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was going. And meeting him, she prostrated herself, and begged him not to bear a grudge against her husband; for his disposition was according to his name; for Nabal means folly; to put away his anger and to accept the things brought to him. And he praised the woman and, having granted forgiveness, returned. But the woman, returning to Nabal, announced to him the approach of David. And he, seized with fear and grief, after surviving not more than ten days, ended his life. And when David learned this, he sent to Abigail, asking for her hand in marriage. But she said she was not worthy to cohabit with such a man, nevertheless she went; and David took her as his wife. But Saul was still plotting against him, and with three thousand chosen men he encamped by the hill1.98 of Hachilah, where David was staying with his six hundred men. And by night David himself and Amesa went to the camp of Saul, and they entered where Saul was sleeping. And when Amesa rushed to kill him, David did not allow it, but taking the king's spear and the jar of water, they went out without anyone noticing, and this while Abner, the commander of his force, and many others were lying around the king. And going up to the top of the mountain, David shouted to Abner, "Why do you not guard the king? For behold, some came in to kill him, and you did not know. Look then for the spear and the flask of water, and you will know what sort of danger has come upon you." And Saul, recognizing David's voice, and how he had spared him again when he was able to kill him, said he had sinned and acted in vain, and he asked him to be of good courage and to return to his house. But he said, "May the Lord give to each according to his righteousness and according to his faith." And David departed with his six hundred men to Achish the king of Gath, and stayed there for four months. And when the Philistines wished to campaign against Israel, Achish said to David, "Will you go out with me to the war, you and those with you?" And he promised to eagerly be his ally. And when the foreigners had already advanced into the land of the Israelites, Saul was troubled and inquired of God whether he should fight. But when he did not answer, he sought a ventriloquist and went to her in disguise, so that who he was might not be recognized, and he asked that the soul of Samuel be brought up for him. And when it seemed to have been brought up by some incantations,1.99 Saul said, "I am greatly distressed because the foreigners have gathered against me and the Lord has departed from me." But the phantom of Samuel answered, "The Lord has done to you what he foretold through me, and he is taking the kingdom from you and giving it to David, and he subjects the people to their enemies; and you and your sons will fall tomorrow." And Saul, hearing these things, was greatly grieved and departed. And the foreigners encamped, and David and the six hundred with him were in the rear. But it did not please the satraps for David to campaign with them, saying, "Lest he work some evil against us by joining his kinsmen in the war," and they demanded that he be sent away. And Achish, persuaded by the satraps, ordered David to depart. And he departed with those who were with him, and found Ziklag, which Achish had given him for a dwelling, burnt with fire, and both his wives and as many as were there taken captive by the Amalekites. And David and those with him lamented over this, and he asked God through the high priest Abiathar if he should pursue after them. And when God permitted it, he pursued with the four hundred, but left the two hundred to guard the baggage. And finding them scattered, eating and drinking, and attacking them suddenly, except for four hundred who had fled on dromedary camels, he killed them all and recovered all the spoil. And the four hundred with David, when they returned, were not willing that the two hundred should also be their partners in sharing, but they demanded that they be content with their own having been saved

