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1 Samuel 26
New English Translation

David Spares Saul’s Life Again

26 The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hakilah near[a] Jeshimon?” 2 So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by 3,000 select men of Israel, to look for David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul camped by the road on the hill of Hakilah near Jeshimon, but David was staying in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had come to the wilderness to find[b] him, 4 David sent scouts and verified that Saul had indeed arrived.[c]

5 So David set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general in command of his army, were sleeping. Now Saul was lying in the entrenchment, and the army was camped all around him. 6 David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” Abishai replied, “I will go down with you.”

7 So David and Abishai approached the army at night and found Saul lying asleep in the entrenchment with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were lying all around him. 8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear[d] right through him into the ground with one swift jab![e] A second jab won’t be necessary!”

9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one[f] and remain guiltless?” 10 David went on to say, “As the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him down. Either his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away. 11 But may the Lord prevent me from extending my hand against the Lord’s chosen one! Now take the spear by Saul’s head and the jug of water, and let’s get out of here!” 12 So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got out of there. No one saw them or was aware of their presence or woke up. All of them were asleep, for the Lord had caused a deep sleep to fall on them.

13 Then David crossed to the other side and stood on the top of the hill some distance away; there was a considerable distance between them. 14 David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Won’t you answer, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you, that you have called to the king?” 15 David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? After all, who is like you in Israel? Why then haven’t you protected your lord the king? One of the soldiers came to kill your lord the king. 16 This failure on your part isn’t good![g] As surely as the Lord lives, you people who have not protected your lord, the Lord’s chosen one, are as good as dead![h] Now look where the king’s spear and the jug of water that was by his head are!”

17 When Saul recognized David’s voice, he said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David replied, “Yes, it’s my voice, my lord the king.” 18 He went on to say, “Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What wrong have I done?[i] 19 So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in[j] an offering. But if men have instigated this,[k] may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’ 20 Now don’t let my blood fall to the ground away from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has gone out to look for a flea the way one looks for a partridge[l] in the hill country.”

21 Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you anymore, for you treated my life with value[m] this day. I have behaved foolishly and have made a very terrible mistake!”[n] 22 David replied, “Here is the king’s spear! Let one of your servants cross over and get it. 23 The Lord rewards each man for his integrity and loyalty.[o] Even though today the Lord delivered you into my hand, I was not willing to extend my hand against the Lord’s chosen one. 24 In the same way that I valued your life this day,[p] may the Lord value my life[q] and deliver me from all danger.” 25 Saul replied to David, “May you be rewarded,[r] my son David! You will without question be successful!”[s] So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 26:1 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
  2. 1 Samuel 26:3 tn Heb “after.”
  3. 1 Samuel 26:4 tn Heb “and David sent scouts and he knew that Saul had certainly come.”
  4. 1 Samuel 26:8 tn Here “the spear” almost certainly refers to Saul’s own spear, which according to the previous verse was stuck into the ground beside him as he slept. This is reflected in a number of English versions: TEV, CEV “his own spear”; NLT “that spear.” Cf. NIV, NCV “my spear,” in which case Abishai refers to his own spear rather than Saul’s, but this is unlikely since (1) Abishai would probably not have carried a spear along since such a weapon would be unwieldy when sneaking into the enemy camp; and (2) this would not explain the mention of Saul’s own spear stuck in the ground beside him in the previous verse.
  5. 1 Samuel 26:8 tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”
  6. 1 Samuel 26:9 tn Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23).
  7. 1 Samuel 26:16 tn Heb “Not good [is] this thing which you have done.”
  8. 1 Samuel 26:16 tn Heb “you are sons of death.”
  9. 1 Samuel 26:18 tn Heb “What in my hand [is] evil?”
  10. 1 Samuel 26:19 tn Heb “may he smell.” The implication is that Saul should seek to appease God, for such divine instigation to evil would be a sign of God’s disfavor. For a fuller discussion of this passage see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 19-21.
  11. 1 Samuel 26:19 tn Heb “but if the sons of men.”
  12. 1 Samuel 26:20 tn Heb “the calling [one],” which apparently refers to a partridge.
  13. 1 Samuel 26:21 tn Heb “my life was valuable in your eyes.”
  14. 1 Samuel 26:21 tn Heb “and I have erred very greatly.”
  15. 1 Samuel 26:23 tn Heb “and the Lord returns to the man his righteousness and his faithfulness.”
  16. 1 Samuel 26:24 tn Heb “your life was great this day in my eyes.”
  17. 1 Samuel 26:24 tn Heb “may my life be great in the eyes of the Lord.”
  18. 1 Samuel 26:25 tn Heb “blessed.”
  19. 1 Samuel 26:25 tn Heb “you will certainly do and also you will certainly be able.” The infinitive absolutes placed before the finite verbal forms lend emphasis to the statement.
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1 Samuel 26
Common English Bible

David spares Saul’s life a second time

26 The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah. “David is hiding on Hachilah’s hill, which faces Jeshimon,” they said. 2 So Saul got up and went down to the Ziph wilderness to look for David there. He had three thousand handpicked soldiers from Israel with him. 3 Saul camped on Hachilah’s hill opposite Jeshimon beside the road, but David stayed in the wilderness. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, 4 he sent spies and discovered that Saul had definitely arrived.

5 So David got up and went to the place where Saul camped, and saw the place where Saul and Abner, Ner’s son and Saul’s general, were sleeping. Saul was sleeping inside the camp with the troops camped all around him. 6 David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab’s brother Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?”

“I’ll go down with you,” Abishai answered.

7 So David and Abishai approached the troops at night and found Saul lying there, asleep in the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were sleeping all around him.

8 Abishai said to David, “God has handed your enemy over to you today! Let me pin him to the ground with my spear. One stroke is all I need! I won’t need a second.”

9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! No one can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and go unpunished. 10 As surely as the Lord lives,” David continued, “it will be the Lord who will strike him down, or his day will come and he will die, or he’ll fall in battle and be destroyed. 11 The Lord forbid that I lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed! But go ahead and take the spear by Saul’s head and the water jug and let’s go!” 12 So David took the spear and the water jug that were by Saul’s head, and he and Abishai left. No one saw them, no one knew they were there, and no one woke up. All of them remained asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord had come over them.

13 David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of a hill with considerable distance between them. 14 Then David shouted to the army and to Abner, Ner’s son, “Abner! Aren’t you going to answer me?”

“Who are you to shout to the king?” Abner asked.

15 David answered Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And you have no equal in Israel, right? Then why haven’t you kept watch over your master the king? One of the soldiers came to kill your master the king. 16 What you’ve done is terrible! As surely as the Lord lives, all of you are dead men because you didn’t keep close watch over your master, the Lord’s anointed. Have a look around! Where are the king’s spear and the water jug that were by his head?”

17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “David, my son, is that your voice?”

David said, “Yes it is, my master the king. 18 Why,” David continued, “is my master chasing me, his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? 19 My master the king, please listen to what your servant has to say. If it is the Lord who has incited you against me, then let him accept an offering! But if human beings have done it, then let them be cursed before the Lord because they have now driven me off, keeping me from sharing in the Lord’s inheritance. ‘Go!’ they tell me. ‘Worship other gods!’ 20 Don’t let my blood spill on the ground apart from the Lord’s presence, because the king of Israel has come out looking for a single flea[a] like someone hunting a partridge[b] in the mountains.”

21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned! David, my son, come back! Because you considered my life precious today, I won’t harm you again. I have acted foolishly and have made a huge mistake.”

22 “Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Allow one of your servants to come over and get it. 23 Remember: The Lord rewards every person for their righteousness and loyalty, and I wasn’t willing to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed, even though the Lord handed you over to me today. 24 And just as I considered your life valuable today, may the Lord consider my life valuable, and may he deliver me from all trouble.”

25 Then Saul said to David, “Bless you, David, my son! You will accomplish much and will certainly succeed.” Then David went on his way, but Saul went back home.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 26:20 Cf 24:14; LXX my life
  2. 1 Samuel 26:20 Or a caller, Heb sounds like verb to shout or call in 26:14.
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