Abigail, by her wisdom,

1 SAMUEL, XXV.

B. C. 1060.

CHAP. 25.

6 flew upon
them.

14 But one of the young men
told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying,
Behold, David sent messengers out
of the wilderness to salute our mas-
ter; and he "railed on them:
15 But the men were very good shamed.
unto us, and we were not hurt,
neither missed we anything, as long
as we were conversant with them,
when we were in the fields:

• Ex. 14, 22.
Job 1, 10.

Zech. 2, 5.

P Gen. 32, 13.

pacifies David's wrath.

10 regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; 11 Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

26 Now therefore, my lord, "as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath "withholden 2 Sam.17,28, and from 12avenging thyself with thee from coming to shed blood, thine own hand, now "let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

29.

Pro. 18, 16.
Pro. 21, 14.

8 Or, lumps.

? Gen. 32, 16.

16 They were a wall unto us, both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and Gen. 44. 4. against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures

Ps. 35, 12.
Ps. 109, 5.
Pro. 17, 13.
Jer. 18, 20.
1 Pet. 2, 20.
1 Pet. 3, 17.

Ruth 1, 17. chap. 3, 17. chap. 20, 13, 16.

27 And now this 13 blessing, which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that 14follow my lord. 28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for "the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD,

of parched corn, and an hundred Josh. 15, 18. and evil hath not been found in

8 clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on

asses.

19 And she said unto her servants, "Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

Judg. 1, 14.

9 ears.

heart.

thee all thy days.

29 Yet a man is risen to pursue 10 lay it to his thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be "bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he 'sling out, 5 as out of the middle of a sling.

11 That is,
Fool.

" 2 Ki. 2, 2.

v Gen. 20, 6.

12 saving thy-
self.

Rom. 12, 19.

20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down 2 Sam. 18,32. against her; and she met them.

21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him, by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall.

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and 'lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

25 Let not my lord, I pray thee,

15

30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel,

31 That this shall be 16no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto blood causeless, or that my lord my lord, either that thou hast shed hath_avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

32 T And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, 2 Cor. 8, 16. except thou hadst hasted and come

CHAP. 25. d chap. 20, 42. 2 Sam. 15, 9. 2 Ki. 6, 19. Luke 7, 50.

• Gen. 19, 21.

He spares Saul's life.

CHAPTER XXVI.

1 Saul comes to the hill of Hachilah against David. 5 David stays Abishai from killing Saul, but takes his spear and cruse.

ND the Ziphites came unto

A Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doth

not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshi

35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, "Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have heark-2 Sam. 13,23. mon? ened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

36 ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal: and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath *returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went 17 after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam "of Jezreel; and "they were also both of them his wives.

44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to 18 Phalti the son of Laish, which was of "Gallim.

g Pro. 20, 1.
Pro. 23, 29.
Isa. 5, 11.
Isa. 28, 1-3.
Hosea 4, 11.

Luke 21, 34.
Eph. 5, 18.

h Deut. 28, 28.
Job 15, 21.

Ex. 12, 29.

2 Sam, 6, 7. Job 12, 10.

Job34,14,15.

Ps. 104, 20.

Acts 12, 23.
Pro. 22, 23,
2 Sam. 3, 28,

29.

1 Ki. 2, 44.

Esther 7,10.

Ps. 7, 16.

Ruth 2, 10,

13.

Pro. 15, 33. Pro. 18, 12. 17 at her feet. m Josh. 15, 56.

2 Sam. 3, 2
"Gen. 2, 24.

chap. 27, 3.
chap. 30, 5.
Matt. 19, 5,
8.

°2 Sam. 3, 14.
18 Phaltiel.

2 Sam. 3, 15.
Isa. 10, 30.

CHAP. 26.

a chap. 23, 19.

Ps. 54,
title.

chap. 14, 50.
chap. 17, 55.

2 Sam. 2, 8.
1 Or, midst
of his
carriages.
chap. 17, 20.

1 Chr. 2, 16.

d Judg. 7, 10.

shut up. chap. 24, 18. chap. 24, 15. chap. 25, 38. Ps. 94,1,2,23. Pro. 20, 22. Luke 18, 7. Rom. 12, 19. Heb. 10, 30. Rev. 18, 8.

f Gen. 47, 29.

Job 7, 1.

2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way: but David abode in the wilderness; and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

5 ¶ And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the 'trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?

10 David said furthermore, As Deut. 31, 14. the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into Deut. 32, 35. battle, and perish.

Job 14, 5.
Ps. 37, 13.

chap. 31, 6.

