1 Samuel 26-27

Holman Christian Standard Bible

David Again Spares Saul

26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah saying, “David is hiding on the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon.”^{(A) 2} So Saul, accompanied by 3,000 of the choice men of Israel,^(B) went to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there. ³ Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah^(C) opposite Jeshimon. David was living in the wilderness and discovered Saul had come there after him.^{(D) 4} So David sent out spies and knew for certain that Saul had come. ⁵ Immediately, David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner,^(E) the general of his army, were lying down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp with the troops camped around him. ⁶ Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite^(F) and Joab’s brother Abishai^(G) son of Zeruiah, “Who will go with me into the camp^(H) to Saul?”

“I’ll go with you,” answered Abishai.

⁷ That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t have to strike him twice!”

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be blameless?”^{(I) 10} David added, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down:^(J) either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹ However, because of the Lord, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.^(K) Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.”

¹² So David took the spear and the water jug by Saul’s head, and they went their way. No one saw them, no one knew, and no one woke up; they all remained asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord^(L) came over them. ¹³ David crossed to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance; there was a considerable space between them. ¹⁴ Then David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner: “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner?”

“Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner asked.

¹⁵ David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? ¹⁶ What you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you deserve to die since you didn’t protect your lord, the Lord’s anointed.^(M) Now look around; where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”

¹⁷ Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?”^(N)

“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said. ¹⁸ Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?^{(O) 19} Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the Lord who has incited you against me,^(P) then may He accept an offering.^(Q) But if it is people,^(R) may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord, for today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord saying,^(S) ‘Go and worship other gods.’ ²⁰ So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a flea,^(T) like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Saul responded, “I have sinned.^(U) Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”

²² David answered, “Here is the king’s spear; have one of the young men come over and get it. ²³ May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness^(V) and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed, even though the Lord handed you over to me today.^{(W) 24} Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the Lord consider my life valuable^(X) and rescue me from all trouble.”^(Y)

²⁵ Saul said to him, “You are blessed, my son David. You will certainly do great things and will also prevail.”^(Z) Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home.^(AA)

David Flees to Ziklag

27 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines.^(AB) Then Saul will stop searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.” ² So David set out with his 600 men^(AC) and went to Achish son of Maoch,^(AD) the king of Gath. ³ David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him,^(AE) and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel,^(AF) Nabal’s widow. ⁴ When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ That day Achish gave Ziklag^(AG) to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today. ⁷ The time that David stayed in the Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.^(AH)

⁸ David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,^(AI) the Girzites,^[a] and the Amalekites.^(AJ) From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur^(AK) as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹ Whenever David attacked the land, he did not leave a single person alive, either man or woman, but he took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing.^(AL) Then he came back to Achish, ¹⁰ who inquired, “Where did you raid today?”^[b](AM)

David replied, “The south country of Judah,” “The south country of the Jerahmeelites,”^(AN) or “Against the south country of the Kenites.”^(AO)

¹¹ David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory. ¹² So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself detestable to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”