Original subtitles

[♪]

NARRATOR: This is David,

immortalized by Michelangelo

in one of the world's most famous statues.

And this is David come to life.

♪ Surely ♪ [STRUMMING]

♪ Goodness and mercy ♪

♪ Will walk with me ♪

♪ All my days on Earth ♪

[♪]

NARRATOR: The Story of David.

Filmed in Israel, where 3000 years ago,

Saul was the first king

and David was a shepherd.

DAVID: ♪ Yahweh ♪ [STRUMMING LYRE]

♪ Guards me in his fields ♪

♪ And I do not hunger ♪

♪ He brings me to ♪

♪ The soft new grass ♪

♪ And the clear water ♪

♪ Of the pool ♪

♪ He raises up my spirit ♪

♪ He shows me the path of-- ♪ [ANIMAL SNARLING]

[GROWLS]

[GOAT BLEATS]

[♪]

[LION GROWLING]

[ROARS]

[BLEATS]

[BLEATS]

[♪]

MAN: Whoa!

[SIGHS]

[BIRD SQUAWKS]

Samuel!

[ECHOES] Samuel, Samuel...

Samuel!

[ECHOES] Samuel...

Prophet!

[CHANTING INDISTINCTLY]

Samuel.

Samuel.

[CHANTING INAUDIBLY]

Seer.

Prophet in Israel.

I am the Saul the King.

Here I am.

[RESUMES CHANTING]

Whose son are you?

Who are you?

[SPITS]

You know me, prophet.

You chose me out of Benjamin.

I was not a poor man.

I inherited my father's fields and farmed them.

I served my time in the militia of my tribe.

I could have lived and died like my father,

in peace.

But you chose me.

Yahweh chose you.

With your mouth.

Well,

you told me to fight

the enemies of Israel.

And for 20 years,

I've fought them.

Now,

let's talk of things as they are.

I've done as you told me.

Why do you now speak against me?

Why do you turn away from me

before my own men?

Come. Between us, now.

No one hears our words.

The Lord hears.

All right, then.

Between Samuel the prophet,

Saul the king and the Lord.

What is the truth?

We have pushed the sea people

back to the coast. Right.

Ha!

But the Philistines have rich cities.

They trade with Egypt.

And they hold the secret

of working iron.

Iron swords, iron spears, iron axes.

Prophet,

I've sent men running down the rocks

shouting for Yahweh

carrying swords made of copper and tin against iron.

Yahweh has brought victories.

It was the Lord our God who was king then.

But the people rejected him crying:

"Give us a king."

I know you did not want a king, Samuel.

Before you poured your oil on my head,

you were judge over Israel.

You were the only voice in Israel.

It was the voice of the Lord.

Through the mouth of Samuel.

[CHANTS]

Prophet, have I done anything

to make you less?

You broke Yahweh's law

when you made the sacrifice at Gilgal

but I am the Lord's prophet.

I waited seven days for you.

My army was melting away like fat on the fire.

The enemy was moving into position.

I had to fight while I had the advantage.

I-- They were 10-to-one against us.

You have not kept the commandment of the Lord.

Your kingdom shall not continue.

Oh, Samuel.

The dazzling in my eyes is coming--

It's followed by the blood coming to my head, splitting it.

Let me speak to you before I am sick.

Our enemies are strong.

Let there be peace between us,

or Israel will be destroyed.

[FABRIC RIPS]

[♪]

Yahweh has torn

the kingdom of Israel from you this day.

It is given to another.

Yahweh has repented

that he made you king

over Israel.

Prophet, I have fought for Yahweh.

He knows me.

I am still Saul.

Saul the king.

[MOANS]

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[HAMMERING]

[DONKEY BRAYS]

Is that all you brought, David?

Ten roasts?

What does our father think we can live on? Stones?

What's in that sack?

Oh, that's cheeses.

Cheeses?

For the captain of your thousand.

Let his family bring him cheeses.

When you get back, tell the old one to send meat.

I came by the valley trail

and I saw the Philistine camp across on the hill.

Ah, good thing they didn't see you, little brother.

Well, if I were a fighting man, I wouldn't hide in the rocks.

I'd go down on the plain and fight them.

Shammah. Yeah?

Send for the war chief.

The king of little goats has a new battle plan.

[BLEATS]

[ALL LAUGH]

Well, what's the use of gathering

all the fighting men of all the tribes

just to hide them in the hills?

Why not fight?

Down there on the plain?

Have you ever seen

a charge of Philistine chariots?

Great knives in the wheels

cutting you down like a wheat field.

Iron swords, sharp.

And archers with horned bows.

Copper. All it's good for

is cutting a cheese.

Maybe that's all Saul is good for.

Abinadab.

He's lost his edge for fighting.

ELIAB: Keep your tongue off Saul, brother,

or you'll choke on it.

Oh, our oldest brother is like Saul.

Whenever he sees a Philistine sword,

he waters his loincloth.

SHAMMAH: Hey, stop it, stop it.

Stop it.

David, come here. Hey, David.

David, come back and help me.

DAVID: ♪ The lions of Judah ♪ [STRUMMING LYRE]

♪ Are my brothers ♪

[STRUMS]

♪ Oh, hear them roar ♪

♪ On the mountains ♪

[STRUMS]

♪ Tremble ♪

♪ Oh, Israel ♪

♪ When my brothers ♪

♪ Roar ♪

♪ Why do they roar? ♪

♪ Oh, men of Judah ♪

Why?

[STRUMS]

Because you have eaten cooked beans

and your bellies are full of wind.

[ALL LAUGH]

Where is your father?

In his chamber, commander.

Where are you going?

Hunting.

Take six men, Jonathan.

[CHUCKLES] To hunt a partridge?

There is a raiding party to the south.

They burned two villages last week.

I haven't the men to send after you.

Saul?

Saul.

Saul.

Do you know me, Saul?

I know you.

Abner,

son of Ner, my father's brother.

Saul,

what is it?

Has the blood come to your head?

I heard them

in the night.

And the spirit of Yahweh is gone from Saul.

The old man took it away from me.

Samuel?

[LAUGHS]

Listen, cousin, he never forgets

the people came and said to him:

"Give us a king who knows how to fight."

In all the years Samuel was judge

did he ever win against the Philistines?

[LAUGHS]

Quiet!

He will hear you. He is Yahweh's prophet.

Let him hear me.

What does he do?

He cuts the throats of little lambs

and paints their blood on the altar horns.

You and I have butchered

Philistines, Ammonites.

And spilled their blood into Yahweh's land.

Yahweh is a God of battle, Saul.

You and I serve him.

I feel

the evil spirit from him.

It creeps into my heart in the night.

I sweat.

I dream.

Then I wake and cannot sleep again.

And--

I don't know why I--

I'm afraid

of nothing.

But the fear...

[GASPS]

...sits on my chest like a stone.

Wine, a whole jug, without water.

We'll get drunk, cousin.

And then

you will sleep.

Abner,

I am in a pit,

in a deep well.

And when I try to climb out,

the stones roll under my feet

and I fall back.

Abner.

Abner!

Help me.

[♪]

[LAUGHING]

Come.

My lord?

What? A goat and a jug of wine.

My father sent them with me as an offering.

Saul has a goat and a jug of wine. Come.

To do what?

What am I to do?

No one told you?

They said I was to play at the house of Saul.

ABNER: Then you know.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

How is he? Well.

Is this the player?

What's your name?

David, son of Jesse.

Ah.

Play well for my father.

Lord?

[♪]

[STRUMMING]

♪ He ♪

♪ That dwells ♪

♪ In the secret place ♪

♪ Of the most high ♪

♪ Shall abide ♪

♪ Under the shadow ♪

♪ Of the Almighty ♪

♪ I will say ♪

♪ Of the Lord ♪

♪ He is my refuge ♪

♪ He is my fortress ♪

♪ My God ♪

♪ In him ♪

♪ Will I trust ♪

♪ You will not fear ♪

♪ The terror by night ♪

♪ Nor the arrows That fly by day ♪

♪ Nor the plague of darkness ♪

♪ A thousand shall fall ♪

♪ At your side ♪

♪ And 10,000 ♪

♪ At your right hand ♪

♪ But the fear ♪

♪ Shall not ♪

♪ Come near you ♪

♪ There shall no evil ♪

♪ Befall you ♪

♪ No evil ♪

♪ Befall you ♪

♪ No evil ♪

♪ Befall you ♪

♪ Or your dwelling ♪

[♪]

Whose son are you?

[STRUMS]

Whose son are you?

David. I'm a shepherd.

I'm the son of Jesse of Judah, lord.

Play.

[STRUMS]

[GROANS]

Is that a song of Judah?

Oh, I don't know. I just play it.

It's not a song at all. [CHUCKLES]

I'm a child of Benjamin.

Do you know the harvest song of the Benjaminites?

[HUMS]

[PLAYS ALONG IN TUNE]

That's it.

The girls sing that when they toss the grain

up in the air in their baskets.

Ah.

[CHUCKLES]

I was a farmer before I was king,

before he came and poured oil on my head.

What's your name, boy?

I'm David, lord.

David. Mm-hm.

Never let an old man pour oil on your head.

[LAUGHS]

No, I'm telling you, it's bad luck,

for farmers and shepherds.

