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.