² Saul went at once with three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel to the wilderness of Ziph to look for David,

⁷ So 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. ⁸ Abishai 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!”

⁹ But David said, “You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king.

¹² So 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.

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley to the top of the hill, a safe distance away,

²² David replied, “Here is your spear, Your Majesty. Let one of your men come over and get it. ²³ The 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.