when David, along with his men, went out<n id="1" /> and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king&#8217;s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.p>

Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly.<n id="1" />p>

So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul&#8217;s messengers, and they also prophesied.

<p class="bodytext">Jonathan<n id="1" /> said to him, &#8220;By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing<n id="2" /> large or small without making me aware of it.<n id="3" /> Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won&#8217;t happen!&#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" />

But if my father intends to do you harm, may the <sc>Lordsc> do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don&#8217;t let you know<n id="1" /> and send word to you so you can go safely on your way.<n id="2" /> May the <sc>Lordsc> be with you, as he was with my father.

When I send a boy after them, I will say, &#8220;Go and find the arrows.&#8221; If I say to the boy, &#8216;Look, the arrows are on this side of you;<n id="1" /> get them,&#8217; then come back. For as surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives, you will be safe and there will no problem.

<p class="bodytext">When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound,<n id="1" /> knelt<n id="2" /> with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and they both wept, especially David.

David replied to Ahimelech the priest, &#8220;The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, &#8216;Don&#8217;t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.&#8217;<n id="1" /> I have told my soldiers<n id="2" /> to wait at a certain place.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father&#8217;s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king.

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them.<n id="1" /> David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.p>

Ask your own servants; they can tell you! May my servants find favor in your sight, for we have come<n id="1" /> at the time of a holiday. Please provide us &#8211; your servants<n id="2" /> and your son David &#8211; with whatever you can spare.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means &#8216;fool,&#8217; and he is indeed foolish!<n id="1" /> But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent.<n id="2" />p>

When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag<n id="1" /> of the living by the <sc>Lordsc> your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling&#8217;s pocket!

But may the <sc>Lordsc> prevent me from extending my hand against the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s chosen one! Now take the spear by Saul&#8217;s head and the jug of water, and let&#8217;s get out of here!&#8221;

So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul&#8217;s head, and they got out of there. No one saw them or was aware of their presence or woke up. All of them were asleep, for the <sc>Lordsc> had caused a deep sleep to fall on them.p>

The <sc>Lordsc> will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines!<n id="1" /> Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me.<n id="2" /> The <sc>Lordsc> will also hand the army<n id="3" /> of Israel over to the Philistines!&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">On the third day David and his men came to Ziklag. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it.<n id="1" />

<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.

<p class="bodytext">But Hannah replied, &#8220;That&#8217;s not the way it is,<n id="1" /> my lord! I am under a great deal of stress.<n id="2" /> I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc>.