tribesmen of King Saul, joined themselves to his company. These were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows from a bow.1 But when others of this same tribe came with Amasa, that was son to Abigail, David's sister, David was troubled in mind, and going out to meet them, said, “If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be one with your hearts; but if ye come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing that I have done you no wrong, the God of our fathers requite you for it. Then Amasa answered, “We are thine, David: peace be unto thee and thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee." Then David received them, and made them captains in his band.

About this time David went to Mizpeh of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, "Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, abide with thee, till I know what God shall do for me." And they dwelt with the king of Moab as long as David was in the hold.

And

After a while the prophet Gad said to David, "Abide not in the hold." So he departed, and dwelt in the forest of Hareth. While he was there, there came some that told him, “Behold the Philistines fight against Keilah, and rob the threshing-floors." David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and smite these Philistines ?" And the Lord said, "Go up and smite them and save Keilah." But David's men were afraid. Therefore he inquired again, and the Lord

1 This peculiar skill of the Benjamite seems to have been hereditary. Ehud the Benjamite (Judges iii. 15) was "left-handed." This word corresponds to the Greek Tepidéžios, capable of using both hands at once, as the hero Asteropæus does in his combat with Achilles, throwing two spears at the same time, and slightly wounding the hero with one of them. In the civil war (Judges xx.) we read of "seven hundred chosen men lefthanded, every one of whom could sling stones at an hair-breadth, and not miss."

answered him as before. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. And he abode in Keilah.

While he was there, there came to him Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech the priest, with the ephod in his hand. He only had escaped when Saul smote Nob, the city of the priests; for when Saul had heard how Ahimelech had received David, and had given him bread to eat, and also the sword of Goliath, he sent Doeg the Edomite, who also had told him of the matter, to slay him. So Doeg destroyed all that were in Nob―man, woman, and child. Only Abiathar escaped and fled to David. And David said to Abiathar, “I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul; I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh thy life, seeketh my life; but with me thou shalt be safe."

When Saul heard that David was in Keilah, he said, "God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in a town that hath gates and bars." But David knew that Saul intended mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring hither the ephod." And he asked, "Will Saul come down to Keilah ?" And the Lord said, "He will come down." He asked again, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand ?" And the Lord said, "They will deliver thee." Then David and his men, six hundred in number, departed from Keilah, and went whithersoever they could; and

1 The ephod of the high-priest had the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim attached to it. This was the garment which Abiathar had carried off from the tabernacle at Nob. It was the recognised method of consulting the Divine will (Exodus xxviii. 30). David accordingly appeals to this in cases wherein, before Abiathar's coming, he had appealed to the prophet Gad.

L

the band was scattered, but David abode in the wilderness of Ziph that is between Hebron and Engedi. Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

The men of Ziph sent to Saul, saying, " David hides himself in our country. Come, therefore; and our

So

part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand." Saul went down after him, and came near to taking him; for Saul was on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, “The Philistines have invaded the land." So he left off pursuing David, and went to fight against the

Philistines.

After this David dwelt in strongholds of Engedi. When Saul heard of it, he pursued him with three thousand men. Now there was a cave wherein the shepherds kept their sheep, and Saul turned into it. But David and his men were in the back part of the cave. David's men said to him, "Behold, the Lord hath given thine enemy into thy hand!" Then David cut off the skirt of Saul's robe; but Saul knew it not. Yet David's heart smote him for having done even so much; for, said he, "He is the Lord's anointed." Nor would he suffer his men to do aught against the king. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

And when he was gone, David arose also, and cried after him, saying, "My lord the king." And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth. Then David said to Saul," Wherefore listenest thou to those who say that David seeketh thy hurt. Behold, this day thine eyes see how the Lord delivered thee into my hand; and some bade me kill thee, But I spared thee; for I said, I will not put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. See now, my

father, the skirt of thy robe. In that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that I have no ill purpose, and that I have not sinned against thee. The Lord judge between me and thee; but my hand shall not be against thee."

Then Saul said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" And he wept aloud. And he said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. To-day the Lord delivered me into thine hand, and thou killedst me not. If a man find his enemy, will he let him go? And now, behold, I know that thou shalt be king. Swear therefore to me that thou wilt not cut off my

posterity after me, nor destroy my name out of my father's house."

David sware this unto Saul; and Saul returned to his place.

in the wood.

Nevertheless he came once more pursuing David in this same wilderness of Ziph. And David hid himself Then Jonathan, Saul's son, came to him and encouraged him, saying, “Fear not; for Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and this my father knoweth." Then the two renewed their covenant that they had made between them; and David abode still in the wood, but Jonathan returned to his house. And these two saw each other no more after that day. And when Saul had pitched his camp, he lay down to sleep behind the rampart of waggons, and the people lay round about him, with Abner the captain of the host. Then said David to Ahimelech and Abishai, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with thee.” So they went down; and behold, Saul lay sleeping behind the waggons, and his spear was stuck in the ground by his bolster. Then Abishai said to David, “God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand. Let me now smite him with the spear into the earth; I will not smite him a second time." But David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? Lord shall smite him; or his day will come to die; or he shall descend into the battle and perish; but God forbid that I should stretch my hand against him." Then he took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster. After this the two got them away; and no man saw it or knew it, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them all.

The