[GROANS]

[HUMMING]

[STRUMMING]

How are the crops this year in Bethlehem, David?

There was rain after sowing time, that's good.

The sprouts will be strong.

And they can take a dry time later.

[♪]

[LAUGHS]

[♪]

ELIAB: Brother.

I didn't believe it when they said

you were made armor bearer to the king.

SHAMMAH: Oh, look at the embroidery,

like a temple whore in Gaza.

[MEN CHUCKLE]

What do you do in the house of Saul?

Well, I count the weapons in Saul's storehouse.

And I, uh, tie the straps

on his breastplate,

sharpen his spear points with a stone.

What else?

Well,

when the evil spirit comes on him,

he sits alone in the dark and he sweats.

And, uh, his breath grows short.

His head splits.

And then,

they call for me.

[SCOFFS] What can you do?

I play.

ELIAB: You just play?

And then the evil spirit goes away.

Here he comes!

[♪]

[MEN CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]

What is it?

Philistines?

I see no army. Where are the Philistines?

Across the valley, over the ridge.

[HORSE WHINNIES] What is it?

[SPEAKS IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

Who is that?

Goliath of Gath.

He shouts his name every day.

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

I can't understand. What does he say?

Zachariah.

It's the dialect of the sea people.

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

Dogs that follow Saul,

eating his leavings,

send me one man to fight.

If he kills me,

then we will be your slaves.

But if I kill him,

then you will be our slaves.

Where are you dogs of Israel?

[LAUGHS]

Hiding under the rocks like dung beetles.

[♪]

[GOLIATH LAUGHS]

[LAUGHS]

[HORSE WHINNIES]

SAUL: No.

King-- No.

At least give me your body armor.

No. Let me go out against the man.

Does the hero of Gibeah now want added glory?

How many days can an army

listen to him bellow?

Father, he taunts the men of Israel and says:

"Who is this Saul that calls himself king

"that no man will defend?

"He is no king.

He is the eater of the dung of swine."

[GRUNTS]

Those are the words of Goliath of Gath.

Can I let him call my father that?

Lord.

Saul.

Cousin.

This man stands

a sword's length taller than you.

He can throw that iron spear

30 paces further than you can cast yours.

He carries armor heavier than you can lift.

He will kill you, my son,

and drag your corpse behind his chariot

in front of the whole of the army.

Jonathan!

ABNER: There are two things

that take the fight out of a man:

fear in the belly and a sickness in the bowel.

And our men do fear Goliath.

If I send any man out against him--

You, myself, Jonathan --and he's killed,

then everyone says the mightiest of Israel is slain.

Lord?

Lord, let me fight the Philistine.

You?

[CHUCKLES]

You fight the--?

[CHUCKLES]

Haven't you heard? He's a giant.

He's a warrior.

And you, well, your beard's still a shadow.

What would you do, David?

Wrap your lyre strings about him?

I killed a lion and a bear

when they came after my father's sheep.

Well, a bear does not wear an iron sword.

Abner, behold the champion of Israel.

How did you slay the lion?

With a sling.

Yeah.

In the manner of Judah.

He could sing him to death, huh?

[LAUGHS]

King.

Cousin.

Let the boy go out.

You're drunk.

Who knows what could happen in a fight?

A lucky stroke,

a sling can kill.

It is in Yahweh's hands.

He's only a boy. He'll be killed.

So?

Then only a boy is killed.

What glory is there in that for the Philistines?

What do we risk?

Lord,

if I can kill Goliath,

then your army will believe that Yahweh is strong.

ABNER: And that their god

has lost power.

And if he kills me,

well, I'm only a shepherd, so it will be a small thing.

[SIGHS]

Now, who will

play for me then?

Any fighting man has the right to take up the challenge, Saul.

He is not a fighting man.

There are other players of the lyre, cousin.

Lord,

let me go out

for Yahweh,

for Saul.

[♪]

Whoa.

[WHINNIES]

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

How close must you be to kill?

Oh, 30 paces. Less if I can.

He can cast his spear at 40.

If he closes to sword length,

he'll kill you.

[CHORLTES]

[SPEAKING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

You come with a spear, Philistine.

But I come with the name of the Lord of Hosts:

Yahweh.

Not too close.

[GRUNTS]

[SCREAMS]

Yahweh!

[SCREAMS]

Now we'll attack.

Here is the head of your enemy,

Goliath of Gath!

I have killed him for you, Saul!

And for Yahweh!

[ALL CHEERING]

[♪]

I was in that town three years ago.

The walls are doubled and guarded by many soldiers.

Did you break in then?

[CHUCKLES] I broke out.

We were inside. The Philistines surrounded us.

Well, lord,

you are the son of the king. What do we do?

I'll hold a counsel of war with my captain of a thousand.

What do we do?

How many in the garrison?

Uh, 400 from Gath and Ashqelon

and another hundred mercenaries.

If you were to take the main company

and go along the road, attacking the front gate...

Why not just line them up and cut their throats?

...I could take 200 men around the ridge to the high place.

We could come down where the wall runs into the cliff.

We'd be inside.

It's straight up that way.

I saw a goat halfway up.

And where a goat can climb,

so can men of Judah.

We'll have to wait till dark.

When it's moon dark, we will attack.

[♪]

[MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[HORN BLOWING]

[ALL CHEERING]

GIRL: ♪ Saul, Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain his thousands ♪

♪ But David, David His tens of thousands ♪

♪ Saul, Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain his thousands ♪

♪ But David, David His tens of thousands ♪

[LAUGHS] ALL: ♪ Saul, Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain his thousands ♪

♪ But David, David His tens of thousands ♪

♪ Saul, Saul... ♪

All he lacks now is the kingdom.

♪ ...David His tens of thousands ♪

ALL [CHANTING]: David, David, David,

David, David, David...

[♪]

[STRUMS]

♪ How long ♪

♪ Will you forget me ♪

♪ Oh, Lord? ♪

♪ Forever? ♪

♪ How long will you ♪

♪ Hide your face from me? ♪

♪ How long shall I Take counsel ♪

♪ In my soul? ♪

♪ Having sorrow ♪

♪ Ever sorrow ♪

♪ In my heart ♪

Play me

another song.

A song the women of Israel sing,

with the cymbals and the drum.

♪ Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain his thousands ♪

♪ And David, David His tens of thousands ♪

[CHUCKLES]

Play me that song, shepherd.

Play it for me.

Captain of a thousand.

♪ Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain his thousands ♪

♪ And David ♪

♪ David, his tens of thousands ♪

♪ Saul... ♪

[BLEATING]

WOMAN: David.

You are to lead your thousand

against the Philistines in the west.

How do you know?

I listened.

There's a meeting in the war chief's room.

Your brother, Jonathan, would be very angry.

David?

Do you remember when you first saw me?

I remember when I saw you.

I remember.

No, you don't.

I was a little girl.

I'm a woman now.

Fourteen.

A beautiful woman, Michal,

daughter of my lord.

David,

when you come back,

you will play the lyre for me.

I will sing you a song.

About a kitten.

Hm?

No.

When you play the lyre for me,

I will sing for you.

♪ Saul, Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain-- ♪

Your brother waits for me down at my lodge.

You may go, David.

She threw a fig at me and said it was unfair

that the men can go through the women of the household

like a goat in spring

while a sister must wither and dry up as a virgin.

Wither and dry up? Oh...

Fourteen, she said.

Followed by 15--

Then 16, huh?

David.

[BOTH LAUGH]

David, a girl who is 14 and throws figs at her brother

is ready for a husband.

And a man who squirts wine in his eye

is more than ready for a wife.

The daughter of the king?

Oh, no.

I'm the son of a king.

And I still only wear one shoe on each foot.

Well, who am I?

What is my father's family in Israel

that I should be son-in-law to a king?

Give him my sister, Father.

The people love David.

Michal?

Do you love him?

If my father ordered me to David's bed,

I would obey.

When the night sweat comes on me,

I'm afraid.

Afraid of David.

Married to Michal, he would be tied to the house of Saul.

[♪]

You tell him

Saul the king

asks for no bride price.

But for a dowry,

let him bring me proof

of the killing of a hundred of my enemies.

A hundred foreskins of the Philistines,

for vengeance.

Are you afraid for him, my son?

[♪]

David.

David. Wait, whoa.

David, take care and stay away from the garrisons

and the walled towns.

I've seen a man without a foreskin

but never a foreskin without a man.

[LAUGHS]

I must go where there are Philistines.

David, he said he was afraid of you when the spirit is on him.

He's giving me his daughter.

Yes, but if you are killed collecting the bride price,

I think he would only weep with one eye.

Oh?

Well, I have no intention of dying.

[ALL SCREAMING]

[MIDDLE EAST MUSIC BEING PLAYED]

David,

will you play the lyre for me?

I have forgotten how.

[LYRE BEING STRUMMED]

CHORUS: ♪ Saul, Saul ♪

♪ Saul has slain His thousands ♪

♪ And David, David His tens of thousands ♪

♪ Saul, Saul Saul has slain his thousands ♪

♪ And David, David His tens of thousand ♪

♪ David, David David, David ♪

♪ David, David, David David ♪

Die!

