Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.

Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose hearts God had touched.

David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him.

When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.

So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

When the army entered the forest, they saw the honey flowing, but no one ate any of it, for the army was afraid of the oath.

The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer was walking before him.

Then the cows went directly on the road to Beth Shemesh. They went along, mooing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left. The leaders of the Philistines were walking along behind them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh.

Now Ahijah was carrying an ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod and a son of Phineas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The army was unaware that Jonathan had left.