1 Samuel 26

Modern

Literal

David Again Spares Saul

¹Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

¹And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, upon the face of Jeshimon?”

²So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.

²And Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, and with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

³Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon, but David was living in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had followed him there,

³And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is upon the face of Jeshimon, by the road. And David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul was coming after him into the wilderness.

⁴David sent out spies to verify that Saul had arrived.

⁴And David sent out spies, and he knew that Saul had come to Nachon.

⁵Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp, with the troops camped around him.

⁵And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped there. And David saw the place where Saul lay there, and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army. And Saul lay within the camp, and the people encamped all around him.

⁶And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

“I will go with you,” answered Abishai.

⁶And David answered and spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

⁷That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.

⁷And David and Abishai came to the people by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, and his spear was pressed into the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.

⁸Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”

⁸And Abishai said to David, “God has delivered this day your enemy into your hand. And now let me strike him, please, with the spear and into the earth with one stroke; and I will not need repeat it to him.”

⁹But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”

⁹And David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the anointed of YHWH and be guiltless?”

¹⁰David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

¹⁰And David said, “As YHWH lives, if rather YHWH shall strike him, or his day shall come and he will die, or he shall go out to the battle and perish.

¹¹But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

¹¹Far be it from me by YHWH to stretch out my hand against the anointed of YHWH. And take, please, the spear that is by his head, and the jug of water, and let us go.”

¹²So David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

¹²And David took the spear and the jug of water by the head of Saul, and they went away to them, and no one saw it, and no one knew it, and no one awoke, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from YHWH had fallen on them.

David Reproves Abner

¹³Then David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them.

¹³And David went over to the other side and stood on the top of the hill afar off, a great distance between them.

¹⁴And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?”

“Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner replied.

¹⁴And David called out to the people and to Abner son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answered and said, “Who are you calling out to the king?”

¹⁵So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

¹⁵And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? And why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord.

¹⁶This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”

¹⁶This thing that you have done is not good. As YHWH lives, surely you deserve to die, because you have not watched over your master, over the anointed of YHWH. And now see, where is the spear of the king and the jug of water that was by his head?”

¹⁷Then Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?”

“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said.

¹⁷And Saul knew the voice of David, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, the king.”

¹⁸And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?

¹⁸And he said, “Why is this that my lord pursues after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?

¹⁹Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

¹⁹And now, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If YHWH has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the sons of man, may they be cursed before the face of YHWH. For they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of YHWH, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

²⁰So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²⁰And now, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of YHWH; for the king of Israel has come out to seek one flea, as one pursues the partridge in the mountains.”

Saul Acknowledges His Sin

²¹Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!”

²¹And Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will harm you no more, upon that my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly and erred exceedingly greatly.”

²²“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of the young men come over and get it.

²²And David answered and said, “Here is the spear of the king! And let one of the young men come over and get it.

²³May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

²³And may YHWH repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness. For YHWH delivered you today into my hand, and I would not stretch out my hand against the anointed of YHWH.

²⁴As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and rescue me from all trouble.”

²⁴And behold, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of YHWH, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”

²⁵Saul said to him, “May you be blessed, David my son. You will accomplish great things and will surely prevail.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

²⁵And Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David; also you will accomplish great things, and you will surely prevail.” And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.