24WHEN SAUL returned from following the Philistines, he was told, Behold, David is in the Wilderness of En-gedi.H7586H7725H310H6430H5046H559H1732H4057H58722Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men among the Rocks of the Wild Goats.H7586H3947H7969H505H977H376H3478H3212H1245H1732H582H6440H6697H32773He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the cave's innermost recesses.H935H1448H6629H1870H4631H7586H935H5526H7272H1732H582H3427H3411H46314David's men said to him, Behold the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you shall do to him as seems good to you. Then David arose [in the darkness] and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul's robe.H582H1732H559H3117H3068H559H5414H341H3027H6213H3190H5869H1732H6965H3772H3671H7586H4598H39095Afterward, David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt.H310H1732H3820H5221H3772H7586H36716He said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this to my master, the Lord's anointed, to put my hand out against him, when he is the anointed of the Lord.H559H582H3068H2486H6213H1697H113H3068H4899H7971H3027H4899H30687So David checked his men with these words and did not let them rise against Saul. But Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.H1732H8156H582H1697H5414H6965H7586H7586H6965H4631H3212H18708David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and did obeisance.H1732H6965H3318H4631H7121H310H7586H559H113H4428H7586H5027H310H1732H6915H639H776H78129And David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men who say, David seeks to do you harm?H1732H559H7586H8085H120H1697H559H1732H1245H745110Behold, your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.H3117H5869H7200H3068H5414H3117H3027H4631H559H2026H2347H559H7971H3027H113H3068H489911See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand! Since I cut off the skirt of your robe and did not kill you, you know and see that there is no evil or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my life to take it.H1H7200H7200H3671H4598H3027H3772H3671H4598H2026H3045H7200H7451H6588H3027H2398H6658H5315H394712May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me upon you, but my hand shall not be upon you.H3068H8199H3068H5358H302713As the proverb of the ancients says, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be against you.H559H4912H6931H7562H3318H7563H302714After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea?H310H4428H3478H3318H310H7291H310H4191H3611H310H259H655015May the Lord be judge and judge between me and you, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hands.H3068H1781H8199H7200H7378H7379H8199H302716When David had said this to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.H1732H3615H1696H1697H7586H7586H559H6963H1121H1732H7586H5375H6963H105817He said to David, You are more upright in God's eyes than I, for you have repaid me good, but I have rewarded you evil.H559H1732H6662H1580H2896H1580H745118You have declared today how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord gave me into your hand, you did not kill me.H5046H3117H6213H2896H3068H5462H3027H202619For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.H376H4672H341H7971H2896H1870H3068H7999H2896H6213H311720And now, behold, I well know that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hands.H3045H4427H4427H4467H3478H6965H302721Swear now therefore to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.H7650H3068H518H3772H2233H310H8045H8034H1H100422David gave Saul his oath; and Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.H1732H7650H7586H7586H3212H1004H1732H582H5927H4686
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