'me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew 'him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and 'this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, 'seeing he hath defied the armies of the living GOD.' David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, HE ' will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said unto David, 'Go, and the LORD be with thee.'

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, 'I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.' And David put them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, 'Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?' 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 air, and to the beasts of the field.' Then said David to the Philistine, 'Thou comest to me ' with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but 'I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the GOD ' of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day "will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will

'smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day 'unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the 'earth; that all the earth may know that there is a GOD 'in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is 'the LORD'S, and HE will give you into our hands.'

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was

upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

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And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered one another

as they played, and said

'Saul hath slain his thousands,

'And David his ten thousands.'

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, 'They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: ' and what can he have more but the kingdom?' And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from GOD came upon Saul: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, 'I will smite David even to the wall with it.' And David avoided out of his presence twice.

And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that

he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David and Jonathan told David, saying, 'Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morn'ing, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: and I 'will go out and stand beside my father in the field where 'thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; " and what I see, that I will tell thee.' And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, 'Let not the king sin against his servant, against 'David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good for ' he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, ' and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: 'thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt ' thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?' And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, 'As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.' And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

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And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and

he smote the javelin into the wall and David fled, and escaped that night.

And David came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. And it was told Saul, saying, 'Behold, • David is at Naioth in Ramah.' And Saul sent messengers to take David.

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan,' What have I done? what is mine 'iniquity and what is my sin before thy father, that he 'seeketh my life?' And he said unto him, 'God forbid ; 'thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing ' either great or small, but that he will show it me and 'why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not 'so.' And David sware moreover, and said, 'Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, "Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be 'grieved:" but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul. liveth, there is but a step between me and death.' Then said Jonathan unto David, 'Whatsoever thy soul desireth, 'I will even do it for thee.'

And David said unto Jonathan, 'Behold, to-morrow is 'the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king 'at meat but let me go, that I may hide myself in the 'field unto the third day at even. If thy father at all miss 6 me, then say, 66 David earnestly asked leave of me that 'he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for there is a yearly 'sacrifice there for all the family." If he say thus, "It is well;" thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very 'wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. 'Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for 'thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the