David Spares Saul

24 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines,^(A) he was told, ‘David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.’^{(B) 2} So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men^(C) and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³ When Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself.^[a](D) David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave,^{(E) 4} so they said to him, ‘Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: “I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.” ’ Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Afterwards, David’s conscience bothered^[b](F) him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.^{[c] 6} He said to his men, ‘As the Lord is my witness, I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed.^(G) I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.’^{(H) 7} With these words David persuaded^[d] his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul.

Then Saul left the cave and went on his way. ⁸ After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, ‘My lord the king! ’ When Saul looked behind him, David knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.^{(I) 9} David said to Saul, ‘Why do you listen to the words of people who say, “Look, David intends to harm you”? ¹⁰ You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave.^(J) Someone advised me to kill you,^(K) but I^[e][f] took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord’s anointed. ¹¹ Look, my father!^(L) Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Recognise^[g] that I’ve committed no crime or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life.^(M)

¹² ‘May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you.^{(N) 13} As the old proverb says, “Wickedness comes from wicked people.”^(O) My hand will never be against you. ¹⁴ Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea?^{(P) 15} May the Lord be judge and decide between you and me. May he take notice and plead my case and deliver^[h] me from you.’^(Q)

¹⁶ When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, ‘Is that your voice, David my son? ’^(R) Then Saul wept aloud ¹⁷ and said to David, ‘You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you.^{(S) 18} You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me.^{(T) 19} When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed?^[i](U) May the Lord repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today.

²⁰ ‘Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established^[j] in your hand.^{(V) 21} Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.’^{(W) 22} So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.^(X)