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Saul also & his men went to seeke him, & they told Dauid: wherefore he came downe vnto a rocke, and abode in the wildernesse of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he folowed after Dauid in the wildernes of Maon.

And Saul and his men went on the one side of the mountaine, and Dauid and his men on the other side of the mountaine: and Dauid made haste to get from the presence of Saul: for Saul and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about, to take them.

Then Saul tooke three thousande chosen men out of all Israel, & went to seeke Dauid and his men vpon the rocks among the wilde goates.

And hee came to the sheepecoates by the way where there was a caue, & Saul went in to do his easement: and Dauid and his men sate in the inward parts of the caue.

And afterward Dauid was touched in his heart, because he had cut off the lappe which was on Sauls garment.

And he said vnto his men, The Lord keepe mee from doing that thing vnto my master the Lords Anoynted, to lay mine hand vpon him: for he is the Anoynted of the Lord.

So Dauid ouercame his seruants with these words, & suffered them not to arise against Saul: so Saul rose vp out of the caue and went away.

Dauid also arose afterward, and went out of the caue, and cryed after Saul, saying, O my lorde the King. And when Saul looked behinde him, Dauid inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himselfe.

Whe Dauid had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul sayd, Is this thy voyce, my sonne Dauid? & Saul lift vp his voice, & wept,

For who shal finde his enemie, and let him depart free? wherefore the Lorde render thee good for that thou hast done vnto me this day.

So Dauid sware vnto Saul, and Saul went home: but Dauid & his men went vp vnto ye hold.

Then Samuel dyed, & all Israel assembled, and mourned for him, and buried him in his owne house at Ramah. And Dauid arose and went downe to the wildernes of Paran.

Now in Maon was a man, who had his possessio in Carmel, & the man was exceeding mightie & had three thousand sheepe, and a thousand goates: and he was shering his sheepe in Carmel.

The name also of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, & she was a woman of singular wisdome, and beautifull, but the man was churlish, and euil conditioned, and was of the familie of Caleb.

And Dauid heard in the wildernesse, that Nabal did shere his sheepe.

Then Nabal answered Dauids seruantes, & sayd, Who is Dauid? and who is the sonne of Ishai? there be many seruantes nowe a dayes, that breake away euery man from his master.

And Dauid said vnto his men, Girde euery man his sword about him. And they girded euery man his sworde: Dauid also girded his sworde. And about foure hundreth men went vp after Dauid, and two hundreth abode by the cariage.

Nowe therefore take heede, and see what thou shalt doe: for euill will surely come vpon our master, and vpon all his familie: for he is so wicked that a man can not speake to him.

And as shee rode on her asse, shee came downe by a secret place of the mountaine, and beholde, Dauid and his men came downe against her, and she met them.

And fel at his feete, and sayd, Oh, my lord, I haue committed the iniquitie, and I pray thee, let thine handmayde speake to thee, and heare thou the wordes of thine handmayde.