David Is Made King

SAUL again tries to capture David. He takes 3,000 of his best soldiers and goes looking for him. When David learns about this, he sends spies out to learn where Saul and his men have camped for the night. Then David asks two of his men: ‘Which of you will go to Saul’s camp with me?’

‘I will,’ A·bishʹai answers. A·bishʹai is the son of David’s sister Ze·ruʹiah. While Saul and his men are sleeping, David and A·bishʹai creep silently into the camp. They pick up Saul’s spear and his water jug, which is lying right beside Saul’s head. No one sees or hears them because they are all fast asleep.

See David and A·bishʹai now. They have gotten away, and are safely on top of a hill. David shouts down to Israel’s army chief: ‘Abʹner, why aren’t you protecting your master, the king? Look! Where are his spear and his water jug?’

Saul wakes up. He recognizes David’s voice, and asks: ‘Is that you, David?’ Can you see Saul and Abʹner down there?

‘Yes, my lord the king,’ David replies to Saul. And David asks: ‘Why are you trying to capture me? What bad thing have I done? Here is your spear, O king. Let one of your men come and get it.’

‘I have done wrong,’ Saul admits. ‘I have acted foolishly.’ At that David goes his way, and Saul returns home. But David says to himself: ‘One of these days Saul will kill me. I should escape to the land of the Phi·lisʹtines.’ And that is what he does. David is able to fool the Phi·lisʹtines and make them believe that he is now on their side.

Some time later the Phi·lisʹtines go up to fight against Israel. In the battle, both Saul and Jonʹa·than are killed. This makes David very sad, and he writes a beautiful song, in which he sings: ‘I feel sad for you, my brother Jonʹa·than. How dear you were to me!’

After this David returns to Israel to the city of Heʹbron. There is a war between the men who choose Saul’s son Ish-boʹsheth to be king and the other men who want David to be king. But finally David’s men win. David is 30 years old when he is made king. For seven and a half years he rules in Heʹbron. Some of the sons born to him there are named Amʹnon, Abʹsa·lom and Ad·o·niʹjah.

The time comes when David and his men go up to capture a beautiful city called Jerusalem. Joʹab, another son of David’s sister Ze·ruʹiah, takes the lead in the fight. So David rewards Joʹab by making him the chief of his army. Now David begins ruling in the city of Jerusalem.