1 Samuel 26:5-11

English Standard Version

⁵ Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with ^(A)Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within ^(B)the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.

⁶ Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab's brother ^(C)Abishai the son of Zeruiah, ^(D)“Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” ⁷ So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within ^(E)the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground ^(F)at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, ^(G)“God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” ⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand ^(H)against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?” ¹⁰ And David said, ^(I)“As the Lord lives, ^(J)the Lord will strike him, or ^(K)his day will come to die, ^(L)or he will go down into battle and perish. ^11 (M)The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But take now the spear that is ^(N)at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.”