Kings I 26

1 And the Ziphites come out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, Behold, David hides himself with us in the hill Echela, opposite Jessemon.

And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, and said, Is not David waiting secretly near us in the hill of Hachilah, before the waste land?

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

Then Saul went down to the waste land of Ziph, taking with him three thousand of the best men of Israel, to make search for David in the waste land of Ziph.

3 And Saul encamped in the hill of Echela in front of Jessemon, by the way, and David lived in the wilderness: and David saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

And Saul put up his tents on the hill of Hachilah, which is in front of the waste land on the road. But David was in the waste land, and he saw that Saul was coming after him.

4 And David sent spies, and ascertained that Saul was come prepared out of Keila.

And so David sent out watchers, and got word from them that Saul was certainly coming.

5 And David arose secretly, and goes into the place where Saul was sleeping, and there [was] Abenner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul was sleeping in a chariot, and the people had encamped along round about him.

And David got up and came to the place where Saul's tents were: and David had a view of the place where Saul was sleeping with Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his army: and Saul was sleeping inside the ring of carts, and the tents of the people were all round him.

6 And David answered and spoke to Abimelech the Chettite, and to Abessa the son Saruia the brother of Joab, saying, Who will go in with me to Saul into the camp? And Abessa said, I will go in with you.

Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me to the tents of Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.

7 So David and Abessa go in amongst the people by night: and behold, Saul was fast asleep in the chariot, and his spear was stuck in the ground near his head, and Abenner and his people slept round about him.

So David and Abishai came down to the army by night: and Saul was sleeping inside the ring of carts with his spear planted in the earth by his head: and Abner and the people were sleeping round him.

8 And Abessa said to David, The Lord has this day shut up your enemy into your hands, and now I will strike him to the earth with the spear to the ground once [for all], and I will not strike him again.

Then Abishai said to David, God has given up your hater into your hands today; now let me give him one blow through to the earth with his spear, and there will be no need to give him a second.

9 And David said to Abessa, Do not lay him low, for who shall lift up his hand against the anointed of the Lord, and be guiltless?

And David said to Abishai Do not put him to death; for who, without sin, may put out his hand against the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil?

10 And David said, [As] the Lord lives, if the Lord strike him not, or his day come and he die, or he go down to battle and be added [to his fathers, do not so].

And David said, By the living Lord, the Lord will send destruction on him; the natural day of his death will come, or he will go into the fight and come to his end.

11 The Lord forbid it me that I should lift up my hand against the anointed of the Lord: and now take, I pray you, the spear from his bolster, and the pitcher of water, and let us return home.

Never will my hand be stretched out against the man marked with the holy oil; but take the spear which is by his head and the vessel of water, and let us go.

12 So David took the spear, and the pitcher of water from his bolster, and they went home: and there was no one that saw, and no one that knew, and there was no one that awoke, all being asleep, for a stupor from the Lord had fallen upon them.

So David took the spear and the vessel of water from Saul's head; and they got away without any man seeing them, or being conscious of their coming, or awaking; for they were all sleeping because a deep sleep from the Lord had come on them.

13 So David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, and [there was] a good distance between them.

Then David went over to the other side, and took his place on the top of a mountain some distance away, with a great space between them;

14 And David called to the people, and spoke to Abenner, saying, Will you not answer, Abenner? and Abenner answered and said, Who are you that call?

And crying out to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, David said, Have you no answer to give, Abner? Then Abner said, Who is that crying out to the king?

15 And David said to Abenner, [Are] not you a man? and who [is] like you in Israel? Why then do you not guard your lord the king? for one out of the people went in to destroy your lord the king.

And David said to Abner, Are you not a man of war? is there any other like you in Israel? why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? for one of the people came in to put the king your lord to death.

16 And this thing [is] not good which you have done. [As] the Lord lives, you are worthy of death, you who guard your lord the king, the anointed of the Lord: and now behold, I pray you, the spear of the king, and the cruse of water: where are the articles that should be at his head?

What you have done is not good. By the living Lord, death is the right fate for you, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil. Now see, where is the king's spear, and the vessel of water which was by his head?

17 And Saul recognised the voice of David, and said, [Is] this your voice, son David? and David said, I [am] your servant, [my] lord, O king.

And Saul, conscious that the voice was David's, said, Is that your voice, David, my son? And David said, It is my voice, O my lord king.

18 And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for in what have I sinned? and what unrighteousness has been found in me?

And he said, Why does my lord go armed against his servant? what have I done? or what evil is there in me?

19 And now let my lord the king hear the word of his servant. If God stirs you up against me, let your offering be acceptable: but if the sons of men, they [are] cursed before the Lord, for they have cast me out this day so that I should not be established in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other Gods.

Let my lord the king give ear now to the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who is moving you against me, let him take an offering: but if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for driving me out today and keeping me from my place in the heritage of the Lord, saying, Go, be the servant of other gods.

20 And now let not my blood fall to the ground before the Lord, for the king of Israel has come forth to seek your life, as the night hawk pursues [its prey] in the mountains.

Then do not let my blood be drained out on the earth away from the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel has come out to take my life, like one going after birds in the mountains.

21 And Saul said, I have sinned: turn, son David, for I will not hurt you, because my life was precious in your eyes; and today I have been foolish and have erred exceedingly.

Then Saul said, I have done wrong: come back to me, David my son: I will do you no more wrong, because my life was dear to you today truly, I have been foolish and my error is very great.

22 And David answered and said, Behold, the spear of the king: let one of the servants come over and take it.

Then David said, Here is the king's spear! let one of the young men come over and get it.

23 And the Lord shall recompense each according to his righteousness and his truth, since the Lord delivered you this day into my hands, and I would not lift my hand against the Lord's anointed.

And the Lord will give to every man the reward of his righteousness and his faith: because the Lord gave you into my hands today, and I would not put out my hand against the man who has been marked with the holy oil.

24 And, behold, as your life has been precious this very day in my eyes, so let my life be precious before the Lord, and may he protect me, and deliver me out of all affliction.

And so, as your life was dear to me today, may my life be dear to the Lord, and may he make me free from all my troubles.

25 And Saul said to David, Blessed [be] you, [my] son; and you shall surely do valiantly, and surely prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Then Saul said to David, May a blessing be on you, David, my son; you will do great things and without doubt you will overcome. Then David went on his way, and Saul went back to his place.