And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, {even} David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.
Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.
Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.”
But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?”
He said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.
The woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, and said to him, “Behold, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.
When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive.
When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent {some} of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD/:
On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely.
Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and {so} also {did} all the men who {were} with him.
David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”
and he told {them} to teach the sons of Judah {the song of} the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar.
-“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
And David brought up his men who {were} with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.
Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.
Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”
