1 Samuel 26

26 ¹Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah: "Isn't David hiding on Hachilah hill, facing Jeshimon?" ²Saul went down to the Wilderness of Ziph with 3,000 chosen men of Israel to search for David there. ³Saul camped on Hachilah hill facing Jeshimon beside the road, while David stayed in the wilderness. David saw Saul had followed him into the wilderness, ⁴he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had indeed arrived. ⁵David went to the place where Saul had camped, and saw where Saul lay with Abner son of Ner, his army commander. Saul lay inside the camp, troops surrounding him. ⁶David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who'll go down with me to Saul's camp?" Abishai said, "I'll go down with you."

⁷David and Abishai came to the troops at night. Saul lay asleep in camp, spear stuck in the ground by his head, Abner and the troops around him. ⁸Abishai said to David, "Our Father has given your enemy into your hand today. So let me strike him to the ground with one spear—no second thrust needed."

⁹But David told Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lift a hand against our Father's anointed and stay guiltless?" ¹⁰David said, "As our Father lives, our Father will strike him, or his day comes and he dies, or he goes into battle and is destroyed. ¹¹Far be it, before our Father, to raise my hand against our Father's anointed. Now take the spear at his head, the water jug, and let's go."

¹²David took the spear and water jug from beside Saul's head; they left. No one saw them, no one knew, and no one woke, for a deep sleep from our Father had fallen on them all.

¹³Then David crossed over and stood on a distant hilltop, a wide gap between them. ¹⁴He called to the troops and Abner son of Ner: "Won't you answer, Abner?" "Who are you, calling to the king?" Abner replied.

¹⁵David said to Abner, "Aren't you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy the king, your lord. ¹⁶You've done wrong. As our Father lives, you all deserve death for not guarding your lord, our Father's anointed. Now look—where are the king's spear and water jug by his head?"

¹⁷Saul recognized David's voice: "Is that your voice, my son David?" David said, "My voice, my lord the king."

¹⁸He said, "Why does my lord chase his servant? What have I done, what wrong in my hand? ¹⁹May my lord the king hear his servant's words: if our Father stirred you against me, may he accept an offering; but if it is people who have done it, may they be cursed before him—for today they've driven me from my share in his inheritance, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' ²⁰Don't let my blood fall to the ground, far from our Father's presence—Israel's king comes out to hunt one flea, like chasing a partridge in the mountains."

²¹Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, since my life was precious in your eyes today. I have been foolish and gravely mistaken."

²²David answered, "Here is the king's spear. Let a young man come get it. ²³Our Father repays everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. Today he gave you into my hand, but I wouldn't raise my hand against his anointed. ²⁴As I valued your life highly today, may our Father value my life highly and rescue me from all trouble."

²⁵Saul told David, "Blessed are you, my son David—you will do great things, and surely prevail." David went his way; Saul returned home.