Study Desk

so he pretended to be crazy in front of Achish and his officers. While David was with them, he acted like a crazy man. He spat on the doors of the gate. He let spit fall down his beard.

Achish said to his officers, "Look at the man! He is crazy. Why did you bring him to me?

So David left his parents with the king of Moab. They stayed with the king of Moab as long as David was at the fort.

Saul heard the report about David and his men while sitting under the tree on the hill at Gibeah. Saul had his spear in his hand. All of his officers were standing around him.

Saul said to his officers who were standing around him, "Listen, men of Benjamin. Do you think that son of Jesse will give you fields and vineyards? He is not one of us, so don't think he will give you anything or make you officers over 1000 or even 100 men!

Then King Saul ordered some men to bring the priest to him. Saul told them to bring Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all his relatives who were priests at Nob. So all of them came to the king.

Then the king told the guards at his side, "Go and kill the priests of the Lord because they are on David's side too. They knew he was running away, but they didn't tell me." The king's officers refused to hurt the priests of the Lord .

Nob was the city of the priests. Doeg killed all the people of Nob. He used his sword and killed men, women, children and small babies. He even killed their cattle, donkeys, and sheep.

So David and his men went to Keilah. David's men fought the Philistines. They defeated them and took their cattle. In this way David saved the people of Keilah.

Saul called all his army together for battle. They prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

So David and his men left Keilah. There were about 600 men who went with David. They kept moving from place to place. Saul learned that David had escaped from Keilah, so he did not go to that city.

So those people went back to Ziph before Saul. David and his men were in the desert of Maon, south of Jeshimon.

Saul and his men went to look for David, but the people warned him. They told David that Saul was looking for him. So David then went down to "The Rock" in the desert of Maon. Saul heard that David had gone there, so Saul went to that place to find him.

Saul was on one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side of the same mountain. David was moving as quickly as possible to get away from Saul. But Saul and his soldiers were going around the mountain to cut them off and trap David and his men.

So Saul chose 3000 men from all over Israel and began searching for David and his men. They looked near Wild Goat Rocks.

Saul came to some sheep pens beside the road. There was a cave near there, so Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were deep inside that same cave.

He said to his men, "I pray the Lord never lets me do anything like that to my master again. I must not do anything against Saul, because he is the Lord 's chosen king."

David said these things to stop his men. He would not let his men hurt Saul. Saul left the cave and went on his way.

Later, David came out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" Saul looked back. David bowed with his face to the ground to show his respect.

When David finished speaking, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" Then Saul lifted his voice and began to cry.