1Samuel 26
26Some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah and told him that David was hiding on Mount Hachilah at the edge of the Judean wilderness.H2130H935H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H1389H2444H6440H34522Saul went at once with three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel to the wilderness of Ziph to look for David,H7586H6965H3381H4057H2128H7969H505H977H376H3478H1245H1732H4057H21283and camped by the road on Mount Hachilah. David was still in the wilderness, and when he learned that Saul had come to look for him,H7586H2583H1389H2444H6440H3452H1870H1732H3427H4057H7200H7586H935H310H40574he sent spies and found out that Saul was indeed there.H1732H7971H7270H3045H7586H935H35595He went at once and located the exact place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, slept. Saul slept inside the camp, and his men camped around him.H1732H6965H935H4725H7586H2583H1732H7200H4725H7586H7901H74H1121H5369H8269H6635H7586H7901H4570H5971H2583H54396Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab (their mother was Zeruiah), "Which of you two will go to Saul's camp with me?" "I will," Abishai answered.H6030H1732H559H288H2850H52H1121H6870H251H3097H559H3381H7586H4264H52H559H33817So that night David and Abishai entered Saul's camp and found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him.H1732H52H935H5971H3915H7586H7901H3463H4570H2595H4600H776H4763H74H5971H7901H54398Abishai said to David, "God has put your enemy in your power tonight. Now let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground with just one blow - I won't have to strike twice!"H559H52H1732H430H5462H341H3027H3117H5221H2595H776H6471H259H81389But David said, "You must not harm him! The LORD will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king.H1732H559H52H7843H7971H3027H3068H4899H535210By the living LORD," David continued, "I know that the LORD himself will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle.H1732H559H3068H2416H3068H5062H3117H935H4191H3381H4421H559511The LORD forbid that I should try to harm the one whom the LORD has made king! Let's take his spear and his water jar, and go."H3068H2486H7971H3027H3068H4899H3947H2595H4763H6835H4325H321212So David took the spear and the water jar from right beside Saul's head, and he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what had happened or even woke up - they were all sound asleep, because the LORD had sent a heavy sleep on them all.H1732H3947H2595H6835H4325H7586H7226H3212H7200H3045H6974H3463H8639H3068H530713Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley to the top of the hill, a safe distance away,H1732H5674H5676H5975H7218H2022H7350H7227H472514and shouted to Saul's troops and to Abner, "Abner! Can you hear me?" "Who is that shouting and waking up the king?" Abner asked.H1732H7121H5971H74H1121H5369H559H6030H74H74H6030H559H7121H442815David answered, "Abner, aren't you the greatest man in Israel? So why aren't you protecting your master, the king? Just now someone entered the camp to kill your master.H1732H559H74H376H3478H8104H113H4428H935H259H5971H7843H4428H11316You failed in your duty, Abner! I swear by the living LORD that all of you deserve to die, because you have not protected your master, whom the LORD made king. Look! Where is the king's spear? Where is the water jar that was right by his head?"H1697H2896H6213H3068H2416H1121H4194H8104H113H3068H4899H7200H4428H2595H6835H4325H476317Saul recognized David's voice and asked, "David, is that you, my son?" "Yes, Your Majesty," David answered.H7586H5234H1732H6963H559H6963H1121H1732H1732H559H6963H113H442818And he added, "Why, sir, are you still pursuing me, your servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed?H559H113H7291H310H5650H6213H7451H302719Your Majesty, listen to what I have to say. If it is the LORD who has turned you against me, an offering to him will make him change his mind; but if some people have done it, may the LORD's curse fall on them. For they have driven me out from the LORD's land to a country where I can only worship foreign gods.H113H4428H8085H1697H5650H3068H5496H7306H4503H1121H120H779H6440H3068H1644H3117H5596H5159H3068H559H3212H5647H312H43020Don't let me be killed on foreign soil, away from the LORD. Why should the king of Israel come to kill a flea like me? Why should he hunt me down like a wild bird?"H1818H5307H776H6440H3068H4428H3478H3318H1245H259H6550H7291H7124H202221Saul answered, "I have done wrong. Come back, David, my son! I will never harm you again, because you have spared my life tonight. I have been a fool! I have done a terrible thing!"H559H7586H2398H7725H1121H1732H7489H5315H3365H5869H3117H5528H7686H7235H396622David replied, "Here is your spear, Your Majesty. Let one of your men come over and get it.H1732H6030H559H4428H2595H259H5288H5674H394723The LORD rewards those who are faithful and righteous. Today he put you in my power, but I did not harm you, whom the LORD made king.H3068H7725H376H6666H530H3068H5414H3027H3117H14H7971H3027H3068H489924Just as I have spared your life today, may the LORD do the same to me and free me from all troubles!"H5315H1431H3117H5869H5315H1431H5869H3068H5337H686925Saul said to David, "God bless you, my son! You will succeed in everything you do!" So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.H7586H559H1732H1288H1121H1732H6213H6213H3201H3201H1732H3212H1870H7586H7725H4725
Columbus, OH
