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vid made hafte to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his Men compaffed David and his Men round about to take them.

27 But there came a Meffenger unto Saul, faying, Hafte thee, and come; for the Philiftines have invaded the Land. 28 Wherefore Saul returned from purfuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that Place Selah-hammah-lekoth.

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong Holds at En-gedi.

CHA P. XXIV.

1 David in a Cave at En-gedi having cut off Saul's Skirt, Spareth his Life: 8 He fheweth thereby his Innocency.

Ver. 1

A

ND it came to pafs when Saul was returned from following the Philiftines, that it was told him, faying, Behold, David is in the Wilderness of Engedi.

2 Then Saul took three thousand chofen Men out of all Ifrael, and went to feek David and his Men upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

3 And he came to the Sheep-Cotes, by the Way, where was a Cave, and Saul went in to cover his Feet: and David and his Men remained in the Sides of the Cave.

4 And the Men of David faid unto him, Behold the Day of which the Lord faid unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine Enemy into thine Hand, that thou mayeft do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arofe and cut off the Skirt of Saul's Robe privily.

5 And it came to pafs afterward, that David's heart fmote him, because he had cut off Saul's Skirt.

6 And he faid unto his Men, The LORD forbid that I fhould do this Thing unto my Mafter the LORD's Anointed, to ftretch forth mine Hand against him, feeing he is the Anointed of the LORD.

7 So David stayed his Servants with thefe Words, and fuffered them not to rife against Saul: but Saul rose up out of the Cave, and went on his way.

8 David alfo arofe afterward, and went out of the Cave, and cried after Saul, faying, My Lord the King. And when Saul looked behind him, David ftooped with his Face to the Earth, and bowed himself.

Eee

9 And

9 And David faid to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou Mens Words, faying, Behold, David feeketh thy Hurt?

10 Behold, this Day thine Eyes have feen, how that the LORD had delivered thee To-day into mine Hand in the Cave and fome bade me kill thee, but mine Eye fpared thee, and I faid, I will not put forth mine Hand against my LORD; for he is the LORD's Anointed.

11 Moreover, my Father, fee, yea, fee 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 fee that there is neither Evil nor Tranfgreflion in mine Hand, and I have not finned against thee; yet thou hunteft my Soul to take it.

12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine Hand shall not be upon thee. 13 As faith the Proverb of the Antients, Wickedness proceedeth from the Wicked: but mine Hand fhall not be upon thee.

14 After whom is the King of Ifrael come out? after whom doft thou purfue? after a dead Dog, after a Flea.

15 The LORD therefore be Judge, and judge between me and thee, and fee, and plead my Caufe, and deliver me out of thine Hand.

16 And it came to pafs when David had made an end of fpeaking thefe Words unto Saul, that Saul faid, Is this thy Voice, my Son David? And Saul lift up his Voice, and wept.

17 And he faid to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou haft rewarded me Good, whereas I have rewarded thee Evil.

18 And thou haft fhewed this Day, how that thou haft dealt well with me: forafmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine Hand, thou killedft me not.

19 For if a Man find his Enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee Good, for that thou haft done unto me this Day.

20 And now behold, I know well that thou fhalt furely be King, and that the Kingdom of Ifrael fhall be established in thine Hand.

21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my Seed after me, and that thou wilt not deftroy my Name out of my Father's Houfe.

22 And David fware unto Saul and Saul went home; but David and his Men gat them up unto the Hold.

CHAP.

CHA P. XXV.

Samuel dieth. 10 David provoked by Nabal's Churlishness, mindeth to destroy him. 14 Abigail by her Wifdom pacifieth David. 36 Nabal hearing thereof, dieth. 39 David marrieth her.

CHA P. XXVI.

Saul cometh to Hachilah against David. 4 David in the Trench ftayeth Abishai from killing Saul, but taketh his Spear and Crufe. 13 Abner reproved,

Ver. 1

A

ND the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, faying, Doth not David hide himself in the Hill of Hachilah which is before Jefhimon?

2 Then Saul arofe, and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thoufand chofen Men of Ifrael with him, to feek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul pitched in the Hill of Hachilah, which is before Jefhimon by the way: but David abode in the Wildernefs, and he faw that Saul came after him into the Wildernefs.

4 David therefore fent out Spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

5 And David arofe, and came to the Place where Saul had pitched and David beheld the Place where Saul lay, and Abner the Son of Ner, the Captain of his Host: and Saul lay in the Trench, and the People pitched round about him.

6 Then answered David and faid to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abifhai the Son of Zeruiah Brother to Joab, faying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the Camp? And Abifhai faid, I will go down with thee.

7 So David and Abifhai came to the People by Night, and behold, Saul lay fleeping within the Trench, and his Spear ftuck in the Ground at his Bolfter: but Abner and the People lay round about him,

8 Then faid Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine Enemy into thine Hand this Day: now therefore let me fmite him, I pray thee, with the Spear, even to the Earth at once, and I will not fmite him the fecond time.

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9 And

9 And David faid to Abifhai, Destroy him not for who can ftretch forth his Hand against the LORD's Anointed, and be guiltless?

10 David faid furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD fhall fmite him, or his Day fhall come to die, or he fhall defcend into Battle and perish.

II The LORD forbid that I fhould ftretch forth mine Hand against the LORD's Anointed but I pray thee, take thou now the Spear that is at his Bolfter, and the Crufe of Water, and let us go.

12 So David took the Spear and the Crufe of Water from Saul's Bolfter, and they gat them away, and no Man faw it, nor knew it, neither awaked for they were all afleep, because a deep Sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.

13 Then David went over to the other fide, and stood on the top of an Hill afar off, (a great Space being between them.)

14 And David cried to the People, and to Abner the Son of Ner, faying, Anfwereft thou not, Abner? Then Abner anfwered and faid, Who art thou that crieft to the King?

15 And David faid to Abner, Art not thou a valiant Man and who is like to thee in Ifrael? wherefore then haft thou not kept thy Lord the King? for there came one of the People in to deftroy the King thy LoRD.

16 This Thing is not good that thou haft done: as the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, becaufe ye have not kept your Mafter the LORD's Anointed and now fee where the King's Spear is, and the Crufe of Water that was at his Bolfter.

17 And Saul knew David's Voice, and faid, Is this thy Voice, my Son David? And David faid, It is my Voice, my Lord, O King.

18 And he faid, Wherefore doth my Lord thus purfue after his Servant? for what have I done? or what Evil is in mine Hand?

19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my Lord the King hear the Words of his Servant: If the LORD have ftirred thee up against me, let him accept an Offering: but if they be the Children of Men, curfed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this Day from abiding in the Inheritance of the LORD, faying, Go ferve other Gods.

20 Now therefore let not my Blood fall to the Earth before the Face of the LORD: for the King of Ifrael is come

out

out to feek a Flea, as when one doth hunt a Partridge in the Mountains.

21 Then faid Saul, I have finned: return, my Son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my Soul was precious in thine Eyes this Day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

22 And David answered and faid, Behold, the King's Spear, and let one of the young Men come over and fetch it.

23 The LORD render to every Man his Righteousness, and his Faithfulnefs: for the LORD delivered thee into my Hand To-day, but I would not ftretch forth mine Hand against the LORD's Anointed.

24 And behold, as thy Life was much fet by this Day in mine Eyes; fo let my Life be much fet by in the Eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all Tribulation.

25 Then Saul faid to David, Bleffed be thou, my Son David thou fhalt both do great Things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his Place.

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1 Saul hearing David to be in Gath, feeketh no more for him. 5 David beggeth Ziklag of Achish.

CHA P. XXVIII.

3 Saul having deftroyed the Witches, 7 afterwards feeketh for one who being encouraged by him, raifeth up Samuel. 15 Saul's Ruine forefhewn.

Ver. 1 ND it came to pafs in those Days, that the Philiftines gathered their Armies together for Warfare, to fight with Ifrael: and Achish faid unto David, Know thou affuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to Battle, thou and thy Men.

2 And David faid to Achifh, Surely thou shalt know what thy Servant can do. And Achifh faid to David, Therefore will I make thee Keeper of mine Head for ever.

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Ifrael had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own City and Saul had put away thofe that had familiar Spirits, and the Wizards out of the Land.

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