Βασιλειῶν Αʹ 26

1 καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ Ζιφαῖοι ἐκ τῆς αὐχμώδους πρὸς τὸν Σαουλ εἰς τὸν βουνὸν λέγοντες ἰδοὺ Δαυιδ σκεπάζεται μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ βουνῷ τοῦ Εχελα τοῦ κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ Ιεσσαιμουν

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

2 καὶ ἀνέστη Σαουλ καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Ζιφ καὶ μετ’ αὐτοῦ τρεῖς χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐκλεκτοὶ ἐξ Ισραηλ ζητεῖν τὸν Δαυιδ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ζιφ

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 καὶ παρενέβαλεν Σαουλ ἐν τῷ βουνῷ τοῦ Εχελα ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ Ιεσσαιμουν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ Δαυιδ ἐκάθισεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ εἶδεν Δαυιδ ὅτι ἥκει Σαουλ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον

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

4 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Δαυιδ κατασκόπους καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι ἥκει Σαουλ ἕτοιμος ἐκ Κεϊλα

David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had certainly come.

5 καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ λάθρᾳ καὶ εἰσπορεύεται εἰς τὸν τόπον οὗ ἐκάθευδεν ἐκεῖ Σαουλ καὶ ἐκεῖ Αβεννηρ υἱὸς Νηρ ἀρχιστράτηγος αὐτοῦ καὶ Σαουλ ἐκάθευδεν ἐν λαμπήνῃ καὶ ὁ λαὸς παρεμβεβληκὼς κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ

Then David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him.

6 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Αχιμελεχ τὸν Χετταῖον καὶ πρὸς Αβεσσα υἱὸν Σαρουιας ἀδελφὸν Ιωαβ λέγων τίς εἰσελεύσεται μετ’ ἐμοῦ πρὸς Σαουλ εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσα ἐγὼ εἰσελεύσομαι μετὰ σοῦ

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

7 καὶ εἰσπορεύεται Δαυιδ καὶ Αβεσσα εἰς τὸν λαὸν τὴν νύκτα καὶ ἰδοὺ Σαουλ καθεύδων ὕπνῳ ἐν λαμπήνῃ καὶ τὸ δόρυ ἐμπεπηγὸς εἰς τὴν γῆν πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ Αβεννηρ καὶ ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ ἐκάθευδεν κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ

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 around him.

8 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσα πρὸς Δαυιδ ἀπέκλεισεν σήμερον κύριος τὸν ἐχθρόν σου εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου καὶ νῦν πατάξω αὐτὸν τῷ δόρατι εἰς τὴν γῆν ἅπαξ καὶ οὐ δευτερώσω αὐτῷ

Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”

9 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς Αβεσσα μὴ ταπεινώσῃς αὐτόν ὅτι τίς ἐποίσει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ χριστὸν κυρίου καὶ ἀθῳωθήσεται

David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?”

10 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ ζῇ κύριος ἐὰν μὴ κύριος παίσῃ αὐτόν ἢ ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ ἔλθῃ καὶ ἀποθάνῃ ἢ εἰς πόλεμον καταβῇ καὶ προστεθῇ

David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him; or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish.

11 μηδαμῶς μοι παρὰ κυρίου ἐπενεγκεῖν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ χριστὸν κυρίου καὶ νῦν λαβὲ δὴ τὸ δόρυ ἀπὸ πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἀπέλθωμεν καθ’ ἑαυτούς

The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let’s go.”

12 καὶ ἔλαβεν Δαυιδ τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ἀπὸ πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπῆλθον καθ’ ἑαυτούς καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ βλέπων καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ γινώσκων καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξεγειρόμενος πάντες ὑπνοῦντες ὅτι θάμβος κυρίου ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ’ αὐτούς

So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

13 καὶ διέβη Δαυιδ εἰς τὸ πέραν καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ ὄρους μακρόθεν καὶ πολλὴ ἡ ὁδὸς ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain far away, a great space being between them;

14 καὶ προσεκαλέσατο Δαυιδ τὸν λαὸν καὶ τῷ Αβεννηρ ἐλάλησεν λέγων οὐκ ἀποκριθήσει Αβεννηρ καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Αβεννηρ καὶ εἶπεν τίς εἶ σὺ ὁ καλῶν με

and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do not you answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?”

