NASB — 1 Samuel 24 — KJV

David Spares Saul’s Life

1 Now awhen° Saul° returned° from pursuing° the Philistines°, bhe was told°, saying°, “Behold°, David° is in the wilderness° of Engedi°.” 2 Then aSaul° took° three° thousand° chosen° men° from all° Israel° and went° to seek° David° and his men° in front° of the Rocks° of the Wild° Goats°. 3 He came° to the sheepfolds°° on the way°, where° there° [was] a cave°; and Saul° awent° in to Irelieve°° himself. Now bDavid° and his men° were sitting° in the inner° recesses° of the cave°. 4 The men° of David° said° to him, “Behold°, a[this is] the day° of which° the LORD° said° to you, ‘Behold°; bI am about to give° your enemy° into your hand°, and you shall do° to him as it seems° good° Ito you.’” Then David° arose° and cut° off° the edge° of Saul’s° robe° secretly°. 5 It came° about afterward°° that aDavid’s° Iconscience° bothered° him because°° he had cut° off° the edge° of Saul’s° [robe]. 6 So he said° to his men°, “aFar° be it from me because° of the LORD° that I should do° this° thing° to my lord°, the LORDS° anointed°, to stretch° out my hand° against him, since° he is the LORDS° anointed°.” 7 David° Ipersuaded° his men° with [these] words° and did not allow° them to rise° up against° Saul°. And Saul° arose°, IIleft° the cave°, and went° on [his] way°.

[1] a1S 23:28, 29 b1S 23:19
[2] a1S 26:2
[3] ILit cover his feet aJg 3:24 bPs 57: title; 142: title
[4] ILit in your sight a1S 23:17; 25:28-30 b1S 26:8, 11
[5] ILit heart struck a2S 24:10
[6] a1S 26:11
[7] ILit tore apart IILit from

8 ¶ Now afterward°° David° arose° and went° out of the cave° and called° after° Saul°, saying°, “My lord° the king°!” And when Saul° looked° behind° him, aDavid° bowed° with his face° to the ground° and prostrated° himself. 9 David° said° to Saul°, “Why° do you listen° to the words° of men°, saying°, ‘Behold°, David° seeks° Ito harm° you’? 10 aBehold°, this° day° your eyes° have seen° that the LORD° had given° you today° into my hand° in the cave°, and bsome said° to kill° you, but [my eye] had pity° on you; and I said°, ‘I will not stretch° out my hand° against my lord°, for he is the LORDS° anointed°.’ 11 Now, amy father°, see°! Indeed°, see° the edge° of your robe° in my hand°! For in that I cut° off° the edge° of your robe° and did not kill° you, know° and perceive° that there° is no° evil° or Irebellion° in my hands°, and I have not sinned° against you, though you bare lying° in wait° for my life° to take° it. 12 aMay the LORD° judge° between° Iyou and me, and may the LORD° avenge° me on you; but my hand° shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb° of the ancients° says°, ‘aOut of the wicked° comes° forth° wickedness°’; but my hand° shall not be against you. 14 After° whom° has the king° of Israel° come° out? Whom° are you pursuing°? aA dead° dog°, ba single° flea°? 15 aThe LORD° therefore be judge° and decide° between° Iyou and me; and may He see° and bplead° my cause° and IIdeliver° me from your hand°.”

[8] a1S 25:23, 24; 1K 1:31
[9] ILit your hurt
[10] aPs 7:3, 4 b1S 24:4
[11] ILit transgression a2K 5:13 b1S 23:14, 23; 26:20
[12] ILit me and you aGn 16:5; 31:53; Jg 11:27; 1S 26:10, 23
[13] aMt 7:16-20
[14] a2S 9:8 b1S 26:20
[15] ILit me and you IILit vindicate a1S 24:12 bPs 35:1; 43:1; 119:154; Mi 7:9

16 ¶ When David° had finished° speaking° these° words° to Saul°, Saul° said°, “aIs this° your voice°, my son° David°?” Then Saul° lifted° up his voice° and wept°. 17 aHe said° to David°, “You are more° righteous° than° I; for byou have dealt° well° with me, while I have dealt° wickedly° with you. 18 You have declared° today° that you have done° good° to me, that athe LORD° delivered° me into your hand° and [yet] you did not kill° me. 19 For if° a man° afinds° his enemy°, will he let him go° away° Isafely°°? May the LORD° therefore reward° you with good° in return° for what° you have done° to me this° day°. 20 Now°, behold°, aI know° that you will surely° be king°, and that bthe kingdom° of Israel° will be established° in your hand°. 21 So now° aswear° to me by the LORD° that you will not cut° off° my Idescendants° after° me and that you will not destroy° my name° from my father’s° household°.” 22 David° swore° to Saul°. And Saul° went° to his home°, but David° and his men° went° up to athe stronghold°.

[16] a1S 26:17
[17] a1S 26:21 bMt 5:44
[18] a1S 26:23
[19] ILit on a good road a1S 23:17
[20] a1S 23:17 b1S 13:14
[21] ILit seed aGn 21:23; 1S 20:14-17; 2S 21:6-8
[22] a1S 23:29


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David in a cave at En-gedi, having cut off Saul's skirt, spareth his life.

