Then David approached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him, ¹  those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing.

Saul removed David ¹  from his presence and made him a commanding officer. ²  David led the army out to battle and back. ³ 

Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. ¹  She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.

So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf ¹  to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial ²  for you.

So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. ¹  When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition.

Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, “My lord, O king!” When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground.

David was very upset, for the men ¹  were thinking of stoning him; ²  each man grieved bitterly ³  over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.

Saul became even more afraid of him. ¹  Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. ² 

Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod. ¹ 

So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately ¹  to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”

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. ¹  David escaped quickly ²  that night.

Saul and his men went to look for him. ¹  But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon.

David settled with Achish in Gath, along with his men and their families. ¹  David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow.

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep.

Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” ¹ 

David was going back and forth ¹  from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. ¹  Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

The women who were playing the music sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!”

But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.

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