Mar 5 - 1 Samuel 28-31
1 Samuel
1Now it happened that, in those days, the Philistines gathered together their troops, so that they might be prepared for war against Israel. And Achish said to David, "I know now, certainly, that you will go out with me to war, you and your men.2And David said to Achish, "You know now what your servant will do." And Achish said to David, "And so, I will appoint you to guard my head for all days.3Now Samuel was dead, and all of Israel mourned for him, and they buried him in Ramah, his city. And Saul took away the magi and soothsayers from the land4And the Philistines gathered together, and they arrived and made camp at Shunem. Then Saul also gathered all of Israel, and he arrived at Gilboa5And Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, and he was afraid, and his heart was exceedingly terrified6And he consulted the Lord. But he did not respond to him, neither by dreams, nor by priests, nor by prophets7And Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a woman having a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and consult through her." And his servants said to him, "There is a woman having a divining spirit at Endor.8Therefore, he changed his usual appearance, and he put on other clothes. And he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. And he said to her, "Divine for me, by your divining spirit, and raise up for me whomever I will tell you.9And the woman said to him: "Behold, you know how much Saul has done, and how he has wiped away the magi and soothsayers from the land. Why then do you set a trap for my life, so that it will be put to death?10And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, "As the Lord lives, nothing evil will befall you because of this matter.11And the woman said to him, "Whom shall I raise up for you?" And he said, "Raise up for me Samuel.12And when the woman had seen Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and she said to Saul: "Why have you afflicted me? For you are Saul!13And the king said to her: "Do not be afraid. What have you seen?" And the woman said to Saul, "I saw gods ascending from the earth.14And he said to her, "What appearance does he have?" And she said, "An old man ascends, and he is clothed in a cloak." And Saul understood that it was Samuel. And he bowed himself upon his face on the ground, and he reverenced15Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disquieted me, so that I would be raised up?" And Saul said: "I am greatly distressed. For the Philistines fight against me, and God has withdrawn from me, and he is not willing to heed me, neither by the hand of prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore, I have summoned you, so that you would reveal to me what I should do.16And Samuel said, "Why do you question me, though the Lord has withdrawn from you, and has crossed over to your rival17For the Lord will do to you just as he spoke by my hand. And he will tear your kingdom from your hand. And he will give it to your neighbor David18For you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and you did not carry out the wrath of his fury upon Amalek. For this reason, the Lord has done to you what you are enduring this day19And the Lord also will give Israel into the hands of the Philistines, along with you. Then tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. But the Lord will also deliver the camp of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.20And immediately, Saul fell stretched out on the ground. For he was terrified by the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him. For he had not eaten bread all that day21And so, the woman entered to Saul, (for he was very troubled) and she said to him: "Behold, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have placed my life in my hand. And I have heeded the words which you spoke to me22And so now, I ask you to heed the voice of your handmaid, and let me place before you a morsel of bread, so that, by eating, you may recover strength, and you may be able to undertake the journey.23But he refused, and he said, "I will not eat." But his servants and the woman urged him, and after some time, heeding their voice, he rose up from the ground, and he sat upon the bed24Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hurried and killed it. And taking meal, she kneaded it, and she baked unleavened bread25And she set it before Saul and before his servants. And when they had eaten, they rose up, and they walked all through that night
1Then all the troops of the Philistines were gathered together at Aphek. But Israel also made camp, above the spring which is in Jezreel2And indeed, the princes of the Philistines advanced by hundreds and by thousands; but David and his men were in the rear with Achish3And the leaders of the Philistines said to Achish, "What do these Hebrews intend to do?" And Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines: "Could you be ignorant about David, who was the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, and who has been with me for many days, even years, and I have not found within him anything, from the day that he fled to me, even to this day?4Then the leaders of the Philistines became angry against him, and they said to him: "Let this man return, and let him settle in his place, which you appointed for him. But let him not descend with us to battle, lest he become an adversary to us when we begin to fight. For in what other way will he be able to please his lord, except with our heads5Is not this the David, about whom they were singing, while dancing, saying: ‘Saul struck down his thousands, but David his ten thousands?’ 6Therefore, Achish called David, and he said to him: "As the Lord lives, you are good and righteous in my sight, even in your departure and your return with me in the military camp. And I have not found anything evil in you, from the day that you came to me, even to this day. But you are not pleasing to the princes7Therefore, return, and go in peace, so that you do not offend the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.8And David said to Achish, "But what have I done, or what have you found in me, your servant, from the day that I was in your sight to this day, so that I may not go out and fight against the enemies of my lord, the king?9And in response, Achish said to David: "I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of God. But the leaders of the Philistines have said: ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.10And so, rise up in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who came with you. And when you have risen up in the night, as it begins to be light, go forth.11And so David rose up in the night, he and his men, so that they might set out in the morning. And they returned to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines ascended to Jezreel
