Study Desk

The woman came to Saul and saw that he was utterly horrified, and she said to him, "Behold, your servant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.

"So now you too, please listen to the voice of your servant, and let me serve you a piece of bread, and eat it, so that you will have strength when you go on your way."

Then the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found nothing at all suspicious in him since the day he deserted to me to this day?"

Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have indeed been honest, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the governors.

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

Then David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" And he said, "I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me when I became sick three days ago.

Then David said to him, "Will you bring me down to this band of raiders?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will bring you down to this band."

Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised Philistines will come and pierce me through, and abuse me." But his armor bearer was unwilling, because he was very fearful. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." And he said, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."

"When he looked behind himself, he saw me, and called to me. And I said, 'Here I am.'

"Then he said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

"And he said to me, 'Please stand next to me and finish me off, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.'

"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a close friend to me. Your love for me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

"Now then, let your hands be strong and be valiant, since Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

Then Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn aside for your own good from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?"

Then Abner became very angry over Ish-bosheth's question and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not let you fall into the hands of David; yet today you call me to account for wrongdoing with that woman?

"May God do so to me, and more so, if as the LORD has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him:

Then Abner sent messengers to David at his place, saying, "Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you."

And he said, "Good! I will make a covenant with you, only I require one thing of you, namely, that you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me."

So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."