David Spares Saul’s Life Again
1 Samuel 26The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?” Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had certainly come. Then David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him.
Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?”
Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And there was Saul laying asleep within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head. Abner and the people were lying around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against YHWH’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said, “As YHWH lives, YHWH will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. YHWH forbid that I should stretch out my hand against YHWH’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let’s go.”
So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from YHWH had fallen on them. Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain far away, a great space being between them; and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Don’t you answer, Abner?”
Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. What you have done isn’t good. As YHWH lives, y’all are worthy to die, because y’all have not kept watch over your* lord, YHWH’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”
Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?”
David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand? Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that YHWH has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before YHWH; for they have driven me out today that I shouldn’t cling to YHWH’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’ Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of YHWH; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. I have played the fool! I have been terribly wonrg.”
David answered, “Here is the king’s spear! Let one of the young men come over and get it. YHWH will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because YHWH delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t stretch out my hand against YHWH’s anointed. Just as your life was respected today in my eyes, so let my life be respected in YHWH’s eyes, and let ʜɪᴍ deliver me out of all oppression.”
Then Saul said to David, “You are blessed, my son David. You will both do-do many great things and will prevail-prevail.”
So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.