went out and in with me in the camp. Nor have I found evil with you since you came to me until this day. But the princes do not favor you.
7 “Therefore, return now and go in peace, so that you do not displease the princes of the Philistines.”
8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant for as long as I have been with you, until this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Achish then answered and said to David, “I know you please me as an angel of God. But the princes of the Philistines have said, “Let him not go up with us to battle.
10 “Therefore, now, rise up early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And when you are up early, as soon as you have light, depart.”
11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning and to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
30 But when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded in the South, to Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burnt it with fire
2 and had taken the women, who were prisoners there, both small and great. They had not killed any man but had carried them away, and had gone their ways.
3 So David and his men came to the city. And behold, it was burnt with fire. And their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken prisoners.
4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they could weep no more.
5 David’s two wives had been taken prisoners also, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was in great sorrow. For the people intended to stone him because the hearts of all the people were troubled, each man’s for his sons and for his daughters. But David comforted himself in the LORD his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the Priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring me the ephod.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 Then David asked counsel of the LORD, saying, “Shall I follow after this company? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Follow. For you shall surely overtake them and recover all.”
9 So David and the six hundred men who were with him went, and came to the river Besor, where some of them stayed.
10 But David and four hundred men pursued (for two hundred stayed behind, being too weary to go over the river Besor).
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread, and he ate. And they gave him water to drink.
12 Also, they gave him a few figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came back to him. For he had eaten no bread or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And from where do you come?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, and servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me three days ago because I fell sick.
14 “We raided the South of Chereth, and upon the territory belonging to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb. And we burnt Ziklag with fire.”
15 And David said to him, “Can you bring me to this company?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you to this company.”
16 And when he had brought him there, behold, they lay scattered all over the earth, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah.
17 And David struck them from the twilight until the evening of the next day, so that there did not escape a man from them, except four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken. Also, David rescued his two wives.
19 And they lacked nothing, small or great, son or daughter, or of the plunder of all that they had taken away. David recovered them all.
20 David also took all the sheep and the oxen. And they drove them before his cattle, and said, “This is David’s spoil!”
21 And David came to the two hundred men who were too weary to follow David, whom they had also made stay at the river Besor. And they came to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. So when David came near to the people, he greeted them.
22 Then all the evil and wicked of the men who went with David answered, and said, “Because they did not go with us, therefore will we give them none of the spoil that we have recovered, except each man’s wife and children. Therefore, let them carry them away and depart.”
23 Then David said, “You shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD has given us, Who has preserved us and delivered the company that came against us into our hands.
24 “For who will obey you in this matter? But just as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who waits by the stuff. They shall share alike.”
25 So, from that day forward, he made it a statute and a law in Israel, until this day.
26 Therefore, when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah and to his friends, saying, “Behold, a blessing for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.”
27 He sent to them of Bethel, and to them of South Ramoth, and to them of Jattir,
28 and to them of Aroer, and to them of Siphmoth, and to them of Eshtemoa,
29 and to them of Rachal, and to them of the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them of the cities of the Kenites,
30 and to them of Hormah, and to them of Chorashan, and to them of Athach,
31 and to them of Hebron, and to all the places where David and his men had walked.
31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. And the men of Israel fled away from the Philistines. And they fell down, wounded, on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines pressed hard upon Saul and his sons, and killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.
3 And when the battle went fiercely against Saul, the archers and bowmen hit him. And he was badly wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw out your sword and thrust me through with it, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mock me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. Therefore, Saul took a sword and fell upon it.
5 And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day, together.
7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and they of the other side of Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had been put to flight, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they left the cities and ran away. And the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And the next day, when the Philistines had come to plunder those who had been killed, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head and stripped him out of his armor and sent into the land of the Philistines, on every side, so that they could proclaim it in the temple of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they laid up his armor in the house of Ashtoreth, but they hung up his body on the wall of Beth Shan.
11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 then they arose (as many as were strong men) and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan, and came to Jabesh and burnt them there,
13 and took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh and fasted for seven days.
18 I will love You dearly, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress; and He Who delivers me, my God and my strength. In Him will I trust. My shield. The horn, also, of my salvation. My refuge.
3 I will call upon the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be safe from my enemies.
4 The sorrows of death surrounded me. And the floods of wickedness made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of the grave have surrounded me. The snares of death overtook me.
6 But in my trouble, I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of His Temple. And my cry came before Him, into His ears.
7 Then the Earth trembled and quaked. The foundations of the mountains also moved and shook because He was angry.
8 Smoke went out at His nostrils; and a consuming fire out of His mouth, at which coals were kindled.
9 He also bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was under His feet.
10 And He rode upon a cherub and flew. And He came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His secret place, his pavilion all around Him; darkness of waters and clouds of the air.
12 At the brightness of His presence, His clouds passed; hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heaven, and the Highest gave His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Then He sent out His arrows and scattered them. And He increased lightnings and destroyed them.
15 And the channels of waters were seen. And the foundations of the world were discovered at Your rebuking, O LORD; at the blasting of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 He has sent down from above and taken me. He has drawn me out of many waters.
17 He has delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hate me. For they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me on the day of my calamity. But the LORD was my stay.
19 He also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because He favored me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the pureness of my hand, He recompensed me,
21 because I kept the ways of the LORD and did not do wickedly against my God.
22 For all His laws were before me. And I did not cast away His Commandments from me.
23 I was also upright with him and have kept myself from my wickedness.
24 Therefore, the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands in His sight.
25 With the godly, You will show Yourself godly. With the upright man, You will show Yourself upright.
26 With the pure, You will show Yourself pure. And with the froward, You will show Yourself froward.
27 Thus, You will save the poor people, and will cast down proud looks.
28 Surely, You will light my candle. The LORD, my God, will lighten my darkness.
29 For You I have broken through an army. And by my God I have leapt over a wall.
30 The way of God is incorrupt. The Word of the LORD is tried in the fire. He is a shield to those who trust in Him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is mighty except our God?
32 God girds me with strength and makes my way upright.
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and sets me upon my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to fight, so that a bow of brass is broken with my arms.
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation. And Your right hand has upheld me. And Your lovingkindness has caused me to increase.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, and my heels have not slid.
37 I have pursued my enemies, and taken them, and have not turned again until I had vanquished them.
38 I have wounded them, so that they were not able to rise. They have fallen under my feet.
39 For You have girded me with strength for battle. Those who rose against me, You have subdued under me.
40 And You have given me the necks of my enemies, so that I might destroy those who hate me.
41 They cried, but there was no one to save them; and to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind. I tread them flat as the clay in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the contentions of the people. You have made me the head of the heathen. A people I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear, they shall obey me. The strangers shall be in subjection to me.
45 Strangers shall shrink away, and fear in their borders.
46 Let the LORD live and blessed be my strength. And the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God Who avenges me and subdues the people under me.
48 O, my Deliverer from my enemies, You have lifted me up from those who rose against me! You have delivered me from the cruel man.
49 Therefore, I will praise You among the nations, O LORD, and will sing to Your Name.
50 He gives great deliverances to His king and shows mercy to His anointed; to David, and to his seed, forever. To him who excels: A Psalm of David.
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