Saul

David swore to Sha'ul, and Sha'ul went home, but David and his men went back up to the stronghold.

Meanwhile, Sha'ul had given Mikhal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Layish, who came from Gallim.

The people from Zif went to Sha'ul in Giv'ah and said, "David is hiding himself on Hakhilah Hill, across from Yeshimon."

Then Sha'ul set out and went down to the Zif Desert with three thousand men chosen from Isra'el, to search for David in the Zif Desert.

Sha'ul pitched camp on Hakhilah Hill, across from Yeshimon, near the road. David was staying in the desert, and he saw that Sha'ul was coming into the desert after him.

So David dispatched spies and determined that Sha'ul had definitely come.

David set out and went to where Sha'ul had pitched his camp. He saw where Sha'ul and Avner the son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping. Sha'ul was lying inside the barricade with the troops asleep all around him.

David said to Achimelekh the Hitti and Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah, Yo'av's brother, "Who will go down with me to Sha'ul in the camp?" Avishai said, "I will go down with you."

So David and Avishai went to the soldiers by night. Sha'ul was lying there asleep inside the barricade. His spear was stuck in the ground next to his head, with Avner and the troops asleep all around him.

So David took the spear and the water jug from Sha'ul's head and got away. Nobody saw or knew about it, and no one awoke, because they were all asleep - a deep sleep from ADONAI had fallen over them.

Sha'ul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, my son David?"David said, "It is my voice, my lord king!"

Then Sha'ul said, "I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won't harm you any longer, because you regarded my life as precious today. Yes, I have behaved like a fool. I was altogether in the wrong."

Sha'ul answered David, "Blessings on you, my son David! No question that you will accomplish everything you set out to do!" So David went on his way, and Sha'ul returned to his place.

But David said to himself, "One day Sha'ul will sweep me away. The best thing for me to do is to escape into the territory of the P'lishtim. Then Sha'ul will give up trying to find me here or there in Isra'el's territory, and at last I'll be free of him."

Sha'ul was told that David had escaped to Gat, whereupon he stopped searching for him.

Now Sh'mu'el was dead; all Isra'el had mourned him and buried him in his city, Ramah. Also Sha'ul had expelled from the land those who tell the future by communicating with the dead or with a demonic spirit.

The P'lishtim assembled; then they went and pitched camp at Shunem; while Sha'ul gathered all Isra'el together and pitched camp at Gilboa.

When Sha'ul saw the army of the P'lishtim, he became afraid - it struck terror in his heart.

But when he consulted ADONAI, ADONAI didn't answer him - not by dreams, not by urim and not by prophets.

Then Sha'ul said to his servants, "Try to find a woman who tells the future by communicating with the dead; I want to go and consult with her." His servants answered him, "Yes, there's a woman in 'Ein-Dor who tells the future by communicating with the dead."

So Sha'ul disguised himself by wearing different clothing, went with two men, came to the woman by night and said, "Tell me the future, please. Bring up from the dead the person I name to you."

The woman answered, "Here, you know what Sha'ul did, how he expelled from the land those who tell the future by communicating with the dead or with a demonic spirit. Why are you trying to entrap me into causing my own death?"

But Sha'ul swore to her by ADONAI, "As ADONAI lives, you will not be punished for doing this."

When the woman saw Sh'mu'el, she let out a shriek. Then the woman said to Sha'ul, "Why have you deceived me? You yourself are Sha'ul!"

The king replied, "Don't be afraid. Just tell me what you see."The woman said to Sha'ul, "I see a god-like being coming up out of the earth."