Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”Jonathan spoke well of Davi...  Read More

Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. In everything he did, he had great success, because the LORD was with him. When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in t...  Read More

Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul h...  Read More

As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David...  Read More

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead.  The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and ki...  Read More

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.  . . . and he despised him.  . . .  And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty...  Read More