26 And the aZiphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? 2 Then 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. 3 And 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. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come cin very deed. 5 And 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. 6 Then 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. 7 So 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. 8 Then 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. 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against lthe Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David 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. 11 The 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. 12 So 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.

13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: 14 And 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? 15 And 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. 16 This 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. 17 And 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. 18 And he said, tWherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? 19 Now 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. 20 Now 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. 21 Then 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. 22 And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 dThe 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. 24 And, 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. 25 Then 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.

27 *And David said in his heart, I shall now †perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2 And David arose, and he passed over with athe six hundred men that were with him bunto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of cGath. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David dwith his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. 4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5 And David said unto Achish, If eI have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in fthe royal city with thee? 6 Then Achish gave him gZiklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. 7 And †the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was †a full year and four months.

8 *And David and hhis men went up, and invaded ithe Geshurites, and the ||Gezrites, and the jAmalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, kas thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. 9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and lthe camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said, ||Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of mthe Jerahmeelites, and against the south of nthe Kenites. 11 And David osaved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel †utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.