hence and came to Jonathan and complained
to him saying: What have I offended that thy father seeketh to slay me?
Jonathan was sorry therefore, for he loved well David. After this Saul
ever sought for to slay David. And on a time Saul went into a cave, and
David was within the cave, to whom his squire said: Now hath God brought
thine enemy into thine hand; now go and slay him. And David said: God
forbid that I should lay any hand on him, he is anointed. I shall never
hurt ne grieve him, let God do his pleasure. And he went to Saul and cut
off a gobet [a small piece] of his mantle and kept it. And when Saul was
gone out, soon after issued David out and cried to Saul saying: Lo!
Saul, God hath brought thee into my hands. I might have slain thee if I
had would, but God forbade that I should lay hand on thee, my lord
anointed of God. And what have I offended that thou seekest to slay me?
Who art thou? said Saul. Art thou not David my son? Yes, said David, I
am thy servant, and kneeled down and worshipped him. Then said Saul: I
have sinned, and wept and also said: Thou art rightfuller than I am,
thou hast done to me good, and I have done to thee evil. And thou hast
well showed to me this day that God had brought me into thine hand, and
thou hast not slain me. God reward thee for this, that thou hast done to
me; now know I well that thou shalt reign in Israel. I pray thee to be
friendly to my seed, and destroy not my house, and swear and promise me
that thou take not away my name from the house of my father; and David
sware and promised to Saul. And then Saul departed and went home, and
David and his people went in to surer places.

Anon after this Samuel died, and was buried in his house in Rama. And
all Israel bewailed him greatly. Then there was a rich man in the mount
of Carmel that hight Nabal, and on a time he sheared and clipped his
sheep, to whom David sent certain men, and bade them say that David
greeted him well, and whereas aforetimes his shepherds kept his sheep
in desert, he never was grevious to them, ne they lost not much as a
sheep as long as they were with us, and that he might ask his servants
for they could tell, and that he would now in their need send them what
it pleased him. Nabal answered to the children of David: Who is that
David? Trow ye that I shall send the meat that I have made ready for
them that shear my sheep and send it to men that I know not? The men
returned and told to David all that he ha