Study Desk

So David and his men left early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had come to fight in the Negev and Ziklag. They had destroyed Ziklag, and burned it with fire.

David and his men came to the city and saw that it was burned. Their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away.

And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.

They gave him a piece of a fig loaf and two vines of dried grapes. When he had eaten, his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

Then David said to him, "Will you take me down to his army?" And he said, "Promise me by God that you will not kill me or give me to my owner, and I will bring you down to this army."

David took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the things he had taken in battle to the leaders of Judah, his friends. He said, "See, here is a gift for you from what was taken from those who hate the Lord.

Hebron, and all the places where David and his men have gone many times."

The Philistines came after Saul and his sons. They killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua.

Then Saul said to the one who carried his battle-clothes, "Take your sword and cut through me with it. Or these men who have not gone through our religious act will come and kill me with the sword and make fun of me." But the one who carried his battle-clothes would not do it, for he was filled with fear. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

When the one who carried his battle-clothes saw that Saul was dead, he fell on his sword also, and died with him.

So Saul, his three sons, the one who carried his battle-clothes, and all his men, died that day together.

The men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left the cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in them.

When the Philistines came to rob the dead the next day, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa.

They cut off Saul's head and took his sword and battle-clothes, and sent them through the land of the Philistines. They sent them to carry the good news to the house of their gods and to the people.

They put his sword and battle-clothes in the house of their god Ashtaroth. And they tied his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

all the men with strength of heart went and walked all night. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh. There they burned them.

On the third day, a man came from the tents of Saul. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell with his face to the ground.

David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And the man said, "The people have run from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also."