21 T Then said Saul, I have sinned: : return, my son David; for I Rom. 12, 17, will no more do thee harm, because my soul was "precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over

12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither Gen. 2, 21. awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.

Gen. 15, 12.
Esther 6, 1.
Isa. 29, 10.

death.

2 Sam. 12, 5.

13 Then David went over to the sons of and fetch it. the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off, a great space being between them:

14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

ye

16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

chap. 24, 16.

chap. 24, 9,

11.

Ps. 7. 3.
chap. 16, 14,

23.

chap. 18, 10.
2 Sam.16,11.
2 Sam. 24, 1.

23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to-day; but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed.

24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

4 smell.
Gen. 8, 21. 25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed
Lev. 26, 31.
be thou, my son David: thou shalt
"Deut. 4, 28. both do great things, and also shalt
still prevail. So David went on his
way, and Saul returned to his place.
CHAPTER XXVII.

Ps. 120, 5.

5 cleaving.

• Ex. 15, 17.
Deut. 4, 20.
Deut. 9, 28.
Deut. 32, 9.
2 Sam.14,16.
2 Sam.20,19.
2 Sam. 21, 3.
Ps. 106, 4, 5.
Isa. 19, 25.

chap. 24, 14.
Ex. 9, 27.
Num.22, 34.

chap. 15, 24.
chap. 24, 17.
Matt. 27, 4.

18 And he said, "Wherefore doth chap. 18, 30. my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? 'or what evil is in mine hand?

19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him *accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; "for they have driven me out this day from "abiding in the inheritance of the LORD,1 saying, Go, serve other gods.

20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the

Ps. 7, 8

Ps. 18, 20.
Ps. 28, 4.
Ps. 62, 12.
Eccl. 8, 12.

Isa. 3, 10, 11.
Gen. 32, 28.

Isa. 54, 17.

CHAP. 27.

be con

sumed.

chap.25, 13.

chap. 21, 10.

1 Saul, hearing that David was fed to Gath, seeks no more for him. 5 David begs Ziklag of Achish.

ND David said in his heart, I shall now 'perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

2 And David arose, "and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in

some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag

B. C. 1058.

CHAP. 27.

© Josh. 15, 31.
Josh. 19, 5.

Saul consulteth

3 T Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits,

that day wherefore Ziklag per- the number and the wizards, out of the land. taineth unto the kings of Judah

unto this day.

7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was 'a full year and four months.

8 T And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the 'Gezerites, and 'the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

of days.
3 a year of
days.

4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and chap. 29, 3. pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in 'Gilboa.

Till 1056.

d Josh. 13, 2.

Judg. 1, 29. 4 Or, Gerzites. Josh. 16, 3.

Ex. 17, 16.

chap. 15, 7,

8.

9 Gen. 25, 18.
Ps. 141, 3.

Pro. 29, 25.

Or, did

you
not make a
road, etc.

1 Chr. 2, 9.
made him
self to stink

to his peo-
ple Israel.

10 And Achish said, "Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said, "Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the chap. 29, 1. south of the Kenites.

CHAP. 28.

1 Knowing,
know.

Rom. 12, 9.

Isa. 57, 1, 2.
Acts 16, 16,

11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should chap. 25, 1. tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. CHAPTER XXVIII.

1 Achish's confidence in David. 7 Saul seeks to a witch, who, being encouraged by him, raises up Samuel. 15 Saul, hearing his ruin, faints: 21 he is refreshed with meat.

Adays, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel: and Achish said unto David, 1Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt gọ out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

ND "it came to pass in those

2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

19.

d Ex. 22, 18.
Lev. 19, 31.
Lev. 20, 27.
Deut. 18, 10.

5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.

8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.

9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: whereJosh. 19, 18. fore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

2 Ki. 4, 8.
/chap. 31, 1.

Job 15, 21.
Job 18, 11.
Ps. 48, 5, 6.
Ps. 73. 19.
Isa. 57, 20.
Dan. 5, 6.

chap. 14. 37.

Pro. 1, 28.
Lam. 2, 9.

Num. 12, 6.
Ex. 28, 30.
Num 27, 21.

Deut. 33, 8.

* Deut. 18, 11.

1 Chr. 10, 13.
Isa. 8, 19.

Isa. 57, 2,

Rev. 14, 13.

"Ex. 22, 28.

Ps. 138, 1.

2 What is his
form?

10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

12 And when the woman 'saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

14 And he said unto her, "What

1 SAMUEL, XXIX.

22 Now therefore, I pray thee, chap. 18, 7. hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way.