Study Desk

So he sent ten young men and told them, "Go to Nabal at Carmel, and greet him for me.

Ask your servants, and they will tell you. We come at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you can find for them and for your son David.'"

Then David said to them, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his also. About four hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the supplies.

When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was in the house, eating like a king. He was very drunk and in a good mood. So she told him nothing until the next morning.

His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David sent us to take you so you can become his wife."

David also had married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So they were both David's wives.

So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to look for David there.

So that night David and Abishai went into Saul's camp. Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the army were sleeping around Saul.

So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw them or knew about it or woke up, because the Lord had put them sound asleep.

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Today you respected my life, so I will not try to hurt you. I have been very stupid and foolish."

Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son David. You will do great things and succeed." So David went on his way, and Saul went back home.

So David and his six hundred men left Israel and went to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

So Achish trusted David and said to himself, "David's own people, the Israelites, now hate him very much. He will serve me forever."

Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium so I may go and ask her what will happen." His servants answered, "There is a medium in Endor."

Samuel said, "The Lord has left you and has become your enemy. So why do you call on me?

Now please listen to me. Let me give you some food so you may eat and have enough strength to go on your way."

But Saul refused, saying, "I won't eat." His servants joined the woman in asking him to eat, and he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the Lord lives, you are loyal. I would be pleased to have you serve in my army. Since the day you came to me, I have found no wrong in you. But the other kings don't trust you.

So David and his men got up early in the morning and went back to the country of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

So the Egyptian led David to the Amalekites. They were lying around on the ground, eating and drinking and celebrating with the things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.