1Samuel:15-17

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* And Samuel said unto Saul , Me did the Lord send to anoint thee as king over his people , over Israel ; and now hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord . * Thus hath said the Lord of hosts , I remember what Amalek did to Israel , how he lay in wait for him on the way , when he came up from Egypt . * Now go and smite ‘Amalek , and devote all that they have , and spare them not ; but slay both man and woman , infant and suckling , ox and lamb , camel and ass . * And Saul ordered the people to assemble , and he numbered them in Telaim , two hundred thousand men on foot , and ten thousand of the men of Judah . * And Saul came to the city of ‘Amalek , and he fought in the valley . * And Saul said unto the Kenites , Go , depart , get you down from the midst of the ‘Amalekites , lest I destroy you with them ; whereas ye acted kindly with all the children of Israel , at their coming up out of Egypt . And the Kenites departed from the midst of the ‘Amalekites . * And Saul smote the ‘Amalekites from Chavilah until thou comest to Shur , that is before Egypt . * And he caught Agag the king of the ‘Amalekites alive , and all the people he devoted to the edge of the sword . * But Saul together with the people had pity on Agag , and on the best of the flocks , and of the oxen , and of the fatlings , and the fat lambs , and all that was good , and they would not destroy them ; but all the cattle that was of little value and weak , that they destroyed . * And the word of the Lord came unto Samuel , saying , * I repent that I have set up Saul as king ; for he hath turned back from following me , and my word hath he not performed : and it displeased Samuel , and he cried unto the Lord all the night . * And Samuel rose up early to meet Saul in the morning ; and it was told to Samuel , saying , Saul came to Carmel , and , behold , he set himself up a monument , and then went about , and passed on , and went down to Gilgal . * And Samuel came to Saul ; and Saul said unto him , Blessed be thou unto the Lord , I have performed the word of the Lord . * And Samuel said , What is then this bleating of the flocks in my ears , and the lowing of the oxen which I hear ? * And Saul said , From the ‘Amalekites have they brought them ; because the people had pity on the best of the flocks and of the oxen , in order to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God ; and the rest have we destroyed . * And Samuel said unto Saul , Stay , and I will tell thee what the Lord said to me this night : and he said unto him , Speak . * And Samuel said , Is it not that , however little thou wast in thy own eyes , thou art the head of the tribes of Israel ? and the Lord anointed thee as king over Israel ? * And the Lord sent thee on a journey , and said , Go and destroy the sinners , the ‘Amalekites , and thou shalt fight against them until they be consumed . * Wherefore then didst thou not hearken unto the voice of the Lord , and didst fly upon the spoil , and didst the evil in the eyes of the Lord ? * And Saul said unto Samuel , Yea , I have fully hearkened unto the voice of the Lord ; and I went on the way which the Lord had sent me ; and I have brought Agag the king of ‘Amalek ; and the ‘Amalekites have I destroyed . * And the people took of the spoil , of the flocks and oxen , the chief of the devoted things , to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal . * And Samuel said , Hath the Lord as much delight in burnt –offerings and in sacrifices , as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold , to obey is better than sacrifice , and to attend more than the fat of the rams . * For the sin of witchcraft is rebellion , and idolatry and image –worship , stubbornness ; inasmuch as thou hast despised the word of the Lord , he hath also despised thee that thou shalt not be king . * And Saul said unto Samuel , I have sinned ; for I have transgressed the will of the Lord , and thy words ; because I feared the people , and I hearkened to their voice . * And now , I pray thee , pardon my sin , and return with me , that I may prostrate myself to the Lord . * And Samuel said unto Saul , I will not return with thee ; for thou didst despise the word of the Lord , and the Lord hath despised thee , that thou shalt not be king over Israel . * And Samuel turned about to go : and he laid hold on the corner of his mantle , and it was rent . * And Samuel said unto him , The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from off thee this day , and hath given it to thy associate , who is better than thou . * And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent ; for he is not a man , that he should repent . * And he said , I have sinned ; honor me now , I pray thee , in the presence of the elders of my people , and in the presence of Israel , and return with me , that I may prostrate myself unto the Lord thy God . * So Samuel returned , following Saul ; and Saul prostrated himself to the Lord . * And Samuel said , Bring ye hither unto me Agag the king of the ‘Amalekites : and Agag came unto him cheerfully ; and Agag said , Surely the bitterness of death is past . * And Samuel said , As thy sword did make women childless , so shall thy mother be childless among women ; and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal . * Then Samuel went to Ramah ; and Saul went up to his house at Gib ’ah of Saul . * And Samuel did not see Saul any more until the day of his death ; because Samuel mourned for Saul ; and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel . * And the Lord said unto Samuel , How long wilt thou mourn for Saul , seeing I have rejected him so as not to reign over Israel ? fill thy horn with oil , and go , I will send thee to Jesse the Beth –lechemite ; for I have selected among his sons unto myself a king . * And Samuel said , How shall I go ? if Saul should hear it , he would kill me . And the Lord said , Take a heifer with thee , and say , To sacrifice unto the Lord am I come . * And invite Jesse to the sacrifice , and I will let thee know what thou shalt do ; and thou shalt anoint unto me the one whom I will say unto thee . * And Samuel did that which the Lord had spoken , and came to Beth –lechem . And the elders of the town came hastily to meet him , and said , Peace to thee at thy coming . * And he said , Peace : to sacrifice unto the Lord am I come ; sanctify yourselves , and come with me to the sacrifice . And he sanctified Jesse and his sons , and invited them to the sacrifice . * And it came to pass , when they came , that he saw Eliab , and said , Surely the Lord ’s anointed is before him . * But the Lord said unto Samuel , Regard not his appearance , nor the height of his stature ; because I have rejected him ; for not what man looketh on ; ––for man looketh on the eyes , but the Lord looketh on the heart . * Then Jesse called Abinadab , and caused him to pass before Samuel . And he said , This one also hath the Lord not chosen . * Then Jesse caused Shammah to pass by . And he said , This one also hath the Lord not chosen . * And Jesse caused seven of his sons to pass before Samuel : and Samuel said unto Jesse , The Lord hath not made choice of these . * And Samuel said unto Jesse , Are there not more young men ? And he said , There is yet left behind the youngest , and , behold , he is feeding the flocks . And Samuel said unto Jesse , Send and fetch him ; for we will not sit down till he have come hither . * And he sent , and brought him in . Now he was ruddy , having withal handsome eyes , and being of a goodly appearance . And the Lord said , Arise , anoint him ; for this is he . * Then took Samuel the horn of oil , and anointed him from among his brothers ; and the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly upon David from that day and forward . And Samuel then rose up , and went to Ramah . * And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul , and there troubled him an evil spirit from the Lord . * And Saul ’s servants said unto him , Behold now , an evil spirit from God troubleth thee . * Let our Lord but say , and thy servants , now before thee , will seek out a man , who is skilful as a player on the harp ; and it shall come to pass , when the evil spirit from God is upon thee , that he shall play with his hand , that thou mayest be well . * And Saul said unto his servants , Select for me , I pray you , a man that can play well , and bring him to me . * Then answered one of the servants , and said , Behold , I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth –lechemite , who is skilful as a player , and a mighty valiant man , and a man of war , and intelligent in speech , and a person of a good form , and the Lord is with him . * Thereupon Saul sent messengers unto Jesse , and said , Send me David thy son , who is with the flocks . * And Jesse took an ass laden with bread , and a bottle of wine , and a kid , and sent them through David his son unto Saul . * And David came to Saul , and stood before him ; and he loved him greatly , and he became his armor –bearer . * And Saul sent to Jesse , saying , Let David , I pray thee , stand before me ; for he hath found favor in my eyes . * And it came to pass , when the spirit of God was upon Saul , that David took the harp , and played with his hand ; so Saul became relieved , and he felt well , and the evil spirit departed from him . * And the Philistines gathered together their camps to battle , and they gathered themselves together at Sochoh , which belongeth to Judah ; and they encamped between Sochoh and ‘Azekah , at Ephess –dammim . * And Saul and the men of Israel gathered themselves together , and encamped in the valley of Elah , and put themselves in battle –array opposite to the Philistines . * And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side , and the Israelites stood on a mountain on the other side : and the valley was between them . * And there went out the champion out of the camp of the Philistines , Goliath of Gath was his name , whose height was six cubits and a span . * And he had a helmet of copper upon his head , and he was clothed with a scaly coat of mail ; and the weight of the coat of mail was five thousand shekels of copper . * And he had greaves of copper upon his legs , and a javelin of copper between his shoulders . * And the staff of his spear was like a weaver ’s beam ; and the blade of his spear six hundred shekels of iron : and the shield –bearer was walking before him . * And he stood and calleth unto the arrays of Israel , and said unto them , Why will ye come out to put yourselves in battle –array ? Behold : I am the Philistine , and ye are servants to Saul ! select for yourselves one man , and let him come down to me ; * If he be able to fight with me , and he kill me , then will we be unto you as servants ; but if I prevail against him , and kill him , then shall ye be unto us as servants , and ye shall serve us . * And the Philistine said , I have defied the arrays of Israel this day ; give me a man , and let us fight together . * When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine , they were disheartened , and became greatly afraid . * Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth –lechem –judah , whose name was Jesse ; and he had eight sons : and the man was old in the days of Saul , belonging to the persons . * And the three eldest sons of Jesse were gone following Saul to the battle : and the names of his three sons that were gone to the battle were Eliab the first –born , and the next to him Abinadab , and the third Shammah . * And David was the youngest : and the three eldest followed Saul . * But David kept going and returning from Saul to feed his father ’s flocks at Beth –lechem . * And the Philistine drew near morning and evening , and presented himself forty days . * And Jesse said unto David his son , Take , I pray thee , for thy brothers an ephah of this parched corn , and these ten loaves , and run to the camp to thy brothers ; * And these ten cheeses shalt thou bring unto the captain of the thousand , and inquire of thy brothers how they fare , and take away their pledge . * Now Saul , and they , and all the men of Israel , were in the valley of Elah , fighting with the Philistines . * And David rose up early in the morning , and gave up the flocks to a keeper , and took , and went , as Jesse had commanded him ; and he came to the entrenchment , as the host was going forth in battle –array , and shouted the battle –cry . * And the Israelites and the Philistines put themselves in battle –array , army against army . * And David left the articles which he had on him in the hand of the keeper of the baggage , and ran into the array , and came and asked of his brothers after their welfare . * And as he was speaking with them , behold , there came up the champion , Goliath the Philistine , by name , of Gath , out of the battle –arrays of the Philistines , and spoke in accordance with these same words : and David heard it . * And all the men of Israel , when they saw the man , fled from before him , and were greatly afraid . * And the men of Israel said , Have ye seen this man that is coming forth ? for to defy Israel is he coming forth ; and it shall be , that the man who killeth him ,––him will the king enrich with great riches , and his daughter will he give him , and his father ’s house will he make free in Israel . * And David said to the men that stood by him , thus , What shall be done to the man that may smite yon Philistine , and take away the reproach from Israel ? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that he should defy the arrays of the living God ? * And the people spoke to him after this manner , saying , So shall it be done to the man that may smite him . * And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he was speaking unto the men ; and Eliab ’s anger was kindled against David , and he said , Why didst thou come down hither ? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness ? I know thy presumption , and the wickedness of thy heart ; for in order to see the battle art thou come down . * And David said , What have I now done ? It is nothing but a word . * And he turned from him toward another , and spoke after the same manner : and the people made him again a reply after the former manner . * And the words which David had spoken were heard , and they told them in the presence of Saul , who sent for him . * And David said to Saul , Let no man ’s heart fail because of him : thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine . * And Saul said to David , Thou art not able to go unto this Philistine to fight with him ; for thou art but a lad , and he a man of war from his youth . * And David said unto Saul , Thy servant was feeding his father ’s flocks , and there came a lion , and a bear , and bore off a lamb out of the drove ; * And I went out after him , and smote him , and delivered it out of his mouth : and when he rose up against me , I caught him by his beard , and smote him , and slew him . * Both the lion and the bear did thy servant smite : and this uncircumcised Philistine shall become as one of them ; because he hath defied the arrays of the living God . * Moreover David said , The Lord who hath delivered me out of the power of the lion , and out of the power of the bear , will also surely deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine . And Saul said unto David , Go , and may the Lord be with thee . * And Saul clothed David with his garments , and he put a helmet of copper upon his head ; and he clothed him also with a coat of mail . * And David girded his sword over his garments , and he essayed to go ; for he had not tried it . And David said unto Saul , I cannot walk in these ; for I have never tried it before . And David put them off from him . * And he took his staff in his hand , and chose himself five smooth stones out of the brook , and put them in the shepherd ’s pouch which be had , even in a scrip , with his sling in his hand ; and he approached to the Philistine . * And the Philistine went and drew nearer and nearer unto David ; and the man that bore the shield went before him . * And when the Philistine looked about , and saw David , he disdained him ; for he was but a lad , and ruddy , with a fair appearance . * And the Philistine said unto David , Am I a dog , that thou comest unto me with sticks ? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods . * And the Philistine said to David , Come to me , and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the heavens , and to the beasts of the field . * Then said David to the Philistine , Thou comest unto me with a sword , and with a spear , and with a javelin ; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts , the God of the arrays of Israel , that thou hast defied . * This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand ; and I will smite thee , and remove thy head from thee ; and I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air , and to the wild beasts of the earth ; and all the earth shall know that there is a God for Israel . * And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not through sword and spear ; for the battle is the Lord ’s , and he will give you up into our hand . * And it came to pass , when the Philistine arose , and went and drew nigh to meet David , that David hastened , and ran toward the battle –array to meet the Philistine . * And David put his hand into the pouch , and took thence a stone , and slung it , and he struck the Philistine on his forehead , and the stone sunk into his forehead : and he fell upon his face to the ground . * So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and with the stone , and smote the Philistine , and slew him ; but there was no sword in the hand of David . * And David ran , and stood by the Philistine , and took his sword , and drew it out of its sheath , and slew him , and cut off his head therewith . And when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead , they fled . * And then arose the men of Israel and of Judah , and shouted , and pursued the Philistines , until thou comest to the valley , and to the gates of ‘Ekron . And the slain of the Philistines fell down by the way to Sha ’arayim , even as far as Gath , and up to ‘Ekron . * And the children of Israel returned from hotly pursuing after the Philistines , and they spoiled their camps . * And David took the head of the Philistine , and brought it to Jerusalem ; but his weapons he placed in his tent . * And when Saul saw David going forth against the Philistine , he said unto Abner , the captain of the army , Abner , whose son is this lad ? And Abner said , As thy soul liveth , O king , I know it not . * And the king said , Ask thou whose son this youth is . * And as David returned from smiting the Philistine , Abner took him , and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand . * And Saul said to him , Whose son art thou , young man ? And David answered , The son of thy servant Jesse the Beth –lechemite . * And it came to pass , when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul , that the soul of Jonathan was knit on the soul of David ; and Jonathan loved him as his own soul .

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