<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> said to Samuel, &#8220;How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel.<n id="1" /> Fill your horn with olive oil and go! I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem,<n id="2" /> for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Goliath<n id="1" /> stood and called to Israel&#8217;s troops,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose<n id="3" /> for yourselves a man so he may come down<n id="4" /> to me!

<p class="bodytext">David asked the men who were standing near him, &#8220;What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation?<n id="1" /> For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?&#8221;

<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!

<p class="bodytext">Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry.<n id="1" /> They chased the Philistines to the valley<n id="2" /> and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

<p class="bodytext">When the men<n id="1" /> arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments.<n id="2" />

He risked his life<n id="1" /> when he struck down the Philistine and the <sc>Lordsc> gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?&#8221;p>

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" />

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;

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;

Now don&#8217;t let my blood fall to the ground away from the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence, for the king of Israel has gone out to look for a flea the way one looks for a partridge<n id="1" /> in the hill country.&#8221;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">The leaders of the Philistines asked, &#8220;What about these Hebrews?&#8221; Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, &#8220;Isn&#8217;t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time?<n id="1" /> I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>