1 Samuel 24
24
David Spares Saul’s Life
1 # 24:1
1 Samuel 24:1–22
in English Bibles is 1 Samuel 24:2–23 in the Hebrew Bible. When Saul came back from ⌞fighting⌟ the Philistines, he was told “Now David is in the desert near En Gedi.” 2Then Saul took 3,000 of the best-trained men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3He came to some sheep pens along the road where there was a cave. Saul went into ⌞it⌟ to relieve himself while David and his men were sitting further back in the cave.
4David’s men told him, “Today is the day the Lord referred to when he said, ‘I’m going to hand your enemy over to you. You will do to him whatever you think is right.’ ”
David quietly got up and cut off the border of Saul’s robe. 5But afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the border of Saul’s robe. 6He said to his men, “It would be unthinkable for me to raise my hand against His Majesty, the Lord’s anointed king, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7So David stopped his men by saying this to them and didn’t let them attack Saul.
Saul left the cave and went out onto the road. 8Later, David got up, left the cave, and called to Saul, “Your Majesty!” When Saul looked back, David knelt down with his face touching the ground. 9David asked Saul, “Why do you listen to rumors that I am trying to harm you? 10Today you saw how the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Although I was told to kill you, I spared you, saying, ‘I will not raise my hand against Your Majesty because you are the Lord’s anointed.’ 11My master, look at this! The border of your robe is in my hand! Since I cut off the border of your robe and didn’t kill you, you should know and be able to see I mean no harm or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you, but you are trying to ambush me in order to take my life. 12May the Lord decide between you and me. May the Lord take revenge on you for what you did to me. However, I will not lay a hand on you. 13It’s like people used to say long ago, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’ But I will not lay a hand on you. 14Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? One flea? 15So the Lord must be the judge. He will decide between you and me. He will watch and take my side in ⌞this⌟ matter and set me free from you.”
16When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that you speaking, my servant David?” and Saul cried loudly. 17He told David, “You are more righteous than I. You treated me well while I treated you badly. 18Today you have proved how good you’ve been to me. When the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me. 19When a person finds an enemy, does he send him away unharmed? The Lord will repay you completely for what you did for me today. 20Now I know that you certainly will rule as king, and under your guidance the kingdom of Israel will prosper. 21Swear an oath to the Lord for me that you will not wipe out my descendants or destroy my name in my father’s family.”
22So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went home, and David and his men went to their fortified camp.
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1 Samuel 24: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 24
24
David Spares Saul's Life
1When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. 2Saul took 3,000 of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. 3#Ps 57 (Title); Ps 142 (Title)He came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself. It happened to be the very cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. 4They said to him, “This is your chance! The LORD has told you that he would put your enemy in your power and you could do to him whatever you wanted to.” David crept over and cut off a piece of Saul's robe without Saul's knowing it. 5But then David's conscience began to trouble him, 6#1 Sam 26.11and he said to his men, “May the LORD keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the LORD chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the LORD!” 7So David convinced his men that they should not attack Saul.
Saul got up, left the cave, and started on his way. 8Then David went out after him and called to him, “Your Majesty!” Saul turned round, and David bowed down to the ground in respect 9and said, “Why do you listen to people who say that I am trying to harm you? 10You can see for yourself that just now in the cave the LORD put you in my power. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I felt sorry for you and said that I would not harm you in the least, because you are the one whom the LORD chose to be king. 11Look, my father, look at the piece of your robe I am holding! I could have killed you, but instead I only cut this off. This should convince you that I have no thought of rebelling against you or of harming you. You are hunting me down to kill me, even though I have not done you any wrong. 12May the LORD judge which one of us is wrong! May he punish you for your action against me, for I will not harm you in the least. 13You know the old saying, ‘Evil is done only by evil people.’ And so I will not harm you. 14#1 Sam 26.20Look at what the king of Israel is trying to kill! Look at what he is chasing! A dead dog, a flea! 15The LORD will judge, and he will decide which one of us is wrong. May he look into the matter, defend me, and save me from you.”
16When David had finished speaking, Saul said, “Is that really you, David my son?” And he started crying. 17Then he said to David, “You are right, and I am wrong. You have been so good to me, while I have done such wrong to you! 18Today you have shown how good you are to me, because you did not kill me, even though the LORD put me in your power. 19How often does a man catch his enemy and then let him get away unharmed? The LORD bless you for what you have done to me today! 20Now I am sure that you will be king of Israel and that the kingdom will continue under your rule. 21But promise me in the LORD's name that you will spare my descendants, so that my name and my family's name will not be completely forgotten.” 22David promised that he would.
Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back to their hiding place.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.