They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place.

Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

<p class="bodytext">Then David said to Abigail, &#8220;Praised<n id="1" /> be the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me!

<p class="bodytext">From that time onward it was a binding ordinance<n id="1" /> for Israel, right up to the present time.p>

This very day the <sc>Lordsc> will deliver you into my hand! I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God

Today your own eyes see how the <sc>Lordsc> delivered you &#8211; this very day &#8211; into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity<n id="1" /> on you and said, &#8216;I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s chosen one.&#8217;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The man said to Eli, &#8220;I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!&#8221; Eli<n id="1" /> asked, &#8220;How did things go, my son?&#8221;

(For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon&#8217;s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon&#8217;s temple step on Dagon&#8217;s threshold in Ashdod.)p>

(Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, &#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s go to the seer.&#8221; For today&#8217;s prophet used to be called a seer.)

But Saul said, &#8220;No one will be killed on this day. For today the <sc>Lordsc> has given Israel a victory!&#8221;

Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day.

He said to them, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> is witness against you, and his chosen king<n id="1" /> is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.&#8221;<n id="2" /> They said, &#8220;He is witness!&#8221;p>

Then someone from the army informed him, &#8220;Your father put the army under a strict oath<n id="1" /> saying, &#8216;Cursed be the man who eats food today!&#8217; That is why the army is tired.&#8221;

Certainly if the army had eaten some of the enemies&#8217; provisions that they came across today, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Now it was reported to Saul, &#8220;Look, the army is sinning against the <sc>Lordsc> by eating even the blood.&#8221; He said, &#8220;All of you have broken the covenant!<n id="1" /> Roll a large stone over here to me.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul said, &#8220;All you leaders of the army come here. Find out<n id="1" /> how this sin occurred today.

Samuel said to him, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you!

Then the Philistine said, &#8220;I defy Israel&#8217;s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight<n id="1" /> each other!&#8221;

You have explained today how you have treated me well. The <sc>Lordsc> delivered me into your hand, but you did not kill me.

Now if a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way in good shape? May the <sc>Lordsc> repay you with good this day for what you have done to me.