Study Desk

"But if I say to the youth, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond you,' go, for the LORD has sent you away.

The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.

But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"

But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.

When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more.

The priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women."

So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.

But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"

But the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!"

And the king said to the guards who were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me." But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the LORD.

But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.

But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?"

David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."

"Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.'

"May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.

"As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you.

David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

(now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite),

But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.