Study Desk

David answered, "Abner, aren't you the greatest man in Israel? So why aren't you protecting your master, the king? Just now someone entered the camp to kill your master.

Saul said to David, "God bless you, my son! You will succeed in everything you do!" So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

So David and his six hundred men went over at once to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag, and for this reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

David would kill everyone, men and women, so that no one could go back to Gath and report what he and his men had really done. This is what David did the whole time he lived in Philistia.

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.

So Saul disguised himself; he put on different clothes, and after dark he went with two of his men to see the woman. "Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is going to happen," he said to her. "Call up the spirit of the man I name."

Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me? Why did you make me come back?" Saul answered, "I am in great trouble! The Philistines are at war with me, and God has abandoned me. He doesn't answer me any more, either by prophets or by dreams. And so I have called you, for you to tell me what I must do."

The woman went over to him and saw that he was terrified, so she said to him, "Please, sir, I risked my life by doing what you asked.

Now please do what I ask. Let me fix you some food. You must eat so that you will be strong enough to travel."

So go back home in peace, and don't do anything that would displease them."

So then, David, tomorrow morning all of you who left Saul and came over to me will have to get up early and leave as soon as it's light."

So David and his men started out early the following morning to go back to Philistia, and the Philistines went on to Jezreel.

So David and his six hundred men started out, and when they arrived at Besor Brook, some of them stayed there.

David continued on his way with four hundred men; the other two hundred men were too tired to cross the brook and so stayed behind.

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."

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.

The young man saw that Saul was dead, so he too threw himself on his own sword and died with Saul.

So I went up to him and killed him, because I knew that he would die anyway as soon as he fell. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them to you, sir."