Old Testament · History

1 Samuel chapter 26

The came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding on the hill of , facing the .”So Saul went down to the wilderness of Ziph with of Israel’s to search for David there.Saul camped beside the road on the hill of Hakilah, facing the wasteland. David was staying in the wilderness, and when he learned that Saul had followed him there,he sent out and confirmed that Saul had definitely arrived.David got up and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and , his army commander, were sleeping. Saul was lying inside the camp’s , with the troops camped all around him.David spoke up and asked and , Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” Abishai said, “I’ll go down with you.”So David and Abishai went to the troops at night. There was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp’s inner circle, with his . Abner and the troops were sleeping all around him.Abishai said to David, “ today. Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear. I won’t need a second.”But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can raise a hand against and not be ?”David continued, “, Yahweh himself will strike him down — whether his time comes and he dies naturally, or he goes into battle and is killed.”Yahweh forbid that I raise my hand against Yahweh’s anointed! Just grab the spear by his head and the , and let’s go.”So David took the spear and water jug from near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw them, no one knew, no one woke up — they were all sleeping, because Yahweh had put them into a .Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of a hill at a safe distance — there was a wide gap between them.David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?” Abner called back, “Who are you, shouting at the king?”David said to Abner, “ There’s no one like you in Israel! So why didn’t you guard your king? Someone came into the camp to kill the king, your master.”“What you’ve done is inexcusable. As surely as Yahweh lives, , because you failed to protect your master, Yahweh’s anointed. Look around — where’s the king’s spear? Where’s the water jug that was by his head?”Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, ?” David replied, “It is, my king.”Then he said, “Why is my master chasing his own ? What have I done? What wrong am I guilty of?”“Please, let my master the king listen to what his servant has to say. If Yahweh has stirred you up against me, then let him accept an . But if it’s people who have done this, let them be cursed in Yahweh’s presence, because they have driven me out today from my share in , basically telling me, ‘.’”“So please don’t let my far from Yahweh’s presence. The king of Israel has come out to hunt for a single — like someone chasing a through the mountains.”Saul said, “. Come back, David my son. I won’t try to harm you again, because you valued my life today. I’ve been a — I’ve made a terrible mistake.”David answered, “Here’s the king’s spear. Send one of your young men over to get it.”“Yahweh rewards everyone for and being . Yahweh handed you over to me today, but I refused to raise my hand against Yahweh’s anointed.”“Just as I today, may Yahweh value my life and me from every threat.”Saul said to David, “, David my son. You will do and will certainly .” Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home.