1 Samuel 26:6–12

⁶Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab (their mother was Zeruiah), “Which of you two will go to Saul’s camp with me?”

“I will,” Abishai answered.

⁷So that night David and Abishai entered Saul’s camp and found Saul sleeping in the centre of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping round him. ⁸Abishai said to David, “God has put your enemy in your power tonight. Now let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground with just one blow—I won’t have to strike twice!”

⁹But David said, “You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. ¹⁰By the living Lord,” David continued, “I know that the Lord himself will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. ^11*The Lord forbid that I should try to harm the one whom the Lord has made king! Let’s take his spear and his water jar, and go.” ¹²So David took the spear and the water jar from just beside Saul’s head, and he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what had happened or even woke up—they were all sound asleep, because the Lord had sent a heavy sleep on them all.