us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: 130 for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men? Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands ?

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Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day : nevertheless the lords favour thee not. Wherefore now return, 140 and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines. And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? And Achish answered and 145 said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord that are come with thee 1: and as soon as ye be up early in the 150 morning, and have light, depart. So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

1 After thee add: and go to the place where I have stationed thee, and put no evil design in thy heart, for thou art good in my sight (S).

LESSON XLVIII

THE END OF SAUL

counsel of the ghost of Samuel, who He is defeated by the Philistines, and David, on hearing the news,

Saul in despair seeks
foretells his ruin.
dies by his own hand.
composes an elegy.

1 SAMUEL XXVIII., XXXI.; 2 SAMUEL I.

28 4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled 5 greatly. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman 10 that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night and he said, Divine unto me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee. And the woman 15 said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment 20 happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel,1 she cried with a loud voice:

1 For saw Samuel read recognised Saul.

:

and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not 25 afraid for what seest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did 30 obeisance. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest 35 make known unto me what I shall do. And Samuel said, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary? 1 To-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me 2: the LORD shall deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell 40 straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath 45 hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest 50 on thy way. But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it; and she took flour, and 55 kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

1 For is become thine adversary read is with thine adversaries (S). 2 For be with me read with thee be fallen.

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31 1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul, and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through 65 therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me.1 But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his 70 three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together. And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

75

8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round 80 about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people. And they put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth 2 and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men 85 arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

2 Sam. 1 1 And it came to pass after the death of Saul, 90 when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites,

1 For abuse me read make a mock of me.

2 For the Ashtaroth read Ashtoreth.