1 Samuel 26

1 And the Ziphites come to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself in the height of Hachilah, on the front of the desert?”

And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?

2 And Saul rises, and goes down to the wilderness of Ziph, and with him [are] three thousand men, chosen ones of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

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

3 And Saul encamps in the height of Hachilah, which [is] on the front of the desert, by the way, and David is abiding in the wilderness, and he sees that Saul has come into the wilderness after him;

And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4 and David sends spies, and knows that Saul has come to Nachon,

David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul definitely came.

5 and David rises, and comes to the place where Saul has encamped, and David sees the place where Saul has lain, and Abner son of Ner, head of his host, and Saul is lying in the path, and the people are encamping around him.

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. And Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around about him.

6 And David answers and says to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who goes down with me to Saul, to the camp?” And Abishai says, “I go down with you.”

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

7 And David comes—and Abishai—by night to the people, and behold, Saul is lying sleeping in the path, and his spear is pressed into the earth by his pillow, and Abner and the people are lying around him.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 And Abishai says to David, “God has shut up your enemy into your hand today; and now, please let me strike him with [the] spear, even into the earth, at once—and not repeat [it] to him.”

Then said Abishai to David, God has delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.

9 And David says to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who has put forth his hand against the anointed of YHWH and been acquitted?”

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not, for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?

10 And David says, “YHWH lives; except YHWH strikes him, or his day comes that he has died, or he goes down into battle and has been consumed—

And David said, As Jehovah lives, Jehovah will smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish.

11 far be it from me, by YHWH, from putting forth my hand against the anointed of YHWH; and now, please take the spear which [is] by his pillow, and the jug of water, and we go away.”

Jehovah forbid that I should put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. But now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

12 And David takes the spear, and the jug of water by the pillow of Saul, and they go away, and there is none seeing, and there is none knowing, and there is none awaking, for all of them are sleeping, for a deep sleep [from] YHWH has fallen on them.

So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head, and they got away. And no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.

13 And David passes over to the other side, and stands on the top of the hill far off—great [is] the place between them;

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off, a great space being between them.

14 and David calls to the people, and to Abner son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answers and says, “Who [are] you [who] have called to the king?”

And David cried out to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answer thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who are thou that cries to the king?

15 And David says to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who [is] like you in Israel? But why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people had come in to destroy the king, your lord.

And David said to Abner, Are not thou a valiant man? And who is like to thee in Israel? Why then have thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

16 This thing which you have done is not good; YHWH lives, but you [are] sons of death, in that you have not watched over your lord, over the anointed of YHWH; and now, see where the king’s spear [is], and the jug of water which [is] by his pillow.”

This thing is not good that thou have done. As Jehovah lives, ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept watch over your lord, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

17 And Saul discerns the voice of David and says, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David says, “My voice, my lord, O king!”

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

18 And he says, “Why [is] this—my lord is pursuing after his servant? For what have I done, and what evil [is] in my hand?

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

19 And now, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: if YHWH has moved you against me, let Him accept a present; but if [merely] the sons of men, they [are] cursed before YHWH, for today they have cast me out from being admitted into the inheritance of YHWH, saying, Go, serve other gods.

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Jehovah who has stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering, but if it be the sons of men, cursed be they before Jehovah. For they have driven me out this day that I should not cling to the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.

20 And now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of YHWH, for the king of Israel has come out to seek one flea, as [one] pursues the partridge in mountains.”

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Jehovah. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when a man hunts a partridge in the mountains.

21 And Saul says, “I have sinned; return, my son David, for I do evil to you no more, because that my soul has been precious in your eyes this day; behold, I have acted foolishly, and err very greatly.”

Then Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm because my life was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

22 And David answers and says, “Behold, the king’s spear; and let one of the young men pass over, and receive it;

And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! Let then one of the young men come over and fetch it.

23 and YHWH turns each back to his righteousness and his faithfulness, in that YHWH has given you into [my] hand today, and I have not been willing to put forth my hand against the anointed of YHWH,

And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, inasmuch as Jehovah delivered thee into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.

24 and behold, as your soul has been great in my eyes this day, so is my soul great in the eyes of YHWH, and He delivers me out of all distress.”

And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Jehovah, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

25 And Saul says to David, “Blessed [are] you, my son David, also working you work, and also prevailing you prevail.” And David goes on his way, and Saul has turned back to his place.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David. Thou shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.