1 Samuel 26
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
David Spares Saul’s Life a Second Time
26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, ‘David is in hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon.’[a] 2 So Saul rose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, with three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon[b] beside the road. But David remained in the wilderness. When he learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, 4 David sent out spies, and learned that Saul had indeed arrived. 5 Then David set out and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, ‘Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?’ Abishai said, ‘I will go down with you.’ 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night; there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay around him. 8 Abishai said to David, ‘God has given your enemy into your hand today; now therefore let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear; I will not strike him twice.’ 9 But David said to Abishai, ‘Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?’ 10 David said, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him down; or his day will come to die; or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but now take the spear that is at his head, and the water-jar, and let us go.’ 12 So David took the spear that was at Saul’s head and the water-jar, and they went away. No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on top of a hill far away, with a great distance between them. 14 David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, saying, ‘Abner! Will you not answer?’ Then Abner replied, ‘Who are you that calls to the king?’ 15 David said to Abner, ‘Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. 16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. See now, where is the king’s spear, or the water-jar that was at his head?’
17 Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, ‘Is that your voice, my son David?’ David said, ‘It is my voice, my lord, O king.’ 18 And he added, ‘Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands? 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering; but if it is mortals, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out today from my share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, “Go, serve other gods.” 20 Now, therefore, do not let my blood fall to the ground, away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.’
21 Then Saul said, ‘I have done wrong; come back, my son David, for I will never harm you again, because my life was precious in your sight today; I have been a fool, and have made a great mistake.’ 22 David replied, ‘Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it. 23 The Lord rewards everyone for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord gave you into my hand today, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24 As your life was precious today in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he rescue me from all tribulation.’ 25 Then Saul said to David, ‘Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.’ So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 26:1 Or opposite the waste-land
- 1 Samuel 26:3 Or opposite the waste-land
1 Samuel 26
King James Version
26 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.
18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23 The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed.
24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.
25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
撒母耳記上 26
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
大衛再次放過掃羅
26 西弗人到基比亞見掃羅，說：「大衛正躲在曠野附近的哈基拉山中。」 2 掃羅就帶領三千以色列精兵到西弗的曠野去追捕大衛。 3 他們在曠野附近路邊的哈基拉山上紮營。大衛在曠野聽說掃羅追來了， 4 就派人去打探消息，得知掃羅的追兵果然已到。 5 大衛來到掃羅的營地，看見了他和他的元帥——尼珥的兒子押尼珥睡覺的地方，他睡在軍營中間，其他人圍繞著他紮營。 6 大衛問赫人亞希米勒和洗魯雅的兒子約押的兄弟亞比篩：「誰願意跟我到掃羅的營裡？」亞比篩答道：「我願意。」 7 大衛和亞比篩就趁夜間走進掃羅的軍營，發現掃羅正在熟睡，他的矛插在地上，靠近他的頭，押尼珥和其他人睡在他周圍。 8 亞比篩對大衛說：「現在上帝把你的敵人交在你手中了，讓我一矛把他釘在地上，決不用刺第二下。」 9 大衛卻說：「不要殺他，誰殺害耶和華所膏立的王，都難逃罪責。 10 我憑永活的耶和華起誓，耶和華必親手擊殺他。他要麼壽終而死，要麼命喪沙場。 11 我在耶和華面前絕不敢出手傷害祂所膏立的王。我們拿走他旁邊的矛和水瓶吧。」 12 大衛拿上掃羅的矛和水瓶同亞比篩離開了，沒有人看見，沒有人知道，他們都在沉睡，沒有人醒來，因為耶和華使他們都熟睡了。
13 大衛爬上營地對面的山坡，遠遠地站在山頂上，與他們相距很遠。 14 他呼喊掃羅的士兵和尼珥的兒子押尼珥：「押尼珥，你回答我！」押尼珥問道：「你是誰，竟敢在王面前喊叫？」 15 大衛說：「你不是勇士嗎？在以色列有誰比得上你呢？有人來刺殺你的王，你的主，你為何沒有保護他呢？ 16 你失職了。我憑永活的耶和華起誓，你們都該死。因為你們沒有保護你們的主——耶和華所膏立的王。你看看王身邊的矛和水瓶在哪裡？」
17 掃羅聽出是大衛的聲音，就說：「我兒大衛！是你嗎？」大衛答道：「我主我王啊，是我。 18 我主為什麼又要追殺僕人呢？我做錯了什麼，犯了什麼罪？ 19 我主我王，請聽僕人說，如果是耶和華使你與我作對，願祂悅納我獻上的祭物；如果這是出於人的主意，願他們在耶和華面前受咒詛。因為他們趕我離開耶和華所賜的產業，叫我去服侍外族人的神明。 20 求你不要讓我死在遠離耶和華的異鄉！以色列王為何要像在山上獵殺鷓鴣一樣追捕一隻跳蚤呢？」
21 掃羅說：「我犯罪了。我兒大衛，你回來吧，我不會再傷害你，因為你今日保存了我的性命。我真是糊塗，犯了大錯。」 22 大衛答道：「王的矛在這裡，請派一個人來拿回去吧。 23 耶和華賜福給公義、信實的人。今天耶和華把你交在我手中，但我不願下手傷害耶和華所膏立的王。 24 我今天保存了你的性命，願耶和華也保存我的性命，救我脫離一切患難。」 25 掃羅對大衛說：「我兒大衛，願你蒙福。你一定能建功立業，戰勝仇敵。」於是，大衛起身離開，掃羅也回家去了。
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.