Study Desk

Your Majesty, listen to what I have to say. If it is the Lord who has turned you against me, an offering to him will make him change his mind; but if some people have done it, may the Lord 's curse fall on them. For they have driven me out from the Lord 's land to a country where I can only worship foreign gods.

The Lord rewards those who are faithful and righteous. Today he put you in my power, but I did not harm you, whom the Lord made king.

But Achish trusted David and said to himself, "He is hated so much by his own people the Israelites that he will have to serve me all his life."

and so he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord did not answer him at all, either by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets.

Saul refused and said he would not eat anything. But his officers also urged him to eat. He finally gave in, got up from the ground, and sat on the bed.

But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said to him, "Send that fellow back to the town you gave him. Don't let him go into battle with us; he might turn against us during the fighting. What better way is there for him to win back his master's favor than by the death of our men?

After all, this is David, the one about whom the women sang, as they danced, ‘Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands.'"

Achish called David and said to him, "I swear by the living God of Israel that you have been loyal to me; and I would be pleased to have you go with me and fight in this battle. I have not found any fault in you from the day you came over to me. But the other kings don't approve of you.

"I agree," Achish replied. "I consider you as loyal as an angel of God. But the other kings have said that you can't go with us into battle.

and captured all the women; they had not killed anyone, but had taken everyone with them when they left.

David was now in great trouble, because his men were all very bitter about losing their children, and they were threatening to stone him; but the Lord his God gave him courage.

But some mean and worthless men who had gone with David said, "They didn't go with us, and so we won't give them any of the loot. They can take their wives and children and go away."

But David answered, "My brothers, you can't do this with what the Lord has given us! He kept us safe and gave us victory over the raiders.

But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

He said to the young man carrying his weapons, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that these godless Philistines won't gloat over me and kill me." But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.

David asked the young man who had brought him the news, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I'm an Amalekite, but I live in your country."

He was forty years old when he was made king of Israel, and he ruled for two years. But the tribe of Judah was loyal to David,

"Stop chasing me!" Abner said. "Run after one of the soldiers and take what he has." But Asahel kept on chasing him.

But Asahel would not quit; so Abner, with a backward thrust of his spear, struck him through the stomach so that the spear came out at his back. Asahel dropped to the ground dead, and everyone who came to the place where he was lying stopped and stood there.

But Joab and Abishai started out after Abner, and at sunset they came to the hill of Ammah, which is to the east of Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.