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[SCREAMS]

[BANGING ON DOOR]

GUARD: Michal, daughter of Saul.

We are ordered to bring David to the house of the king.

MICHAL: If you don't go now,

he will kill you.

What is it? We are sleeping.

GUARD: We must take David

to the king now.

MICHAL: Go away.

Tell my father David is sick.

[CAWING]

[♪]

MAN: David.

David, son of Jesse.

Prophet, I claim sanctuary.

I know.

There are men of the prophet in every place in Israel.

Even in the house of Saul at Gibea.

I have waited for you, David, son of Jesse.

Waited.

But how did you know that I--?

My hand has been on you, my prophets have watched you

and whispered your name throughout Israel.

If you are in danger,

seek sanctuary with the high priests of Nob.

And Yahweh said to me:

"Fill your horn with oil

"and I will send you to Jesse,

for I have provided me a king among his sons."

Yahweh says it.

And I have anointed him with oil,

and the spirit of Yahweh is on him.

And he will cause the house of Saul to crumble into dust

and blow away with the wind.

No. No.

No.

You are the anointed one.

No.

I am Saul's man.

He made me captain of a thousand.

Though he is ill and tried to kill me,

he is the anointed one.

His son is my brother

and his daughter is my wife.

Saul is the king.

Saul.

Saul is king.

Saul.

[♪]

[IMITATING BIRD WHISTLING]

What have I done?

What is my crime against Saul?

None. Come back with me, David. We'll go to Saul.

We'll swear your loyalty to him.

I need your strength and love more than ever now.

I was one step away from death.

His spear put a cold wind in my gut.

No, I must know before I can go back to Saul.

Can you go to him?

Find out if he's forgotten or if he still wants my blood.

And then come back and tell me.

Where? Here?

No. No, he may have someone follow you.

A field to the south across the wadi.

Where the little stone house stands from the old days.

Hide there.

I'll come out with my bow to practice.

If I tell the boy:

"Pick up the arrows and come back,"

then my father is at peace with you.

But if I tell him:

"No, the arrows are beyond you,"

then you will know that Saul is still your enemy

and you must go.

Jonathan,

you are the first after Saul in his house.

You will be king after him.

If you honestly believe that I am an enemy

to the house of Saul,

kill me now yourself.

Don't take me in a trap and bring me alive before Saul.

Brother.

If my father

wants your life,

I will tell you

and you will live.

You've seen David?

He is...

at Bethlehem with his, uh, father

for the yearly sacrifice.

You lie.

Oh, I know, I know.

You're all with him. You!

Connived to let him, my enemy, escape. And you.

You chose Jesse's son against me.

Against your father.

I am ashamed.

People will think you're not my son.

That she whored with some stranger

and he begot an ungrateful bastard.

Listen to me!

As long as Da--

As long as the son of Jesse lives,

you are in danger.

You will not be king of Israel after me while he lives.

Now, you've seen him.

You know where he is. Take him.

Bring him here.

He shall die. He deserves to die.

What has he done?

Why--? Why--? Why should he be put to death?

Fool! Choose him against me.

You take his path against me?

All of you. All. You all take a plot against me.

Well, I swore. I swore an oath.

That whosoever shall sin against me--

Out of my way, Abner.

--shall die. I swore it.

Be it my own son, he shall die.

I tell you, I am--

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Oh, God...

[♪]

No.

The arrows are beyond you.

I'll shoot no more today.

David?

David,

give me your hand.

Give me your hand.

We are of one blood, David.

Brothers.

Brother,

if you should take my father's place...

No.

...if you are king.

No. He is the anointed.

And your wise men say, "Kill all the remnant of Saul,

so none can rise in rebellion."

Even then,

be my brother.

And if I do not live,

you will not cut off my house.

No.

You come after Saul in Israel.

I have seen a king.

I would rather be David's brother.

Go.

Go quickly.

Go in peace.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

MAN: Ahimelech. [KNOCKING PERSISTS]

Wait.

Wait, I'm coming.

Captain of a thousand.

Where are your men, captain?

Why are you alone?

The king has sent me on his business

and has ordered me that no man know of it.

[CLATTER]

I have sent my soldiers on ahead to, uh, meet me.

Listen, Ahimelech, you are to help me.

I need supplies. You have food?

AHIMELECH: There is no common bread, captain.

That's the holy bread.

For the Lord's altar.

I've just come from Gibea.

From Saul?

Yes, from Saul and I'm hungry.

Well...

the fresh bread goes on the altar in the morning.

If you are on the business of the king.

I had to leave the king quickly.

I didn't have a chance to get my own weapons.

Do you have any?

There is no spear.

This is a house of the Lord, but--

The sword of Goliath.

The Philistine you killed.

[♪]

JOHAB: Every day we grow stronger and stronger.

DAVID: Yes. Soon we'll be 100 men.

JOHAB: There are men coming to you

from all parts of Judah, David.

Everyone in debt or in distress looks to you as their captain.

But how shall we live?

There is a spring nearby.

And in this cave we are not only safe,

but the farmers around us will now be safe.

Because they are wealthy,

they need protection from the Philistines.

So they will support us.

And we will defend them.

And the Lord will save us from the wrath of Saul.

MAN: We will need his help.

Especially now, when the news of the massacre at Nob is known.

What happened at Nob?

Who are you?

Abiathar.

Son of Ahimelech.

High priest at Nob.

Why are you in mourning?

He is dead.

My father is dead.

When it was told to Saul that you came,

that my father gave you bread,

Saul sent his soldiers and took all the priests.

They are dead.

And the town was sacked.

All dead.

Except for me.

I knew.

I knew that Doeg, that Edomite, would surely tell Saul

but...

I was afraid for my own life.

I caused the death of your father.

And of all the priests.

[♪]

Stay with me, Abiathar, son of Ahimelech.

For my enemy is yours.

And I will hold you safe.

[♪]

DAVID: Joab.

I repeated your words to Nabal, David.

"We come in peace," I said.

"We protected your sheep on the mountains," I said.

"Surely, you've got something for us,

for David and his 600 men."

"Who is this David?" he says.

"And why should I feed 600 men?

I've got my own house to feed."

What is his name?

Nabal.

[WHISPERS] Nabal.

How many months have we been in this place?

Have we ever stolen a sheep?

Have we ever burned villages?

Have we ever trampled grain fields?

No.

We drove the Philistine raiders out.

Oh, Nabal.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Yahweh,

curse me if I leave any man alive in his house by morning.

Man, child, ram or goat.

Lord, I am Abigail,

wife of Nabal.

Lord, my husband is a fool.

I was away when your men came or I would've welcomed them.

I have 200 loaves of bread

and two skins of wine.

And sheep.

And raisins and figs.

They are yours, lord.

And when it comes to pass

that Yahweh makes you prince over Israel,

then there will be no bloodguilt on you

over poor, foolish Nabal.

And when Yahweh heaps blessings on you, lord,

then you will remember Abigail, your handmaiden.

Nabal is a fortunate man to have such a wise wife.

[♪]

Lord, live forever.

I am David, son of Jesse, not lord. Drink.

Samuel is dead.

The prophet is dead.

Saul of Ramah?

MESSENGER: He was there for the burial

and the sacrifice.

Did Saul mourn for Samuel?

He was seized.

Fell

and bit the grass.

Once he said,

"Never let an old man pour oil on your head.

"It's bad luck for farmers

and for shepherds."

Where is Saul now?

He pursued a raiding party of Philistines to Meyon.

But there the people told him where David was.

How many men?

Three thousand.

He could chase the Philistines back to the sea

but he comes after you.

He's come after us before.

How long are you going to let an old man hunt you

like a partridge in the mountains?

Tell him, brother.

We went to the village of Abib.

You saved them from the Philistines.

They were our friends.

This time they hid from us.

Drove away the flocks. Took away the grain.

No one was there but an old man

sweating with fear.

Not of us. Of Saul.

He has made a law.

Anyone who gives us food or shelters us

or refuses to tell where we hide is to be killed.

The men will be hungry in five days and starving in 20.

Saul fished for us like a man with a spear.

Throwing it in the muddy water.

Now he's drying up the pond.

You must move now.

The old prophet was for you.

Judah would rise.

Part of Ephraim, half of Manasseh.

Only Benjamin would stay with that old madman.

[GRUNTS]

Should I start a war among the tribes?

Should I have the blood of Israel on my head?

Saul was as my father.

Your father is hunting you with 3000 men.

Move against him in the night.

How many of those 3000 will fight against David?

I am not a rebel against Saul.

Tell that to Saul.

You have no choice.

I am not a rebel against Saul.

If his men find you, your head will be on a spear

and your body nailed to the wall of Saul's house at Gibea.

The little children will point at it and say,

"See? That was David.

He was not a rebel against Saul."

Saul has an evil spirit sent from Yahweh to torment him.

But I have Joab, son of my sister.

Well, uncle...

at least send spies to number Saul's camp

and discover his plans.

Some sneaky, slippery fellow

who could wriggle on his belly like a snake.

[CHUCKLES]

[HORSE WHINNIES]

[MUMBLING]

[♪]

He's your enemy.

Yahweh gave him into your hand.

No.

Someday--

Someday, Yahweh will strike him.

Or he'll go into battle and be swept away.

But not by my hand.

No.

