by Septuagint
[11] And Samuel said to Jessae, Hast thou no more sons? And Jessae said, There is yet a little one; behold, he tends the flock. And Samuel said to Jessae, Send and fetch him for we may not sit down till he comes. [12] And he sent and fetched him: and he was ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and very goodly to behold. And the Lord said to Samuel, Arise, and anoint David, for he is good. [13] And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel arose, and departed to Armathaim.
[14] And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. [15] And Saul’s servants said to him, Behold now, and evil spirit from the Lord torments thee. [16] Let now thy servants speak before thee, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon thee and he shall play on his harp, that thou shalt be well, and he shall refresh thee. [17] And Saul said to his servants, Look now out for me a skillful player, and bring him to me. [18] And one of his servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jessae the Bethleemite, and he understands playing on the harp, and the man is prudent, and a warrior, and wise in speech, and the man is handsome, and the Lord is with him. [19] And Saul sent messengers to Jessae, saying, Send to me thy son David who is with thy flock. [20] And Jessae took a homer of bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Saul.
[21] And David went in to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer. [22] And Saul sent to Jessae, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found grace in my eyes. [23] And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand: and Saul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.
Chapter 17
[1] And the Philistines gather their armies to battle, and gather themselves to Socchoth of Judaea, and encamp between Socchoth and Azeca Ephermen. [2] And Saul and the men of Israel gather together, and they encamp in the valley, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. [3] And the Philistines stand on the mountain on one side, and Israel stands on the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them.
[4] And there went forth a mighty man out of the army of the Philistines, Goliath, by name, out of Geth, his height was four cubits and a span. [5] And he had a helmet upon his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain armour; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass and iron. [6] And greaves of grass were upon his legs, and a brazen target was between his shoulders. [7] And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the spear’s head was formed of six hundred shekels of iron; and his armour-bearer went before him. [8] And he stood and cried to the army of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come forth to set yourselves in battle array against us? Am not I a Philistine, and ye He brews of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me. [9] And if he shall be able to fight against me, and shall smite me, then will we be your servants: but if I should prevail and smite him, ye shall be our servants, and serve us. [10] And the Philistine said, Behold, I have defied the armies of Israel this very day: give me a man, and we will both of us fight in single combat.
[11] And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed, and greatly terrified.
[12] 13 [14] 15 [16] 17 [18] 19 [20] 21 [22] 23 [24] 25 [26] 27 [28] 29 [30] 31
[32] And David said to Saul, Let not, I pray thee, the heart of my lord be dejected within him: thy servant will go, and fight with this Philistine. [33] And Saul said to David, Thou wilt not in anywise be able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art a mere youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
[34] And David said to Saul, Thy servant was tending the flock for his father; and when a lion came and a she-bear, and took a sheep out of the flock, [35] then I went forth after him, and smote him, and drew the spoil out of his mouth: and as he rose up against me, then I caught hold of his throat, and smote him, and slew him. [36] Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear, and the uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them: shall I not go and smite him, and remove this day a reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one, who has defied the army of the living God? [37] The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord shall be with thee.
[38] And Saul clothed David with a military coat, and put his brazen helmet on his head. [39] And he girt David with his sword over his coat: and he made trial walking with them once and again: and David said to Saul, I shall not be able to go with these, for I have not proved them: so they remove them from him. [40] And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s scrip which he had for his store, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. [41]
[42] And Goliath saw David, and despised him; for he was a lad, and ruddy, with a fair countenance. [43] And the Philistine said to David, Am I as a dog, that thou comest against me with a staff and stones? [and David said, Nay, but worse than a dog.] And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. [44] And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.
[45] And David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with spear, and with shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord God of hosts of the army of Israel, which thou hast defied [46] this day. And the Lord shall deliver thee this day into my hand; and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from off thee, and will give thy limbs and the limbs of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild beasts of the earth; and all the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel. [47] And all this assembly shall know that the Lord delivers not by sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord will deliver you into our hands.
[48] And the Philistine arose and went to meet David. [49] And David stretched out his hand to his scrip, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone penetrated through the helmet into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the ground. [50] 51 And David ran, and stood upon him, and took his sword, and slew him, and cut off his head: and the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and they fled.
