Part 177 (1/2)

24:10. And said to Saul: Why dost thou hear the words of men that say: David seeketh thy hurt?

24:11 Behold this day thy eyes have seen, that the Lord hath delivered thee into my hand, in the cave, and I had a thought to kill thee, but my eye hath spared thee. For I said: I will not put out my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord's anointed.

A thought to kill thee... That is, a suggestion, to which I did not consent.

24:12. Moreover, see and know, O my father, the hem of thy robe in my hand, that when I cut off the hem of thy robe, I would not put out my hand against thee. Reflect, and see, that there is no evil in my hand, nor iniquity, neither have I sinned against thee: but thou liest in wait for my life, to take it away.

24:13. The Lord judge between me and thee and the Lord revenge me of thee: but my hand shall not be upon thee.

Revenge me of thee... Or, as it is in the Hebrew, will revenge me. The meaning is, that he refers his whole cause to G.o.d, to judge and punish according to his justice: yet so as to keep himself in the mean time, from all personal hatred to Saul, or desire of gratifying his own pa.s.sion, by seeking revenge. So far from it, that when Saul was afterwards slain, we find, that instead of rejoicing at his death, he mourned most bitterly for him.

24:14. As also it is said in the old proverb: From the wicked shall wickedness come forth: therefore my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom dost thou come out, O king of Israel?

24:15. After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea.

24:16. Be the Lord judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and judge my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.

24:17. And when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept:

24:18. And he said to David: Thou art more just than I: for thou hast done good to me, and I have rewarded thee with evil.

24:19. And thou hast shewed this day what good things thou hast done to me: how the Lord delivered me into thy hand, and thou hast not killed me.

24:20. For who when he hath found his enemy, will let him go well away?

But the Lord reward thee for this good turn, for what thou hast done to me this day.

24:21. And now as I know that thou shalt surely be king, and have the kingdom of Israel in thy hand:

24:22. Swear to me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father.

24:23. And David swore to Saul. So Saul went home: and David and his men went up into safer places.

1 Kings Chapter 25

The death of Samuel. David, provoked by Nabal, threateneth to destroy him: but is appeased by Abigail.

25:1. And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose, and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.

25:2. Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

25:3. Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman: but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb.

25:4. And when David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

25:5. He sent ten young men, and said to them: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace.

25:6. And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast.

25:7. I have heard that thy shepherds that were with us in the desert were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them of the flock at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel.