Daily Mass Readings for January 16, 2026: Gospel — Mc 2,1-12

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead us, just like all the other nations have.” ⁶ But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 1 0 :¹ Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head. Samuel kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen you as leader over his inheritance. ² When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’ ³ “As you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. ⁴ They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. ⁵ Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. ⁶ Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. ⁷ “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. ⁸ You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days until I arrive and tell you what to do.” ⁹ As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person. All these signs happened on that very day. 1 ⁰ When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied among them. 1 ¹ When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?” 1 ² A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 1 ³ When Saul had finished prophesying, he went to the high place. 1 ⁴ Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, we went to Samuel.” 1 ⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 1 ⁶ Saul said to his uncle, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship. 1 ⁷ Then Samuel called the people together before the Lord at Mizpah. 1 ⁸ He said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and I delivered you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 1 ⁹ But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your trouble and distress. You have said, “No! Appoint a king over us.” Now take your positions before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.’” 2 ⁰ Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 2 ¹ Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. At last Saul son of Kish was chosen by lot. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. 2 ² So they inquired again of the Lord, “Has the man arrived here yet?” The Lord said, “He has hidden himself among the equipment.” 2 ³ So they ran and brought him from there. When he took his position among the people, he stood head and shoulders above them all. 2 ⁴ Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen? Indeed, there is no one like him among all the people.” All the people shouted out, “Long live the king!” 2 ⁵ Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work. He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes. 2 ⁶ Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose hearts God had touched. 2 ⁷ But some wicked men said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. 1 1 :¹ Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.” ² But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!” ³ The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.” ⁴ When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly. ⁵ Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about the men of Jabesh. ⁶ The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. ⁷ He took a pair of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army. ⁸ When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 30 0 ,000 strong and the men of Judah numbered 3 0 ,000. ⁹ They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy. 1 ⁰ The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and you can do with us whatever you wish.” 1 ¹ The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together. 1 ² Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!” 1 ³ But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!” 1 ⁴ Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” 1 ⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal, where they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy. 1 2 :¹ Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done everything you requested. I have given you a king. ² Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. ³ Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, and I will return it to you!” ⁴ They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.” ⁵ He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” They said, “He is witness!” ⁶ Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt. ⁷ Now take your positions, so I may confront you before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors. ⁸ When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. ⁹ “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s army, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 1 ⁰ Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ 1 ¹ So the Lord sent Jerub Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely. 1 ² “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king. 1 ³ Now look! Here is the king you have chosen—the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king. 1 ⁴ If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him and not rebelling against what he says, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well. 1 ⁵ But if you don’t obey the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king. 1 ⁶ “So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the Lord is about to do in your sight. 1 ⁷ Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.” 1 ⁸ So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 1 ⁹ All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us—your servants—so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” 2 ⁰ Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned. However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 2 ¹ You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty. 2 ² The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 2 ³ As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 2 ⁴ However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 2 ⁵ But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.” 1 3 :¹ Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty] years. ² Saul selected for himself 3 ,000 men from Israel. Of these 2 ,000 were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel; the remaining 1 ,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. He sent all the rest of the people back home. ³ Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted all the land saying, “Let the Hebrews pay attention!” ⁴ All Israel heard this message, “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. ⁵ Meanwhile the Philistines gathered to battle with Israel. Then they went up against Israel with 3 ,000 chariots, 6 ,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. ⁶ The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, and cisterns. ⁷ Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal; the entire army that was with him was terrified. ⁸ He waited for seven days, the time period indicated by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army began to abandon Saul. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” Then he offered a burnt offering. 1 ⁰ Just when he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel appeared on the scene. Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 1 ¹ But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the army had started to abandon me, and that you didn’t come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash, 1 ² I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering.” 1 ³ Then Samuel said to Saul, “You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed the commandment that the Lord your God gave you. Had you done that, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 1 ⁴ But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has sought out for himself a man who is loyal to him, and the Lord has appointed him to be leader over his people, for you have not obeyed what the Lord commanded you.” 1 ⁵ Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. Saul mustered the army that remained with him; there were about 6 0 ⁰ men. 1 ⁶ Saul, his son Jonathan, and the army that remained with them stayed in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped in Micmash. 1 ⁷ Raiding bands went out from the camp of the Philistines in three groups. One band turned toward the road leading to Ophrah by the land of Shual; 1 ⁸ another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboyim in the direction of the desert. 1 ⁹ A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears.” 2 ⁰ So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares, cutting instruments, axes, and sickles sharpened. 2 ¹ They charged two-thirds of a shekel to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments, and one-third of a shekel to sharpen picks and axes, and to set ox goads. 2 ² So on the day of the battle no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of anyone in the army that was with Saul and Jonathan. No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 2 ³ A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. 1 4 :¹ Then one day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison that is opposite us.” But he did not let his father know. ² Now Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah. The army that was with him numbered about 6 0 ⁰ men. ³ Now Ahijah was carrying an ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod and a son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The army was unaware that Jonathan had left. ⁴ Now there was a steep cliff on each side of the pass through which Jonathan intended to go to reach the Philistine garrison. One cliff was named Bozez, the other Seneh. ⁵ The cliff to the north was closer to Micmash, the one to the south closer to Geba. ⁶ Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.” ⁷ His armor-bearer said to him, “Do everything that is on your mind. Do as you’re inclined. I’m with you all the way!” ⁸ Jonathan replied, “All right. We’ll go over to these men and fight them. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay right there and not go up to them. 1 ⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the Lord has given them into our hand—it will be a sign to us.” 1 ¹ When they made themselves known to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.” 1 ² Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up behind me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel!” 1 ³ Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, while his armor-bearer came along behind him and killed them. 1 ⁴ In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about 2 ⁰ men in an area that measured half an acre. 1 ⁵ Then fear overwhelmed those who were in the camp, those who were in the field, all the army in the garrison, and the raiding bands. They trembled and the ground shook. This fear was caused by God. 1 ⁶ Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin looked on as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another. 1 ⁷ So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 1 ⁸ So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ephod,” for he was at that time wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. 1 ⁹ While Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistines’ camp was becoming greater and greater. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 2 ⁰ Saul and all the army assembled and marched into battle, where they found the Philistines in total panic killing one another with their swords. 2 ¹ The Hebrews who had earlier gone over to the Philistine side joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 2 ² When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued them in battle. 2 ³ So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle shifted over to Beth Aven. 2 ⁴ Now the men of Israel were hard pressed that day, for Saul had made the army agree to this oath: “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening. I will get my vengeance on my enemies!” So no one in the army ate anything. 2 ⁵ Now the whole army entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. 2 ⁶ When the army entered the forest, they saw the honey flowing, but no one ate any of it, for the army was afraid of the oath. 2 ⁷ But Jonathan had not heard about the oath his father had made the army take. He extended the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he ate it, his eyes gleamed. 2 ⁸ Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under a strict oath saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’ That is why the army is tired.” 2 ⁹ Then Jonathan said, “My father has caused trouble for the land. See how my eyes gleamed when I tasted just a little of this honey. 3 ⁰ Certainly if the army had eaten some of the enemies’ provisions that they came across today, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?” 3 ¹ On that day the army struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, and they became very tired. 3 ² So the army rushed greedily on the plunder, confiscating sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground, and the army ate them, blood and all. 3 ³ Now it was reported to Saul, “Look, the army is sinning against the Lord by eating even the blood.” He said, “All of you have broken the covenant! Roll a large stone over here to me.” 3 ⁴ Then Saul said, “Scatter out among the army and say to them, ‘Each of you bring to me your ox and sheep and slaughter them in this spot and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating the blood.’” So that night each one brought his ox and slaughtered it there. 3 ⁵ Then Saul built an altar for the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar for the Lord. 3 ⁶ Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout them until the break of day. We won’t leave any of them alive!” They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.” But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” 3 ⁷ So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. 3 ⁸ Then Saul said, “All you leaders of the army come here. Find out how this sin occurred today. 3 ⁹ For as surely as the Lord, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!” But no one from the army said anything. 4 ⁰ Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” The army replied to Saul, “Do whatever you think is best.” 4 ¹ Then Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel! If this sin has been committed by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O Lord God of Israel, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed by your people Israel, respond with Thummim.” Then Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated. 4 ² Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan!” Jonathan was indicated by lot. 4 ³ So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I used the end of the staff that was in my hand to taste a little honey. I must die!” 4 ⁴ Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” 4 ⁵ But the army said to Saul, “Should Jonathan, who won this great victory in Israel, die? May it never be! As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground, for it is with the help of God that he has acted today.” So the army rescued Jonathan from death. 4 ⁶ Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back home. 4 ⁷ After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their enemies on all sides—the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. In every direction that he turned, he was victorious. 4 ⁸ He fought bravely, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of its enemies. 4 ⁹ The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. He had two daughters; the older one was named Merab and the younger Michal. 