[52] And the men of Israel and Juda arose, and shouted and pursued them as far as the entrance to Geth, and as far as the gate of Ascalon: and the slain men of the Philistines fell in the way of the gates, both to Geth, and to Accaron. [53] And the men of Israel returned from pursuing after the Philistines, and they destroyed their camp. [54] And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.
Chapter 18
[1] 2 [3] 4 [5] 6 And there came out women in dances to meet David out of all the cities of Israel, with timbrels, and with rejoicing, and with cymbals. [7] And the women began the strain, and said, Saul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands. [8] And it seemed evil in the eyes of Saul concerning this matter, and he said, To David they have given ten thousands, and to me they have given thousands. [9] 10 [11]
[12] And Saul was alarmed on account of David. [13] And he removed him from him, and made him a captain of a thousand for himself; and he went out and came in before the people. [14] And David was prudent in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. [15] And Saul saw that he was very wise, and he was afraid of him. [16] And all Israel and Juda loved David, because he came in and went out before the people. [17] 18 [19]
[20] And Melchol the daughter of Saul loved David; and it was told Saul, and the thing was pleasing in his eyes. [21] And Saul said, I will give her to him, and she shall be a stumbling-block to him. Now the hand of the Philistines was against S
aul. [22] And Saul charged his servants, saying, Speak ye privately to David, saying, Behold, the king delights in thee, and all his servants love thee, and do thou becomes the king’s son-in-law. [23] And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David; and David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? Whereas I am an humble man, an not honourable? [24] And the servants of Saul reported to him according to these words, which David spoke. [25] And Saul said, Thus shall ye speak to David, The king wants no gift but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the kings enemies. Now Saul thought to cast him into the hands of the Philistines. [26] And the servants of Saul report these words to David, and David was well pleased to become the son-in-law to the king.
[27] And David arose, and went, he and his men, and smote among the Philistines a hundred men: and he brought their foreskins, and he becomes the king’s son-in-law, and Saul gives him Melchol his daughter to wife. [28] And Saul saw that the Lord was with David, and that all Israel loved him. [29] And he was yet more afraid of David.
Chapter 19
[1] And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, to slay David. [2] And Jonathan, Saul’s son, loved David much: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul seeks to kill thee: take heed to thyself therefore to-morrow morning, and hide thyself, and dwell in secret. [3] And I will go forth, and stand near my father in the field where thou shalt be, and I will speak concerning thee to my father; and I will see what his answer may be, and I will tell thee.
[4] And Jonathan spoke favorably concerning David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against thy servant David, for he has not sinned against thee, and his deeds are very good. [5] And he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance; and all Israel saw, and rejoined: why then dost thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? [6] And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, saying, As the Lord lives, he shall not die. [7] And Jonathan called David, and told him all these words; and Jonathan brought David in to Saul, and he was before him as in former times.
[8] And there was again war against Saul; and David did valiantly, and fought against the Philistines, and smote them with a very great slaughter, and they fled from before him.
[9] And an evil spirit from God was upon Saul, and he was resting in his house, and a spear was in his hand, and David was playing on the harp with his hands. [10] And Saul sought to smite David with the spear; and David withdrew suddenly from the presence of Saul; and he drove the spear into the wall; and David retreated and escaped. [11] And it came to pass in that night, that Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to slay him in the morning; and Melchol David’s wife told him, saying, Unless thou save thy life this night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. [12] So Melchol lets David down by the window, and he departed, and fled, and escaped. [13] And Melchol took images, and laid them on the bed, and she put the liver of a goat by his head, and covered them with clothes.
[14] And Saul sent messengers to take David; and they say that he is sick. [15] And he sends to David, saying, Bring him to me on the bed, that I may slay him. [16] And the messengers come, and, behold, the images were on the bed, and the goat’s liver at his head. [17] And Saul said to Melchol, Why hast thou thus deceived me, and suffered my enemy to depart, and he has escaped? and Melchol said to Saul, He said, let me go, and if not, I will slay thee.
[18] So David fled, and escaped, and comes to Samuel to Armathaim, and tells him all that Saul had done to him: and Samuel and David went, and dwelt in Navath in Rama.
