went on his way.
[8] David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying,
My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed
himself.
[9] And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh
thy hurt?
[10] Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into
mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put
forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed.
[11] Moreover, my father, see, yea, see
the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not, know thou
and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet
thou huntest my soul to take it.
[12] The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me
of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
[13] As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth
from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
[14] After whom is the king of Israel come out?
after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
[15] The LORD therefore be judge, and
judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
[16] And
it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is
this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
[17] And he said to David, Thou art
more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
[18] And thou
hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered
me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
[19] For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?
wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
[20] And now, behold,
I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine
hand.
[21] Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and
that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
[22] And David sware unto Saul. And Saul
went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.
1Sam.25
[1] And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in
his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
[2] And there was
a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three
thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
[3] Now the name
of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding,
and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house
of Caleb.
[4] And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
[5] And David sent out
ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet
him in my name:
[6] And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and
peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
[7] And now I have heard that thou hast
shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing
unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
[8] Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore
let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever
cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
[9] And when David's young men came,
they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
[10] And Nabal
answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants
now a days that break away every man from his master.
[11] Shall I then take my bread, and my water,
and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they
be?
[12] So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
[13]
And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and
David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred
abode by the stuff.
[14] But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent
messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
[15] But the men were
very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant
with them, when we were in the fields:
[16] They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while
we were with them keeping the sheep.
[17] Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil
is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a
man cannot speak to him.
[18] Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles