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Chapter 26 |
| 1 | And the
Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the
hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? |
|
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. |
| 3 | And Saul
pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But
David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the
wilderness. |
| 4
| David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul
was come in very deed. |
| 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. |
| 6 | Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the
Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will
go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with
thee. |
| 7 |
So David and Abishai 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. |
| 8 | Then said
Abishai 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. |
| 9 | And David said
to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the
LORD's anointed, and be guiltless? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 13
| Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the
top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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.
|
| 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. |
|
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. |
|
22 | And David answered and said, Behold the king's
spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. |
| 23 | The LORD
render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD
delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand
against the LORD's anointed. |
|
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. |
| 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. |