5 ⁰ The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the general in command of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 5 ¹ Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 5 ² There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw anyone who was a warrior or a brave individual, he would conscript him. 1 5 :¹ Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. ² Here is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed Israel along the way when Israel came up from Egypt. ³ So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything they have. Don’t spare them. Put them to death—man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’” ⁴ So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 20 0 ,000 foot soldiers and 1 0 ,000 men of Judah. ⁵ Saul proceeded to the city of Amalek, where he set an ambush in the wadi. ⁶ Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them. After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites. ⁷ Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is next to Egypt. ⁸ He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people with the sword. ⁹ However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised and worthless. 1 ⁰ Then the Lord’s message came to Samuel: 1 ¹ “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 1 ² Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where he is setting up a monument for himself.” Then Samuel left and went down to Gilgal. 1 ³ When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have fulfilled the Lord’s orders.” 1 ⁴ Samuel replied, “If that is the case, then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 1 ⁵ Saul said, “They were brought from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.” 1 ⁶ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul said to him, “Tell me.” 1 ⁷ Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose you as king over Israel. 1 ⁸ The Lord sent you on a campaign saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you have destroyed them.’ 1 ⁹ Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” 2 ⁰ Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the Lord! I went on the campaign the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 2 ¹ But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle—the best of what was to be slaughtered—to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 2 ² Then Samuel said, “Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. 2 ³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Lord’s orders, he has rejected you from being king.” 2 ⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded and your words as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I obeyed their voice. 2 ⁵ Now please forgive my sin. Go back with me so I can worship the Lord.” 2 ⁶ Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the Lord’s orders, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!” 2 ⁷ When Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 2 ⁸ Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 2 ⁹ The Preeminent One of Israel does not go back on his word or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 3 ⁰ Saul again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 3 ¹ So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 3 ² Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling, thinking to himself, “Surely death is bitter!” 3 ³ Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women.” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord. 3 ⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 3 ⁵ Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. 1 6 :¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.” ² Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out to you.” ⁴ Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They said, “Do you come in peace?” ⁵ He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they arrived, Samuel noticed Eliab and said to himself, “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Then Jesse presented Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 1 ⁰ Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 1 ¹ Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.” 1 ² So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 1 ³ So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah. 1 ⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 1 ⁵ Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 1 ⁶ Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre and you will feel better.” 1 ⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.” 1 ⁸ One of his attendants replied, “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior and is articulate and handsome, for the Lord is with him.” 1 ⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep.” 2 ⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. 2 ¹ David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, and he became his armor-bearer. 2 ² Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I am very pleased with him.” 2 ³ So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone. 1 7 :¹ The Philistines gathered their troops for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against the Philistines. ³ The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites on another hill, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was 5 ,000 shekels. ⁶ He had bronze shin guards on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 6 0 ⁰ shekels. His shield bearer was walking before him. ⁸ Goliath stood and called to Israel’s troops, “Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man so he may come down to me! ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.” 1 ⁰ Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight each other!” 1 ¹ When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid. 1 ² Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years. 1 ³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn; Abinadab, the second oldest; and Shammah, the third oldest. 1 ⁴ Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul, 1 ⁵ David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. 1 ⁶ Meanwhile for 4 ⁰ days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position. 1 ⁷ Jesse said to his son David, “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these 1 ⁰ loaves of bread; go quickly to the camp to your brothers. 1 ⁸ Also take these 1 ⁰ portions of cheese to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they received the goods. 1 ⁹ They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.” 2 ⁰ So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 2 ¹ Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 2 ² After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 2 ³ As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it. 2 ⁴ When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid. 2 ⁵ The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.” 2 ⁶ David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?” 2 ⁷ The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.” 2 ⁸ When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the wilderness? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle.” 2 ⁹ David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?” 3 ⁰ Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before. 3 ¹ When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him. 3 ² David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 3 ³ But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him. You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth.” 3 ⁴ David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 3 ⁵ I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 3 ⁶ Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 3 ⁷ David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” 3 ⁸ Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him. 3 ⁹ David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. 