Study Desk

And have all of you conspired against me, so that there is none to tell me about the covenant of my son with the son of Jesse; and is there none that discloses to me that my son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and is there none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servants against me to lie in wait as at this day?

And Ahimeleck the priest answered the king and said, And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the kings son-in-law, and heeds your commands and is honored in your house?

So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their cattle and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

And he said to him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be with you, and you shall live; and even Saul my father knows that it is so.

So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain by the side of the desert.

So David restrained the men who were with him with these words, and did not permit them to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

So David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home; but David and the men who were with him went up to Mizpeh.

So Davids young men turned about and came back and told David all these words.

Now David had said, Surely in vain have we guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing of all that belonged to him; and he has rewarded us evil for good.

The LORD do so and more also to his servant David, if I leave of all that belongs to him by morning any mature male.

For as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and his folly is with him; but I, your handmaid, did not see the young men whom my lord sent.

So David received of her hands that which she had brought, and said to her, Go up in peace to your house; see, I have hearkened to your voice and have accepted your person.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay asleep in the path, with his spear lying on the ground by his bedside; and Abner and the people lay round about him.

So David took the spear and the jug of water from Sauls bedside; and they went away, and no man saw it nor knew it, neither awaked, for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.

And, behold, as your life was highly esteemed this day in my sight, so my life shall be highly esteemed in the sight of the LORD.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed be you, my son; you have surely done great things, and also you have surely prevailed. So David went on his way, and Saul also returned to his house.

AND David said in his heart, Now if I should fall some day into the hands of Saul, it would not be good for me, but it is better for me that I should escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of seeking me any more in the territory of Israel; so I shall escape out of his hands.

So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish, the son of Maachah, king of Gath.

And David said to Achish, If I have now found grace in your eyes, let the people give me a place in one of the towns in the desert, that I may dwell there; so that your servant may not dwell in the royal city with you.

But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, begged him; and he hearkened to their voice. So he arose from the ground and sat upon the bed.