1 Samuel 26

And the ^aZiphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? ²Then Saul arose, and went down to ^bthe wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. ³And Saul pitched ^ain the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. ⁴David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come ^cin very deed. ⁵And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and ^dAbner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. ⁶Then answered David and said to Ahimelech ^ethe Hittite, and to ^fAbishai ^gthe son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will ^hgo down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. ⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground ⁱat his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. ⁸Then said Abishai to David, ^kGod hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. ⁹And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against ^lthe Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? ¹⁰David said furthermore, ^mAs the Lord liveth, ⁿthe Lord shall smite him; or ^ohis day shall come to die; or he shall descend ^pinto battle, and perish. ¹¹The ^qLord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against ^lthe Lord’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. ¹²So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because ^ra deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

¹³Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space being between them: ¹⁴and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? ¹⁵And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. ¹⁶This thing is not good that thou hast done. ^mAs the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, ^lthe Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. ¹⁷And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, ^sIs this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. ¹⁸And he said, ^tWherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? ¹⁹Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have ^ustirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for ^wthey have driven me out this day from abiding in ^xthe inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods. ²⁰Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek ^ya flea, as when one doth hunt a ^zpartridge in the mountains. ²¹Then said Saul, ^aI have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul ^bwas precious in thine eyes this day: behold, ^cI have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. ²²And David answered and said, Behold, the king’s spear; and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. ^23dThe Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed. ²⁴And behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. ²⁵Then Saul said to David, ^eBlessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still ^fprevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

XXVII.