1 Samuel 24 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

David Spares Saul’s Life

1 [fn]Now when ^H834 Saul ^H7586 returned ^H7725 from pursuing ^H310 the Philistines ^H6430, it was reported ^H5046 to him, saying ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, David ^H1732 is in the wilderness ^H4057 of Engedi ^H5872.”

2 Then Saul ^H7586 took ^H3947 three ^H7969 thousand ^H505 chosen ^H977 men ^H376 from all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 and went ^H1980 to search ^H1245 for David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 in front ^H6440 of the Rocks ^H6697 of the Mountain ^H3277 Goats ^H3277. 3 And he came ^H935 to the sheepfolds ^H6629 H1448 on the way ^H1870, where ^H8033 there was a cave ^H4631; and Saul ^H7586 went ^H935 in ^H935 to [fn]relieve ^H5526 H7272 himself. Now David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 were sitting ^H3427 in the inner ^H3411 recesses ^H3411 of the cave ^H4631. 4 Then David’s ^H1732 men ^H376 said ^H559 to him, “Behold ^H2009, this is the day ^H3117 of which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to you, ‘Behold ^H2009; I am about to hand ^H5414 H3027 your enemy ^H340 over ^H5414 to you, and you shall do ^H6213 to him as it seems ^H3190 good ^H3190 [fn]to you.’” Then David ^H1732 got ^H6965 up ^H6965 and cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 the edge ^H3671 of Saul’s ^H7586 robe ^H4598 secretly ^H3909. 5 But it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 afterward ^H310 H3651 that David’s ^H1732 [fn]conscience ^H3820 bothered ^H5221 him because ^H5921 H834 he had cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 the edge ^H3671 of Saul’s ^H7586 robe. 6 So he said ^H559 to his men ^H376, “Far ^H2486 be it from me because ^H4480 of the LORD ^H3068 that I would do ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 to my lord ^H113, the LORD’S ^H3068 anointed ^H4899, to reach ^H7971 out ^H7971 with my hand ^H3027 against him, since ^H3588 he is the LORD’S ^H3068 anointed ^H4899.” 7 And David ^H1732 rebuked ^H8156 his men ^H376 with these words ^H1697 and did not allow ^H5414 them to rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H413 Saul ^H7586. And Saul ^H7586 got ^H6965 up ^H6965, [fn]left ^H4480 the cave ^H4631, and went ^H1980 on his way ^H1870.

8 Afterward ^H310 H3651, however, David ^H1732 got ^H6965 up ^H6965 and went ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the cave ^H4631, and called ^H7121 after ^H310 Saul ^H7586, saying ^H559, “My lord ^H113 the king ^H4428!” And when Saul ^H7586 looked ^H5027 behind ^H310 him, David ^H1732 bowed ^H6915 with his face ^H639 to the ground ^H776 and prostrated ^H2331 himself. 9 And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Saul ^H7586, “Why ^H4100 do you listen ^H8085 to the words ^H1697 of men ^H120 [fn]who say ^H559, ‘Behold ^H2009, David ^H1732 is seeking ^H1245 [fn]to harm ^H7451 you’? 10 Behold ^H2009, this ^H2088 day ^H3117 your eyes ^H5869 have seen ^H7200 that the LORD ^H3068 had handed ^H5414 H3027 you over ^H5414 to me today ^H3117 in the cave ^H4631, and someone said ^H559 to kill ^H2026 you, but [fn]I spared ^H2347 you; and I said ^H559, ‘I will not reach ^H7971 out ^H7971 with my hand ^H3027 against my lord ^H113, because ^H3588 he is the LORD’S ^H3068 anointed ^H4899.’ 11 So, my father ^H1, look ^H7200! Indeed ^H1571, look ^H7200 at the edge ^H3671 of your robe ^H4598 in my hand ^H3027! For by the fact that I cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 the edge ^H3671 of your robe ^H4598 but did not kill ^H2026 you, know ^H3045 and understand ^H7200 that there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 evil ^H7451 or [fn]rebellion ^H6588 in my hands ^H3027, and I have not sinned ^H2398 against you, though you are lying ^H6658 in ^H6658 wait ^H6658 for my life ^H5315, to take ^H3947 it. 12 May the LORD ^H3068 judge ^H8199 between ^H996 [fn]you and me, and may the LORD ^H3068 take ^H5358 vengeance ^H5358 on you for me; but my hand ^H3027 shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb ^H4912 of the ancients ^H6931 says ^H559, ‘Out ^H3318 of the wicked ^H7563 comes ^H3318 wickedness ^H7562’; but my hand ^H3027 shall not be against you. 14 After ^H310 whom ^H4310 has the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 gone ^H3318 out ^H3318? Whom ^H4310 are you pursuing ^H7291? A dead ^H4191 dog ^H3611, a single ^H259 flea ^H6550? 15 May the LORD ^H3068 therefore be judge ^H1781 and decide ^H8199 between ^H996 [fn]you and me; and may He see ^H7200 and plead ^H7378 my cause ^H7379 and save ^H8199 me from your hand ^H3027.”

16 When David ^H1732 had finished ^H3615 speaking ^H1696 these ^H428 words ^H1697 to Saul ^H7586, Saul ^H7586 said ^H559, “Is this ^H2088 your voice ^H6963, my son ^H1121 David ^H1732?” Then Saul ^H7586 raised ^H5375 his voice ^H6963 and wept ^H1058. 17 And he said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “You are more ^H4480 righteous ^H6662 than ^H4480 I; for you have dealt ^H1580 well ^H2896 with me, while I have dealt ^H1580 maliciously ^H7451 with you. 18 You have declared ^H5046 today ^H3117 that you have done ^H6213 good ^H2896 to me, that the LORD ^H3068 handed ^H5462 H3027 me over ^H5462 to you and yet you did not kill ^H2026 me. 19 Though if ^H3588 a man ^H376 finds ^H4672 his enemy ^H340, will he let him go ^H7971 away ^H7971 [fn]unharmed ^H2896 H1870? May the LORD ^H3068 therefore reward ^H7999 you with good ^H2896 in ^H8478 return ^H8478 for ^H8478 what ^H834 you have done ^H6213 to me this ^H2088 day ^H3117. 20 Now ^H6258, behold ^H2009, I know ^H3045 that you will certainly ^H4427 be ^H4427 king ^H4427, and that the kingdom ^H4467 of Israel ^H3478 will be established ^H6965 in your hand ^H3027. 21 So now ^H6258 swear ^H7650 to me by the LORD ^H3068 that you will not cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 my [fn]descendants ^H2233 after ^H310 me, and that you will not eliminate ^H8045 my name ^H8034 from my father’s ^H1 household ^H1004.” 22 And David ^H1732 swore ^H7650 an oath to Saul ^H7586. Then Saul ^H7586 went ^H1980 to his home ^H1004, but David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the stronghold ^H4686.