[♪]

DAVID: Abner!

Abner!

Abner, where are you, war chief?

You have not kept guard over the anointed one.

Abner.

You deserve to die.

Where is Saul's spear that was at his head?

Abner.

Here is the water jug that was at his hand.

Seize him!

No!

[♪]

[WHISPERS] David.

David.

David.

Lord.

[SOBBING] Why do you hunt me, lord?

What have I done to you?

If any man has made you to be angry at me,

let him be cursed!

For I am driven out

and away from the inheritance the Lord gave Abraham:

the land that is Israel.

I am forced to go and serve other gods.

Lord,

do not let me die a stranger somewhere.

My blood to run into the earth

away from the presence of Yahweh.

David.

David, my son.

Saul!

King of Israel!

Why do you hunt me like a partridge in the mountains?

Here!

Here is the king's spear!

Yahweh gave you into my hands, Saul.

But I would not raise it against you.

Saul.

Here is your spear.

David.

My son.

David.

[♪]

Yahweh,

what is there left for me to do?

I must escape into the land of the Philistines

or I shall be swept away by the hand of Saul.

[LAUGHTER]

Go on. Go on, David. Where did you raid next?

Then, into the southern lands of Judah, lord.

The wilderness of the Negev. [CHORTLES]

Judah? Your own tribe, eh?

[CHUCKLES]

What a delightful irony.

The sword of Achish the Philistine,

carried into the land of Saul by David of Judah.

Well, well. I am a good judge of mercenaries, eh?

For three years, the city of Gath

has had full measure for your pay.

And now loyal service should have a reward.

And I have one for you, David.

Revenge.

On your enemy.

What enemy, lord?

Saul.

King of Israel.

We're joining forces with all five cities of Philistia.

And this time, not a small raid but a war.

A hundred chariots from Gath, 4000 spearmen,

the same from Gaza and Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod.

And you and your men,

you will be our personal bodyguard.

This is your chance, David.

The destruction of Saul.

This is what you've been waiting for.

I know you, David.

If you know me, lord, you know what I will do.

So we raided the seven parts of Judah.

You know we never set foot in Saul's land.

Suppose he finds out we raided his own allies in the Sinai.

No, he won't. We left no witnesses, remember?

Yes, but this time there will be witnesses.

You wouldn't let me kill Saul in his tent with his own spear,

but you promised to march with the Philistines against him.

I did not promise.

But you just said--

I said, "If you know me, lord, you know what I will do."

Ah.

Who knows you, David?

Who knows what you'll do?

Do you know?

Do even you know what you'll do?

Hup!

[HORSE WHINNIES]

[GRUNTS]

[♪]

I--

I was not born to be a king.

I did the best I knew, you understand.

I did the best I could.

Samuel!

Show me what to do.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[GRUNTS]

Yahweh

is gone from you.

He said that

I heard the voice

of Samuel.

Yahweh has torn

your kingdom from you.

And I-- I remember.

Samuel's robe tore in my hands.

No. No. No, that was--

That was long ago.

And he-- He said:

"Yahweh will give Israel

"into the hand of the Philistines.

"And tomorrow each of you

"and your sons

will be in death with me."

KING: No, you're unreasonable.

David is my captain.

He's made his people abhor him.

Therefore he shall be my servant forever.

He is a Hebrew.

I know.

You remember what happened at Michmash.

The Hebrew mercenaries deserted us.

Joined the enemy. My father died there

because a Hebrew dog betrayed him.

Well, why would he desert? Saul longs for his blood.

In this battle,

I want all the Hebrews in front of me,

facing my spear.

I would put my life in David's hands.

I have. He and his men are my bodyguards.

Have you forgotten the song?

"Saul has slain his thousands.

And David his tens of thousands."

KING: No. I have the right to choose

my own men.

David marches with me against Saul.

There are five kings of the Philistines.

Four of us say

send the Hebrew back.

I am sorry, David.

I cannot let you go into the battle against Israel.

But, lord, what have I done?

Am I not to be allowed to fight against the enemies

of my lord, the king?

There's nothing I can do.

At first morning light,

leave with your men.

Don't misunderstand me, David. I do trust you.

But I cannot keep you in the battle against Saul.

[MOCKINGLY] "Lord, what have I done?"

[SCOFFS]

You lie like an Egyptian with a stone face.

"Am I not to be allowed to fight against the--?"

[LAUGHS]

Have those donkeys ready to move by first light.

Joab, are your men ready?

They will be.

Get that tent down. What are you waiting for?

[JONATHAN IMITATING BIRDSONG]

[WHISTLING]

[WHISPERS] Brother.

Jonathan.

[SIGHS]

You're safe here. You're safe.

The Philistines have gone to the north.

Jonathan, why have you come?

To see my brother.

Before we fought against each other.

We won't fight against each other, brother.

The Philistine princes don't trust me in the battle.

We're on our way to Ziklag.

Were they right, brother?

Would you have fought against Israel?

Well, Yahweh is with you.

Will you fight tomorrow?

There are too many of them.

The Philistine cities are sending their thousands.

I know.

When the-- When the spearmen charge tomorrow,

they will turn and run as if they're frightened.

Don't follow too closely, Jonathan.

The chariots will be there

waiting for you behind the ridge.

How many men have you?

Nine thousand.

About 2000 of them

sick with the running flux.

Put your slingers up front and try to break the first charge.

I will.

David,

you will be king over Israel.

No.

My father knows that.

You will be king.

No.

He sits in his tent and waits for death.

David,

when you are king,

do not destroy my seed.

We made a covenant before Yahweh.

Do not kill my children

to protect your throne.

Yahweh is between you and me

and between your seed and my seed

forever.

Jonathan.

[♪]

JOAB: David?

Lord?

What is it?

We are free of the battle against our own people.

The Philistines will smite your enemy

and you will have no bloodguilt.

Go.

Yahweh,

put your hand out over Jonathan.

And Saul.

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

[♪]

[GROANS]

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

Saul!

[SOBBING] Why?

Why?

[DAVID SOBBING]

DAVID: Thy beauty, oh, Israel.

Upon thy high places is slain.

How are the mighty fallen.

Tell it not in Gath.

Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,

lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice.

Ye mountain of Gilboa,

let there be no dew or rain upon you.

Neither fields of choice fruits

for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away.

The shield of Saul not anointed with oil.

Saul and Jonathan.

The beloved and pleasant in their lives.

Even in their death they were not divided.

They were swifter than eagles.

They were stronger than lions.

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

who clothed you in scarlet with other delights.

Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle.

Jonathan, upon thy high places, is slain.

I mourn for you, my brother Jonathan.

Very pleasant have you been to me.

Wonderful was your love for me, passing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen

and the weapons of war perished.

JOAB: David.

David!

David.

David the king!

King David!

King!

David!

King!

[♪]

[♪]

[♪]

NARRATOR: This is David,

the young shepherd boy

immortalized by Michelangelo.

And this is David, the king, come to life.

That is within the power of the king.

NARRATOR: The story of David,

the second king of Israel,

less than 3000 years ago.

After Saul, the first king of Israel

and his son Jonathan were killed by the Philistines.

David is king of his own tribe of Judah.

But the northern tribes still follow Saul's son, Ishvi.

[HORN BLOWS]

Fighting has gone on for six years.

[TRUMPETS]

One day, Joab, David's war chief,

receives a message from Abner,

war chief of Saul's son.

Joab, peace in the name of Ishvi, son of Saul,

the one king of Israel.

Abner, there is no peace

in the name of David, the anointed king.

The chosen ruler of Judah and all the south.

[HISSES]

Anointed?

Is that what you call your pretender?

Your King David?

The oil was poured on his head by Samuel, the old prophet.

[LAUGHS]

You pour oil on an onion before you eat it,

but that doesn't make it king.

It was your runner called me here to Gideon.

There are only 10 armed men.

And how many in the wadi beyond the village?

No more than you have behind the rocks on that ridge.

[SNICKERS]

Well, did you call me here to talk or to fight?

Joab, you and I know it takes more

than a prophet's horn of oil to make a king.

Now, we know that it takes spear points and politics

and lies.

David and Ishvi,

they've been fighting each other now since the old king died.

Are you tired, old man?

Yes.

When Saul was alive, there was one king

over Judah and Israel.

And you were his war chief.

Is that why you hauled his gutless son to Gideon

and stuffed him with straw

and propped him up with your spear

to keep him from falling over?

Ishvi is a son of Saul.

If you've something to say, say it.

They won't keep a truce for long.

[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

Ah...

Ah, we'll all be fighting before high sun.

They have been for six years.

Abner, in time, David will win,

and he will hang Ishvi's body on the wall at Hebron.

Maybe, in time.

But now it is we who have the northern tribes.

Who knows who will hang

on whose wall.

[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

Joab, brother.

[♪]

Abner.

[CHUCKLES]

Now listen,

Asahel,

brother of Joab.

[♪]

[LAUGHS]

Find someone else.

[WAR GRUNT]

Take someone else's armor.

Now, turn away.

