He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself.<n id="1" />p> <p class="bodytext">Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave.

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work.<n id="1" /> He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the <sc>Lordsc>. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes.

<p class="bodytext">But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, &#8220;The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre<n id="1" /> that day. There was a spear in Saul&#8217;s hand,

Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?&#8221;p>

Now if a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way in good shape? May the <sc>Lordsc> repay you with good this day for what you have done to me.

The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds,<n id="1" /> and cisterns.

Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the <sc>Lordsc> and before his chosen king.<n id="1" /> Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me,<n id="2" /> and I will return it to you!&#8221;p>

Saul replied, &#8220;Here is what you should say to David: &#8216;There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his<n id="1" /> enemies.&#8217;&#8221; (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)p>

<p class="bodytext">So the men did as instructed.<n id="1" /> They took two cows that had calves and harnessed them to a cart; they also removed their calves to their stalls.

<t /><p class="bodytext">A man of God came to Eli and said to him, &#8220;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8216;Did I not plainly<n id="1" /> reveal myself to your ancestor&#8217;s<n id="2" /> house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?

As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!&#8221; But she did not reply or pay any attention.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Saul replied, &#8220;Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel&#8217;s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, &#8216;No! A king will rule over us&#8217; &#8211; even though the <sc>Lordsc> your God is your king!

All the people said to Samuel, &#8220;Pray to the <sc>Lordsc> your God on behalf of us &#8211; your servants &#8211; so we won&#8217;t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now it was reported to Saul, &#8220;Look, the army is sinning against the <sc>Lordsc> by eating even the blood.&#8221; He said, &#8220;All of you have broken the covenant!<n id="1" /> Roll a large stone over here to me.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, &#8220;Saul has gone to Carmel where<n id="1" /> he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left<n id="2" /> and went down to Gilgal.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Samuel replied, &#8220;How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!&#8221; But the <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;Take a heifer with you<n id="1" /> and say, &#8216;I have come to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;

David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.p>

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.