24When Saul came back after dealing with the Philistines, he was told, "David is now in the wilderness of En Gedi."H7586H7725H310H6430H5046H559H1732H4057H58722Saul took three companies—the best he could find in all Israel—and set out in search of David and his men in the region of Wild Goat Rocks.H7586H3947H7969H505H977H376H3478H3212H1245H1732H582H6440H6697H32773He came to some sheep pens along the road. There was a cave there and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were huddled far back in the same cave.H935H1448H6629H1870H4631H7586H935H5526H7272H1732H582H3427H3411H46314David's men whispered to him, "Can you believe it? This is the day GOD was talking about when he said, 'I'll put your enemy in your hands. You can do whatever you want with him.'" Quiet as a cat, David crept up and cut off a piece of Saul's royal robe.H582H1732H559H3117H3068H559H5414H341H3027H6213H3190H5869H1732H6965H3772H3671H7586H4598H39095Immediately, he felt guilty.H310H1732H3820H5221H3772H7586H36716He said to his men, "GOD forbid that I should have done this to my master, GOD's anointed, that I should so much as raise a finger against him. He's GOD's anointed!"H559H582H3068H2486H6213H1697H113H3068H4899H7971H3027H4899H30687David held his men in check with these words and wouldn't let them pounce on Saul. Saul got up, left the cave, and went on down the road.H1732H8156H582H1697H5414H6965H7586H7586H6965H4631H3212H18708Then David stood at the mouth of the cave and called to Saul, "My master! My king!" Saul looked back. David fell to his knees and bowed in reverence.H1732H6965H3318H4631H7121H310H7586H559H113H4428H7586H5027H310H1732H6915H639H776H78129He called out, "Why do you listen to those who say 'David is out to get you'?H1732H559H7586H8085H120H1697H559H1732H1245H745110This very day with your very own eyes you have seen that just now in the cave GOD put you in my hands. My men wanted me to kill you, but I wouldn't do it. I told them that I won't lift a finger against my master—he's GOD's anointed.H3117H5869H7200H3068H5414H3117H3027H4631H559H2026H2347H559H7971H3027H113H3068H489911Oh, my father, look at this, look at this piece that I cut from your robe. I could have cut you—killed you!—but I didn't. Look at the evidence! I'm not against you. I'm no rebel. I haven't sinned against you, and yet you're hunting me down to kill me.H1H7200H7200H3671H4598H3027H3772H3671H4598H2026H3045H7200H7451H6588H3027H2398H6658H5315H394712Let's decide which of us is in the right. God may avenge me, but it is in his hands, not mine.H3068H8199H3068H5358H302713An old proverb says, 'Evil deeds come from evil people.' So be assured that my hand won't touch you.H559H4912H6931H7562H3318H7563H302714"What does the king of Israel think he's doing? Who do you think you're chasing? A dead dog? A flea?H310H4428H3478H3318H310H7291H310H4191H3611H310H259H655015GOD is our judge. He'll decide who is right. Oh, that he would look down right now, decide right now—and set me free of you!"H3068H1781H8199H7200H7378H7379H8199H302716When David had finished saying all this, Saul said, "Can this be the voice of my son David?" and he wept in loud sobs.H1732H3615H1696H1697H7586H7586H559H6963H1121H1732H7586H5375H6963H105817"You're the one in the right, not me," he continued. "You've heaped good on me; I've dumped evil on you.H559H1732H6662H1580H2896H1580H745118And now you've done it again—treated me generously. GOD put me in your hands and you didn't kill me.H5046H3117H6213H2896H3068H5462H3027H202619Why? When a man meets his enemy, does he send him down the road with a blessing? May GOD give you a bonus of blessings for what you've done for me today!H376H4672H341H7971H2896H1870H3068H7999H2896H6213H311720I know now beyond doubt that you will rule as king. The kingdom of Israel is already in your grasp!H3045H4427H4427H4467H3478H6965H302721Now promise me under GOD that you will not kill off my family or wipe my name off the books."H7650H3068H518H3772H2233H310H8045H8034H1H100422David promised Saul. Then Saul went home and David and his men went up to their wilderness refuge.H1732H7650H7586H7586H3212H1004H1732H582H5927H4686