4 ⁰ He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine. 4 ¹ The Philistine, with his shield bearer walking in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 4 ² When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy. 4 ³ The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 4 ⁴ The Philistine said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!” 4 ⁵ But David replied to the Philistine, “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied! 4 ⁶ This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God, 4 ⁷ and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.” 4 ⁸ The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine. 4 ⁹ David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground. 5 ⁰ David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand. 5 ¹ David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath’s sword, drew it from its sheath, and after killing him, he cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran away. 5 ² Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry. They chased the Philistines to the valley and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 5 ³ When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they looted their camp. 5 ⁴ David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his tent. 5 ⁵ Now as Saul watched David going out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the general in command of the army, “Whose son is that young man, Abner?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.” 5 ⁶ The king said, “Find out whose son this boy is.” 5 ⁷ So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand. 5 ⁸ Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.” 1 8 :¹ When David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. ² Saul retained David on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. ³ Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear including his sword, his bow, and even his belt. ⁵ On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. ⁶ When the men arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. ⁷ The women who were playing the music sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!” ⁸ This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward. 1 ⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre as usual. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 1 ¹ and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions. 1 ² So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 1 ³ Saul removed David from his presence and made him a commanding officer. David led the army out to battle and back. 1 ⁴ Now David achieved success in all he did, for the Lord was with him. 1 ⁵ When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 1 ⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back. 1 ⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!” 1 ⁸ David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 1 ⁹ When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah. 2 ⁰ Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it pleased him. 2 ¹ Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and so the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.” 2 ² Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.’” 2 ³ So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly esteemed man!” 2 ⁴ When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 2 ⁵ Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except 1 0 ⁰ Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.) 2 ⁶ So his servants told David these things and David agreed to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired 2 ⁷ when David, along with his men, went out and struck down 2 0 ⁰ Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so that he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. 2 ⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 2 ⁹ Saul became even more afraid of him. Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. 3 ⁰ The leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem. 1 9 :¹ Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much. ² So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find a hiding place and stay in seclusion. ³ I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak to my father about you. When I find out what the problem is, I will let you know.” ⁴ So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial for you. ⁵ He risked his life when he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?” ⁶ Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.” ⁷ Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. ⁸ Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly, and they ran away from him. ⁹ Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. 1 ⁰ Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, and the spear drove into the wall. David escaped quickly that night. 1 ¹ Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 1 ² So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped. 1 ³ Then Michal took a household idol and put it on the bed. She put a quilt made of goats’ hair over its head and then covered the idol with a garment. 1 ⁴ When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.” 1 ⁵ Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.” 1 ⁶ When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goats’ hair at its head. 1 ⁷ Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!” Michal replied to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away or else I will kill you!’” 1 ⁸ Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 1 ⁹ It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 2 ⁰ So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 2 ¹ When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. 2 ² Finally Saul himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” They said, “At Naioth in Ramah.” 2 ³ So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 2 ⁴ He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”) 2 0 :¹ David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my offense? How have I sinned before your father, that he is seeking my life?” ² Jonathan said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing large or small without making me aware of it. Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!” ³ Taking an oath, David again said, “Your father is very much aware of the fact that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.’ But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!” ⁴ Jonathan replied to David, “Tell me what I can do for you.” ⁵ David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now. ⁶ If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go to his town Bethlehem, for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’ ⁷ If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’ then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. ⁸ You must be loyal to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the Lord’s name. If I am guilty, you yourself kill me! Why bother taking me to your father?” ⁹ Jonathan said, “Far be it from you to suggest this! If I were at all aware that my father had decided to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?” 1 ⁰ David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” 1 ¹ Jonathan said to David, “Come on. Let’s go out to the field.”When the two of them had gone out into the field, 1 ² Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness! I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know? 1 ³ But if my father intends to do you harm, may the Lord do all this and more to Jonathan if I don’t let you know and send word to you, so you can go safely on your way. May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father. 