1 Samuel 24
1 And it comes to pass, when Saul has turned back from after the Philistines, that they declare to him, saying, “Behold, David [is] in the wilderness of En-gedi.”
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying: 'Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.'
2 And Saul takes three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goes to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 and he comes to folds of the flock, on the way, and there [is] a cave, and Saul goes in to cover his feet; and David and his men are abiding in the sides of the cave.
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.
4 And the men of David say to him, “Behold, the day of which YHWH said to you, Behold, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you have done to him as it is good in your eyes”; and David rises and cuts off the skirt of the upper robe which [is] on Saul with stealth.
And the men of David said unto him: 'Behold the day in which the LORD hath said unto thee: Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.' Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it comes to pass afterward that the heart of David strikes him, because that he has cut off the skirt which [is] on Saul,
And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 and he says to his men, “Far be it from me, by YHWH; I do not do this thing to my lord—to the anointed of YHWH—to put forth my hand against him, for he [is] the anointed of YHWH.”
And he said unto his men: 'The LORD forbid it me, that I should do this thing unto my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD'S anointed.'
7 And David subdues his men by words, and has not permitted them to rise against Saul; and Saul has risen from the cave, and goes on the way;
So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 and David rises afterward, and goes out from the cave, and calls after Saul, saying, “My lord, O king!” And Saul looks attentively behind him, and David bows—face to the earth—and pays respect.
David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying: 'My lord the king.' And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and prostrated himself.
9 And David says to Saul, “Why do you hear the words of man, saying, Behold, David is seeking your calamity?
And David said to Saul: 'Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying: Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that YHWH has given you into my hand today in the cave; and [one] said to slay you, and [my eye] has pity on you, and I say, I do not put forth my hand against my lord, for he [is] the anointed of YHWH.
Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave; and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said: I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.
11 And my father, see, indeed see the skirt of your upper robe in my hand; for by cutting off the skirt of your upper robe, and I have not slain you, know and see that there is not evil and transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, and you are hunting my soul to take it!
Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou layest wait for my soul to take it.
12 YHWH judges between me and you, and YHWH has avenged me of you, and my hand is not on you;
The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
13 as the allegory of the ancients says, Wickedness goes out from the wicked, and my hand is not on you.
As saith the proverb of the ancients: Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog! After one flea!
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 And YHWH has been for judge, and has judged between me and you, indeed, He sees and pleads my cause, and delivers me out of your hand.”
The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.'
16 And it comes to pass, when David completes to speak these words to Saul, that Saul says, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifts up his voice, and weeps.
And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said: 'Is this thy voice, my son David?' And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he says to David, “You [are] more righteous than I; for you have done me good, and I have done you evil;
And he said to David: 'Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.
18 and you have declared today how that you have done good with me, how that YHWH shut me up into your hand, and you did not slay me,
And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me up into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.
19 and that a man finds his enemy, and has sent him away in a good manner; and YHWH repays you good for that which you did to me this day.
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now, behold, I have known that you certainly reign, and the kingdom of Israel has stood in your hand;
And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand.
21 and now, swear to me by YHWH [that] you do not cut off my seed after me, nor do you destroy my name from the house of my father.”
Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.'
22 And David swears to Saul, and Saul goes to his house, and David and his men have gone up to the fortress.
And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men got them up unto the stronghold.