1And when David and his men had arrived at Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made an attack on the south side against Ziklag. And they had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire2And they had led the women in it away as captives, from the small to the great. And they had not killed anyone, but they led them away with them. And then they traveled on their journey3Therefore, when David and his men had arrived at the city, and had found it burned with fire, and that their wives and their sons and daughters had been led away as captives4David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices. And they mourned until the tears in them failed5For indeed, the two wives of David also had been led away as captives: Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel6And David was greatly saddened. And the people were willing to stone him, because the soul of every man was bitter over his sons and daughters. But David was strengthened by the Lord his God7And he said to the priest Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring the ephod to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David8And David consulted the Lord, saying, "Shall I pursue these robbers, and will I overtake them, or not?" And the Lord said to him: "Pursue. For without doubt, you will overtake them and find the prey.9Therefore, David went away, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they arrived as far as the torrent Besor. And certain ones, being weary, stayed there10But David pursued, he and four hundred men. For two hundred stayed, who, being weary, were not able to cross the torrent Besor11And they found an Egyptian man in the field, and they led him to David. And they gave him bread, so that he might eat, and water, so that he might drink12and also a section of a mass of dried figs, and two clusters of dried grapes. And when he had eaten, his spirit returned, and he was refreshed. For he had not eaten bread, nor drank water, for three days and three nights13And so David said to him: "To whom do you belong? Or where are you from? And where are you going?" And he said: "I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalekite man. But my lord abandoned me, because I began to be sick the day before yesterday14For indeed, we broke forth to the southern side of Cherethi, and against Judah, and to the south of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.15And David said to him, "Are you able to lead me to this battle line?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me, and that you will not deliver me into the hands of my lord, and I will lead you to this battle line." And David swore to him16And when he had led him, behold, they were stretched out on the face of the land everywhere, eating and drinking and celebrating, as if it were a feast day, because of all the prey and spoils that they had taken from the land of the Philistines, and from the land of Judah17And David struck them down from evening until the evening of the next day. And no one among them escaped, except four hundred youths, who had climbed on camels and fled18Therefore, David rescued all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives19And nothing was missing, from small even to great, among the sons and daughters, and among the spoils, and among everything whatsoever that they had seized. David returned it all20And he took all the flocks and the herds, and he drove them before his face. And they said, "This is the prey of David.21Then David arrived at the two hundred men, who, being weary, had stayed, for they had not been able to follow David, and he had ordered them to remain at the torrent Besor. And they went out to meet David, and the people who were with him. Then David, drawing near to the people, greeted them peacefully22And all the wicked and iniquitous men, out of the men who had gone with David, responding, said: "Since they did not go with us, we will not give to them anything from the prey that we have rescued. But let his wife and children be enough for each of them; when they have accepted this, they may go back.23But David said: "You shall not do this, my brothers, with these things that the Lord has delivered to us, for he has preserved us, and he has given into our hands the robbers who broke out among us24And so, let no one heed you over these words. But equal shall be the portion of him who descended to the battle, and of him who remained with the supplies, and they will divide it alike.25And this has been done from that day and thereafter. And it was established as a statute, and as if a law, in Israel even to this day26Then David went to Ziklag, and he sent gifts from the prey to the elders of Judah, his neighbors, saying, "Receive a blessing from the prey of the enemies of the Lord,27to those who were in Bethel, and who were in Ramoth toward the south, and who were in Jattir28and who were in Aroer, and who were in Siphmoth, and who were in Eshtemoa29and who were in Racal, and who were in the cities of Jerahmeel, and who were in the cities of Keni30and who were in Hormah, and who were at the lake of Ashan, and who were in Athach31and who were in Hebron, and to the remainder who were in those places where David had stayed, he and his men
1Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. And the men of Israel fled before the face of the Philistines, and they fell down slain on mount Gilboa2And the Philistines rushed upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they struck down Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul3And the entire weight of the battle was turned against Saul. And the men who were archers pursued him. And he was severely wounded by the archers4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and strike me, otherwise these uncircumcised may come and kill me, mocking me." And his armor bearer was not willing. For he had been struck with an exceedingly great fear. And so, Saul took his own sword, and he fell upon it5And when his armor bearer had seen this, namely, that Saul had died, he too fell upon his sword, and he died with him6Therefore, Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, on the same day together7Then, seeing that the men of the Israelites had fled, and that Saul had died with his sons, the men of Israel who were across the valley or beyond the Jordan abandoned their cities, and they fled. And the Philistines went and lived there8Then, when the next day arrived, the Philistines came, so that they might despoil the slain. And they found Saul and his three sons lying on mount Gilboa9And they cut off the head of Saul. And they despoiled him of the armor, and they sent it into the land of the Philistines all around, so that it might be announced in the temples of the idols and among their people10And they placed his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth. But his body they suspended on the wall of Bethshan11And when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead had heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul12all the most valiant men rose up, and they walked all night, and they took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan. And they went to Jabesh Gilead, and they burned them there13And they took their bones, and they buried them in the forest of Jabesh. And they fasted for seven days