15 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς Αβεννηρ οὐκ ἀνὴρ σύ καὶ τίς ὡς σὺ ἐν Ισραηλ καὶ διὰ τί οὐ φυλάσσεις τὸν κύριόν σου τὸν βασιλέα ὅτι εἰσῆλθεν εἷς ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ διαφθεῖραι τὸν βασιλέα κύριόν σου

David said to Abner, “Are not you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

16 καὶ οὐκ ἀγαθὸν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὃ πεποίηκας ζῇ κύριος ὅτι υἱοὶ θανατώσεως ὑμεῖς οἱ φυλάσσοντες τὸν βασιλέα κύριον ὑμῶν τὸν χριστὸν κυρίου καὶ νῦν ἰδὲ δή τὸ δόρυ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ὁ φακὸς τοῦ ὕδατος ποῦ ἐστιν τὰ πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ

This thing is not good that you have done. As the LORD lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”

17 καὶ ἐπέγνω Σαουλ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν ἦ φωνή σου αὕτη τέκνον Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ δοῦλός σου κύριε βασιλεῦ

Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”

18 καὶ εἶπεν ἵνα τί τοῦτο καταδιώκει ὁ κύριός μου ὀπίσω τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ ὅτι τί ἡμάρτηκα καὶ τί εὑρέθη ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδίκημα

He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?

19 καὶ νῦν ἀκουσάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ εἰ ὁ θεὸς ἐπισείει σε ἐπ’ ἐμέ ὀσφρανθείη θυσίας σου καὶ εἰ υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων ἐπικατάρατοι οὗτοι ἐνώπιον κυρίου ὅτι ἐξέβαλόν με σήμερον μὴ ἐστηρίσθαι ἐν κληρονομίᾳ κυρίου λέγοντες πορεύου δούλευε θεοῖς ἑτέροις

Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that the LORD has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before the LORD; for they have driven me out today that I should not cling to the LORD’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’

20 καὶ νῦν μὴ πέσοι τὸ αἷμά μου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξ ἐναντίας προσώπου κυρίου ὅτι ἐξελήλυθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ισραηλ ζητεῖν τὴν ψυχήν μου καθὼς καταδιώκει ὁ νυκτικόραξ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν

Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

21 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ ἡμάρτηκα ἐπίστρεφε τέκνον Δαυιδ ὅτι οὐ κακοποιήσω σε ἀνθ’ ὧν ἔντιμος ψυχή μου ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου ἐν τῇ σήμερον μεματαίωμαι καὶ ἠγνόηκα πολλὰ σφόδρα

Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”

22 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν ἰδοὺ τὸ δόρυ τοῦ βασιλέως διελθέτω εἷς τῶν παιδαρίων καὶ λαβέτω αὐτό

David answered, “Behold the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it.

23 καὶ κύριος ἐπιστρέψει ἑκάστῳ τὰς δικαιοσύνας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ ὡς παρέδωκέν σε κύριος σήμερον εἰς χεῖράς μου καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησα ἐπενεγκεῖν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ χριστὸν κυρίου

The LORD will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because the LORD delivered you into my hand today, and I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

24 καὶ ἰδοὺ καθὼς ἐμεγαλύνθη ἡ ψυχή σου σήμερον ἐν ταύτῃ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου οὕτως μεγαλυνθείη ἡ ψυχή μου ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ σκεπάσαι με καὶ ἐξελεῖταί με ἐκ πάσης θλίψεως

Behold, as your life was respected today in my eyes, so let my life be respected in the LORD’s eyes, and let him deliver me out of all oppression.”

25 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ πρὸς Δαυιδ εὐλογημένος σύ τέκνον καὶ ποιῶν ποιήσεις καὶ δυνάμενος δυνήσει καὶ ἀπῆλθεν Δαυιδ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ Σαουλ ἀνέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

Then Saul said to David, “You are blessed, my son David. You will both do mightily, and will surely prevail.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.