1 Samuel 26

¹And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, 'Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which faces the Jeshimon?'

²And Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

³And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is before the Jeshimon by the road, while David was staying in the wilderness; and David saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness.

⁴And David sent out scouts, and he learned that Saul had indeed come.

⁵And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul was lying, with Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, and Saul was lying in the encampment, and the people were camped around him.

⁶Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, 'Who will go down with me to Saul, into the camp?' And Abishai said, 'I will go down with you.'

⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul was lying asleep in the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people were lying around him.

⁸And Abishai said to David, 'God has delivered your enemy into your hand today! Now let me strike him with the spear and pin him to the ground with one blow; I will not need to strike him a second time.'

⁹And David said to Abishai, 'Do not destroy him, for who has stretched out his hand against the anointed of the LORD and gone unpunished?'

¹⁰And David said, 'As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his appointed time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.'

¹¹Far be it from me from the LORD, to stretch out my hand against the anointed of the LORD. But now, take, please, the spear that is at his head, and the jug of water, and let us go.

¹²So David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul's head, and they went away; and no one saw it, and no one knew it, and no one woke up, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.

¹³And David crossed to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a great distance, with much space between them.

¹⁴And David called to the people and to Abner son of Ner, saying, 'Will you not answer, Abner?' And Abner answered and said, 'Who are you that you have called to the king?'

¹⁵And David said to Abner, 'Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord.'

¹⁶This thing which you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you are sons of death, you who have not guarded your lord, the anointed of the LORD. And now, see where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was at his head.

¹⁷And Saul recognized David's voice and said, 'Is this your voice, my son David?' And David said, 'It is my voice, my lord the king.'

¹⁸And he said, 'Why is this, my lord? Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done, and what evil is in my hand?'

¹⁹And now, let my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the LORD who has incited you against me, may he accept an offering; but if it is men, they are cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out today from being joined to the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'

²⁰And now, do not let my blood fall to the ground far from before the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, as one pursues the partridge in the mountains.

²¹And Saul said, 'I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will harm you no more, since my life was precious in your eyes this day. I have acted foolishly and have erred greatly.'

²²And David answered and said, 'Here is the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and take it.'

²³The LORD repays each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, yet I was unwilling to stretch out my hand against the LORD's anointed.

²⁴And behold, just as your life was great this day in my eyes, so may my life be great in the eyes of the LORD, and may he rescue me from all distress.

²⁵Then Saul said to David, 'Blessed are you, my son David. You will surely do great things and will surely prevail.' So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.