1 Samuel 24

David Spares Saul

24When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, ^xhe was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.” ^y2So Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s choice men ^zand went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. ^abDavid and his men were staying in the back of the cave, ^c4so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’ ” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵Afterward, David’s conscience bothered ^dehim because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. ^f6He said to his men, “I swear before the Lord: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed. ^gI will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” ^h7With these words David persuaded ⁱhis men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul.

Then Saul left the cave and went on his way. ⁸After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed to the ground in homage. ^j9David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? ¹⁰You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave. ^kSomeone advised me to kill you, ^lbut I ^mntook pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord’s anointed. ¹¹See, my father! ^oLook at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Look and recognize that there is no evil or rebellion in me. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life. ^p

¹²“May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you. ^q13As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’ ^rMy hand will never be against you. ¹⁴Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A flea? ^s15May the Lord be judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver ^tme from you.” ^u

¹⁶When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” ^vThen Saul wept aloud ¹⁷and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you. ^w18You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me. ^x19When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? ^yzMay the Lord repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today.

²⁰“Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established ^ain your hand. ^b21Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” ^c22So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold. ^d