The Bible Story Part 165

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains."

Then said Saul, "I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly."

And David answered and said, "Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it. And the Lord shall render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: because the Lord delivered thee into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. And, behold, as thy life was very precious this day in mine eyes, so let my life be precious in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation."

Then Saul said to David, "Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail."

So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

SAUL'S PURSUIT OF DAVID.

_How David a Second Time Spared the King's Life_.

(Day after day Saul pursued David. First, some one would report David at a certain point, then he would be seen at another.

But every time, by forced marches, hiding in caves by day, and stealing out by night, the bold outlaw escaped his foe. Once Saul entered the very cave where David and his faithful men were {412} hiding in the shadows. Again Saul was in David's power. Again his men wished him to kill the king, but David refused, and spared the king's life.)

And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but G.o.d delivered him not into his hand.

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood. And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in G.o.d. And he said unto him, "Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth."

And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand."

And Saul said, "Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have had compa.s.sion on me. Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it {413} shall come to pa.s.s, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."

And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul and his men went to seek him.

And they told David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compa.s.sed David and his men round about to take them. But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, "Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land."

So Saul returned from pursuing after David.

And it came to pa.s.s, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi."

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in.

Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave.

And the men of David said unto him, "Behold, the day of which the Lord said unto thee, 'Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.'"

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Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pa.s.s afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

And he said unto his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed."

So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!"

And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.

And David said to Saul, "Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying, 'Behold, David seeketh thy hurt'? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, 'I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed.'

"Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my soul to take it.

"The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee."

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

STREET OF JERUSALEM "The Joppa Gate" in the center.

This is a characteristic scene in Jerusalem, the bazaars in the area outside, the camels and donkeys with their burdens, and the traffic going in and out of the city. "In an aperture of the western wall of Jerusalem hang the 'oaken valves' called the Beth-lehem or Joppa Gate. The area outside is one of the notable places of the city.

Long before David coveted Zion there was a citadel there. When at last the son or Jesse ousted the Jebusites, and began to build, the site of the citadel became the northwest corner of the wall, defended by a tower much more imposing than the old one. The location of the gate, however, was not disturbed, for the reason, most likely, that the roads which met and merged in front of it could not well be transferred to another spot, while the area outside had become a recognized market place. In Solomon's day there was a great traffic at this locality, shared in by traders from Egypt and the rich dealers from Tyre and Sidon."

--_Lew Wallace in "Ben-Hur_"

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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And it came to pa.s.s, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?"

And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

And he said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

"And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.

"For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.

"And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

"Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house."

And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

ONE OF DAVID'S ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS.

_How the Sheep Master of Maon Refused to Pay Tribute_.

(While David was roaming about the country followed by a company of men as young and gallant as himself, much as Robin Hood roamed about the forests of England, he had many adventures, some of them chivalrous and some of which he was perhaps afterward, when he became king, just a little ashamed. This is the story of one of these adventures.)

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There was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.