He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot.

In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.”

They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place.

Now take your positions, so I may confront you before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors.

I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering.”

Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, while his armor bearer came along behind him and killed them.

Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord.

Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.”

Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.”

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.

So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand.

Saul became even more afraid of him. Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on.

Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly and they ran away from him.

Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. David escaped quickly that night.

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

(One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.)

So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath.

David thought about what they said and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath.

So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.