1 Samuel 24

David Spares Saul

1 Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.3 So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. ( David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)4 Then the men of David said to him, This is the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you. And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Sauls robe.5 Now it happened afterward that Davids heart troubled him because he had cut Sauls robe. 6 And he said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lords anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.7 So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.8 David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down.9 And David said to Saul: Why do you listen to the words of men who say, Indeed David seeks your harm?10 Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lords anointed.11 Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.12 Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.13 As the proverb of the ancients says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked. But my hand shall not be against you.14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?15 Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.16 So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.17 Then he said to David: You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.18 And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.20 And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.21 Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my fathers house.22 So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1 SAMUEL 24

David Lets Saul Live

1 When Saul got back from fighting off the Philistines, he heard that David was in the desert around En-Gedi. 2 Saul led 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi.

3 t There were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself.
David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave.

4 They whispered to David, “The [Lord] told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the [Lord] was talking about.”
David sneaked over and cut off a small piecet of Saul's robe, but Saul didn't notice a thing. 5 Afterwards, David was sorry that he had even done that,

6-7 t and he told his men, “Stop talking foolishly. We're not going to attack Saul. He's my king, and I pray that the [Lord] will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king.”
Saul left the cave and started down the road.

8 Soon, David also got up and left the cave. “Your Majesty!” he shouted from a distance.
Saul turned around to look. David bowed down very low

9 and said:
Your Majesty, why do you listen to people who say that I'm trying to harm you? 10 You can see for yourself that the [Lord] gave me the chance to catch you in the cave today. Some of my men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn't let them do it. I told them, “I will not harm the [Lord]'s chosen king!”

11 Your Majesty, look at what I'm holding. You can see that it's a piece of your robe. If I could cut off a piece of your robe, I could have killed you. But I let you live, and that should prove I'm not trying to harm you or to rebel. I haven't done anything to you, and yet you keep trying to ambush and kill me.
12 I'll let the [Lord] decide which one of us has done right. I pray that the [Lord] will punish you for what you're doing to me, but I won't do anything to you.

13 An old proverb says, “Only evil people do evil things,” and so I won't harm you.
14  t Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea.

15 I pray that the [Lord] will help me escape and show that I am in the right.
16 “David, my son—is that you?” Saul asked. Then he started crying

17 and said:
David, you're a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I've been cruel to you. 18 You've told me how you were kind enough not to kill me when the [Lord] gave you the chance.

19 If you really were my enemy, you wouldn't have let me leave here alive. I pray that the [Lord] will give you a big reward for what you did today.
20 I realize now that you will be the next king, and a powerful king at that.

21 Promise me with the [Lord] as your witness, that you won't wipe out my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive.
22 So David promised, and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout.