1 Samuel 26

¹ And the Ziphites come in unto Saul, at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding himself in the height of Hachilah, on the front of the desert?" ² And Saul rises, and goes down unto the wilderness of Ziph, and with him three thousand men, chosen ones of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. ³ And Saul encamps in the height of Hachilah, which [is] on the front of the desert, by the way, and David is abiding in the wilderness, and he sees that Saul has come after him in to the wilderness; ⁴ and David sends spies, and knows that Saul has come unto Nachon, ⁵ and David rises, and comes in unto the place where Saul has encamped, and David sees the place where Saul has lain, and Abner son of Ner, head of his host, and Saul is lying in the path, and the people are encamping round about him. ⁶ And David answers and said unto Ahimelech the Hittite, and unto Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, "Who does go down with me unto Saul, unto the camp?" and Abishai said, "I - I go down with you." ⁷ And David comes - and Abishai - unto the people by night, and lo, Saul is lying sleeping in the path, and his spear struck into the earth at his pillow, and abner and the people are lying round about him. ⁸ And Abishai said unto David, "Elohim has shut up to-day your enemy into your hand; and, now, let me smite him, I pray you, with a spear, even into the earth at once - and I do repeat [it] to him." ⁹ And David said unto Abishai, "Destroy him not; for who has put forth his hand against the anointed of Yahweh, and been acquitted?" ¹⁰ And David said, "Yahweh lives; except Yahweh does smite him, or his day come that he has died, or into battle he go down, and has been consumed - ¹¹ far be it from me, by Yahweh, from putting forth my hand against the anointed of Yahweh; and, now, take, I pray you, the spear which [is] at his pillow, and the cruse of water, and we go away." ¹² And David takes the spear, and the cruse of water at the pillow of Saul, and they go away, and there is none seeing, and there is none knowing, and there is none awaking, for all of them are sleeping, for a deep sleep [from] Yahweh has fallen upon them. ¹³ And David passes over to the other side, and stands on the top of the hill afar off - great [is] the place between them; ¹⁴ and David calls unto the people, and unto Abner son of Ner, saying, "Do you not answer, Abner?" and Abner answers and said, "Who [are] you [who] have called unto the king?" ¹⁵ And David said unto Abner, "Are not you a man? and who [is] like you in Israel? but why have you not watched over your lord the king? for one of the people had come in to destroy the king, your lord. ¹⁶ Not good is this thing which you have done; Yahweh lives, but you [are] sons of death, in that you have not watched over your lord, over the anointed of Yahweh; and now, see where the king's spear [is], and the cruse of water which [is] at his bolster." ¹⁷ And Saul discerns the voice of David, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" and David said, "My voice, my lord, O king!" ¹⁸ and he said, "Why [is] this - my lord is pursuing after his servant? for what have I done, and what [is] in my hand evil? ¹⁹ And, now, let, I pray you, my lord the king hear the words of his servant: if Yahweh has moved you against me, let Him accept a present; and if the sons of men - cursed [are] they before Yahweh, for they have cast me out to-day from being admitted into the inheritance of Yahweh, saying, Go, serve other elohims. ²⁰ And now, let not my blood fall to the earth over-against the face of Yahweh, for the king of Israel has come out to seek one flea, as [one] pursues the partridge in mountains." ²¹ And Saul said, "I have sinned; turn back, my son David, for I do evil to you no more, because that my soul has been precious in your eyes this day; lo, I have acted foolishly, and do err very greatly." ²² And David answers and said, "Lo, the king's spear; and let one of the young men pass over, and receive it; ²³ and Yahweh does turn back to each his righteousness and his faithfulness, in that Yahweh has given you to-day into [my] hand, and I have not been willing to put forth my hand against the anointed of Yahweh, ²⁴ and lo, as your soul has been great this day in mine eyes, so is my soul great in the eyes of Yahweh, and He does deliver me out of all distress." ²⁵ And Saul said unto David, "Blessed [are] you, my son David, also working you do work, and also prevailing you do prevail." And David goes on his way, and Saul has turned back to his place.