<p class="bodytext">So they assembled<n id="1" /> all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, &#8220;What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?&#8221; They replied, &#8220;The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.&#8221; So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then David said to Abigail, &#8220;Praised<n id="1" /> be the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me!

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul said, &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel! If this sin has been committed by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed by your people Israel, respond with Thummim.&#8221;<n id="1" /> Then Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated.<n id="2" />

Then David said, &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning<n id="1" /> to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.

Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, please inform your servant!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;He will come down.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Therefore the <sc>Lordsc>, the God of Israel, says, &#8216;I really did say<n id="1" /> that your house and your ancestor&#8217;s house would serve<n id="2" /> me forever.&#8217; But now the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;May it never be!<n id="3" /> For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!

When the people<n id="1" /> of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, &#8220;The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked<n id="2" /> both us and our god Dagon!&#8221;p>

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.p> <p class="bodytext">But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron, the residents of Ekron cried out saying, &#8220;They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here<n id="1" /> to kill our<n id="2" /> people!&#8221;

So they assembled<n id="1" /> all the leaders of the Philistines and said, &#8220;Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won&#8217;t kill us<n id="2" /> and our<n id="3" /> people!&#8221; The terror<n id="4" /> of death was throughout the entire city; God was attacking them very severely there.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">They replied, &#8220;If you are going to send the ark of<n id="1" /> the God of Israel back, don&#8217;t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.&#8221;

Samuel said to all the people of Israel, &#8220;If you are really turning to the <sc>Lordsc> with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth.<n id="1" /> Give your hearts to the <sc>Lordsc> and serve only him. Then he will deliver you<n id="2" /> from the hand of the Philistines.&#8221;

He said to the Israelites, &#8220;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel says, &#8216;I brought Israel up from Egypt and I delivered you from the power<n id="1" /> of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.

<p class="bodytext">But David replied to the Philistine, &#8220;You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the <sc>Lordsc> of hosts, the God of Israel&#8217;s armies, whom you have defied!

Jonathan said to David, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel is my witness.<n id="1" /> I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know?<n id="2" />

Otherwise, as surely as the <sc>Lordsc>, the God of Israel, lives &#8211; he who has prevented me from harming you &#8211; if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning&#8217;s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!&#8221;