1 Samuel 24
24
David Spares Saul
1When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines,#1Sm 23:28–29 he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.”#1Sm 23:19 2So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men#1Sm 13:2; 26:2 and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself.#24:3 Lit to cover his feet#Jdg 3:24 David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave,#Ps 57; Ps 142 4so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
5Afterward, David’s conscience bothered#24:5 Lit David’s heart struck#2Sm 24:10 him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.#24:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss omit robe 6He said to his men, “As the Lord is my witness, I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed.#1Sm 26:9–11 I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”#1Sm 10:1 7With these words David persuaded#24:7 Or restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul.
Then Saul left the cave and went on his way. 8After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.#1Sm 25:23–24; 1Kg 1:31 9David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? 10You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave.#Ps 7:3–4 Someone advised me to kill you,#1Sm 24:4 but I#24:10 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads she or it#24:10 Or my eye took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord’s anointed. 11Look, my father!#2Kg 5:13 Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Recognize#24:11 Lit Know and see that I’ve committed no crime or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life.#1Sm 23:14,23; 26:20
12“May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you.#1Sm 26:10–11,23 13As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’#Mt 7:16–20; Lk 6:43–45 My hand will never be against you. 14Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea?#1Sm 26:20; 2Sm 9:8 15May the Lord be judge and decide between you and me. May he take notice and plead my case and deliver#24:15 Lit render a verdict for me from you.”#Ps 35:1
16When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” #1Sm 26:17 Then Saul wept aloud 17and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you.#1Sm 26:21 18You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me.#1Sm 26:23 19When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed?#24:19 Lit go on a good way#1Sm 23:17; Pr 16:29 May the Lord repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today.
20“Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established#24:20 Or will flourish in your hand.#1Sm 13:14; 16:1–13 21Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”#Gn 21:23; 1Sm 20:14–17; 2Sm 21:6–8 22So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.#1Sm 23:29
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1 Samuel 24: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Kings 24
24
1Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi.
2And when Saul was returned from following the Philistines they told him, saying: Behold, David is in the desert of Engaddi.
3Saul therefore took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went out to seek after David, and his men, even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats.
4And he came to the sheepcotes, which were in his way. And there was a cave, into which Saul went, to ease nature. Now David and his men lay hid in the inner part of the cave.
5And the servants of David said to him: Behold the day, of which the Lord said to thee: I will deliver thy enemy unto thee, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good in thy eyes. Then David arose, and secretly cut off the hem of Saul's robe.
6After which David's heart struck him, because he had cut off the hem of Saul's robe.
7And he said to his men: The Lord be merciful unto me, that I may do no such thing to my master the Lord's anointed, as to lay my hand upon him, because he is the Lord's anointed.
8And David stopped his men with his words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rising up out of the cave, went on his way.
9And David also rose up after him: and going out of the cave cried after Saul, saying: My lord the king. And Saul looked behind him: and David, bowing himself down to the ground, worshipped,
10And said to Saul: Why dost thou hear the words of men that say, David seeketh thy hurt?
11Behold this day thy eyes have seen, that the Lord hath delivered thee into my hand, in the cave, and I had a thought to kill thee, but my eye hath spared thee. For I said: I will not put out my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord's anointed.
12Moreover see and know, O my father, the hem of thy robe in my hand, that when I cut off the hem of thy robe I would not put out my hand against thee. Reflect, and see, that there is no evil in my hand, nor iniquity; neither have I sinned against thee: but thou liest in wait for my life, to take it away.
13The Lord judge between me and thee; and the Lord revenge me of thee: but my hand shall not be upon thee.
14As also it is said in the old proverb: From the wicked shall wickedness come forth: therefore my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom dost thou come out, O king of Israel?
15After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea?
16Be the Lord judge; and judge between me and thee; and see, and judge my cause; and deliver me out of thy hand.
17And when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said: Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
18And he said to David: Thou art more just than I. For thou hast done good to me; and I have rewarded thee with evil.
19And thou hast shewn this day what good things thou hast done to me: how the Lord delivered me into thy hand; and thou hast not killed me.
20For who, when he hath found his enemy, will let him go well away? But the Lord reward thee for this good turn, for what thou hast done to me this day.
21And now as I know that thou shalt surely be king, and have the kingdom of Israel in thy hand;
22Swear to me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father.
23And David swore to Saul. So Saul went home: and David and his men went up into safer places.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.