Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty and he will serve my chosen one for all time.

On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish!

So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon.

(For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple step on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.)

So the men did as instructed. They took two cows that had calves and harnessed them to a cart; they also removed their calves to their stalls.

It was quite a long time – some twenty years in all – that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people of Israel longed for the Lord.

Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.

As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”

Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre.

Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth

Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?”

So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family learned about it, they went down there to him.

Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house!

So now swear to me in the Lord’s name that you will not kill my descendants after me or destroy my name from the house of my father.”

David promised Saul this on oath. Then Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David left and went down to the desert of Paran.

Now be aware of this, and see what you can do. For disaster has been planned for our lord and his entire household. He is such a wicked person that no one tells him anything!”

Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her, “Go back to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you and responded favorably.”

David settled with Achish in Gath, along with his men and their families. David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow.