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

David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem.

Jonathan responded to his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

David replied, “Here is the king’s spear! Let one of your servants cross over and get it.

So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him – not by dreams nor by Urim ¹  nor by the prophets.

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?”

But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, ¹  my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. ²  I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to ³  the Lord.

Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.”

As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!” But she did not reply or pay any attention. ¹ 

So Samuel took a nursing lamb ¹  and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.” ¹ 

They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place.

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, ¹  “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.”

A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?”

Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under a strict oath ¹  saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today!’ That is why the army is tired.”

So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.

For as surely as the Lord, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!” But no one from the army said anything. ¹ 

Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house!

So David asked the Lord once again. But again the Lord replied, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”