<p class="bodytext">As she continued praying to<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, Eli was watching her mouth.

<p class="poetry">He watches over<n id="1" /> his holy ones,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,p> <p class="poetry">for it is not by one&#8217;s own strength that one prevails.p>

After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer,<n id="1" /> he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.

So Jonathan told David, &#8220;My father Saul is trying<n id="1" /> to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find<n id="2" /> a hiding place and stay in seclusion.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the people<n id="1" /> of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the <sc>Lord;sc> they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="bodytext">So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, &#8216;I have invited the people.&#8217;&#8221; So Saul ate with Samuel that day.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed<n id="1" /> the commandment that the <sc>Lordsc> your God gave<n id="2" /> you. Had you done that, the <sc>Lordsc> would have established your kingdom over Israel forever!

But now your kingdom will not continue! The <sc>Lordsc> has sought out<n id="1" /> for himself a man who is loyal to him<n id="2" /> and the <sc>Lordsc> has appointed<n id="3" /> him to be leader over his people, for you have not obeyed what the <sc>Lordsc> commanded you.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it.<n id="1" /> After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp<n id="2" /> as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry.

<p class="bodytext">Saul sent messengers to David&#8217;s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David&#8217;s wife Michal told him, &#8220;If you do not save yourself<n id="1" /> tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The priest replied to David, &#8220;I don&#8217;t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers<n id="1" /> have abstained from sexual relations with women.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Now David had been thinking,<n id="1" /> &#8220;In vain I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the desert. I didn&#8217;t take anything from him. But he has repaid my good with evil.

David said to Abner, &#8220;Aren&#8217;t you a man? After all, who is like you in Israel? Why then haven&#8217;t you protected your lord the king? One of the soldiers came to kill your lord the king.

This failure on your part isn&#8217;t good!<n id="1" /> As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives, you people who have not protected your lord, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s chosen one, are as good as dead!<n id="2" /> Now look where the king&#8217;s spear and the jug of water that was by his head are!&#8221;p>

David replied to Achish, &#8220;That being the case, you will come to know what your servant can do!&#8221; Achish said to David, &#8220;Then I will make you my bodyguard<n id="1" /> from now on.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">But David said, &#8220;No! You shouldn&#8217;t do this, my brothers. Look at what the <sc>Lordsc> has given us!<n id="1" /> He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us.