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1 Samuel 16

1

The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

2

But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, `I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'

3

Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."

4

Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"

5

Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."

7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

8

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

9

Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one."

10

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these."

11

So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

12

So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."

13

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

14

Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

15

Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

16

Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better."

17

So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me."

18

One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him."

19

Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep."

20

So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

21

David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

22

Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."

23

Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

1 Samuel 17

1

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.

2

Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.

3

The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

4

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.

5

He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ;

6

on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.

7

His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

8

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.

9

If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."

10

Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."

11

On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

12

Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years.

13

Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah.

14

David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul,

15

but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

16

For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

17

Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

18

Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.

19

They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."

20

Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

21

Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other.

22

David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers.

23

As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.

24

When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.

25

Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel."

26

David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

27

They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

28

When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

29

"Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?"

30

He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.

31

What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

32

David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

33

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

34

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,

35

I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

36

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

37

The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

38

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.

39

David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.

40

Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

41

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.

42

He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.

43

He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44

"Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

45

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46

This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

47

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

48

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

49

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

50

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51

David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

52

Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

53

When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

54

David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.

55

As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know."

56

The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is."

57

As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head.

58

"Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

1 Samuel 18

1

After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

2

From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house.

3

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

4

Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

5

Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.

6

When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.

7

As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."

8

Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?"

9

And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

10

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand

11

and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.

12

Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.

13

So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.

14

In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.

15

When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.

16

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

17

Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD." For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!"

18

But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

19

So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

20

Now Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

21

"I will give her to him," he thought, "so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law."

22

Then Saul ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, `Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.'"

23

They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known."

24

When Saul's servants told him what David had said,

25

Saul replied, "Say to David, `The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

26

When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,

27

David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28

When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,

29

Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

30

The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.

1 Samuel 19

1

Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David

2

and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there.

3

I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out."

4

Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.

5

He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?"

6

Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death."

7

So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

8

Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

9

But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp,

10

Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

11

Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed."

12

So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.

13

Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head.

14

When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill."

15

Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, "Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him."

16

But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair.

17

Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, `Let me get away. Why should I kill you?'"

18

When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.

19

Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah";

20

so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied.

21

Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.

22

Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said.

23

So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.

24

He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

1 Samuel 20

1

Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?"

2

"Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!"

3

But David took an oath and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, `Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death."

4

Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you."

5

So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.

6

If your father misses me at all, tell him, `David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.'

7

If he says, `Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me.

8

As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?"

9

"Never!" Jonathan said. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?"

10

David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

11

"Come," Jonathan said, "let's go out into the field." So they went there together.

12

Then Jonathan said to David: "By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?

13

But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father.

14

But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,

15

and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family--not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."

16

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account."

17

And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

18

Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

19

The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel.

20

I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.

21

Then I will send a boy and say, `Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him, `Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,' then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe; there is no danger.

22

But if I say to the boy, `Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away.

23

And about the matter you and I discussed--remember, the LORD is witness between you and me forever."

24

So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat.

25

He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty.

26

Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean--surely he is unclean."

27

But the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

28

Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.

29

He said, `Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."

30

Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?

31

As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"

32

"Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father.

33

But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

34

Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David.

35

In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him,

36

and he said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37

When the boy came to the place where Jonathan's arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?"

38

Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

39

(The boy knew nothing of all this; only Jonathan and David knew.)

40

Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, "Go, carry them back to town."

41

After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side [of the stone] and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together--but David wept the most.

42

Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, `The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.'" Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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