הָיָה

…he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.

So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.

So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.

But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”

In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.

And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.

David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the bodies of the young men are holy even on common missions. How much more so today!”

So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.

Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

…saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”

Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.

Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”

Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”

Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.

As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.

May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”

When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.

Now I hear that it is time for shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.

Yet these men were very good to us. When we were in the field, we were not harassed, and nothing of ours went missing the whole time we lived among them.

They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.

As Abigail came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming down toward her, and she met them.

Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has held you back from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, may your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.

And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.

When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised, and when He has appointed you ruler over Israel,

…then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your servant.”

In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him, and he became like a stone.

About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.

So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.

David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So she and Abigail were both his wives.

That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.

And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

Now in those days the Philistines gathered their forces for warfare against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.”

“Why do you consult me,” asked Samuel, “since the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?

Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground, terrified by the words of Samuel. And his strength was gone, because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.

Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me all these days, even years, and from the day he defected until today I have found no fault in him.”

But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?