²⁸ “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^[a]

²⁴ Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.”

¹⁶ “Quick!” he told them. “Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River^[a] tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him.”

⁹ “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?

⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” ⁷ So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.

After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,

²⁶ Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men, ²⁷ an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.