1 Samuel 26
26
David Again Spares Saul
1Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah saying, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hachilah which faces Jeshimon?”
2So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, 3,000 chosen men of Israel with him, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah which faces Jeshimon, by the road. But David was staying in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness.
4So David sent out spies and realized that Saul had already arrived.
5Then David got up and went to the place where Saul had camped. David detected the spot where Saul lay asleep, as well as Abner son of Ner his army commander. Saul was lying inside the barricade and the troops were camped around him.
6Then David spoke and asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go down with you,” Abishai answered.
7So David and Abishai approached the troops by night. Behold, Saul was lying asleep within the barricade with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the troops were sleeping around him.
8Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now let me pin him to the ground with a single thrust of the spear. I will not have to strike him twice.”
9But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! For who can lay his hand on Adonai’s anointed and be guiltless?”
10David added, “As Adonai lives, either Adonai will strike him down, or his day will come to die, or he will go down to battle and be swept away.
11Adonai forbid that I should lay my hand on Adonai’s anointed! Now, just take the spear that is at his head and the water jar and let’s go.”
12So David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul’s head. They got away—and no one saw it, or knew it, or woke up—for all were asleep, for a deep sleep from Adonai had fallen upon them.
13Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on the top of a distant hill with a wide space between them.
14David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner saying, “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered saying, “Who are you, who called out to the king?”
15“Aren’t you a man?” David said to Abner. “Indeed, who is like you in Israel? So, why didn’t you guard your lord the king? For one of the troops came in to kill the king your lord.
16This thing that you’ve done is no good. As Adonai lives, all of you deserve to die, because you have not kept watching over your lord, Adonai’s anointed. So now, look around, where are the king’s spear and the water jar that were at his head?”
17Saul then recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, David my son?” “It is my voice, my lord the king,” David said,
18then added, “Yet why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
19Now please, let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If Adonai has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if men have done so, then cursed are they before Adonai, because they have now driven me out that I would not cling to Adonai’s inheritance, saying: ‘Go, worship other gods.’
20So now, let not my blood fall to the ground, away from the presence of Adonai. For the king of Israel has come out to search for but a single flea, just as one hunts for a partridge in the mountains.”
21Then Saul replied, “I have sinned! Return, David my son, for I will no longer do you harm, since my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I’ve played the fool and erred so seriously.”
22David then answered and said, “There is the king’s spear! Let one of the young men cross over and take it.
23Adonai will repay everyone his righteousness and his faithfulness. For Adonai gave you into my hand today, but I refused to lay my hand on Adonai’s anointed.
24See, just as your life was highly valued in my eyes today, so let my life be highly valued in Adonai’s eyes, and may He deliver me from all trouble.”
25Then Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, David my son! You will both do mightily and will surely prevail.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
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1 Samuel 26: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
1 Samuel 26
26
1 And the Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying: "Behold, David is hidden on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the wilderness."
2 And Saul rose up, and he descended into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand elect men of Israel, so that he might seek David in the desert of Ziph.
3 And Saul encamped at Gibeah on Hachilah, which was opposite the wilderness on the way. But David was living in the desert. Then, seeing that Saul had arrived after him in the wilderness,
4 he sent explorers, and he learned that he certainly had arrived in that place.
5 And David rose up secretly, and he went to the place where Saul was. And when he had seen the place where Saul was sleeping, and Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of his military, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the remainder of the common people all around him,
6 David spoke to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, "Who will descend with me to Saul in the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will descend with you."
7 Therefore, David and Abishai went to the people by night, and they found Saul lying down and sleeping in the tent, with his spear fixed in the ground at his head. And Abner and the people were sleeping all around him.
8 And Abishai said to David: "God has enclosed your enemy this day in your hands. Now therefore, I will pierce him with my lance, through to the ground, once, and there will not need to be a second."
9 And David said to Abishai: "You shall not kill him. For who may extend his hand against the Christ of the Lord, and yet be innocent?"
10 And David said: "As the Lord lives, unless the Lord himself will strike him, or unless his day to die will have arrived, or unless, descending into battle, he will perish,
11 may the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, take the spear that is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go."
12 And so, David took the spear, and the cup of water that was at Saul's head, and they went away. And there was no one who saw it, or realized it, or awakened, but they were all sleeping. For a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen over them.
13 And when David had crossed over to the opposite side, and had stood upon the top of the hill far away, so that there was a great interval between them,
14 David cried out to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, "Will you not respond, Abner?" And responding, Abner said, "Who are you, that you would cry out and disquiet the king?"
15 And David said to Abner: "Are you not a man? And who else is like you in Israel? Then why have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people entered, so that he might kill the king, your lord.
16 This is not good, what you have done. As the Lord lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your lord, the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, where is the king's spear, and where is the cup of water that was at his head?"
17 Then Saul recognized the voice of David, and he said, "Is this not your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord the king."
18 And he said: "For what reason has my lord pursued his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is there in my hand?
19 Now therefore, listen, I beg you, my lord the king, to the words of your servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him make the sacrifice fragrant. But if the sons of men have done so, they are accursed in the sight of the Lord, who has cast me out this day, so that I would not live within the inheritance of the Lord, saying, 'Go, serve strange gods.'
20 And now, let not my blood be poured out upon the earth before the Lord. For the king of Israel has gone out, so that he might seek a flea, just as the partridge is pursued amid the mountains."
21 And Saul said: "I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will never again do evil to you, because my life has been precious in your eyes this day. For it is apparent that I have acted senselessly, and have been ignorant of very many things."
22 And responding, David said: "Behold, the king's spear. Let one of the servants of the king cross over and take it.
23 And the Lord will repay each one according to his justice and faith. For the Lord has delivered you this day into my hand, but I was not willing to extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord.
24 And just as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and may he free me from all distress."
25 Then Saul said to David: "You are blessed, my son David. And whatever you may do, it shall certainly succeed." And David departed on his way. And Saul returned to his place.
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