6 Then David said to Ahimelech athe Hittite and to bAbishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who cwill go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

8 Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear 1to the ground with one stroke, and I will not 2strike him the second time.”

9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for awho can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt?”

10 David also said, “As the Lord lives, asurely the Lord will strike him, or bhis day will come that he dies, or che will go down into battle and perish.

11 “aThe Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go.”

12 So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because aa sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.