1 Samuel 26
David Spares Saul at
Ziph |
1 |
And the Ziphites came unto Saul to
Gib'e-ah, saying, Doth not David hide himself Ps. 54.1--0.1 in the
hill of Hachi'lah, which is before Jeshi'mon?
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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.
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3 |
And Saul pitched in the hill of
Hachi'lah, which is before Jeshi'mon, by the way. But David
abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into
the wilderness.
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4 |
David therefore sent out spies, and
understood that Saul was come in very deed.
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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.
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6 |
Then answered David and said to
Ahim'elech the Hittite, and to Ab'ishai the son of Zeru-i'ah,
brother to Jo'ab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the
camp? And Ab'ishai said, I will go down with thee.
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7 |
So David and Ab'ishai 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.
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8 |
Then said Ab'ishai 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.
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9 |
And David said to Ab'ishai, Destroy him
not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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13 |
Then David went over to the other side,
and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space being between them:
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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22 |
And David answered and said, Behold the
king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch
it.
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23 |
The LORD render to
every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand today, but I
would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed.
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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.
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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.
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