1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1
The Philistines were fighting fiercely against Israel, killing Saul's sons and finally wounding him critically also. Saul asked his armor-bearer to finish him with his sword, but he was scared and did not comply. Saul then fell on his own sword and died. The Israelites fled and abandoned their towns in defeat. When David and his men learned of the death of Saul and Jonathan, they mourned and wept and fasted. David wrote a lament and ordered that the people of Judah learn his lament: "... Saul and Jonathan--in life they were loved and admired.. how the mighty have fallen in battle... I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother, you were very dear to me..."

1 Samuel 29-30
The Philistine commanders insisted that David and his men leave the battlefield and return home to the land of the Philistines. They were worried that he would turn against them and support the Israelites as he did when he was one of King Saul's officers.
When David and his men returned, they learned that the Amalekites had raided their homes, burning everything and taking captive their wives. David was greatly distressed, but "found strength in the Lord his God." David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" Upon God's direction, David and his men fought and recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including their wives and all the plunder.

1 Samuel 28
Now David and his men accompanied the Philistines in battle against Israel and Saul was afraid with terror in his heart. Saul "inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him", so he instead called for a medium for a "spiritual" consultation. Saul instructed the woman who was a medium to "bring up" the spirit of Samuel. Saul asked Samuel for guidance, since the Lord had departed from him, but Samuel just reminded him that "the Lord has done what was predicted through me... torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to David... because you did not obey the Lord". Upon hearing these things from Samuel, Saul was greatly shaken and was further filled with fear.

1 Samuel 27
David knew Saul was still planning to get him, so he escaped to the Philistines where Saul would not pursue him. "Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for him". David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites--"he did not leave one person alive in the villages ... taking sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, and clothing before returning home." The Philistine king of Gath said, "By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly and he will have to stay here and serve me forever!".

1 Samuel 26
David was in the wilderness of Ziph when he learned that Saul and 3,000 soldiers had come to hunt him down. After sending spies to verify Saul's arrival, David slipped into Saul's camp one night and found the commander of Saul's army, Abner, and Saul both asleep before him. David said, "The Lord forbid that I should kill the one He has anointed (Saul), but take his spear and jug of water beside his head." Then from a hillside at a safe distance away, David shouted down to Abner and Saul, taunting Abner about failing to protect his master, the Lord's anointed. Saul replied, "Is that you, my son David? ... Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong... Blessings on you, my son David."

1 Samuel 25
David and his men were traveling down into the Desert of Paran and heard that a wealthy man named Nabal lived nearby. David sent a few of his men to greet Nabal and ask for some provisions, but Nabal was "surly and mean in his dealings" and refused to share anything with David. When Nabal's wife, Abigail, heard about this, she took a large supply of bread, wine, grain, fruit, etc. and brought them to David personally in order to prevent any harm to her husband and their household from David. David was pleased and said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord who has sent you today to meet me.. may you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from avenging myself... otherwise, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak." A few days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died. Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

1 Samuel 23-24
Saul continued to persue David from Keilah to Horesh to Ziph and finally to the wilderness of Engedi. Saul went into a cave and was in a vulnerable situation where David had the opportunity to kill him, but David restrained his men and spared Saul's life saying, "The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the Lord's annointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him." Saul then began to cry and said, "you are a better man that I am, for you have repaid me good for evil... you have been amazingly kind to me today... may the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me and now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule".

1 Samuel 22
After David escaped Saul and fled from Gath, he was told by the prophet Gad to return to Judah. When Saul heard of his arrival, he accused his officers of conspiring against him. Doeg was among Saul's men and told him that Ahimelech the priest had provided David with food and the sword of Goliath. Saul ordered the death of Ahimelech and all the priests with him and their families. Saul's men refused, but "Doeg the edomite turned on them and killed them, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments.. and killed the priests' families--men, women, children, babies, and cattle, donkey, sheep, and goats." Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech escaped and told David what had happened.