I want no blood feud with Joab.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[♪]

[HUFFS]

[DAVID SINGING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

DAVID: ♪ Got me in his fear ♪

♪ And I do not harbor ♪

♪ He brings me ♪

♪ To the soft new grass ♪

♪ And the clear water ♪

♪ Of the pool ♪

♪ He raises up my spirit ♪

♪ He shows me the path Of righteousness ♪

♪ So I ♪

♪ May worship him ♪

♪ Though I walk In the low places ♪

♪ Where is the darkness Of death ♪

♪ I will fear no harm ♪

♪ For you are with me ♪

♪ Your strong shepherd's staff ♪

♪ Gives me... ♪

[BABY WHIMPERS]

♪ ...peace ♪

My son.

My son. [CRIES]

Oh, whose child is this?

Mine, lord.

Oh, yes, Adonijah.

Ephraim, lord.

Adonijah is my son, lord.

Oh, yes. Of course.

[BABY WHIMPERING]

Lord, this is your firstborn son, Amnon, remember?

Get up, fool. It's the king.

Sit. How far did you run?

Through the village of Karesh in Benjamin, lord.

Do you have a scroll? No, lord. The war chief

told me the message and made me say it back to him three times.

From Abner, son of Ner, to David, son of Jesse at Hebron,

who's is the land.

Make your alliance with me.

I can bring all Israel and the north with me.

Is that all?

Yes, lord.

I can say it again word for word.

Why would he break with Ishvi now?

You can't trust him.

All right, those are Abner's words.

But there's always a message hidden under a message.

You remember a woman Saul had, Weisbar, the concubine?

So did Abner, and he took her.

Oh, lord, everyone knows the women of a dead king

belong to his successor.

Ishvi scolded Abner like a small boy

caught stealing a cheese.

Ishvi is a fool.

But now, Abner, he's an empty wineskin.

I heard the war chief shout.

He swore to Yahweh he would pull down the house of Saul

and set up the throne of David from Dan to Beersheba.

It's too simple.

What will he want from you?

The question is, what do I demand of Abner?

If I offer him anything, he'll think I need him.

Tell Abner I will meet him.

But before I see his face,

he must bring me Michal, daughter of Saul.

David, Saul gave her to another man.

You can't-- Do you understand?

Say it back to me three times.

I want Michal,

daughter of Saul,

who is my wife.

PALTIEL: No, there is a mistake.

You do not understand.

Why do you bring soldiers to my house?

What have we got to do with soldiers?

Are you ready, Michal,

daughter of Saul, wife of David of Judah?

PALTIEL: No, that's not right.

That was all changed.

She was given to me by Saul, by the king.

Paltiel, please.

No. No, let me explain.

It's a simple mistake.

She was the wife of David,

but we are married now for years.

Michal, the wife of Paltiel.

If there's anything you want to take,

I have pack donkeys.

Abner,

my father's war chief, he wants me?

[SIGHS]

He was a beautiful man. His hair was red.

Is it still red?

They say so. I haven't seen him.

I was 14.

I loved him.

And I loved my father

and my brother Jonathan.

And they are dead.

War chief,

it's very hard to remember how a girl loves when she is 14

when she's lived as another man's wife

all these years.

Abner,

why does he want Michal?

The wife of Paltiel?

No, he wants the daughter of Saul.

When we were married, I wondered,

"Why does he love me?"

I thought it was for my eyes.

Which were bright, weren't they, Abner?

Yes.

Now my eyes are not so bright.

They've seen 5000 days and nights

in my husband's house.

There is still one thing left David can love.

I am still the daughter of Saul

who was king of all the tribes of Israel.

Abner...

[SOBS] ...you cannot send her to him.

Now,

David is king in Hebron,

and, uh, if he and I come to a bargain,

he'll be king of all Israel,

and you will be the first wife of a king.

I am already the daughter of a king,

and it's not done much for me.

Michal!

[♪]

Stay!

[♪]

Do you remember, David, the first time

that I took you to Saul's room?

Do you remember what you said?

You said, "Lord, there is a goat

that my father sent as an offering."

And you said, "Saul has a goat."

[LAUGHS]

Were you afraid of Saul, David?

I was a shepherd, he was a king.

When Yahweh's sickness was upon him when his eyes burned,

yes.

Hm. And when you to played for him

like a man falling asleep

in the arms of an Egyptian whore.

♪ You will not fear ♪

♪ The terror of night ♪

♪ Nor the arrows That fly by day ♪

♪ Nor the plague of darkness ♪

♪ Nor the blight ♪

♪ That waits at noonday ♪

Yes.

It was high sun when the Philistines found Saul

with his own sword in his belly

and cut off his head.

Your friend, Akish.

My hand was never raised against Saul.

I loved him.

And I was his war chief,

and here we are alive.

You planning to take Saul's throne,

me to help you by betraying his last son.

[SNICKERS]

Saul, laugh with us.

King, live forever.

Have you spoken to the elders of Benjamin?

Mm.

Will they recognize me as king?

David.

King.

I brought you Michal, the daughter of Saul.

Now you want me to--? To bring you the--?

The elders of Benjamin

and the powers of Ephraim and all of Israel in the north?

And what am I receiving?

Just a piece of old roast goat.

What do you want to go with your meat, Abner?

There be one king and one power and an army

and a war chief.

I have Joab, son of my sister.

He's a good man for fighting in the mountains,

stealing geese from farmers.

But what can he say to the elders of Asher and Benjamin

about leaving the house of Saul for a David?

You need me, David, son of Jesse,

king in Judah only.

Take the meat, Abner.

We'll find some spice to go with it.

[LAUGHS]

Abner is here.

Abner!

With my brother's blood on his head,

and you let him go in peace?

You fed him

with roast meat and oil and honey,

and you let him go in peace.

Joab. You let Abner

come into your house and count your men

and see how the gates are built and where the walls are weak,

and you let him go in peace.

Uncle, you are a fool.

Abner was Saul's war chief.

Without him, Ishvi is no king.

He's a gelded sheep.

I need Abner.

The tribes of Benjamin and Ephraim follow him.

He can bring me the whole of the north.

And he is to go in peace.

Well, what did he say, brother?

[♪]

Send a runner north to the well at Borsora

where Abner will camp for the night.

The king wants him to return here.

[♪]

Wait! My men are outside!

[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[POUNDING ON DOOR]

[GRUNTS]

[MEN GRUNTING]

I had them.

After six years, I had them all.

The elders of Benjamin, Ephraim, Asher, Jesuit, Judah.

I had them all.

And you.

You stupid bloody fool!

You murdered him.

You sent for him in my name and you murdered him.

And who will believe it was not my order?

All the tribes in the north will say

that David brought Abner to his house,

gave him bread and salt

and butchered him like an ox.

And they will go to Ishvi again,

and they will call him king.

My enemies I can fight,

but when my servants are bloody stupid fools...

My brother, Asahel's blood, cried out against Abner.

I had the blood right--

You?

Abner's blood will drown me.

David's name will stink in the nose of Israel

like a dog dead in the sun for three days.

There would've been one king over all Yahweh's people

from Dan to Beersheba,

without war, without fighting.

What blood will be spilled on the ground now?

Oh.

What bloodguilt will you have, Joab?

Yahweh will call for a life to pay for Abner's life.

A butcher must be butchered,

and the people will know that I had no part of this.

King, I am your servant.

Kill me.

I have killed for you.

When Saul hunted you in the mountains

when you fought in the army of Achish the Philistine,

I killed for you.

For six years,

I killed the men that Abner sent after you

in the name of Ishvi.

I made you an army

that brought you from the wilderness here to Hebron.

The tribe of Benjamin and Ephraim and Asher

followed Abner.

But your army

follows Joab.

But

if Yahweh calls for my death,

kill me.

Joab,

when Abner's body is washed,

when it is carried to the burial cave,

you and your people

will tear your clothes and gash your face.

And you will follow his body,

howling and wailing like pregnant widows.

No!

Wrong, David.

He was my blood enemy.

Listen to me, son of my sister!

I need you and your army.

Ishvi will fall.

I must take the walled cities one by one.

I want the Jebusite town of Jerusalem for my own city

because it stands on neutral ground

between north and south.

All this I have planned but you,

you blundering stupid fool.

Now,

follow Abner's body

or follow Abner.

[MEN CHANTING INDISTINCTLY]

[SPEAKING FOREIGN DIALECT]

[SHOUTING IN FOREIGN DIALECT]

[♪]

Listen to me,

people of Israel and Judah.

I am David,

king.

Before Yahweh,

I swear

I had no part in the blood of Abner,

son of Ner.

Let the blood fall on Joab.

Yahweh's curse is on his house.

MAN: Stone him!

ALL [CHANTING]: Stone him! Stone him!

Please, don't.

Let the Lord punish the crime of Joab.

I turn my face from him.

He's war chief of my army no more.

So that the people may know

that David, king,

had no part in the killing of Abner,

son of Ner.

[♪]

[INAUDIBLE]

There.

Behind the brush. Stay down.

They have sharp eyes on the city wall.

Joab, why take the risk?

David made you eat dirt before Abner's body.

But I'll spit it out.

I know David.

If I give him the city of the Jebusites up there,

I'll be his war chief again.

He swore he would never turn his face to you.

He never will turn his face to me,

until he needs me.

And then he will make a song which says

he swore to make the man who took this city his commander,

then everybody will sing it and believe it,

and David will believe his own song.

Because the truth for a king is what he needs.

And David needs Jerusalem.

BROTHER: Are you sure the tunnel

leads all the way?

JOHAB: Last night, I crawled up the shaft.

It goes through the mountain,

rising about 400 cubits

to the water pool then straight up the well shaft

to just inside the walls of the city

no more than 20 cubits from the caravan gate.

BROTHER: You make it sound easy, brother.

What about the men?

JOHAB: Take them to below the caravan gate.

I'll open it from the inside.

[♪]

[MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

David, king,

the city is yours!

Jerusalem, the fortress.

David's city.

[♪]

MAN: David, rejoice

in the eyes of Yahweh!

Hey, David the king,

in the eyes of Yahweh!

Rejoice!

MAN: David, king in the eyes of Yahweh and Jerusalem.

[ALL CHANTING]

Rejoicing Yahweh,

rejoice.

[INDISTINCT CHANTING]

Rejoicing Yahweh,

rejoice.

[♪]

Clap your hands

all you people.

Shout to on high,

in the voice of God.

[♪]

[ALL CHANTING INDISTINCTLY]

[ALL CHANTING]

This is the bread blest by Yahweh's peace to the Ark.

I brought it to you.

Give it to one of your other wives,

great king.

Michal, I chose you

because this is a night of blessing.

Tonight, my enemies seem far away.

I wanted to remember

Saul, your father,

and Jonathan, your brother.

Do you remember how you and I and Jonathan

would sit in the cool of the dark on the roof at Cabaya.

I would look at you and we'd smile secretly,

because we loved Jonathan,

but if only he would grow tired and go to bed,

then we could go to bed.

My brother Jonathan is dead.

Saul is dead.

I still mourn for him.

And for Jonathan.

I tore my clothes.

I made a death song for them.

But you are alive,

and you sit in my father's place

and you took me from my husband as a sign for Israel.

"See? David is legitimate.

He has the daughter of Saul."

Michal.

When we were young, we loved one another.

Michal.

All Israel is at peace.

Today, I--

I put the Ark of the Covenant into my city

and Yahweh blessed me with honor.

What honor? I saw you today

jumping before the people like a slave girl.

Is that honor?

Uncovering yourself before the women.

Robes flapping, showing your root

and your buttock like a priest of Sodom.

My father was not a king like that.

Saul was a man.

[GASPS]

If I uncovered myself, it was before my God, Yahweh,

who chose me over your father

and all his house to rule Israel.

And if Yahweh calls me,

I will be more vile than that in your eyes.

Michal.

Your eyes are like Jonathan's.

Let me go.

There are too many years between us.

David, let me go back to my husband, Paltiel.

He wept for me.

No.

A king cannot let anything go that is his.

You have no heart.

When you were young, you could love.

Can you love anyone now, David?

You can conquer,

you can rut among the women like a randy goat.

But can you love?

Well. Here am I.

I am the king's.

But if we have a son,

remember he will have the blood of Saul.

Will you not be afraid

that he will turn out to be another David

to your Saul?

[♪]

Now, you are the wife of the king,

but you will have no more sons.

[♪]

♪ Yahweh ♪

♪ Yahweh ♪

Are you there?

With those stones,

the laws you gave to Moses,

that our people carried into Canaan to battle?

To the Ark of Yahweh.

Yahweh,

you brought me to this mountaintop.

You took me from my father's sheep,

to Saul, to Jonathan and to Michal.

It is now lost to me.

So many are dead,

and I live,

and I am king.

Why?

Yahweh,

they came to me

and they said,

"You must not leave one of the seed of Saul alive

as a danger to you."

Now, that is said. Any fool knows that.

They brought before me a boy, Jonathan's son,

who was crippled in both feet,

and he was sure he would die after the custom of all nations.

But I looked at him

and I saw the face of Jonathan.

And I raised him up

and sat him beside me,

and I restored the lands of Saul to him.

Now, why did I do that?

No king from Egypt to the land of Hazor

would have done so.

Tell me, Yahweh,

which is David?

The warrior who wades in the blood of his enemy,

or the fool who weeps because he sees Jonathan's eyes

in a crippled boy?

Yahweh, to be king,

to see the blood of your enemy...empty.

What is it I search for?

And I play the same phrase over and over,

and I know that somewhere there is music

that is more beautiful.

[♪]

Who am I, Lord,

that you have brought me thus far?

You know my soul, Lord.

Be a father to me.

If I'm weak,

if I sin,

let enemies work your punishment upon me in the ways of men.

But Lord,

Yahweh, God,

do not take your mercy from me and my house

as you did from the house of Saul.

Let me not fear for my sons.

Yahweh,

let the house of David,

servant,

be blest forever.

[♪]

SCRIBE: Now we are writing down the holy words

in the way of the Phoenicians.

Here.

What have you written today, Seriah?

When Kenan was 70 years old, he begot Mahalalel.

After the birth of Mahalalel,

Kenan lived 840 years and begot--

Scribe, we will run out of sheep

for skins to write your begettings.

But, lord, we must show the people

that the house of David is blest through Yahweh

and in a legitimate line, from Abraham, who begot Isaac,

who begot Jacob, who beg--

Scribes.

When I was a boy in my father's house,

and the old men of the tribe chanted the holy stories

and beat us with sticks if we did not remember,

my skin crawled with wonder.

I could see Abraham, our father,

and the Angel of Death killing the firstborn of Egypt,

and Joshua taking the city of Jericho.

I warn you, scribes,

let that wonder

come through your Phoenician chicken tracks on sheep skin.

Do not let the singers and the storytellers

and the dreamers be lost

in your priestly begetting of the generations.

And do not bleach out the souls of our fathers

to a fish-belly white.

Write down their sin,

their stubbornness,

their weakness.

For that makes them men.

"From taxes on caravans on the way of the sea.

"Silver, weighing 4 talents.

"Grain, barley, 1000 measures.

"Rye, 750 measures.

"Egyptian linen of middle-grade bolts,

to the value of 1 talent of silver."

How long has the hot wind blown off the Sinai?

JEHOSEPHAT: Seven days, lord.

It began on the day of the driving out

of the sin-goat into the wilderness.

Do you know the law of the Amalekites

in the desert of the Negev?

After four days of the hot wind

there is no bloodguilt if a man commits murder.

[SIGHS]

Where is the cool wind from the north?

In the mouth of Yahweh, lord.

"Iron bars, weighing 50 talents.

"Purple dye from Tyre, 50 measures.

"Cinnabar, a hundred weight.

"Tanned leather hides, first grade, a hundred.

"Middle grade, 150.

"Copper from the western islands. In bars, 100.

"Smelted with tin, 50 bars.

"Earrings to the weight of 5 talents.

[♪]

"Log wood dye, 50 measures.

"Similar bonds, treated within the harbor of Tyre, 500.

Slings, taken from the city of Moab..."

[JEHOSEPHAT SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

...Siege of the city of Amman..."

[JEHOSEPHAT SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Lord, what will you do?

Lord?

Joab asks for harems, builders and stone

to make a ramp for him to storm the wall of Rabbah.

Send them.

But, lord, they're still working here on your great house.

If Joab doesn't take Rabbah,

we do not rule the way of the eastern caravan

and I will not need a great house in Jerusalem.

Send the builders.

Jehosephat.

Lord.

There was a woman on that roof.

Who is she?

JEHOSEPHAT: That is the house of Uriah.

The woman would be his wife, Bathsheba.

Uriah.

A foreigner, lord, a Hittite, but he follows Yahweh now.

He is with the fighting men at Rabbah.

[♪]

[PLAYING, HUMMING]

Come into the light.

[PLAYS, HUMS]

So you are Bathsheba.

Did you wonder why I sent for you?

But you came.

I am your servant, lord.

Your handmaiden.

[STRUMMING]

[HUMS]

I couldn't sleep.

The hot wind.

No one sleeps when the hot wind comes, lord.

A man's soul is parched.

The linen he wears is hot

and rough.

Like Canaan cloth.

I saw you on your rooftop.

When you bathed.

I have seen you often, lord.

David.

Mm, my heart's love?

When you took Michal to wife,

did you choose her every night?

I was younger then.

When Ahinoam was young, was she more beautiful than I?

Did Michal please her lord more than I?

Bathsheba, my heart,

I'm trying to read the report of Joab

of the battle of Rabbah.

You have six wives, lord, and concubines.

When your eyes close and your face is buried in my hair,

do you know which I am?

I know that you are Bathsheba,

my heart.

Even if my eyes were blind, I would know you.

You are written on my heart.

On a scroll which lists the things a king desires:

gold, cities, slaves.

My heart.

I would love you,

care for you and protect you, even if I were a shepherd.

Lord,

I am with child.

Can you be sure?

It is four weeks past my time.

There are many reasons for a woman to be late.

This is my 10th year.

I have been with the moon always.

Your seed is growing, lord.

By Yahweh.

[CHUCKLES]

I am a mighty ram.

A bull.

[LAUGHS]

[GROWLS]

[LAUGHS]

Rejoice.

You carry the seed of David.

Lord, my husband, your captain, Uriah,

has been at the war in Rabbah four months.

Well?

When my belly grows

with the seed of David,

will there be anyone in Jerusalem foolish enough

not to count upon their fingers?

