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[249]
As for himself, upon the prophet's commanding him to leave the desert,
and to go into the portion of the tribe of Judah, and abide there, he complied
therewith; and coming to the city Hareth, which was in that tribe, he remained
there. Now when Saul heard that David had been seen with a multitude about
him, he fell into no small disturbance and trouble; but as he knew that
David was a bold and courageous man, he suspected that somewhat extraordinary
would appear from him, and that openly also, which would make him weep
and put him into distress; so he called together to him his friends, and
his commanders, and the tribe from which he was himself derived, to the
hill where his palace was; and sitting upon a place called Aroura, his
courtiers that were in dignities, and the guards of his body, being with
him, he spake thus to them: - "You that are men of my own tribe, I
conclude that you remember the benefits that I have bestowed upon you,
and that I have made some of you owners of land, and made you commanders,
and bestowed posts of honor upon you, and set some of you over the common
people, and others over the soldiers; I ask you, therefore, whether you
expect greater and more donations from the son of Jesse? for I know that
you are all inclinable to him; (even my own son Jonathan himself is of
that opinion, and persuades you to be of the same); for I am not unacquainted
with the oaths and the covenants that are between him and David, and that
Jonathan is a counselor and an assistant to those that conspire against
me, and none of you are concerned about these things, but you keep silence
and watch, to see what will be the upshot of these things." When the
king had made this speech, not one of the rest of those that were present
made any answer; but Doeg the Syrian, who fed his mules, said, that he
saw David when he came to the city Nob to Ahimelech the high priest, and
that he learned future events by his prophesying; that he received food
from him, and the sword of Goliath, and was conducted by him with security
to such as he desired to go to.
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