1 Samuel 26
26
Once Again David Doesn’t Kill Saul When He Has the Chance
1Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah. They said, “David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah. It faces Jeshimon.”
2So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph. He took 3,000 of the best soldiers in Israel with him. They went to the desert to look for David. 3Saul set up his camp beside the road. It was on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon. But David stayed in the desert. He saw that Saul had followed him there. 4So he sent out scouts. From them he learned that Saul had arrived.
5Then David started out. He went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner were lying down. Saul was lying inside the camp. The army was camped all around him. Abner was commander of the army. He was the son of Ner.
6Then David spoke to Ahimelek, the Hittite. He also spoke to Joab’s brother Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He asked them, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?”
“I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.
7So that night David and Abishai went into the camp. They found Saul lying asleep inside the camp. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him.
8Abishai said to David, “Today God has handed your enemy over to you. So let me pin him to the ground. I can do it with one jab of the spear. I won’t even have to strike him twice.”
9But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! No one can do any harm to the Lord’s anointed king and not be guilty. 10You can be sure that the Lord lives,” he said. “And you can be just as sure that the Lord himself will strike Saul down. Perhaps he’ll die a natural death. Or perhaps he’ll go into battle and be killed. 11May the Lord keep me from doing anything to harm his anointed king. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head. Then let’s leave.”
12So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai left. No one saw them. No one knew about what they had done. In fact, no one even woke up. Everyone was sleeping. That’s because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.
13David went across to the other side of the valley. He stood on top of a hill far away from Saul’s camp. There was a wide space between them. 14He called out to the army and to Abner, the son of Ner. He said, “Abner! Aren’t you going to answer me?”
Abner replied, “Who is calling out to the king?”
15David said, “You are a great soldier, aren’t you? There isn’t anyone else like you in Israel. So why didn’t you guard the king? He’s your master, isn’t he? Someone came into the camp to destroy him. 16You didn’t guard him. And that isn’t good. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that you and your men must die. That’s because you didn’t guard your master. He’s the Lord’s anointed king. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”
17Saul recognized David’s voice. He said, “My son David, is that your voice?”
David replied, “Yes it is, King Saul, my master.” 18He continued, “Why are you chasing me? What evil thing have I done? What am I guilty of? 19King Saul, please listen to what I’m saying. Was it the Lord who made you angry with me? If it was, may he accept my offering. Was it people who made you angry at me? If it was, may the Lord see them cursed. They have driven me today from my share of the Lord’s land. By doing that, they might as well have said, ‘Go and serve other gods.’ 20Don’t spill my blood on the ground far away from where the Lord lives. King Saul, you have come out to look for nothing but a flea. It’s as if you were hunting a partridge in the mountains.”
21Then Saul said, “I have sinned. My son David, come back. Today you thought my life was very special. So I won’t try to harm you again. I’ve really acted like a foolish person. I’ve made a huge mistake.”
22“Here’s your spear,” David answered. “Send one of your young men over to get it. 23The Lord rewards everyone for doing what is right and being faithful. He handed you over to me today. But I wouldn’t harm you. You are the Lord’s anointed king. 24Today I thought your life had great value. In the same way, may the Lord think of my life as having great value. May he save me from all trouble.”
25Then Saul said to David, “May the Lord bless you, David my son. You will do great things. You will also have great success.”
So David went on his way. And Saul returned home.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 26: 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.
1 Samuel 26
26
David Again Spares Saul
1Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah saying, “David is hiding on the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon.” # 1Sm 23:19; Ps 54 title 2So Saul, accompanied by 3,000 of the choice men of Israel, # 1Sm 13:2; 24:2 went to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there. 3Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah # 1Sm 24:3 opposite Jeshimon. David was living in the wilderness and discovered Saul had come there after him. # 1Sm 23:15 4So David sent out spies and knew for certain that Saul had come. 5Immediately, David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, # 1Sm 14:50-51; 17:55 the general of his army, were lying down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp with the troops camped around him. 6Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite # Gn 26:34; Jos 3:10; 1Kg 10:29; 2Kg 7:6 and Joab’s brother Abishai # 1Ch 2:15-16 son of Zeruiah, “Who will go with me into the camp # Jdg 7:10-11 to Saul? ”
“I’ll go with you,” answered Abishai.
7That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. 8Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t have to strike him twice! ”
9But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be blameless? ” # 1Sm 10:1; 24:6-7; 2Sm 1:14,16 10David added, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down: # 1Sm 25:26,38 either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11However, because of the Lord, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed. # Dt 32:35; 1Sm 24:6; 25:39; Rm 12:19 Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.”
12So David took the spear and the water jug by Saul’s head, and they went their way. No one saw them, no one knew, and no one woke up; they all remained asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord # Gn 2:21; 15:12 came over them. 13David crossed to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance; there was a considerable space between them. 14Then David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner: “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner? ”
“Who are you who calls to the king? ” Abner asked.
15David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? 16What you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you deserve to die since you didn’t protect your lord, the Lord’s anointed. # 1Sm 20:31 Now look around; where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head? ”
17Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David? ” # 1Sm 24:16; 26:21,25
“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said. 18Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand? # 1Sm 24:11 19Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the Lord who has incited you against me, # 2Sm 16:11 then may He accept an offering. # Gn 8:21 But if it is people, # 1Sm 24:9 may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord, for today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord saying, # Jos 22:25-27 ‘Go and worship other gods.’ 20So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a flea, # 1Sm 24:14 like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.”
21Saul responded, “I have sinned. # 1Sm 15:24,30; 24:17 Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”
22David answered, “Here is the king’s spear; have one of the young men come over and get it. 23May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness # 1Sm 24:19 and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed, even though the Lord handed you over to me today. # 1Sm 24:10-12; 26:10-11 24Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the Lord consider my life valuable # 1Sm 18:30 and rescue me from all trouble.” # Ps 54:7
25Saul said to him, “You are blessed, my son David. You will certainly do great things and will also prevail.” # 1Sm 24:19 Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home. # 1Sm 24:22
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.