Saul

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken among men.

The three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul.

Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.

David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock,

David said, “The LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go; and the LORD shall be with you.”

Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of brass on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

David strapped his sword on his clothing, and he tried to move; for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, “I can’t go with these; for I have not tested them.” David took them off.

When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I can’t tell.”

As David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, you young man?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

When he had made an end of speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.

The women sang one to another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands.”

Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?”

Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;

and Saul threw the spear; for he said, “I will pin David even to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.

Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.