King of Israel. When Saul was pursuing him, and after Saul had fallen into David's hands, not once but twice, and yet suffered no harm,[1] the very gentle David said to the very misanthropic Saul, "Why are you tracking me down, O king, in order to take my life? May the Lord judge between you and me and he will deliver me out of your hand. But I will not lay a hand on you,[2] just as it is said in the ancient parable, 'An offense will come forth from the lawless.'"[3] And the house of David grew stronger, but the house of Saul became weaker. Then after the foreigners were encamped against Saul, and after he had gone out to the ventriloquist and had received her oracle,[4] he eagerly[5] went to war battle and was struck in the abdomen[6] and died.[7]
This man[8] was outstanding in wars and was a careful observer of the laws and subdued all his enemies, and because of a few false steps he was distressed in life and disciplined with divine strokes. For in the sight of his own children he was all but driven from his kingdom and was made an object of laughter for his enemies. And he attended to these matters with repentance and with tears.[9]
But David was valiant and courageous like no one else. In his struggles for his subjects he was the first one to rush headlong into dangerous situations, in this way commanding his soldiers to labor and fight at their tasks, and not by giving orders as a despot would. He was competent both to consider and decide about arrangement of things about to take place and things already set in place. He was temperate, sensible, kind towards those who were in difficult circumstances, and without sin, except in the case of the wife of Uriah. And he left wealth such as no other king did, neither among the Hebrews nor among other nations.[10]
[Note] that David was anointed for kingship three times.[11]