Samuel & King Saul

David answered the P'lishti, "You're coming at me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I'm coming at you in the name of ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of the armies of Isra'el, whom you have challenged.

Today ADONAI will hand you over to me. I will attack you, lop your head off, and give the carcasses of the army of the P'lishtim to the birds in the air and the animals in the land. Then all the land will know that there is a God in Isra'el,

and everyone assembled here will know that ADONAI does not save by sword or spear. For this is ADONAI's battle, and he will hand you over to us."

When the P'lishti got up, approached and came close to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the P'lishti.

David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, and hurled it with his sling. It struck the P'lishti in his forehead and buried itself in his forehead, so that he fell face down on the ground.

Thus David defeated the P'lishti with a sling and a stone, striking the P'lishti and killing him; but David had no sword in his hand.

Then David ran and stood over the P'lishti, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and finished killing him, cutting off his head with it. When the P'lishtim saw that their hero was dead, they fled.

The men of Isra'el and Y'hudah got up, shouting, and pursued the P'lishtim all the way to Gat and the gates of 'Ekron. The wounded P'lishtim fell down all along the road from Sha'arayim to Gat and 'Ekron.

After chasing the P'lishtim, the army of Isra'el returned and plundered their camp.

David took the head of the P'lishti and brought it to Yerushalayim, but he put the armor of the P'lishti in his tent.

When Sha'ul saw David go out to fight the P'lishti, he said to Avner, the army's commander, "Avner, whose son is this boy?""By your life, O king," Avner replied, "I don't know."

The king said, "Find out whose son this boy is.

David returned from killing the P'lishti, Avner took him and brought him to Sha'ul with the head of the P'lishti in his hand.

Sha'ul asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Yishai the Beit-Lachmi."

By the time David had finished speaking to Sha'ul, Y'honatan found himself inwardly drawn by David's character, so that Y'honatan loved him as he did himself.

That day, Sha'ul took David into his service and would not let him go home to his father's house any more.

Y'honatan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as he did himself.

Y'honatan removed the cloak he was wearing and gave it to David, his armor too, including his sword, bow and belt.

David would go out, and no matter where Sha'ul sent him, he was successful. Sha'ul put him in charge of the fighting men; all the people thought it good, and so did Sha'ul's servants.

As David and the others were returning from the slaughter of the P'lishti, the women came out of all the cities of Isra'el to meet King Sha'ul, singing and dancing joyfully with tambourines and three-stringed instruments.

In their merrymaking the women sang, "Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands."

Sha'ul became very angry, because this song displeased him. He said, "They give David credit for tens of thousands, but me they give credit for only thousands. Now all he lacks is the kingdom!"

From that day on, Sha'ul viewed David with suspicion.

The following day an evil spirit from God came powerfully over Sha'ul, so that he fell into a frenzy in the house. David was there, playing his lyre as on other occasions. This time Sha'ul had his spear in his hand;

and he threw the spear, thinking, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David dodged out of the way twice.