<p class="bodytext">Then the king said to Doeg, &#8220;You turn and strike down the priests!&#8221; So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five<n id="1" /> men who wore the linen ephod.

Then David said to Abiathar, &#8220;I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I am guilty<n id="1" /> of all the deaths in your father&#8217;s house!

He said to him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.&#8221;

He said to his men, &#8220;May the <sc>Lordsc> keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s chosen one,<n id="1" /> by extending my hand against him. After all,<n id="2" /> he is the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s chosen one.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, &#8220;Is that your voice, my son David?&#8221; Then Saul wept loudly.<n id="1" />

Then David instructed his men, &#8220;Each of you strap on your sword!&#8221; So each one strapped on his sword, and David also strapped on his sword. About four hundred men followed David up, while two hundred stayed behind with the equipment.p>

Abishai said to David, &#8220;Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear<n id="1" /> right through him into the ground with one swift jab!<n id="2" /> A second jab won&#8217;t be necessary!&#8221;p>

David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, &#8220;Won&#8217;t you answer, Abner?&#8221; Abner replied, &#8220;Who are you, that you have called to the king?&#8221;

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.

<p class="bodytext">Saul replied, &#8220;I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won&#8217;t harm you, for you treated my life with value<n id="1" /> this day. I have behaved foolishly and have made a very terrible mistake!&#8221;<n id="2" />

Saul replied to David, &#8220;May you be rewarded,<n id="1" /> my son David! You will without question be successful!&#8221;<n id="2" /> So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">David thought to himself,<n id="1" /> &#8220;One of these days I&#8217;m going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">David said to Achish, &#8220;If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the country towns so that I can live there. Why should your servant settle in the royal city with you?&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">In those days the Philistines gathered their troops<n id="1" /> for war in order to fight Israel. Achish said to David, &#8220;You should fully understand that you and your men must go with me into the battle.&#8221;<n id="2" />

So Saul instructed his servants, &#8220;Find me a woman who is a medium,<n id="1" /> so that I may go to her and inquire of her.&#8221; His servants replied to him, &#8220;There is a woman who is a medium in Endor.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing and left, accompanied by two of his men. They came to the woman at night and said, &#8220;Use your ritual pit to conjure up for me the one I tell you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

He said to her, &#8220;What about his appearance?&#8221; She said, &#8220;An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down.

<p class="bodytext">But David said to Achish, &#8220;What have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day that I first came into your presence until the present time, that I shouldn&#8217;t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?&#8221;

Achish replied to David, &#8220;I am convinced that you are as reliable<n id="1" /> as the angel of God! However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, &#8216;He must not go up with us in the battle.&#8217;

<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.