[19] And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is in Navath in Rama. [20] And Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw the assembly of the prophets, and Samuel stood as appointed over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesy. [21] And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied: and Saul sent again a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied. [22] And Saul was very angry, and went himself also to Armathaim, and he comes as far as the well of the threshing floor that is in Sephi; and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And they said, Behold, in Navath in Rama. [23] And he went thence to Navath in Rama: and there came the Spirit of God upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Navath in Rama. [24] And he took off his clothes, and prophesied before them; and lay down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they said, Is Saul also among the prophets?
Chapter 20
[1] And David fled from Navath in Rama, and comes into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, What have I done, and what is my fault, and wherein have I sinned before thy father, that he seeks my life? [2] And Jonathan said to him, Far be it from thee: thou shalt not die: behold, my father will not do any thing great or small without discovering it to me; and why should my father hide this matter from me? This thing is not so. [3] And David answered Jonathan, and said, Thy father knows surely that I have found grace in thy sight, and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent: but as the Lord lives and thy soul lives, as I said, the space is filled up between me and death. [4] And Jonathan said to David, What does thy soul desire, and what shall I do for thee.
[5] And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but thou shalt let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening. [6] And if thy father do in anywise enquire for me, then shalt thou say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethleem his city, for there is there, a yearly sacrifice for all the family. [7] If he shall say thus, Well, — all is safe for thy servant: but if he shall answer harshly to thee, know that evil is determined by him. [8] And thou shalt deal mercifully with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thyself: and if there is iniquity in thy servant, slay me thyself; but why dost thou thus bring me to thy father?
[9] And Jonathan said, That be far from thee: for if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon thee, although it should not be against thy cities, I will tell thee. [10] And David said to Jonathan, Who can tell me if thy father should answer roughly? [11] And Jonathan said to David, Go, and abide in the field. And they went out both into the field.
[12] And Jonathan said to David, the Lord God of Israel knows that I will sound my father as I have an opportunity, three several times, and, behold, if good should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to thee to the field, [13] God do so to Jonathan and more also: as I shall also report the evil to thee, and make it known to thee, and I will let thee go; and thou shalt depart in peace, and the Lord shall be with thee, as he was with my father. [14] And if indeed I continue to live, then shalt thou deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die, [15] 16 thou shalt not withdraw thy mercy from my house for ever: and if thou doest not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth, should it happen that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David. [17] And Jonathan swore yet again to David, because he loved the soul of him that loved him.
[18] And Jonathan said, To-morrow is the new moon, and thou wilt be enquired for, because thy seat will be observed as vacant. [19] And thou shalt stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shalt come to thy place where thou mayest hide thyself in the day of thy business, and thou shalt wait by that ergab. [20] And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark. [21] And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go find me the arrow. [22] If I should expressly say to the lad, The arrow is here, and on this side of thee, take it; then come, for it is well with thee, and there is no reason for fear, as the Lord lives: but if I should say thus to the young man, The arrow is on that side of thee, and beyond; go, for the Lord hath sent thee away. [23] And as for the word which thou and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is witness between me and thee for ever.
[24] So David hides himself in
the field, and the new month arrives, and the king comes to the table to eat. [25] And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan; and Abenner sat on one side of Saul, and the place of David was empty. [26] And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, It seems to have fallen out that he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.
[27] And it came to pass on the morrow, on the second day of the month, that the place of David was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jessae attended both yesterday and today at the table? [28] And Jonathan answered Saul, and said to him, David asked leave of me to go as far as Bethleem his city; [29] and he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brethren have sent for me; and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, I will even go over and see my brethren: therefore he is not present at the table of the king.
[30] And Saul was exceedingly angry with Jonathan, and said to him, Thou son of traitorous damsels! for do I not know that thou art an accomplice with the son of Jessae to thy same, and to the shame of thy mother’s nakedness? [31] For so long as the son of Jessae lives upon the earth, thy kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die. [32] And Jonathan answered Saul, Why is he to die? What has he done? [33] And Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan to slay him: so Jonathan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to slay David. [34] And Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined on mischief against him.
