David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan

1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag.^{(A) 2} On the third day, a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.^{(B) 3} David said to him, “Where have you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did things go? Tell me!” He answered, “The army fled from the battle, but also many of the army fell and died, and Saul and his son Jonathan also died.” ⁵ Then David asked the young man who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan died?” ⁶ The young man reporting to him said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, while the chariots and the horsemen drew close to him.^{(C) 7} When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here, sir.’ ⁸ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’^{(D) 9} He said to me, ‘Come, stand over me and kill me, for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”^(E)

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.^{(F) 12} They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for his son Jonathan and for the army of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had been struck down^[a] by the sword.^{(G) 13} David said to the young man who had reported to him, “Where do you come from?” He answered, “I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite.”^{(H) 14} David said to him, “Were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”^{(I) 15} Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come here and strike him down.” So he struck him down, and he died.^{(J) 16} David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”^(K)

Jonathan’s Covenant with David

18 When David^[a] had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.^{(A) 2} Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.^{(B) 3} Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt. ⁵ David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.

⁶ As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.^{[b](C) 7} And the women sang to one another as they made merry,

⁸ Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?”^{(E) 9} So Saul eyed David from that day on.

Saul Tries to Kill David

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand,^{(F) 11} and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.^(G)

¹² Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.^{(H) 13} So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand, and David marched out and came in, leading the army.^{(I) 14} David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.^{(J) 15} When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him.

Jonathan Intercedes for David

19 Saul spoke with his son Jonathan and with all his servants about killing David. But Saul’s son Jonathan took great delight in David.^{(A) 2} Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you; therefore be on guard tomorrow morning; stay in a secret place and hide yourself. ³ I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you; if I learn anything I will tell you.”^{(B) 4} Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you and because his deeds have been of good service to you,^{(C) 5} for he took his life in his hand when he attacked the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced; why then will you sin against an innocent person by killing David without cause?”^{(D) 6} Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” ⁷ So Jonathan called David and related all these things to him. Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.^(E)

Michal Helps David Escape from Saul

⁸ Again there was war, and David went out to fight the Philistines. He launched a heavy attack on them, so that they fled before him. ⁹ Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing music.^{(F) 10} Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.^(G)

³² Then Jonathan answered his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”^{(A) 33} But Saul threw his spear at him to strike him, so Jonathan knew that it was the decision of his father to put David to death.^(B)

David Spares Saul’s Life

24 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”^{(A) 2} Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.^{(B) 3} He came to the sheepfolds beside the road, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself.^[a] Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.^{(C) 4} The men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” Then David went and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak.^{(D) 5} Afterward David was stricken to the heart because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak.^{(E) 6} He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to raise my hand against him, for he is the Lord’s anointed.”^{(F) 7} So David rebuked his men severely and did not permit them to attack Saul. Then Saul got up and left the cave and went on his way.

⁸ Afterward David also rose up and went out of the cave and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance.^{(G) 9} David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of those who say, ‘David seeks to do you harm’? ¹⁰ This very day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hand in the cave, and some urged me to kill you, but I spared^[b] you. I said, ‘I will not raise my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, see the corner of your cloak in my hand, for by the fact that I cut off the corner of your cloak and did not kill you, you may know for certain that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you are hunting me to take my life.^{(H) 12} May the Lord judge between me and you! May the Lord avenge me on you, but my hand shall not be against you.^{(I) 13} As the ancient proverb says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness,’ but my hand shall not be against you.^{(J) 14} Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea?^{(K) 15} May the Lord, therefore, be judge and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it and plead my cause and vindicate me against you.”^(L)

¹⁶ When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Saul lifted up his voice and wept.^{(M) 17} He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.^{(N) 18} Today you have explained how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands.^{(O) 19} For who has ever found an enemy and sent the enemy safely away? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. ²⁰ Now I know that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.^{(P) 21} Swear to me, therefore, by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not wipe out my name from my father’s house.”^{(Q) 22} So David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.^(R)

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](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.^{(B) 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.^(C)

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.”^{(D) 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?”^{(E) 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.^{(F) 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.”^{(G) 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.^(H)

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 who 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 this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”^{(I) 18} And he added, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands?^{(J) 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.’^{(K) 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.”^(L)

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.”^{(M) 22} David replied, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it.^{(N) 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.”^{(O) 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 his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Psalm 57

Praise and Assurance under Persecution

To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.