1 Samuel 24
1 After Saul [and his soldiers] returned [home] after fighting against the Philistia army, someone reported to Saul that David [and his men] had gone into the desert near 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 [When] Saul [heard that, he] chose 3,000 men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at a place named Rocks of 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 At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul [left the road and] entered a cave to defecate [EUP]. [He did not know that] David and his men were hiding further inside that same 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 David’s men [saw Saul and] whispered to David, “Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said, ‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and [with his knife] he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
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 then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
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 He said to his men, “I should not have done that to the king! I hope/desire that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him [to be the king].”
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 By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
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 After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul, “King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground.
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 Then he said to Saul, “(Why do you pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’?/You should not pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’.) [RHQ]
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 Today you can see with your own eyes that [what they say is not true]. Yahweh put you in a place where my men and I could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not do that. I said to them, ‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’
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 Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me.
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 I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us ([is doing what is right/pleases him]). And I hope/desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm 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 There is a proverb that has the words, ‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But [I am not evil, so] I will not do evil things to you.
As saith the proverb of the ancients, From the lawless, proceedeth lawlessness, —mine own hand, therefore shall not be upon thee.
14 “You are the king of Israel. So (why are you pursuing me?/you should not be pursuing me.) [RHQ] I am [as harmless as] [MET] a dead dog or a 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 I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge which of us [is doing what (he wants/is right)]. I trust that he will [act like a lawyer and] judge (my case/what I have done), and that he will rescue me from your power [MTY].”
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 When David finished speaking, Saul [called out to him and] asked, “My son David, is that your voice [that I am hearing]?” Then he began to cry loudly.
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 He said, “You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you.
And he said unto David, More righteous, art thou than I, for, thou, hast requited me, good, but, I, have requited thee, evil.
18 When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
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 (Who else would/No one else would) find his enemy and allow his enemy to escape [when he could kill him instead] [RHQ]. I hope/desire that Yahweh will reward you for being kindly to me today.
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 I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
Now, therefore, lo! I know that thou, shalt indeed become king, —and that the kingdom of Israel, shall be established in thy hand.
21 Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
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 David solemnly promised Saul that he would not [harm Saul’s family]. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding.
So David sware unto Saul, —and Saul departed unto his own house, but, David and his men, went up on the stronghold.
