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.
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1 Samuel 24: NIrV
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Shemu’ĕl Aleph (1 Samuel) 24
24
1And it came to be, when Sha’ul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, “See, Dawiḏ is in the Wilderness of Ěn Geḏi.”
2So Sha’ul took three thousand chosen men from all Yisra’ĕl, and went to seek Dawiḏ and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
3And he came to the sheepfolds, on the way, and there was a cave. And Sha’ul went in to relieve himself. Now Dawiḏ and his men were sitting in the sides of the cave.
4And the men of Dawiḏ said to him, “See, the day of which יהוה said to you, ‘See, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you!’ ” And Dawiḏ arose and gently cut off a corner of Sha’ul’s robe.
5And it came to be afterward that the heart of Dawiḏ struck him because he had cut the robe of Sha’ul.
6So he said to his men, “Far be it from me, by יהוה, that I should do this matter to my master, anointed of יהוה, to stretch out my hand against him, for he is the anointed of יהוה.”
7And Dawiḏ dispersed his servants with words, and did not allow them to rise against Sha’ul. And Sha’ul rose up from the cave and went on his way.
8And afterward Dawiḏ arose and went out of the cave, and called out to Sha’ul, saying, “My master the sovereign!” And when Sha’ul looked behind him, Dawiḏ bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
9And Dawiḏ said to Sha’ul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘See, Dawiḏ seeks to do you evil’?
10“See, this day your eyes have seen that יהוה gave you today into my hand in the cave, and one said to kill you. But my eye pardoned you, and I said, ‘I do not stretch out my hand against my master, for he is the anointed of יהוה.’
11“And 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 neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, while you are hunting my life to take it.
12“Let יהוה judge between you and me, and let יהוה revenge me on you, but my hand is not against you.
13“As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wrong comes from the wrongdoer.’ But my hand is not against you.
14“After whom has the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
15“And יהוה shall be judge, and rightly rule between you and me, and see and plead my case, and rightly rule me out of your hand.”
16And it came to be, when Dawiḏ had ended speaking these words to Sha’ul, that Sha’ul said, “Is this your voice, my son Dawiḏ?” So Sha’ul lifted up his voice and wept.
17And he said to Dawiḏ, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
18“And you have shown today how you have done good to me, for when יהוה surrendered me into your hand you did not kill me.
19“For if a man finds his enemy, shall he let him get away safely? And let יהוה reward you with good for what you have done to me today.
20“And now look, I know that you shall certainly reign, and that the reign of Yisra’ĕl shall be established in your hand.
21“And now, swear to me by יהוה that you do not cut off my seed after me, nor destroy my name from my father’s house.”
22And Dawiḏ swore to Sha’ul. Then Sha’ul went home, and Dawiḏ and his men went up to the stronghold.
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