David Spares Saul’s Life

24 ^[a]Now ^(A)when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, ^(B)it was reported to him, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” ² Then ^(C)Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats. ³ And he came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul ^(D)went in to ^[b]relieve himself. Now ^(E)David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. ⁴ Then David’s men said to him, “Behold, ^(F)this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; ^(G)I am about to hand your enemy over to you, and you shall do to him as it seems good ^[c]to you.’” Then David got up and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. ⁵ But it came about afterward that ^(H)David’s ^[d]conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. ⁶ So he said to his men, “^(I)Far be it from me because of the Lord that I would do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to reach out with my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” ⁷ And David rebuked his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul got up, ^[e]left the cave, and went on his way.

⁸ Afterward, however, David got up and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, ^(J)David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. ⁹ And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men ^[f]who say, ‘Behold, David is seeking ^[g]to harm you’? ^10 (K)Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had handed you over to me today in the cave, and ^(L)someone said to kill you, but ^[h]I spared you; and I said, ‘I will not reach out with my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ So, ^(M)my father, look! Indeed, look at the edge of your robe in my hand! For by the fact that I cut off the edge of your robe but did not kill you, know and understand that there is no evil or ^[i]rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you ^(N)are lying in wait for my life, to take it. ^12 (O)May the Lord judge between ^[j]you and me, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me; but my hand shall not be against you. ¹³ As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘^(P)Out of the wicked comes wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. ¹⁴ After whom has the king of Israel gone out? Whom are you pursuing? ^(Q)A dead dog, ^(R)a single flea? ¹⁵ May ^(S)the Lord therefore be judge and decide between ^[k]you and me; and may He see and ^(T)plead my cause and save me from your hand.”

¹⁶ When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “^(U)Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul raised his voice and wept. ^17 (V)And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for ^(W)you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt maliciously with you. ¹⁸ You have declared today that you have done good to me, that ^(X)the Lord handed me over to you and yet you did not kill me. ¹⁹ Though if a man ^(Y)finds his enemy, will he let him go away ^[l]unharmed? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. ²⁰ Now, behold, ^(Z)I know that you will certainly be king, and that ^(AA)the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. ²¹ So now ^(AB)swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my ^[m]descendants after me, and that you will not eliminate my name from my father’s household.” ²² And David swore an oath to Saul. Then Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to ^(AC)the stronghold.