David

but the boy didn't understand anything about the matter - only Y'honatan and David understood.

As soon as the boy had gone, David got up from a place south of the stone, fell face down on the ground and prostrated himself three times; and they kissed one another and wept each with the other until it became too much for David.

Y'honatan said to David, "Go in peace; because we have sworn, both of us, in the name of ADONAI, that ADONAI will be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours, forever."

David went to see Achimelekh the cohen in Nov. Achimelekh came trembling to meet David and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"

David said to Achimelekh the cohen, "The king has sent me on a mission and told me not to let anyone know its purpose or what I've been ordered to do. I've arranged a place where the guards are to meet me.

The cohen answered David, "I don't have any regular bread; however, there is consecrated bread - but only if the guards have abstained from women.

David answered the cohen, "Of course women have been kept away from us, as on previous campaigns. Whenever I go out on campaign, the men's gear is clean, even if it's an ordinary trip. How much more, then, today, when they will be putting something consecrated in their packs!"

David said to Achimelekh, "Perhaps you have here with you a spear or a sword? I brought neither my sword nor my other weapons, because the king's mission was urgent."

The cohen said, "The sword of Golyat the P'lishti you killed in the Elah Valley, is over there behind the ritual vest, wrapped in a cloth. If you want it, take it; it's the only one here." David said, "There's nothing like it; give it to me."

The same day, David took flight from Sha'ul and went to Akhish king of

The servants of Akhish said to him, "Isn't this David, king of the land? Weren't they dancing and singing to each other, 'Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands'?"

These remarks were not lost on David, and he became very much afraid of Akhish king of Gat.

David left there and took refuge in the Cave of 'Adulam. When his brothers and the rest of his father's family heard of it, they went down to see him there.

David went from there to Mitzpeh of Mo'av and said to the king of Mo'av, "Please let my father and mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me."

He presented them to the king of Mo'av, and they lived with him as long as David remained in his stronghold.

But the prophet Gad said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Leave, and go to the land of Y'hudah." So David left and went to the Forest of Heret.

Sha'ul heard that David and the men with him had been located. Sha'ul was sitting in Giv'ah, under the tamarisk tree on the hill, with his spear in his hand and all his servants standing around him.

Achimelekh answered the king, "Is there anyone among all your servants more trustworthy than David? He's the king's son-in-law, he carries out your every request, your household honors him.

Then the king told the guards standing around him, "Go around, and kill the cohanim of ADONAI, because they are siding with David, and because they knew he was escaping, yet they didn't tell me." But the king's servants refused to lift their hands against the cohanim of ADONAI.

One of the sons of Achimelekh the son of Achituv, named Avyatar, escaped and fled to join David.

Avyatar told David that Sha'ul had killed the cohanim of ADONAI.

David said to Avyatar, "I knew it! That day, when Do'eg the Edomi was there, I knew he would tell Sha'ul. I caused the death of every person in your father's family.

David was told, "The P'lishtim are fighting Ke'ilah and plundering the thresh-ing-floors."

David consulted ADONAI, asking, "Should I go and attack these P'lishtim?"ADONAI answered David, "Go, and attack the P'lishtim, and save Ke'ilah."

David's men said to him, "Look, we're already afraid here in Y'hudah. How much more, then, if we go to Ke'ilah to fight the armies of the P'lishtim!"