⁴ The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke^(A) of when he said^[a] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”^(B) Then David crept up unnoticed and cut^(C) off a corner of Saul’s robe.

²³ The Lord rewards^(A) everyone for their righteousness^(B) and faithfulness. The Lord delivered^(C) you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.

⁸ Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed^(A) and be guiltless?^{(B) 10} As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike^(C) him, or his time^(D) will come and he will die,^(E) or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹ But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared^(A) you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’

²⁸ “Please forgive^(A) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting^(B) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,^(C) and no wrongdoing^(D) will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,^(E) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl^(F) away as from the pocket of a sling.^{(G) 30} When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler^(H) over Israel,

¹⁸ You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered^(A) me into your hands, but you did not kill me.

¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king^(A) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”

Saul Pursues David

⁷ Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,^(A) for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”^(B)