Now it was reported to Saul, “Look, the army is sinning against the Lord by eating even the blood.” He said, “All of you have broken the covenant! ¹  Roll a large stone over here to me.”

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.

The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. ¹  He had two daughters; the older one was named Merab and the younger Michal.

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 Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! ¹  Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul ²  said to him, “Tell me.”

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 

Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!”

Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you ¹  and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep.

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 

David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. ¹  Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock,

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