Proverbs 19:19

²⁸Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint.

⁵When King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of Saul’s house came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out and cursed as he came. ⁶He cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

¹⁷He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you. ¹⁸You have declared today how you have dealt well with me, because when the LORD had delivered me up into your hand, you didn’t kill me. ¹⁹For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may the LORD reward you good for that which you have done to me today. ²⁰Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. ²¹Swear now therefore to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”

²²David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

²²An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.

²⁴Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man. Don’t associate with one who harbors anger, ²⁵lest you learn his ways and ensnare your soul.

⁷Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? ⁸Is that why all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?”

⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob; and they all came to the king. ¹²Saul said, “Hear now, you son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

¹³Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?”

¹⁴Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, “Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your body guard, and honored in your house? ¹⁵Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.”

¹⁶The king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” ¹⁷The king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled and didn’t disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king wouldn’t put out their hand to fall on the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸The king said to Doeg, “Turn and attack the priests!” Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod.

¹⁹He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword—both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle, donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. ²⁰One of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. ²¹Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the LORD’s priests.

²²David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of all the persons of your father’s house. ²³Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. You will be safe with me.”

²¹Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”

²²David answered, “Behold the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it. ²³The LORD will give to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because the LORD delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. ²⁴Behold, as your life was respected today in my eyes, so let my life be respected in the LORD’s eyes, and let him deliver me out of all oppression.”

²⁵Then Saul said to David, “You are blessed, my son David. You will both do mightily, and will surely prevail.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

³⁰Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? ³¹For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”