1 Samuel 24:1–7

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.