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ἐπορεύετο. καὶ συναντήσασα τούτῳ προσεκύνησεν, ἐδεῖτό τε μὴ μνησικακῆσαι τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς· ειναι γὰρ ἐκείνῳ κατὰ τὴν κλῆσιν τὸ φρόνημα· ἀφροσύνην γὰρ ὁ Νάβαλ δηλοῖ· ἀφεῖναι δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὰ προσαγόμενα δέξασθαι. ὁ δὲ καὶ ἐπῄνεσε τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ συγγνώμην νείμας ὑπέστρεψεν. ἐπανελθοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς τὸν Νάβαλ τὴν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ εφοδον ἐκείνῳ μεμήνυκε. καὶ ος δείματί τε καὶ λύπῃ κατασχεθεὶς οὐ πλείους τε τῶν δέκα ἐπιβιοὺς ἡμερῶν ἀπέρρηξε τὴν ζωήν. καὶ τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς ̓Αβιγαίαν μνώμενος αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ. ἡ δὲ οὐκ ἀξίαν ειπεν ἑαυτὴν ειναι πρὸς συνοίκησιν τοιούτῳ ἀνδρί, ομως μέντοι ἀπῆλθε· καὶ ελαβεν αὐτὴν εἰς γυναῖκα ὁ ∆αβίδ. ̔Ο δὲ Σαοὺλ ἐπεβούλευεν ετι αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ τρισχιλίων λογάδων στρατοπεδεύεται παρὰ τὸν βου1.98 νὸν ̓Εχελάτ, οπου διέτριβεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ἑξακοσίων ἀνδρῶν. νυκτὸς δὲ ἐπορεύθη ∆αβὶδ αὐτὸς καὶ ̓Αμεσὰ εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν τοῦ Σαούλ, καὶ εἰσῆλθον οπου ην καθεύδων Σαούλ. καὶ τοῦ ̓Αμεσὰ ἀνελεῖν ὡρμηκότος αὐτὸν οὐκ ειασεν ὁ ∆αβίδ, τὸ δόρυ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τὸ ἀγγεῖον τοῦ υδατος λαβόντες ἐξῆλθον μή τινος αἰσθομένου, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ ̓Αβεννὴρ τοῦ αρχοντος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καὶ πολλῶν ἑτέρων κύκλῳ κειμένων τοῦ βασιλέως. ἀνελθὼν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ακρον τοῦ ορους ∆αβὶδ ἐβόησε πρὸς τὸν ̓Αβεννήρ "τί οτι οὐ φυλάσσεις τὸν βασιλέα; ἰδοὺ γὰρ εἰσῆλθόν τινες κτεῖναι αὐτόν, καὶ ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἐγνώκατε. ζήτησον ουν τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ υδατος, καὶ εισῃ οιος ὑμᾶς παρελήλυθε κίνδυνος." ἐπιγνοὺς δὲ τὴν φωνὴν ∆αβὶδ ὁ Σαούλ, καὶ ὡς ἐφείσατο καὶ αυθις αὐτοῦ δυνάμενος αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, ἁμαρτεῖν ειπε καὶ μεματαιῶσθαι, καὶ ἠξίου θαρρεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν εἰς τὸν οικον αὐτοῦ. ὁ δέ "κύριος" εφη "δῴη ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ." καὶ ἀπῆλθε μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ἑξακοσίων ∆αβὶδ πρὸς ̓Αγχοὺς τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Γέθ, καὶ διῆγεν ἐκεῖ τέσσαρας μῆνας. τῶν δὲ Παλαιστηνῶν ἐπὶ τὸν ̓Ισραὴλ ἐκστρατεῦσαι βουλομένων, εφη πρὸς ∆αβὶδ ὁ ̓Αγχούς "συνεξελεύσῃ μοι εἰς τὸν πόλεμον σὺ καὶ οἱ μετὰ σοῦ;" κἀκεῖνος προθύμως αὐτῷ συμμαχήσειν ὑπέσχετο. ηδη δὲ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων προσελασάντων τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν ̓Ισραηλιτῶν, ὁ Σαοὺλ τεθορύβητο καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ μαχήσεται. μὴ ἀποκρινομένου δέ, ἐγγαστρίμυθον ἐζήτησε καὶ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς αὐτὴν μεταμφιασάμενος, ινα μὴ οστις ειη ἐπιγνωσθῇ, καὶ ῃτησεν ἀναχθῆναι αὐτῷ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ τὴν ψυχήν. καὶ ἐπῳδαῖς τισιν ἀνα1.99 χθῆναι δοξάσῃ ειπε Σαούλ "θλίβομαι σφόδρα οτι συνήχθησαν κατ' ἐμοῦ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ ὁ κύριος ἀφέστηκεν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ." τὸ δὲ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ φάντασμα ἀπεκρίθη ὡς "πεποίηκέ σοι ὁ κύριος οσα προμεμήνυκεν δι' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἀφαιρεῖταί σου τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτὴν τῷ ∆αβίδ, καὶ τὸν λαὸν ὑποτάσσει τοῖς πολεμίοις· σὺ δὲ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου αυριον πεσεῖσθε." καὶ ἐλυπήθη σφόδρα τούτων ἀκούσας Σαοὺλ καὶ ἀπῆλθε. καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο, καὶ ∆αβὶδ καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἑξακόσιοι οπισθεν. τοῖς δὲ σατράπαις οὐκ ηρεσκε συστρατεύεσθαι αὐτοῖς τὸν ∆αβίδ, λέγουσι "μή τι κακὸν ἐργάσηται εἰς ἡμᾶς τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις προσθέμενος ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ," καὶ ἀποστρέφειν αὐτὸν ἠξίουν. καὶ ὁ ̓Αγχοὺς τοῖς σατράπαις πειθόμενος ἀπελθεῖν ἐκέλευσε τῷ ∆αβίδ. καὶ ος ἀπῆλθε μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ, καὶ ευρε τὴν Σικελάγ, ην δέδωκεν αὐτῷ ̓Αγχοὺς εἰς κατοίκησιν, ἐμπεπυρισμένην, καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἑαυτοῦ ἀμφοτέρας καὶ οσοι ησαν ἐκεῖ αἰχμαλωτισθέντας παρὰ τῶν ̓Αμαληκιτῶν. καὶ ἀνῴμωξεν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ∆αβὶδ καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἠρώτησε τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ̓Αβιάθαρ εἰ καταδιώξεται ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ κατεδίωξε μετὰ τῶν τετρακοσίων, τοὺς δὲ διακοσίους ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τῶν σκευῶν καταλέλοιπε. καὶ εὑρὼν ἐσκεδασμένους αὐτοὺς ἐσθίοντάς τε καὶ πίνοντας, καὶ αἰφνηδὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιθέμενος, πλὴν τετρακοσίων ἐν δρομάσι πεφευγότων καμήλοις πάντας ἀπέκτεινε καὶ τὴν λείαν απασαν διεσώσατο. ἀναστρέψαντες δὲ οἱ μετὰ ∆αβὶδ τετρακόσιοι οὐκ ηθελον συμμεριστὰς αὐτοῖς καὶ τοὺς διακοσίους γενέσθαι, ἀρκεῖσθαι δ' ἠξίουν σεσωσμέναις ταῖς ἑαυτῶν