nkjv 1Samuel:11-16 SEEK
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Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead ;
and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash , "
Make a covenant with us ,
and we will serve you ."
*
And Nahash the Ammonite answered them , "
On this condition I will make a covenant with you ,
that I may put out all your right eyes ,
and bring reproach on all Israel ."
*
Then the elders of Jabesh said to him , "
Hold off for seven days ,
that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel .
And then ,
if there is no one to save us ,
we will come out to you ."
*
So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people .
And all the people lifted up their voices and wept .
*
Now there was Saul ,
coming behind the herd from the field ;
and Saul said , "
What troubles the people ,
that they weep ?"
And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh .
*
Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news ,
and his anger was greatly aroused .
*
So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces ,
and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers ,
saying , "
Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle ,
so it shall be done to his oxen ."
And the fear of the LORD fell on the people ,
and they came out with one consent .
*
When he numbered them in Bezek ,
the children of Israel were three hundred thousand ,
and the men of Judah thirty thousand .
*
And they said to the messengers who came , "
Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead : "
Tomorrow ,
by the time the sun is hot ,
you shall have help ."'
Then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh ,
and they were glad .
*
Therefore the men of Jabesh said , "
Tomorrow we will come out to you ,
and you may do with us whatever seems good to you ."
*
So it was ,
on the next day ,
that Saul put the people in three companies ;
and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch ,
and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day .
And it happened that those who survived were scattered ,
so that no two of them were left together .
*
Then the people said to Samuel , "
Who is he who said , "
Shall Saul reign over us ?'
Bring the men ,
that we may put them to death ."
*
But Saul said , "
Not a man shall be put to death this day ,
for today the LORD has accomplished salvation in Israel ."
*
Then Samuel said to the people , "
Come ,
let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there ."
*
So all the people went to Gilgal ,
and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal .
There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD ,
and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly .
*
Now Samuel said to all Israel : "
Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me ,
and have made a king over you .
*
And now here is the king ,
walking before you ;
and I am old and grayheaded ,
and look ,
my sons are with you .
I have walked before you from my childhood to this day .
*
Here I am .
Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed :
Whose ox have I taken ,
or whose donkey have I taken ,
or whom have I cheated ?
Whom have I oppressed ,
or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes ?
I will restore it to you ."
*
And they said , "
You have not cheated us or oppressed us ,
nor have you taken anything from any man '
s hand ."
*
Then he said to them , "
The LORD is witness against you ,
and His anointed is witness this day ,
that you have not found anything in my hand ."
And they answered , "
He is witness ."
*
Then Samuel said to the people , "
It is the LORD who raised up Moses and Aaron ,
and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt .
*
Now therefore ,
stand still ,
that I may reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did to you and your fathers :
*
When Jacob had gone into Egypt ,
and your fathers cried out to the LORD ,
then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron ,
who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place .
*
And when they forgot the LORD their God ,
He sold them into the hand of Sisera ,
commander of the army of Hazor ,
into the hand of the Philistines ,
and into the hand of the king of Moab ;
and they fought against them .
*
Then they cried out to the LORD ,
and said , "
We have sinned ,
because we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths ;
but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies ,
and we will serve You .'
*
And the LORD sent Jerubbaal ,
Bedan ,
Jephthah ,
and Samuel ,
and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side ;
and you dwelt in safety .
*
And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you ,
you said to me , "
No ,
but a king shall reign over us ,'
when the LORD your God was your king .
* "
Now therefore ,
here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired .
And take note ,
the LORD has set a king over you .
*
If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice ,
and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD ,
then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God .
*
However ,
if you do not obey the voice of the LORD ,
but rebel against the commandment of the LORD ,
then the hand of the LORD will be against you ,
as it was against your fathers .
* "
Now therefore ,
stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes :
*
Is today not the wheat harvest ?
I will call to the LORD ,
and He will send thunder and rain ,
that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great ,
which you have done in the sight of the LORD ,
in asking a king for yourselves ."
*
So Samuel called to the LORD ,
and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day ;
and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel .
*
And all the people said to Samuel , "
Pray for your servants to the LORD your God ,
that we may not die ;
for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves ."
*
Then Samuel said to the people , "
Do not fear .
You have done all this wickedness ;
yet do not turn aside from following the LORD ,
but serve the LORD with all your heart .
*
And do not turn aside ;
for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver ,
for they are nothing .
*
For the LORD will not forsake His people ,
for His great name '
s sake ,
because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people .
*
Moreover ,
as for me ,
far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you ;
but I will teach you the good and the right way .
*
Only fear the LORD ,
and serve Him in truth with all your heart ;
for consider what great things He has done for you .
*
But if you still do wickedly ,
you shall be swept away ,
both you and your king ."
*
Saul reigned one year ;
and when he had reigned two years over Israel ,
*
Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel .
Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel ,
and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin .
The rest of the people he sent away ,
every man to his tent .
*
And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba ,
and the Philistines heard of it .
Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land ,
saying , "
Let the Hebrews hear !"
*
Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines ,
and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines .
And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal .
*
Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel ,
thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen ,
and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude .
And they came up and encamped in Michmash ,
to the east of Beth Aven .
*
When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (
for the people were distressed ),
then the people hid in caves ,
in thickets ,
in rocks ,
in holes ,
and in pits .
*
And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead .
As for Saul ,
he was still in Gilgal ,
and all the people followed him trembling .
*
Then he waited seven days ,
according to the time set by Samuel .
But Samuel did not come to Gilgal ;
and the people were scattered from him .
*
So Saul said , "
Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me ."
And he offered the burnt offering .
*
Now it happened ,
as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering ,
that Samuel came ;
and Saul went out to meet him ,
that he might greet him .
*
And Samuel said , "
What have you done ?"
Saul said , "
When I saw that the people were scattered from me ,
and that you did not come within the days appointed ,
and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash ,
*
then I said , "
The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal ,
and I have not made supplication to the LORD .'
Therefore I felt compelled ,
and offered a burnt offering ."
*
And Samuel said to Saul , "
You have done foolishly .
You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God ,
which He commanded you .
For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever .
*
But now your kingdom shall not continue .
The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart ,
and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people ,
because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you ."
*
Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin .
And Saul numbered the people present with him ,
about six hundred men .
*
Saul ,
Jonathan his son ,
and the people present with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin .
But the Philistines encamped in Michmash .
*
Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies .
One company turned onto the road to Ophrah ,
to the land of Shual ,
*
another company turned to the road to Beth Horon ,
and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness .
*
Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel ,
for the Philistines said , "
Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears ."
*
But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man '
s plowshare ,
his mattock ,
his ax ,
and his sickle ;
*
and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares ,
the mattocks ,
the forks ,
and the axes ,
and to set the points of the goads .
*
So it came about ,
on the day of battle ,
that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan .
But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son .
*
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash .
*
Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor , "
Come ,
let us go over to the Philistines '
garrison that is on the other side ."
But he did not tell his father .
*
And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron .
The people who were with him were about six hundred men .
*
Ahijah the son of Ahitub ,
Ichabod '
s brother ,
the son of Phinehas ,
the son of Eli ,
the LORD '
s priest in Shiloh ,
was wearing an ephod .
But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone .
*
Between the passes ,
by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines '
garrison ,
there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side .
And the name of one was Bozez ,
and the name of the other Seneh .
*
The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash ,
and the other southward opposite Gibeah .
*
Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor , "
Come ,
let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ;
it may be that the LORD will work for us .
For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few ."
*
So his armorbearer said to him , "
Do all that is in your heart .
Go then ;
here I am with you ,
according to your heart ."
*
Then Jonathan said , "
Very well ,
let us cross over to these men ,
and we will show ourselves to them .
*
If they say thus to us , "
Wait until we come to you ,'
then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them .
*
But if they say thus , "
Come up to us ,'
then we will go up .
For the LORD has delivered them into our hand ,
and this will be a sign to us ."
*
So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines .
And the Philistines said , "
Look ,
the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden ."
*
Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer ,
and said , "
Come up to us ,
and we will show you something ."
Jonathan said to his armorbearer , "
Come up after me ,
for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel ."
*
And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him ;
and they fell before Jonathan .
And as he came after him ,
his armorbearer killed them .
*
That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land .
*
And there was trembling in the camp ,
in the field ,
and among all the people .
The garrison and the raiders also trembled ;
and the earth quaked ,
so that it was a very great trembling .
*
Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked ,
and there was the multitude ,
melting away ;
and they went here and there .
*
Then Saul said to the people who were with him , "
Now call the roll and see who has gone from us ."
And when they had called the roll ,
surprisingly ,
Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there .
*
And Saul said to Ahijah , "
Bring the ark of God here " (
for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel ).
*
Now it happened ,
while Saul talked to the priest ,
that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase ;
so Saul said to the priest , "
Withdraw your hand ."
*
Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled ,
and they went to the battle ;
and indeed every man '
s sword was against his neighbor ,
and there was very great confusion .
*
Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time ,
who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country ,
they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan .
*
Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim ,
when they heard that the Philistines fled ,
they also followed hard after them in the battle .
*
So the LORD saved Israel that day ,
and the battle shifted to Beth Aven .
*
And the men of Israel were distressed that day ,
for Saul had placed the people under oath ,
saying , "
Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening ,
before I have taken vengeance on my enemies ."
So none of the people tasted food .
*
Now all the people of the land came to a forest ;
and there was honey on the ground .
*
And when the people had come into the woods ,
there was the honey ,
dripping ;
but no one put his hand to his mouth ,
for the people feared the oath .
*
But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath ;
therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb ,
and put his hand to his mouth ;
and his countenance brightened .
*
Then one of the people said , "
Your father strictly charged the people with an oath ,
saying , "
Cursed is the man who eats food this day ."'
And the people were faint .
*
But Jonathan said , "
My father has troubled the land .
Look now ,
how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey .
*
How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found !
For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines ?"
*
Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon .
So the people were very faint .
*
And the people rushed on the spoil ,
and took sheep ,
oxen ,
and calves ,
and slaughtered them on the ground ;
and the people ate them with the blood .
*
Then they told Saul ,
saying , "
Look ,
the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood !"
So he said , "
You have dealt treacherously ;
roll a large stone to me this day ."
*
Then Saul said , "
Disperse yourselves among the people ,
and say to them , "
Bring me here every man '
s ox and every man '
s sheep ,
slaughter them here ,
and eat ;
and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood ."'
So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night ,
and slaughtered it there .
*
Then Saul built an altar to the LORD .
This was the first altar that he built to the LORD .
*
Now Saul said , "
Let us go down after the Philistines by night ,
and plunder them until the morning light ;
and let us not leave a man of them ."
And they said , "
Do whatever seems good to you ."
Then the priest said , "
Let us draw near to God here ."
*
So Saul asked counsel of God , "
Shall I go down after the Philistines ?
Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel ?"
But He did not answer him that day .
*
And Saul said , "
Come over here ,
all you chiefs of the people ,
and know and see what this sin was today .
*
For as the LORD lives ,
who saves Israel ,
though it be in Jonathan my son ,
he shall surely die ."
But not a man among all the people answered him .
*
Then he said to all Israel , "
You be on one side ,
and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side ."
And the people said to Saul , "
Do what seems good to you ."
*
Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel , "
Give a perfect lot ."
So Saul and Jonathan were taken ,
but the people escaped .
*
And Saul said , "
Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me ."
So Jonathan was taken .
*
Then Saul said to Jonathan , "
Tell me what you have done ."
And Jonathan told him ,
and said , "
I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand .
So now I must die !"
*
Saul answered , "
God do so and more also ;
for you shall surely die ,
Jonathan ."
*
But the people said to Saul , "
Shall Jonathan die ,
who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel ?
Certainly not !
As the LORD lives ,
not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground ,
for he has worked with God this day ."
So the people rescued Jonathan ,
and he did not die .
*
Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines ,
and the Philistines went to their own place .
*
So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel ,
and fought against all his enemies on every side ,
against Moab ,
against the people of Ammon ,
against Edom ,
against the kings of Zobah ,
and against the Philistines .
Wherever he turned ,
he harassed them .
*
And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites ,
and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them .
*
The sons of Saul were Jonathan ,
Jishui ,
and Malchishua .
And the names of his two daughters were these :
the name of the firstborn Merab ,
and the name of the younger Michal .
*
The name of Saul '
s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz .
And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner ,
Saul '
s uncle .
*
Kish was the father of Saul ,
and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel .
*
Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul .
And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man ,
he took him for himself .
*
Samuel also said to Saul , "
The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people ,
over Israel .
Now therefore ,
heed the voice of the words of the LORD .
*
Thus says the LORD of hosts : "
I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel ,
how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt .
*
Now go and attack Amalek ,
and utterly destroy all that they have ,
and do not spare them .
But kill both man and woman ,
infant and nursing child ,
ox and sheep ,
camel and donkey ."'
*
So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim ,
two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah .
*
And Saul came to a city of Amalek ,
and lay in wait in the valley .
*
Then Saul said to the Kenites , "
Go ,
depart ,
get down from among the Amalekites ,
lest I destroy you with them .
For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt ."
So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites .
*
And Saul attacked the Amalekites ,
from Havilah all the way to Shur ,
which is east of Egypt .
*
He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive ,
and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword .
*
But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep ,
the oxen ,
the fatlings ,
the lambs ,
and all that was good ,
and were unwilling to utterly destroy them .
But everything despised and worthless ,
that they utterly destroyed .
*
Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel ,
saying ,
* "
I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king ,
for he has turned back from following Me ,
and has not performed My commandments ."
And it grieved Samuel ,
and he cried out to the LORD all night .
*
So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul ,
it was told Samuel ,
saying , "
Saul went to Carmel ,
and indeed ,
he set up a monument for himself ;
and he has gone on around ,
passed by ,
and gone down to Gilgal ."
*
Then Samuel went to Saul ,
and Saul said to him , "
Blessed are you of the LORD !
I have performed the commandment of the LORD ."
*
But Samuel said , "
What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears ,
and the lowing of the oxen which I hear ?"
*
And Saul said , "
They have brought them from the Amalekites ;
for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen ,
to sacrifice to the LORD your God ;
and the rest we have utterly destroyed ."
*
Then Samuel said to Saul , "
Be quiet !
And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night ."
And he said to him , "
Speak on ."
*
So Samuel said , "
When you were little in your own eyes ,
were you not head of the tribes of Israel ?
And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel ?
*
Now the LORD sent you on a mission ,
and said , "
Go ,
and utterly destroy the sinners ,
the Amalekites ,
and fight against them until they are consumed .'
*
Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD ?
Why did you swoop down on the spoil ,
and do evil in the sight of the LORD ?"
*
And Saul said to Samuel , "
But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD ,
and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me ,
and brought back Agag king of Amalek ;
I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites .
*
But the people took of the plunder ,
sheep and oxen ,
the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed ,
to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal ."
*
So Samuel said : "
Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices ,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
Behold ,
to obey is better than sacrifice ,
And to heed than the fat of rams .
*
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft ,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry .
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD ,
He also has rejected you from being king ."
*
Then Saul said to Samuel , "
I have sinned ,
for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words ,
because I feared the people and obeyed their voice .
*
Now therefore ,
please pardon my sin ,
and return with me ,
that I may worship the LORD ."
*
But Samuel said to Saul , "
I will not return with you ,
for you have rejected the word of the LORD ,
and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel ."
*
And as Samuel turned around to go away ,
Saul seized the edge of his robe ,
and it tore .
*
So Samuel said to him , "
The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today ,
and has given it to a neighbor of yours ,
who is better than you .
*
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent .
For He is not a man ,
that He should relent ."
*
Then he said , "
I have sinned ;
yet honor me now ,
please ,
before the elders of my people and before Israel ,
and return with me ,
that I may worship the LORD your God ."
*
So Samuel turned back after Saul ,
and Saul worshiped the LORD .
*
Then Samuel said , "
Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me ."
So Agag came to him cautiously .
And Agag said , "
Surely the bitterness of death is past ."
*
But Samuel said , "
As your sword has made women childless ,
so shall your mother be childless among women ."
And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal .
*
Then Samuel went to Ramah ,
and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul .
*
And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death .
Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul ,
and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel .
*
Now the LORD said to Samuel , "
How long will you mourn for Saul ,
seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel ?
Fill your horn with oil ,
and go ;
I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite .
For I have provided Myself a king among his sons ."
*
And Samuel said , "
How can I go ?
If Saul hears it ,
he will kill me ."
But the LORD said , "
Take a heifer with you ,
and say , "
I have come to sacrifice to the LORD .'
*
Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice ,
and I will show you what you shall do ;
you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you ."
*
So Samuel did what the LORD said ,
and went to Bethlehem .
And the elders of the town trembled at his coming ,
and said , "
Do you come peaceably ?"
*
And he said , "
Peaceably ;
I have come to sacrifice to the LORD .
Sanctify yourselves ,
and come with me to the sacrifice ."
Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons ,
and invited them to the sacrifice .
*
So it was ,
when they came ,
that he looked at Eliab and said , "
Surely the LORD '
s anointed is before Him !"
*
But the LORD said to Samuel , "
Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature ,
because I have refused him .
For the LORD does not see as man sees ;
for man looks at the outward appearance ,
but the LORD looks at the heart ."
*
So Jesse called Abinadab ,
and made him pass before Samuel .
And he said , "
Neither has the LORD chosen this one ."
*
Then Jesse made Shammah pass by .
And he said , "
Neither has the LORD chosen this one ."
*
Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel .
And Samuel said to Jesse , "
The LORD has not chosen these ."
*
And Samuel said to Jesse , "
Are all the young men here ?"
Then he said , "
There remains yet the youngest ,
and there he is ,
keeping the sheep ."
And Samuel said to Jesse , "
Send and bring him .
For we will not sit down till he comes here ."
*
So he sent and brought him in .
Now he was ruddy ,
with bright eyes ,
and good-looking .
And the LORD said , "
Arise ,
anoint him ;
for this is the one !"
*
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers ;
and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward .
So Samuel arose and went to Ramah .
*
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul ,
and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him .
*
And Saul '
s servants said to him , "
Surely ,
a distressing spirit from God is troubling you .
*
Let our master now command your servants ,
who are before you ,
to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp .
And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you ,
and you shall be well ."
*
So Saul said to his servants , "
Provide me now a man who can play well ,
and bring him to me ."
*
Then one of the servants answered and said , "
Look ,
I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite ,
who is skillful in playing ,
a mighty man of valor ,
a man of war ,
prudent in speech ,
and a handsome person ;
and the LORD is with him ."
*
Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse ,
and said , "
Send me your son David ,
who is with the sheep ."
*
And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread ,
a skin of wine ,
and a young goat ,
and sent them by his son David to Saul .
*
So David came to Saul and stood before him .
And he loved him greatly ,
and he became his armorbearer .
*
Then Saul sent to Jesse ,
saying , "
Please let David stand before me ,
for he has found favor in my sight ."
*
And so it was ,
whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul ,
that David would take a harp and play it with his hand .
Then Saul would become refreshed and well ,
and the distressing spirit would depart from him .
*
Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle ,
and were gathered at Sochoh ,
which belongs to Judah ;
they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah ,
in Ephes Dammim .