1Samuel 26
26Now some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, "David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshimon."H2130H935H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H1389H2444H6440H34522So Saul took 3,000 of Israel's elite troops and went to hunt him down in the wilderness of Ziph.H7586H6965H3381H4057H2128H7969H505H977H376H3478H1245H1732H4057H21283Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,H7586H2583H1389H2444H6440H3452H1870H1732H3427H4057H7200H7586H935H310H40574he sent out spies to verify the report of Saul's arrival.H1732H7971H7270H3045H7586H935H35595David slipped over to Saul's camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors.H1732H6965H935H4725H7586H2583H1732H7200H4725H7586H7901H74H1121H5369H8269H6635H7586H7901H4570H5971H2583H54396"Who will volunteer to go in there with me?" David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother. "I'll go with you," Abishai replied.H6030H1732H559H288H2850H52H1121H6870H251H3097H559H3381H7586H4264H52H559H33817So David and Abishai went right into Saul's camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him.H1732H52H935H5971H3915H7586H7901H3463H4570H2595H4600H776H4763H74H5971H7901H54398"God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!" Abishai whispered to David. "Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won't need to strike twice!"H559H52H1732H430H5462H341H3027H3117H5221H2595H776H6471H259H81389"No!" David said. "Don't kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the LORD's anointed one?H1732H559H52H7843H7971H3027H3068H4899H535210Surely the LORD will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle.H1732H559H3068H2416H3068H5062H3117H935H4191H3381H4421H559511The LORD forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let's get out of here!"H3068H2486H7971H3027H3068H4899H3947H2595H4763H6835H4325H321212So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul's head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the LORD had put Saul's men into a deep sleep.H1732H3947H2595H6835H4325H7586H7226H3212H7200H3045H6974H3463H8639H3068H530713David climbed the hill opposite the camp until he was at a safe distance.H1732H5674H5676H5975H7218H2022H7350H7227H472514Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, "Wake up, Abner!" "Who is it?" Abner demanded.H1732H7121H5971H74H1121H5369H559H6030H74H74H6030H559H7121H442815"Well, Abner, you're a great man, aren't you?" David taunted. "Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven't you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him?H1732H559H74H376H3478H8104H113H4428H935H259H5971H7843H4428H11316This isn't good at all! I swear by the LORD that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the LORD's anointed! Look around! Where are the king's spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?"H1697H2896H6213H3068H2416H1121H4194H8104H113H3068H4899H7200H4428H2595H6835H4325H476317Saul recognized David's voice and called out, "Is that you, my son David?" And David replied, "Yes, my lord the king.H7586H5234H1732H6963H559H6963H1121H1732H1732H559H6963H113H442818Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime?H559H113H7291H310H5650H6213H7451H302719But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the LORD. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the LORD's people, and they have said, 'Go, worship pagan gods.'H113H4428H8085H1697H5650H3068H5496H7306H4503H1121H120H779H6440H3068H1644H3117H5596H5159H3068H559H3212H5647H312H43020Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the LORD? Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?"H1818H5307H776H6440H3068H4428H3478H3318H1245H259H6550H7291H7124H202221Then Saul confessed, "I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong."H559H7586H2398H7725H1121H1732H7489H5315H3365H5869H3117H5528H7686H7235H396622"Here is your spear, O king," David replied. "Let one of your young men come over and get it.H1732H6030H559H4428H2595H259H5288H5674H394723The LORD gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the LORD placed you in my power, for you are the LORD's anointed one.H3068H7725H376H6666H530H3068H5414H3027H3117H14H7971H3027H3068H489924Now may the LORD value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles."H5315H1431H3117H5869H5315H1431H5869H3068H5337H686925And Saul said to David, "Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed." Then David went away, and Saul returned home.H7586H559H1732H1288H1121H1732H6213H6213H3201H3201H1732H3212H1870H7586H7725H4725
New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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