26:1 The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”
26:2 So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David.
26:3 Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there,
26:4 he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.
26:5 Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.
26:6 David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” “I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.
26:7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.
26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.”
26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’S anointed and be guiltless?
26:10 As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.
26:11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’S anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”
26:12 So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.
26:13 Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them.
26:14 He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
26:15 David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king.
26:16 What you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the LORD’S anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”
26:17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?” David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.”
26:18 And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of?
26:19 Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the LORD has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD! They have now driven me from my share in the LORD’S inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
26:20 Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea–as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
26:21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.”
26:22 “Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it.
26:23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD’S anointed.
26:24 As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”
26:25 Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.
26:1 And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, David is hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the desert!
26:2 And Saul rose up and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, with him three thousand choice men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
26:3 And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the desert, by the road. And David remained in the wilderness, but he saw that Saul had come into the wilderness after him.
26:4 And David sent spies and knew for certain that Saul had come.
26:5 So David rose up and went to the place where Saul encamped. And David looked on the place where Saul and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army, lay. Now Saul was lying within the entrenchment, and the people were encamped around him.
26:6 And David responded and spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul at the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.
26:7 So David and Abishai went to the people by night; and there lay Saul, sleeping within the entrenchment, and his spear was stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay around him.
26:8 And Abishai said to David, God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore let me strike him with the spear even to the ground with one stroke, and I will not do it twice.
26:9 But David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against Jehovah s anointed and be guiltless?
26:10 And David said, As Jehovah lives, Jehovah will strike him down, or his day will come to die, or he will go down in battle and perish.
26:11 Jehovah forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Jehovah s anointed. Now therefore take the spear that is by his head and the water jug, and let us go.
26:12 So David took the spear and the water jug by Saul s head, and they went away. And no one saw it or knew about it, nor did anyone awake, for all of them were sleeping; for a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen upon them.
26:13 And David crossed over to the other side and stood on the top of the hill far off; a great distance was between them.
26:14 And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Will you not answer, Abner? And Abner answered and said, Who are you that calls out to the king?
26:15 And David said to Abner, Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord.
26:16 This thing is not good that you have done. As Jehovah lives, you are as good as dead because you did not guard your lord, Jehovah s anointed. Now therefore, see where the king s spear and the water jug that were by his head are.
26:17 And Saul recognized David s voice; and he said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
26:18 And he said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?
26:19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is Jehovah who has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is the sons of men, let them be cursed before Jehovah; for they have driven me out today, so that I cannot share in Jehovah s inheritance, saying, Go, serve other gods.
26:20 Now therefore do not let my blood fall to the ground apart from the presence of Jehovah; for the king of Israel has come forth to seek a single flea, as one might hunt a partridge in the mountains.
26:21 And Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will not harm you anymore, because my life was precious in your sight this day. I have indeed acted foolishly and have made a very great mistake.
26:22 And David answered and said, Here is the spear, O king. Let one of the young men cross over and get it.
26:23 And Jehovah will repay to each man his righteousness and faithfulness: Because Jehovah has delivered you into my hand today, and I would not stretch out my hand against Jehovah s anointed;
26:24 Then just as great as your life was in my eyes this day, so great may my life be in Jehovah s eyes that He would deliver me from all distress.
26:25 And Saul said to David, Blessed are you, my son David. You shall most certainly both do and prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.