So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.

Then Saul said, “All you leaders of the army come here. Find out ¹  how this sin occurred today.

Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” The army replied to Saul, “Do whatever you think is best.”

Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” ¹ 

Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. ¹ 

So Saul assembled ¹  the army ²  and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Saul said, “They were brought ¹  from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded ¹  and what you said as well. ²  For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. ³ 

So Saul said to his servants, “Find ¹  me a man who plays well and bring him to me.”

So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat ¹  and sent them to Saul with ²  his son David.

Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” ¹ 

But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth!”

David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” ¹ 

Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him.

So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand.

Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.” ¹ 

When David ¹  had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. ²  Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. ³ 

Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon ¹  Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. ² 

Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.”

Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth.