Michal answered Saul, "He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?"

Thus David fled from Saul, and became an outcast in the land of Israel.

II. The Dutcast

When David was escaped from his house he fled to Samuel, to Ramah, where was the school of the prophets. Thither Saul sent messengers to take him; but when the men saw the company of the prophets prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon them, and they prophesied. Then the king sent other messengers, and they prophesied also; and he sent a third time, and these also prophesied. Last of all he came himself; and the Spirit came upon him, and, having stripped off his outer garments, he prophesied before Samuel, and lay down all that day and all that night.

In the meanwhile, David fled from Ramah to the king's court, to Jonathan. And he said to Jonathan, "What have I done? what is my offence? what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?"

Jonathan answered him, "God forbid that this should be. My father will not do anything either great or small, but he will show it to me. It is not as thou fearest."

But David said again," Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. Verily there is but a step between my soul and death, for he hideth his purpose from thee."

Then Jonathan said, "Whatsoever thou wilt, I will do for thee."

David said to Jonathan, "To-morrow is the new

moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat"—for the king had invited him, making as though he were reconciled-" but let me go that I may hide myself for three days, till the feast be finished. If thy father at all miss me, then thou shalt say, David earnestly desired leave of me that he might hasten to Bethlehem, where there is a yearly sacrifice of his family. If thy father shall say, It is well, then shall I have peace; but if he be very wroth, then be sure that he hath determined evil against me. Deal therefore kindly with me; and if there be evil in me, slay me thyself."

Jonathan answered, “If I knew that my father had determined evil against thee, would I not tell thee?"

Then David said, "How wilt thou tell me?"

Then they went out together into the open country. And Jonathan said to David, "Surely I will tell thee, if my father determine evil against thee. And do thou show me kindness while I live; and when I am dead, cease not from showing kindness to my children after me, in the days when the Lord shall cut off all thine enemies from the face of the earth.”

So David and Jonathan made a covenant together. Then Jonathan said to David, "Hide thyself by the stone Ezel. And on the third day I will come and shoot three arrows by the stone, as though I shot at a mark; and I will send a lad to find the arrows. If I say to him, The arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come, for there is peace; no harm is determined against thee. But if I say, The arrows are beyond thee; then go, for the Lord doth send thee away."

So David hid himself by the stone Ezel. On the new moon the king sat down to the feast, and Jonathan sat by the king's right hand, and Abner on the other

side; but David's place was empty.

Nevertheless

Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something has befallen him; he is not clean." 1 But on the morrow of the new moon, when David's place was again empty, Saul said to Jonathan, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to the feast, either yesterday or to-day?"

Jonathan answered, "David earnestly desired leave of me that he might go to the yearly sacrifice of his family at Bethlehem, that he might see his brethren. Therefore he cometh not to the king's table."

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said, "Thou son of the rebellious and perverse woman,2 thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion. Surely as long as he liveth, thou shalt not be established in the kingdom. Wherefore now

send and fetch him, that he may die."

But Jonathan said, "Wherefore should he be slain ? what evil hath he done?"

Then Saul would have smitten him with a javelin. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat nothing on the second day of the feast, being grieved for the wrong that his father did to David.

On the morrow Jonathan went at the time appointed to the place where David had hidden himself, and shot the arrows as he had said. And he said to the lad, "Run, find out now the arrows that I shoot." And as he ran, he shot an arrow beyond him; and when the lad came to the place, he cried, "Is not the arrow beyond thee? Make haste, speed, tarry not." So the lad gathered up the arrows and returned to his master; but he knew nothing of the matter. Only David and

1 Some ceremonial defilement, as from happening to touch a dead body. 2 This reviling of Jonathan's mother was, according to Eastern manners, the greatest insult that his father could have put upon him.

3 More, it should be noticed, than at the insult and violence offered to himself.

Jonathan knew.

Then Jonathan gave his bow and

arrows to the lad, and said, "Go, carry them to the city." When the lad was gone, David rose up from his hiding-place,1 and bowed himself before Jonathan three times to the ground. And they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace. The Lord be the witness of the covenant that is between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever." So David departed, and Jonathan went back to the city to his father.

David came to Nob,2 where at this time was the tabernacle and the dwelling of Ahimelech the highpriest. Ahimelech was troubled at his coming, and said, "Why art thou alone?" for he had no companions, but only the young men his servants. David answered, "The king sent me on an errand, and commanded that none should know it. What provision hast thou? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever thou hast." The priest said, "There is no bread here but the hallowed bread." For it was the custom that, day by day, certain loaves, that were called the shewbread, were put hot in the tabernacle, and those which had been put there the day before were taken away and given to the priests. The loaves, therefore, that had just been taken from the tabernacle did Ahimelech give to David and his young men.

Then David said to the priest, "Hast thou here spear or sword? for I have neither brought sword or any weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.”

The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine,

1 It would seem that he was unwilling to go without a leave-taking. The symbol of the arrows had been meant to give him the opportunity of immediate escape.

2 A city near Jerusalem.

whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, wrapped in his cloak, is behind the ephod. If thou wilt take that, take it; there is none other here save that."

And David said, "There is none like that; give it me." From Nob he fled into the land of the Philistines to Achish, king of Gath. And when the servants of Achish saw him, they said, "Is not this the champion of Israel, of whom the women sang, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands ?" And when David saw that he was known, he was sore afraid of what Achish might do to him. Therefore he feigned himself mad. Then said the king to his servants, "Lo! ye see the man is mad. Wherefore have ye brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence ?" and he drave him away.

Thither

Then David fled to the cave of Adullam.1 came to him his father and his mother and his brethren; the sons also of his sister Zeruiah-Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Many also that were in debt or had received injury from Saul, resorted to him; and certain Canaanites also, and Ahithophel the Hittite. Over these he became a captain; and there were with him about four hundred men. Also the prophet Gad came to him, and became his seer, delivering to him the oracles of God. Among them that resorted to him at this time were eleven warriors of the tribe of Gad; men of war, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as roes upon the mountains. These were they who swam over Jordan in the first month when he overflows all his banks, and put to flight the men of the valleys. Some even of the tribe of Benjamin, fellow

1 There seems to be some reason for believing that this cavern was about two hours' journey south-east of Bethlehem, at a place now called Khûrtieûn. This is the locality fixed by monastic tradition; but others would place it nearer Bethlehem, in the region called the Sephelah.