Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled. ¹ 

Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it ¹  pleased him.

David realized ¹  that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph.

David said to Saul, “Why do you pay attention when men say, ‘David is seeking to do you harm’?

The gift was for those in the following locations: ¹  for those in Bethel, ²  Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”(21:1) ¹ Then David ²  got up and left, while Jonathan went back to the city.

On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. ¹ 

Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself ¹  tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”

(Now the servant did not understand any of this. Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.) ¹ 

When David heard in the desert that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, ¹  while his armor bearer came along behind him and killed them. ² 

So his servants told David these things and David agreed ¹  to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired ² 

The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him ¹  and Abner at his side. ²  But David’s place was vacant.

When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Saul wept loudly. ¹ 

David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Won’t you answer, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you, that you have called to the king?”

She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion ¹  on the suffering of your female servant, ²  remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child ³  to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” ⁴ 

For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me ¹  when my own son makes an agreement with this son of Jesse! Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”

So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. ¹  Stay until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill his promise.” ²  So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.