1 Samuel 24

Chapter 24

David Spares Saul’s Life

¹Now ^awhen Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, ^bhe was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.”

²Then ^aSaul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

³He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul ^awent in to ¹relieve himself. Now ^bDavid and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.

⁴The men of David said to him, “Behold, ^athis is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; ^bI am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good ¹to you.’ ” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly.

⁵It came about afterward that ^aDavid’s ¹conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe.

⁶So he said to his men, “^aFar be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”

⁷David ¹persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, ²left the cave, and went on his way.

⁸Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, ^aDavid bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

⁹David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks ¹to harm you’?

¹⁰“^aBehold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and ^bsome said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’

¹¹“Now, ^amy father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or ¹rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you ^bare lying in wait for my life to take it.

¹²“^aMay the Lord judge between ¹you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.

¹³“As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘^aOut of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you.

¹⁴“After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? ^aA dead dog, ^ba single flea?

¹⁵“^aThe Lord therefore be judge and decide between ¹you and me; and may He see and ^bplead my cause and ²deliver me from your hand.”

¹⁶When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “^aIs this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

^17aHe said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for ^byou have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you.

¹⁸“You have declared today that you have done good to me, that ^athe Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.

¹⁹“For if a man ^afinds his enemy, will he let him go away ¹safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.

²⁰“Now, behold, ^aI know that you will surely be king, and that ^bthe kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

²¹“So now ^aswear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my ¹descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.”

²²David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to ^athe stronghold.