God

Sh'mu'el asked Sha'ul, "Why have you disturbed me and brought me up?" Sha'ul answered, "I'm very upset; because the P'lishtim are making war against me; and God has left me and doesn't answer me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. This is why I've called you, so that you can let me know what to do."

Sh'mu'el said, "Why ask me, if ADONAI has left you and become your enemy?

ADONAI has done for himself what he foretold through me -ADONAI has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to your fellow countryman David,

because you didn't obey what ADONAI said and execute his furious anger toward 'Amalek. That's why ADONAI is doing this to you today.

ADONAI is giving Isra'el as well as yourself over into the power of the P'lishtim, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. ADONAI will hand over Isra'el's army to the power of the P'lishtim."

So Akhish summoned David and said to him, "As ADONAI lives, you have been upright; and I myself would be more than pleased to have you go on campaign with me; because I haven't found anything wrong with you between the day you arrived and now. However, the chiefs don't trust you.

Akhish answered David, "I know that you are as good, from my point of view, as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the chiefs of the P'lishtim have said, 'He is not to go up with us to the battlefield.'

David was in serious trouble: the people were talking about stoning him to death, because all the people were in such deep grief, each man over his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in ADONAI his God.

Then David consulted ADONAI. He asked, "Should I go in pursuit of these raiders? Will I catch up with them?" And [ADONAI] answered him, "Go in pursuit, because you will overtake them and recover everyone and everything."

David asked him, "Will you lead me down to this raiding party?" He said, "If you will swear by God to me that you won't kill me or hand me back to my master, I will lead you down to the raiders."

Then David said, "No, my brothers, don't do this with the goods ADONAI has given us. He protected us, and he handed the raiding party over to us.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the leaders of Y'hudah who were his friends with a note, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of ADONAI."

They wailed and cried, and they fasted until evening for Sha'ul, for Y'honatan his son, for ADONAI's people and for the house of Isra'el; because they had fallen by the sword.

David asked him, "How is it that you weren't afraid to raise your hand to destroy ADONAI's anointed?"

David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head. Your own mouth convicted you when you said, 'I killed ADONAI's anointed.'"

After this, David consulted ADONAI; he asked, "Should I go up into any of the cities of Y'hudah?"ADONAI said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go up?" He said, "To Hevron."

So David sent messengers to the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad with this message: "May you be blessed by ADONAI, because you showed this kindness to your lord, Sha'ul, and buried him.

Now may ADONAI show kindness and truth to you; and I too will show you favor because you have done this.

Yo'av said, "As God lives, if you hadn't said something, there is no doubt that the people would have kept following their brothers all night long."

May God bring terrible curses on Avner and worse ones yet if I don't accomplish what ADONAI swore to David-

So now, do it. For ADONAI has said of David, 'Through my servant David I will rescue my people Isra'el from the power of the P'lishtim and from the power of all their enemies.'"

Afterwards, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent of the death of Avner the son of Ner.

All the people came to David and tried to make him eat some bread while it was still daytime; but David swore, "May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if I taste bread or anything else until the sun goes down."

Even though I have just been anointed king, I feel weak today; and these men, the sons of Tz'ruyah, are too brutal for me. May ADONAI repay the criminal as his crime deserves!"

They brought the head of Ish-Boshet to David in Hevron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul your enemy, who wanted to take your life. Today ADONAI has taken revenge on Sha'ul and his son for the sake of my lord the king."