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 had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying: Lo! 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, over the face of the rocks of the mountain-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 into the sheep-folds by the way, there, being a cave, which Saul entered, to cover his feet, —David and his men, in the hinder part of the cave, having taken up their abode.
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.
So David’s men said unto him—Lo! the day of which Yahweh said unto thee—Lo! I am about to deliver up thine enemy, into thy hand: therefore shall thou do unto him, as shall be good in thine eyes. And David arose, and cut off the corner of the robe which belonged to Saul, by stealth.
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 afterwards that David’s heart smote him, —because he had cut off the corner [of the robe] which belonged to Saul.
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—Far be it from me, of Yahweh, that I should do this thing unto my lord, unto the Anointed of Yahweh, to thrust forth my hand against him, —for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he!
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 did chide his men with the words, and did not suffer them to rise up 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.
Then David rose up, afterwards, and went forth out of the cave, and cried out after Saul, saying—My lord, O king! And, when Saul looked about behind him, David inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himself down.
9 And David says to Saul, “Why do you hear the words of man, saying, Behold, David is seeking your calamity?
Then said David to Saul, Wherefore shouldst thou hearken unto the words of the sons of earth, saying, —Lo! David is seeking 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.
Lo! this day, have thine own eyes seen, how Yahweh had delivered thee up, to-day, into my hand in the cave, and, when one bade me slay thee, I looked with compassion upon thee, —and I said—I will not thrust forth my hand against my lord, for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he!
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!
But, my father, see, yea, see, the corner of thy robe in my hand, —for, in that I cut off the corner of thy robe, and yet did not slay thee, know thou, and see, that there is not in my hand either wrong or transgression, neither have I sinned against thee, yet art thou hunting my life, to take it.
12 YHWH judges between me and you, and YHWH has avenged me of you, and my hand is not on you;
Let Yahweh do justice betwixt me and thee, and let Yahweh avenge me of thee, —but, mine own 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, From the lawless, proceedeth lawlessness, —mine own hand, therefore 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, hath the king of Israel come forth? After whom, art thou in pursuit? After a dead dog! after a single 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.”
Therefore shall, Yahweh, become, judge, and do justice betwixt me and thee, —that he may see, and plead my cause, and justly 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, Thy voice, is this, 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 unto David, More righteous, art thou than I, for, thou, hast requited me, good, but, I, have requited 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,
Thou, then, hast told to-day, how thou hast dealt with me, for good, —how, when Yahweh had surrendered me into thy hand, thou didst not slay 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.
Yet, when a man findeth his enemy, will he let him get easily away? Yahweh, then, give thee, good, reward for what, this day, thou hast done unto me.
20 And now, behold, I have known that you certainly reign, and the kingdom of Israel has stood in your hand;
Now, therefore, lo! I know that thou, shalt indeed become 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.”
Now, therefore, swear unto me by Yahweh, that thou wilt not eat off my seed, after me, —and wilt not destroy my name out of the house my father.
22 And David swears to Saul, and Saul goes to his house, and David and his men have gone up to the fortress.
So David sware unto Saul, —and Saul departed unto his own house, but, David and his men, went up on the stronghold.
