9 And the EVIL SPIRIT from the LORD was upon Saul, as he fat in his Houfe with his Javelin in his Hand and David played with his Hand.

10 And Saul fought to fmite David even to the Wall, with the Javelin ; but he flipt away out of Saul's prefence, and he Imote the Javelin into the Wall: and David fled, and efcaped that Night.

1 Saul alfo fent Meffengers unto David's Houfe, to watch him, and to lay him in the Morning: and Michal David's Wife told him, faying, If thou fave not thy Life To-night, To-morrow thou shalt be flain.

12 So Michal let David down through a Window: and he went and fled, and escaped.

13 And Michal took an Image, and laid it in the Bed, and put a Pillow of Goat's Hair for his Bolfter, and covered it with a Cloth.

14 And when Saul fent Meffengers to take David, she faid, He is fick.

15 And Saul fent the Meffengers again to fee David, faying, Bring him up to me in the Bed, that I may flay him. 16 And when the Meflengers were come in, behold, there was an Image in the Bed.

17 And Saul faid unto Michal, Why haft thou deceived me fo, and fent away mine Enemy, that he is escaped? and Michal answered Saul, He faid unto me, Let me go; why fhould I kill thee?

18 So David fled, and efcaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah,

Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

19 And it was told Saul, faying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

20 And Saul fent Meffengers to take David: and when they faw the Company of the Prophets prophefying, and Samuel ftanding as appointed over them, the SPIRIT of GOD was upon the Meflengers of Saul, and they also prophefied.

21 And when it was told Saul, he fent other Meffengers, and they PROPHESIED likewife: and Saul fent Messengers again the third time, and they PROPHESIED alfo.

23 Then went he alfo to Naioth in Ramah : and the SPIRIT of GOD was upon him alfo, and he went on and prophefied until he came to Naioth in Ramah :

24 And he ftript off his Clothes alfo, and prophefied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that Day and all that Night. Wherefore they fay, Is Saul alfo among the Prophets?

CHAP. XX.

David confulteth with Jonathan for his Safety: 11 Their Covenant renewed by Oath. 24 Saul miffing David, feeketh to kill Jonathan.

Ver, 1

A

ND David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and faid before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine Iniquity? and what is my SIN before thy Father, that he SEEKETH MY LIFE?

2 And he faid unto him, GOD forbid; thou shalt not die behold, my Father will do nothing either great or fmall, but that the will fhew it me: and why fhould my Father hide this Thing from me? it is not fo.

3 And David fware moreover, and faid, Thy Father certainly knoweth that I have found Grace in thine Eyes; and he faith, Let not Jonathan know this, left he be grie yed but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy Soul liveth, there is but a Step between me and Death.

4 Then faid Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy Soul defireth, I will even do it for thee.

5 And David faid unto Jonathan, Behold, To-morrow is the New Moon, and I fhould not fail to fit with the King

at

at Meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the Field unto the third Day at Even.

6 If thy Father at all mifs me, then fay, David earnestly afked Leave of me, that he might run to Beth-lehem his City for there is a yearly Sacrifice there for all the Family.

7 If he fay thus, It is well; thy Servant fhall have Peace but if he be very wroth, then be fure that Evil is. determined by him.

8 Therefore thou fhalt deal kindly with thy Servant; for thou haft brought thy Servant into a Covenant of the LORD with thee notwithstanding, if there be in me INIQUI TY, flay me thy felf; for why shouldst thou bring me to thy Father?

9 And Jonathan faid, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly, that Evil were determined by my Father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

10 Then faid David to Jonathan, Who fhall tell me? or what if thy Father answer thee roughly?

11 And Jonathan faid unto David, Come, and let us go out into the Field. And they went out both of them into the Field.

12 And Jonathan faid unto David, O LORD GOD of Ifrael, when I have founded my Father, about To-morrow any time, or the third Day, and behold, if there be Good toward David, and I then fend not unto thee, and fhew it thee;

13 The LORD do fo and much more to Jonathan : but if it please my Father to do thee Evil, then I will fhew it thee, and fend thee away, that thou mayeft go in peace and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my Father.

14 And thou fhalt not only, while yet I live, fhew me the Kindness of the LORD, that I die not:

15 But also thou fhalt not cut off thy Kindnefs from my House for ever: no not when the LORD hath cut off the ENEMIES of David, every one from the Face of the Earth.

16 So Jonathan made a Covenant with the House of David, faying, Let the LORD even require it at the Hand of David's Enemies.

17 And Jonathan caufed David to fwear again, because he loved him: for he LOVED him as he LOVED his own SOUL.

18 Then Jonathan faid to David, To-morrow is the New

New Moon and thou shalt be miffed, because thy Seat will be empty.

19 And when thou haft ftayed three Days, then thou fhalt go down quickly, and come to the Place where thou didft hide thyfelf, when the Business was in hand, and fhalt remain by the Stone Ezel.

20 And I will fhoot three Arrows on the Side thereof, as though I shot at a Mark.

21 And behold, I will fend a Lad, faying, Go, find out the Arrows. If I exprefly fay unto the Lad, Behold, the Arrows are on this fide of thee, take them; then come thou for there is Peace to thee; and no Hurt.

22 But if I fay thus unto the young Man, Behold, the Arrows are beyond thee: go thy way, for the LORD hath fent thee away.

24 So David hid himself in the Field and when the New Moon was come, the King fat him down to eat Meat. 27 And it came to pass on the second Day of the Month, that David's Place was empty and Saul faid unto Jonathan, Wherefore cometh not the Son of Jeffe to Meat, neither Yesterday nor To-day?

28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me, to go to Beth-lehem :

29 Therefore he cometh not unto the King's Table.

30 Then Saul's Anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou Son of the perverse rebellious Woman, do not I know that thou haft chofen the Son of Jeffe to thine own Confufion, and unto the Confufion of thy Mother's Nakedness ?

31 For as long as the Son of Jeffe LIVETH upon the Ground, thou shalt not be ESTABLISHED, nor thy KINGDOM: wherefore now fend and fetch him unto me, for he fhall furely die.

32 And Jonathan faid, Wherefore fhall he be flain? what hath he done?

33 And Saul caft a Javelin at him to fmite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his Father to flay David.

34 So Jonathan arofe from the Table in fierce Anger, and did eat no Meat the second Day of the Month. for he was grieved for David, because his Father had done himi Shame.

35 And it came to pafs in the Morning, that Jonathan

went

went out into the Field at the Time appointed with David, and a little Lad with him.

36 And he said unto his Lad, Run, find out now the Arrows which I fhoot. And as the Lad ran, he shot an Arrow beyond him.

37 And when the Lad was come to the Place of the Arrow, Jonathan cried after the Lad, and faid, Is not the Arrow beyond thee?

38 And Jonathan cried after the Lad, Make speed, haste, ftay not.

39 But the Lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the Matter.

40 And Jonathan gave his Artillery unto his Lad, and faid unto him, Go, carry them to the City.

41 And as foon as the Lad was gone, David arose out of a Place toward the South, and fell on his Face to the Ground, and bowed himself three times and they KISSED one another, and WEPT one with another, until David Ex

CEEDED.

42 And Jonathan faid to David, Go in peace, forafmuch as we have fworn both of us in the Name of the LORD, faying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my Seed and thy Seed for ever. And he arofe and departed: and Jonathan went into the City.

CHA P. XXI.

1 David at Nob obtaineth of Ahimelech hallowed Bread: 8 He taketh Goliah's Sword: 10 And at Gath feigneth himself mad.

ΤΗ

Ver. 1THEN came David to Nob. to Ahimelech the Prieft and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and faid unto him, Why art thou alone, and no Man with thee?

2 And David faid, The King hath commanded me a Bufinefs, and hath faid unto me, Let no Man know any thing of the Bufinefs whereabout I fend thee.

3 Now therefore what is under thine Hand? give me five Loaves of Bread in mine Hand, or what there is prefent.

4 And the Prieft answered David, and faid, There is no common Bread under mine Hand, but there is HALLOWED Bread; if the young Men have kept themfelves at least from Women.