1
And the Ziphites[H2130]came[H935] unto Saul[H7586] to Gibeah[H1390], saying[H559], Doth not David[H1732]hide[H5641] himself in the hill[H1389] of Hachilah[H2444], which is before[H6440]Jeshimon?[H3452]
2
Then Saul[H7586]arose[H6965], and went down[H3381] to the wilderness[H4057] of Ziph[H2128], having three[H7969]thousand[H505]chosen[H977]men[H376] of Israel[H3478] with him, to seek[H1245]David[H1732] in the wilderness[H4057] of Ziph[H2128].
3
And Saul[H7586]pitched[H2583] in the hill[H1389] of Hachilah[H2444], which is before[H6440]Jeshimon[H3452], by the way[H1870]. But David[H1732]abode[H3427] in the wilderness[H4057], and he saw[H7200] that Saul[H7586]came[H935]after[H310] him into the wilderness[H4057].
4David[H1732] therefore sent out[H7971]spies[H7270], and understood[H3045] that Saul[H7586] was come[H935] in very deed[H3559].
5
And David[H1732]arose[H6965], and came[H935] to the place[H4725] where Saul[H7586] had pitched[H2583]: and David[H1732]beheld[H7200] the place[H4725] where Saul[H7586]lay[H7901], and Abner[H74] the son[H1121] of Ner[H5369], the captain[H8269] of his host[H6635]: and Saul[H7586]lay[H7901] in the trench[H4570], and the people[H5971]pitched[H2583] round about[H5439] him.
6
Then answered[H6030]David[H1732] and said[H559] to Ahimelech[H288] the Hittite[H2850], and to Abishai[H52] the son[H1121] of Zeruiah[H6870], brother[H251] to Joab[H3097], saying[H559], Who will go down[H3381] with me to Saul[H7586] to the camp?[H4264] And Abishai[H52]said[H559], I will go down[H3381] with thee.
7
So David[H1732] and Abishai[H52]came[H935] to the people[H5971] by night[H3915]: and, behold, Saul[H7586]lay[H7901]sleeping[H3463] within the trench[H4570], and his spear[H2595]stuck[H4600] in the ground[H776] at his bolster[H4763]: but Abner[H74] and the people[H5971]lay[H7901] round about[H5439] him.
8
Then said[H559]Abishai[H52] to David[H1732], God[H430] hath delivered[H5462] thine enemy[H341] into thine hand[H3027] this day[H3117]: now therefore let me smite[H5221] him, I pray thee, with the spear[H2595] even to the earth[H776] at once[H6471], and I will not smite[H5221] him the second time[H8138].
9
And David[H1732]said[H559] to Abishai[H52], Destroy[H7843] him not: for who can stretch forth[H7971] his hand[H3027] against the LORD'S anointed[H4899], and be guiltless?[H5352]
10David[H1732]said[H559] furthermore, As the LORD[H3068]liveth[H2416], the LORD[H3068] shall smite[H5062] him; or his day[H3117] shall come[H935] to die[H4191]; or he shall descend[H3381] into battle[H4421], and perish[H5595].
11
The LORD[H3068]forbid[H2486] that I should stretch forth[H7971] mine hand[H3027] against the LORD[H3068]'S anointed[H4899]: but, I pray thee, take[H3947] thou now the spear[H2595] that is at his bolster[H4763], and the cruse[H6835] of water[H4325], and let us go[H3212].
12
So David[H1732]took[H3947] the spear[H2595] and the cruse[H6835] of water[H4325] from Saul's bolster[H7226]; and they gat them away[H3212], and no man saw[H7200] it, nor knew[H3045] it, neither awaked[H6974]: for they were all asleep[H3463]; because a deep sleep[H8639] from the LORD[H3068] was fallen[H5307] upon them.
13
Then David[H1732] went over[H5674] to the other side[H5676], and stood[H5975] on the top[H7218] of an hill[H2022] afar off[H7350]; a great[H7227]space[H4725] being between them:
14
And David[H1732]cried[H7121] to the people[H5971], and to Abner[H74] the son[H1121] of Ner[H5369], saying[H559], Answerest[H6030] thou not, Abner?[H74] Then Abner[H74]answered[H6030] and said[H559], Who art thou that criest[H7121] to the king?[H4428]
15
And David[H1732]said[H559] to Abner[H74], Art not thou a valiant man?[H376] and who is like to thee in Israel?[H3478] wherefore then hast thou not kept[H8104] thy lord[H113] the king?[H4428] for there came[H935]one[H259] of the people[H5971] in to destroy[H7843] the king[H4428] thy lord[H113].
16
This thing[H1697] is not good[H2896] that thou hast done[H6213]. As the LORD[H3068]liveth[H2416], ye are worthy[H1121] to die[H4194], because ye have not kept[H8104] your master[H113], the LORD[H3068]'S anointed[H4899]. And now see[H7200] where the king's spear[H2595] is, and the cruse[H6835] of water[H4325] that was at his bolster[H4763].
17
And Saul[H7586]knew[H5234]David[H1732]'s voice[H6963], and said[H559], Is this thy voice[H6963], my son[H1121]David?[H1732] And David[H1732]said[H559], It is my voice[H6963], my lord[H113], O king[H4428].
18
And he said[H559], Wherefore doth my lord[H113] thus pursue[H7291]after[H310] his servant?[H5650] for what have I done?[H6213] or what evil[H7451] is in mine hand?[H3027]
19
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord[H113] the king[H4428]hear[H8085] the words[H1697] of his servant[H5650]. If the LORD[H3068] have stirred thee up[H5496] against me, let him accept[H7306] an offering[H4503]: but if they be the children[H1121] of men[H120], cursed[H779] be they before[H6440] the LORD[H3068]; for they have driven[H1644] me out this day[H3117] from abiding[H5596] in the inheritance[H5159] of the LORD[H3068], saying[H559], Go[H3212], serve[H5647]other[H312]gods[H430].
20
Now therefore, let not my blood[H1818]fall[H5307] to the earth[H776] before the face[H6440] of the LORD[H3068]: for the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478] is come out[H3318] to seek[H1245]a[H259]flea[H6550], as when one doth hunt[H7291]a[H259]partridge[H7124] in the mountains[H2022].
21
Then said[H559]Saul[H7586], I have sinned[H2398]: return[H7725], my son[H1121]David[H1732]: for I will no more do thee harm[H7489], because my soul[H5315] was precious[H3365] in thine eyes[H5869] this day[H3117]: behold, I have played the fool[H5528], and have erred[H7686]exceedingly[H7235].
22
And David[H1732]answered[H6030] and said[H559], Behold the king's spear[H2595]! and let one[H259] of the young men[H5288] come over[H5674] and fetch[H3947] it.
23
The LORD[H3068]render[H7725] to every man[H376] his righteousness[H6666] and his faithfulness[H530]: for the LORD[H3068]delivered[H5414] thee into my hand[H3027] to day[H3117], but I would[H14] not stretch forth[H7971] mine hand[H3027] against the LORD[H3068]'S anointed[H4899].
24
And, behold, as thy life[H5315] was much set by[H1431] this day[H3117] in mine eyes[H5869], so let my life[H5315] be much set by[H1431] in the eyes[H5869] of the LORD[H3068], and let him deliver[H5337] me out of all tribulation[H6869].
25
Then Saul[H7586]said[H559] to David[H1732], Blessed[H1288] be thou, my son[H1121]David[H1732]: thou shalt both do[H6213]great[H6213] things, and also shalt still[H3201]prevail[H3201]. So David[H1732]went[H3212] on his way[H1870], and Saul[H7586]returned[H7725] to his place[H4725].