1 ⁴ While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the Lord, or else I will die. 1 ⁵ Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth 1 ⁶ and called David’s enemies to account.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. 1 ⁷ Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life. 1 ⁸ Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty. 1 ⁹ On the third day you should go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. Stay near the stone Ezel. 2 ⁰ I will shoot three arrows near it, as though I were shooting at a target. 2 ¹ When I send a boy after them, I will say, ‘Go and find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them,’ then come back. For as surely as the Lord lives, you will be safe and there will be no problem. 2 ² But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on the other side of you,’ then get away. For in that case the Lord has sent you away. 2 ³ With regard to the matter that you and I discussed, the Lord is the witness between us forever.” 2 ⁴ So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal. 2 ⁵ The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him and Abner at his side. But David’s place was vacant. 2 ⁶ However, Saul said nothing about it that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.” 2 ⁷ But the next morning, the second day of the new moon, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today?” 2 ⁸ Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem. 2 ⁹ He said, ‘Permit me to go, for we are having a family sacrifice in the town, and my brother urged me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go to see my brothers.’ For that reason he has not come to the king’s table.” 3 ⁰ Saul became angry with Jonathan and said to him, “You stupid traitor! Don’t I realize that to your own disgrace and to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness you have chosen this son of Jesse? 3 ¹ For as long as this son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. Now, send some men and bring him to me. For he is as good as dead!” 3 ² Jonathan responded to his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 3 ³ Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced that his father had decided to kill David. 3 ⁴ Jonathan got up from the table enraged. He did not eat any food on that second day of the new moon, for he was upset that his father had humiliated David. 3 ⁵ The next morning Jonathan, along with a young servant, went out to the field to meet David. 3 ⁶ He said to his servant, “Run, find the arrows that I am about to shoot.” As the servant ran, Jonathan shot the arrow beyond him. 3 ⁷ When the servant came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called out to the servant, “Isn’t the arrow farther beyond you?” 3 ⁸ Jonathan called out to the servant, “Hurry! Go faster! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s servant retrieved the arrow and came back to his master. 3 ⁹ (Now the servant did not understand any of this. Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.) 4 ⁰ Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go, take these things back to the town.” 4 ¹ When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound, knelt with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and they both wept, especially David. 4 ² Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”(21:1 ) Then David got up and left, while Jonathan went back to the town of Naioth. 2 1 :1 (21:2 ) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?” ² David replied to Ahimelech the priest, “The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, ‘Don’t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.’ I have told my soldiers to wait at a certain place. ³ Now what do you have at your disposal? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” ⁴ The priest replied to David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers have abstained from relations with women.” ⁵ David said to the priest, “Certainly women have been kept away from us, just as on previous occasions when I have set out. The soldiers’ equipment is holy, even on an ordinary journey. How much more so will they be holy today, along with their equipment!” ⁶ So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the Bread of the Presence. It had been removed from before the Lord in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away. ⁷ (One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.) ⁸ David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don’t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king’s instructions.” ⁹ The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that one, there’s no sword here.” David said, “There’s nothing like it. Give it to me.” 1 ⁰ So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath. 1 ¹ The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying, “‘Saul struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands’?” 1 ² David thought about what they said and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath. 1 ³ He altered his behavior in their presence. Since he was in their power, he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard. 1 ⁴ Achish said to his servants, “Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me? 1 ⁵ Do I have a shortage of fools so that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?” 2 2 :¹ So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family learned about it, they went down there to him. ² All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. He had about 4 0 ⁰ men with him. ³ Then David went from there to Mizpah in Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” ⁴ So he had them stay with the king of Moab; they stayed with him the whole time that David was in the stronghold. ⁵ Then Gad the prophet said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. ⁶ But Saul found out the whereabouts of David and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at an elevated location with his spear in hand and all his servants stationed around him. ⁷ Saul said to his servants, “Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse’s son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you commanders and officers? ⁸ For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me when my own son makes an agreement with the son of Jesse. Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!” ⁹ But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with the servants of Saul, replied, “I saw this son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 1 ⁰ He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 1 ¹ Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king. 1 ² Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 1 ³ Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!” 1 ⁴ Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house. 1 ⁵ Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse his servant or any of my father’s house, for your servant is not aware of all this—not in whole or in part!” 1 ⁶ But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” 1 ⁷ Then the king said to the messengers who were stationed beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm the priests of the Lord. 1 ⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day 8 ⁵ men who wore the linen ephod. 1 ⁹ As for Nob, the city of the priests, Doeg struck down men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep—all with the sword. 2 ⁰ But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped and fled to David. His name was Abiathar. 2 ¹ Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 2 ² Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I am guilty of all the deaths in your father’s house. 2 ³ Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. Whoever seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me.”