[SCOFFS]

It will be nothing.

It will be adultery, proven,

and the punishment for that is the death of heavy stones.

I am the king.

Who will dare make such a charge?

No one, lord.

No one will make a charge against you,

but a woman with her belly carrying a bastard--

The priests will drag her, me, to trial.

Nathan, the prophet,

would thunder and threaten Yahweh's curse.

The law is hard on women, lord.

Even a king could not save a woman who is proved adulterous.

I will not let them.

Can even you go against the priests

and Nathan, the prophet?

No, not now.

With the new taxes for the war at Rabbah,

and the numbering of the people for the army,

if I go against the custom of Israel,

the priests will pull me down.

Has Samuel turned against Saul?

But there are always other ways.

You are with child only two months.

Why should it not be your husband's child?

Because Uriah, my husband, has been at Rabbah four months.

That is within the power of the king.

[♪]

Uriah, the Hittite,

captain of a hundred.

King, live forever in Yahweh's blessing.

King, li--

Captain.

I have called you from the fighting to report to me.

Me, lord?

How does the fighting go against Rabbah?

I don't know, lord.

Well, you have just come from there.

The dust of the road is still on your feet.

Lord, I am not called to the tent of the war chief

or the council.

I just command a hundred in one corner of the wall

near the reed swamp.

Well, how does the fighting go in your corner of the wall

near the reed swamp?

Very well.

Well, that is,

uh, they shoot down arrows,

we wait.

Good. Very, very good.

How are your fighting men, captain?

Like all fighting men.

Some run away

but steal what they can.

Some are brave.

They all complain.

[SIGHS]

Captain, your report is very important.

It is?

DAVID: You have the favor of the king.

Now, go down to your own house

and wash the dust from your feet.

Rest.

Refresh yourself.

I will send food to you from my table.

[♪]

Lord David.

What are you doing here?

You're supposed to be down there with your husband.

That would be very difficult, lord.

That fool is camping outside

in the courtyard with his troops.

I am lying on my bed naked,

anointed with oil of myrrh,

and he is sleeping on the stones

with 50 soldiers with sweaty feet.

[CHUCKLES]

And they roll heavy stones off the walls

which hit the base, which slants up, so the--

The stones bounce and crush our men.

You're very clear.

Most valuable.

Oh...

Last night, they tell me,

you slept on the stones outside with your soldiers.

Yes, lord.

DAVID: Well, why didn't you

go into your house?

The law.

The law?

Yahweh's law.

Joab of my lord's army is at war,

living in the field.

Shall I go into my house

and eat and drink and lie with my wife?

Most men would.

It is Yahweh's law.

No soldier in battle shall touch a woman,

his wife, or concubine, or follower of the camp.

Oh, that law.

[SIGHS]

But, Uriah, that is a law of ancient days.

I mean, a little refreshment makes a man fight better.

Lord, I was born a Hittite.

I followed false gods

till I was brought to the way of Yahweh.

The Ark of the Lord is at the battle.

Can I be impure and sleep with my wife

when the law of Yahweh is clear?

Surely the king would not tell anyone to break holy law.

No, no. Of course not.

Captain, you are more pious and scrupulously righteous

than a man born to Yahweh's law.

I commend you.

Tomorrow, I will let you return to your fighting.

To victory.

[♪]

DAVID: Uriah, go down to your house.

You deserve comfort and joy.

URIAH: Bathsheba?

Bathsheba?

[URIAH CHUCKLES]

Bathsheba?

[KNOCKS]

[KNOCKING PERSISTS]

Open!

Open to the master of the house.

Bathsheba, I'm here.

I'm here, Bathsheba.

The lion of Catushar.

The stallion of the Hittites.

[KNOCKING]

Let me in, or by Yahweh who lives--

Who said "Yahweh"?

Yahweh.

What am I doing?

Oh, Yahweh, I swear I did not mean to break your law.

Yahweh, keep me from sin.

I-- I call you to witness.

I did not go in to my wife.

I did not go in.

I am pure, Yahweh.

I am pure in your sight.

I am pure

in your s-sight...

Yahweh.

[♪]

The king put this in your hand?

Yes, war chief.

Do you know what he writes here?

No, war chief.

Captain...

Uriah.

You're a good fighting man.

You may go back to your hundred.

The west gate of the city

where they send out sallies.

Put Uriah the Hittite there.

Give him orders to follow any man back to the gate.

To the gate?

Do not ask questions.

Never ask questions.

[♪]

MESSENGER: They sent spearmen out

from the west gate of the city,

and our hundreds drove them back,

and pursued them to the gate,

and they threw heavy rocks from the wall and arrows.

And some of your fighting men were killed.

Your captain, Uriah the Hittite,

is dead also.

[WOMEN SCREAMING]

[ALL HOWLING]

[SCREAMING]

[GROANING]

The baby is in breech.

[MEN LAUGHING]

Yurmate, Banco, what are you listening for?

They will blow the ram's horn from the woman's house

when the child is born, lord.

YURMATE: When David's son is born,

he'll raise the ram's horn and blow it himself.

Nathan, prophet.

Welcome to the house of David.

Bring water to wash the prophet's feet.

Come, sit at my right hand.

David, son of Jesse.

I come with a matter for the king's justice.

This is no time for ordinary matters

of law and judgment.

We're waiting for the birth of the son of David, the king.

The prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh.

Here is the case for the judgment of the king.

There were two men:

One, rich.

Many sheep, donkeys and goats.

The other, poor.

He had nothing but a little ewe lamb.

He raised that lamb. He fed it with his hand.

He loved it as his children.

And there came a traveler to visit the rich man.

The rich man did not take any animal from his own herd

to feast the stranger,

but he took the poor man's lamb

and killed it,

and roasted it to serve the traveler.

This is the case.

Make a judgment, David. King.

Aye, Yahweh.

This man deserves to die.

Judgment:

The man shall be fined

four times the value of the lamb

because he had no pity.

You are that man.

This says Yahweh:

I anointed you king of Israel,

and saved you from the hand of Saul.

Why have you despised the word of Yahweh

to do evil in my sight?

Prophet, you are before the king.

The king of Israel is not like the kings of other lands.

He is the servant of Yahweh.

Uriah the Hittite, you have killed with a sword,

and therefore the sword shall never depart from your house.

For you have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.

Behold.

I will raise up evil against you out of your own house,

for this you did secretly,

but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.

Joab!

I have sinned

against Yahweh.

Yahweh hears you.

But by this thing,

you have blasphemed Yahweh.

You will not die.

But the child that is born to you

will surely die.

[♪]

My love.

David, my own king.

[SOBBING]

Well, you can have another son.

Oh, my beloved.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

Must all speak at once?

Your firstborn, lord, Amnon, my son.

You promised him rule over three villages in Benjamin.

Look at him, lord. Absalom.

The people follow him and say,

"The lion of Judah is born again."

WOMAN: He has your blood too, lord,

my son, Adonijah.

Should he be made small for the sons of Ahinoam and Maachah?

Now, hear me.

All the sons of my wives are in my heart.

DAVID: Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah

and all the others

ever as Yahweh lives.

If I can rule all Israel from Dan to Beersheba,

I can rule the women of my house.

Amnon is my firstborn.

He is my right hand.

He is first after me,

and he will rule over the three villages in Benjamin.

And all men will obey him

when he speaks in my name.

[INDISTINCT WHISPERING]

Abigail.

Lord?

[SIGHS]

Why have I not seen you for so long?

I have been here, lord.

But you have many wives,

and you must see to them.

Woman,

you were wise when you came to me from Nabal.

Tell me,

why is there no peace in my house?

ABIGAIL: Lord, when they were young

they had power over you through their bodies.

But there are always younger wives

brought into the house of the king.

So now, their whole world is their sons.

And they plan and they whisper in their ears,

and they scratch and they claw

to gain power over all the others.

And they know, Yahweh let it not happen

that when the king dies,

only one son will rule.

And it is the way of all kings

that he will feel safe

only when he sees the blood of all his brothers.

So there can never be peace in my house?

I am at peace, lord.

I have no son to send out into the race.

I am like you, lord.

I am alone.

DAVID: ♪ Hear my cry ♪

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Yahweh ♪

♪ Listen to my prayer ♪

[GROANS]

When I was a boy,

lying in the high grass above Bethlehem,

watching my father's sheep...

[SIGHS]

...a song came into my heart

like water bubbling up out of the earth.

There are many things that are not as they were

when we were young, uncle.

Your son Amnon--

I do not wish to hear.

He judges in your name these past three years,

but he sells your justice and-- Joab.

--in your name, and he makes the name of David a stench--

He is my son. Uncle, listen to me.

No!

After all, am I without sin?

He's my son, he's my firstborn.

He has my blood.

He has your blood.

[♪]

Tamar.

You mean she's the one?

Beautiful.

MAN: You can't.

She's your father's daughter.

Your brother Absalom's sister.

Your father, do you know what he will do?

I am my father's firstborn.

He will deny me nothing.

[MEN LAUGHING]

AMNON: Sister.

The king, our father, said I was to bring you some cakes

because you were ill, Amnon.

Tamar, come in.

Uh, Jonadab, let you and my men leave me.

Brother?

Come, sister.

Bring me the cakes.

[GASPS]

No. Tamar, it is for you

that I am ill.

No. No, brother, you must not do this evil.

No!

[♪]

[GROANING]

[WHIMPERS]

[SOBBING]

Sister.

And after, he called his people

and he said:

"Put this whore out of my house."

Where will I go?

One of my own brother's--

You will stay here with me, sister,

and we will be silent.

He is his firstborn.

[SNIFFLES, CRIES]

Wait, sister.

Wait.

[MEN LAUGHING]

[ALL CHANTING INDISTINCTLY]

[ALL GUFFAWING]

[♪]

Absalom.

Brother.

[METAL SLICES]

[SCREAMING]

My son!

Amnon, my son.

He's dead.

Your son.

He killed him.

Absalom murdered him!

He killed my son.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[SCREAMS]

[CLATTERING, SCREAMING]

[WAILING]

Your son is dead and mine lives.

Absalom lives and he will be king.

He is safe in my father's city.

He lives

and he will be king.

Woman,

I am king.

And after me,

I will say who will be king.

Now, I am bereft of my firstborn.

He has been struck down.

My son, my beautiful Amnon, is dead,

and Absalom is fled into exile.

And in exile he will stay.

[♪]

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

Help. Grant me justice, oh, king.

Help me.

What is your trouble, woman?

My husband is long dead, lord.

I had two sons,

and they fought with each other in the fields,

and there was none that could part them.

And one of them struck the other and killed him.

And now the family has risen up against me and said:

"Give me your son

who has killed his brother, that we may kill him for his murder."

If my last son dies,

my husband's name will be gone from the face of the earth.

Lord,

protect my son.

You are protected.

The king's judgment.

Do you swear, lord,

by Yahweh,

that my son shall not be destroyed?

As Yahweh lives.

Your son is safe. I have given judgment.

Then you are in violation of your own judgment, lord.

If my son is forgiven

and called home,

why does the king not call home

his own banished son, Absalom?

We all die, lord.

We are as water spilled on the ground,

but cannot be gathered up again.

Yahweh himself finds the way to forgive the outcast.

Silence, woman!

Who has paid you?

Who gave you those words to say?

Joab.

Was it my war chief, Joab?

Yes, lord.

You go too far, war chief.

You always go too far.

Uncle, your heart calls for your son.

For Absalom.

He's been in exile three years.

Call him home.

I...

I will grant your request, son of my sister.

Go. Bring my son Absalom back.

But let him stay

in his own house,

that he won't see my face.

[♪]

Two years.

Two years since he called me back to Jerusalem,

and he has not looked upon me.

Why?

Why did he call me back?

Listen, Joab, go to him.

Tell him I cannot live this way.

If he finds guilt in me,

then let him kill me.

Absalom--

I am his son.

Tell him.

[♪]

[♪]

I have come, Absalom, as you requested.

You are counselor to the king, Ahithophel.

You live at his court and you know the evil which the king,

my father, has invited into his house.

Tell me, Ahithophel.

Let me hear your advice.

Are the people with me?

The people yearn for you

and will be with you,

even as they were with David the shepherd

when he fled from the wrath of Saul.

I go now, with my father's permission, to Hebron,

where men of his own tribe of Judah will support me.

When I send the word, be ready.

Blow the ram's horns and light the signal fires

so that all will know, from Dan to Beersheba.

Israel has a new king.

[BLOWING HORN]

[MAN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

JOAB: David!

David, David awaken!

I know, I know. Saul is the only--

Wake up, wake up.

Joab-- Listen to me.

It's cold. Listen.

Absalom has declared himself king in Hebron.

Absalom? You lie.

There are signal fires in every high place in the north.

The tribal militia are coming to him from Benjamin and Ephraim.

Where is he now? At Hebron still.

But our army is across the Jordan to the east.

He can reach the city here

before they. You sent runners?

Yes, lord.

Bring me my armor, my sword.

Jehosephat.

I am ready to go with you, lord, into the wilderness.

No, no. You will stay here.

You will crawl to Absalom when he enters the city.

No. You will serve him.

You will be of his counsel

and you will tell him

what I will send you to tell him by my priests.

King, live forever.

We have a thousand men in your guard.

We can hold the city till the army reach us.

And be caught like a sheep with his tail in the gate? No.

We'll leave Jerusalem to him.

Leave him Jerusalem? Mm.

If he can keep it, let him be king.

But I was dreaming of Saul.

I loved Saul, yet we were not of the same blood.

Why cannot my sons love me?

Saul drove you away to the mountains

and you became a rebel.

You drove Absalom away. I tried to warn you.

If there was love,

it soured in the years

when you would not let him see your face.

Well...

Back to the mountains

to be hunted like a partridge.

[♪]

[MURMURING INDISTINCTLY]

Uncle?

The runner has come from Jerusalem.

Listen-- From Zadok the priest.

Listen. It's a Nahorean moan.

Hear it?

It goes out the end of the phrase.

He called the elders in and before them all

he took your concubines.

He is the most beautiful of my sons.

When I was a young man, women loved me as they do him.

But love has little to do with it.

He did it to show that he was king and you were dead.

Hm. And so you would've been

if he'd come after us before we crossed the Jordan.

By Yahweh, it was close.

Some tried to convince him to move quickly.

But another counseled, "Wait.

"Wait until you have your men gathered.

"Your father is an old, wounded bear

"hiding in the brush.

Surround him."

How do you know that?

The runner just brought the word.

Because I left good friends behind me in Jerusalem

to counsel my son.

[CHUCKLES] Oh, lord,

you are a fox.

A serpent.

Let your enemy be a fool.

We'll divide the force into three parts.

You will command the left.

The mercenaries from the Negev

and the Philistines on the right.

And I will lead the center.

No, lord, you will not.

You will not be at the battle.

Battles are in the hands of Yahweh.

If we run before Absalom's 12,000,

then some will die and the war will go on.

But if you are killed in the first charge,

stow the lucky owl,

then the war is over,

and your enemy is king.

Not my enemy.

He is my son.

Do you remember the prophet

when he spoke in the voice of Yahweh?

"I will raise up evil against you

out of your own house."

Lord, I have nothing to do with priests and prophets.

But Absalom will cross the Jordan tomorrow.

In the battle, deal gently, for my sake,

with the young man.

With Absalom.

[SHEEP BLEATING]

[SCREAMING, SWORDS CLANGING]

[HORSE WHINNYING]

[MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[HORSE WHINNYING]

[PANTING]

Lord, all is well.

Blest by Yahweh, our God, who struck down all those

who sought to raise their hand against the king, our lord.

Is it...

well with the young man, Absalom?

Is it well with the young man, Absalom?

Absalom.

Lord, Yahweh has avenged you today

against all those who rose up against you.

Absalom.

At the enemies of my lord, the king,

and all those who rise up against you...

be as that young man is.

Absalom!

Oh! Oh, my son!

[CRYING] Absalom.

My son.

My son, Absalom.

Would I have died for you?

My son.

My son.

Oh, son.

Lord.

Who's there?

Bathsheba.

[GRUNTS]

What do you want?

Lord, would you speak with me?

Go. Go.

Beautiful child.

What? Oh, yes.

Oh, I feel cold. I'm always cold.

They sent her to me for sure

and...

Yes, it is for sure.

Beautiful.

Do you remember, lord?

What?

When I was young...

Mm.

...I was not as thin as this Yemenite.

Not as pale.

You were the color of the stones of Jerusalem when the sun sets

across the valley of Kidron.

Golden.

Do you remember what you said to me, lord?

"Do you wonder why I sent for you?"

Mm.

And I said:

"I am your handmaiden, lord."

Lord,

I am afraid for my child.

They cannot touch him.

I am the king.

I will bring your husband from Rabbah.

No one will know.

Lord, Uriah the Hittite has been dead 25 years.

I know.

Lord,

do you remember when you wept on my breast for our firstborn

and I said:

"You will have another son."

He is Solomon,

your son.

And I am afraid for him.

Why?

Oh, lord, live forever, but you are old.

Your power slips from the weak hand.

I am still the king.

Your war chief is in the house of your son, Adonijah.

Joab.

He goes to power like an ant to honey.

Adonijah calls himself king.

Adonijah calls himself king

while I am still alive?

Lord, did you not know?

Did you not say,

"Adonijah will rule after me and sit upon my chair?"

No, no.

I will say who will rule after me,

and who will sit on the chair of David.

Guard.

Bring me Nathan the prophet,

and Zadok the priest,

and Benaiah, the commander of the guard,

and Solomon.

I want my son, Solomon.

[♪]

And, Solomon, my son.

Ride upon my own horse to Gideon

and let Nathan the prophet

and Zadok the priest anoint him

their king of Israel.

And sound the horn and say:

"After David,

Solomon shall be king."

Joab.

Do you know what he did?

Abner,

Absalom, your brother.

[WHISPERS] Kill Joab.

He is in the house of Adonijah,

and you will not be safe.

He has taught me this.

If Joab was Solomon,

he would kill Joab.

Mm.

[SIGHS]

Solomon, my son.

I go the way of all earth.

Keep the law of Yahweh and his commandments

that are written in the law of Moses.

Be strong.

Show yourself

a man.

[♪]

[♪]