1 Samuel 24
24
David Doesn’t Kill Saul When He Has the Chance
1Saul returned from chasing the Philistines. Then he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2So Saul took 3,000 of the best soldiers from the whole nation of Israel. He started out to look for David and his men. He planned to look near the Rocky Cliffs of the Wild Goats.
3He came to some sheep pens along the way. A cave was there. Saul went in to go to the toilet. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4David’s men said, “This is the day the Lord told you about. He said to you, ‘I will hand your enemy over to you. Then you can deal with him as you want to.’ ” So David came up close to Saul without being seen. He cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5Later, David felt sorry that he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6He said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing a thing like that again to my master. He is the Lord’s anointed king. So I promise that I will never lay my hand on him. The Lord has anointed him.” 7David said that to correct his men. He wanted them to know that they should never suggest harming the king. He didn’t allow them to attack Saul. So Saul left the cave and went on his way.
8Then David went out of the cave. He called out to Saul, “King Saul! My master!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground. 9He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is trying to harm you’? 10This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Some of my men begged me to kill you. But I didn’t. I said, ‘I will never lay my hand on my master. He is the Lord’s anointed king.’ 11Look, my father! Look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe. But I didn’t kill you. See, there is nothing in my hand that shows I am guilty of doing anything wrong. I haven’t turned against you. I haven’t done anything to harm you. But you are hunting me down. You want to kill me. 12May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord pay you back because of the wrong things you have done to me. But I won’t do anything to hurt you. 13People say, ‘Evil acts come from those who do evil.’ So I won’t do anything to hurt you.
14“King Saul, who are you trying to catch? Who do you think you are chasing? I’m nothing but a dead dog or a flea! 15May the Lord be our judge. May he decide between us. May he consider my case and stand up for me. May he show that I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong. May he save me from you.”
16When David finished speaking, Saul asked him a question. He said, “My son David, is that your voice?” And Saul wept out loud. 17“You are a better person than I am,” he said. “You have treated me well. But I’ve treated you badly. 18You have just now told me about the good things you did to me. The Lord handed me over to you. But you didn’t kill me. 19Suppose a man finds his enemy. He doesn’t let him get away without harming him. May the Lord reward you with many good things. May he do it because of the way you treated me today. 20I know for sure that you will be king. I know that the kingdom of Israel will be made secure under your control. 21Now make a promise in the name of the Lord. Promise me that you won’t kill the children of my family. Also promise me that you won’t wipe out my name from my family line.”
22So David made that promise to Saul. Then Saul returned home. But David and his men went up to his usual place of safety.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 24: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
I Samuel 24
24
David Spares Saul
1Now it happened, #Josh. 15:62; 2 Chr. 20:2when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and #1 Sam. 23:19, 28, 29went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and #1 Sam. 26:2; Ps. 38:12Saul went in to #1 Sam. 24:10attend to his needs. (#Judg. 3:24David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) 4#Ps. 57:title; 142:titleThen the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5Now it happened afterward that #1 Sam. 26:8–11David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6And he said to his men, #2 Sam. 24:10“The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7So David #1 Sam. 26:11restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.
8David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. 9And David said to Saul: #Ps. 7:4; (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:17, 19)“Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’? 10Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is #Ps. 141:6; (Prov. 16:28; 17:9)neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you #Judg. 11:27; Ps. 7:3; 35:7hunt my life to take it. 12#1 Sam. 26:20Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. 13As the proverb of the ancients says, #Gen. 16:5; Judg. 11:27; 1 Sam. 26:10–23; Job 5:8‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? #(Matt. 7:16–20)A dead dog? #1 Sam. 17:43; 2 Sam. 9:8A flea? 15#1 Sam. 26:20Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and #1 Sam. 24:12see and #2 Chr. 24:22plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”
16So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, #Ps. 35:1; 43:1; 119:154; Mic. 7:9“Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17#1 Sam. 26:17Then he said to David: “You are #1 Sam. 26:21more righteous than I; for #Gen. 38:26you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. 18And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when #(Matt. 5:44)the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. 19For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20And now #1 Sam. 26:23I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21#1 Sam. 23:17Therefore swear now to me by the Lord #Gen. 21:23; 1 Sam. 20:14–17that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”
22So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to #2 Sam. 21:6–8the stronghold.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.