1 ¶ And it came to pass,² when² Saulº was returnedºª from followingº² the Philistines,º that it was toldºª him, saying,ºª Behold,² Davidº [is] in the wildernessº of Engedi.º 2 Then Saulº tookºª threeº thousandº chosenºª menº out of all²² Israel,º and went¹ª² to seekºª² Davidº and his men¹² uponº² the rocksº of the wild goats.º 3 And he cameºª to² the sheepcotesºº by² the way,º where² [was] a cave;º and Saulº went inºª to coverºª² his feet:º and Davidº and his men¹² remainedºª in the sidesº of the cave.º 4 And the men¹² of Davidº saidºª unto² him, Behold² the dayº of which² the LORDº saidºª unto² thee, Behold,² I² will deliverºª² thine enemyºª into thine hand,º that thou mayest doºª to him as² it shall seem goodºª² unto thee.¹ Then Davidº arose,ºª and cut offºª² the skirtº of Saul'sº robeº privily.º 5 And it came to pass² afterward,º² that David'sº heartº smoteºª him, because²² he had cut offºª² Saul'sº skirt.º 6 And he saidºª unto his men,¹² The LORDº² forbidº that² I should doºª² this² thingº unto my master,º the LORD'Sº anointed,º to stretch forthºª mine handº against him, seeing² he² [is] the anointedº of the LORD.º 7 So Davidº stayedºª² his servants¹² with these words,º and sufferedºª them not² to riseºª against² Saul.º But Saulº rose upºª out of the cave,º² and went¹ª² on [his] way.º

[1] 1S 23:19, 28, 29; Pv 25:5; 29:12; Ezk 22:9; Ho 7:3.
[2] 1S 13:2; Ps 37:32; 38:12; 104:18; 141:6.
[3] Jg 3:24; Ps 57:1; 141:6; 142:1.
[4] 1S 23:7; 24:10, 18; 26:8, 23; 2S 4:8; Jb 31:31.
[5] 2S 12:9; 24:10; 2K 22:19; 1Jn 3:20.
[6] 1S 26:9; 2S 1:14; 1K 21:3; Jb 31:29; Mt 5:44; Ro 12:14; 13:1; 1Th 5:15.
[7] 1S 25:33; Ps 7:4; Mt 5:44; Ro 12:17.

He sheweth thereby his innocency.

8 Davidº also aroseºª afterward,²² and went outºª of² the cave,º and criedºª afterº Saul,º saying,ºª My lordº the king.º And when Saulº lookedºª behindº him, Davidº stoopedºª with his faceº to the earth,º and bowed¹ª himself.²

[8] Gn 17:3; Ex 20:12; 1S 20:41; 25:23; 26:17; Ro 13:7; 1P 2:17.

9 ¶ And Davidº saidºª to Saul,º Wherefore² hearestºª thou² men'sº words,º saying,ºª Behold,² Davidº seekethºª thy hurt?º 10 Behold,² this² dayº thine eyesº have seenºª² how² that the LORDº had deliveredºª thee to dayº into mine handº in the cave:º and [some] badeºª [me] killºª thee: but [mine eye] sparedºª² thee; and I said,ºª I will not² put forthºª mine handº against my lord;º for² he² [is] the LORD'Sº anointed.º 11 Moreover, my father,º see,ºª yea,² seeºª² the skirtº of thy robeº in my hand:º for² in that I cut offºª² the skirtº of thy robe,º and killedºª thee not,² knowºª thou and seeºª that² [there is] neither² evilº nor transgressionº in mine hand,º and I have not² sinnedºª against thee; yet thou² huntestºª² my soulº to takeºª it. 12 The LORDº judgeºª between² me and thee, and the LORDº avengeºª me of² thee: but mine handº shall not² be² upon thee. 13 As² saithºª the proverbº of the ancients,º Wickednessº proceedethºª from the wicked:º² but mine handº shall not² be² upon thee. 14 Afterº whom² is the kingº of Israelº come out?ºª afterº whom² dost thou² pursue?ºª afterº a deadºª dog,º afterº aº flea.º 15 The LORDº therefore be² judge,º and judgeºª between² me and thee, and see,ºª and pleadºª² my cause,º and deliverºª me out of thine hand.º²

[9] Lv 19:16; 1S 26:19; Ps 101:5; 141:6; Pv 16:28; 17:4; 18:8; 25:23; 26:20, 28; 29:12; Ec 7:21; Jm 3:6.
[10] 1S 24:4; 26:8, 9; Ps 105:15.
[11] 1S 18:27; 23:14, 23; 26:18, 20; 2K 5:13; Jb 10:16; Ps 7:3; 35:7; 140:11; Pv 15:1; Lm 4:18; Ezk 13:18; Mi 7:2; Jn 15:25.
[12] Gn 16:5; Jg 11:27; 1S 26:10, 11, 23; Jb 5:8; Ps 7:8; 35:1; 43:1; 94:1; Ro 12:19; 1P 2:23; Rv 6:10.
[13] Mt 7:16; 12:33; 15:19.
[14] Jg 8:1; 1S 17:43; 26:20; 2S 3:8; 6:20; 9:8; 16:9; 1K 21:7.
[15] 1S 24:12; 26:4; 2Ch 24:22; Ps 35:1; 43:1; 119:154; Mi 1:2; 7:9.

Saul, acknowledging his fault, taketh an oath of David, and departeth.

16 ¶ And it came to pass,² when Davidº had made an endºª of speakingºª² these² wordsº unto² Saul,º that Saulº said,ºª [Is] this² thy voice,º my sonº David?º And Saulº lifted upºª his voice,º and wept.ºª 17 And he saidºª to² David,º Thou² [art] more righteousº than² I: for² thou² hast rewardedºª me good,º whereas I² have rewardedºª thee evil.º 18 And thou² hast shewedºª this dayº² how that² thou hast dealtºª wellº with² me:² forasmuch as when² the LORDº had deliveredºª me into thine hand,º thou killedstºª me not.² 19 For if² a manº findºª² his enemy,ºª will he let him goºª wellº away?º wherefore the LORDº rewardºª thee goodº for² that² thou hast doneºª unto me this² day.º 20 And now,² behold,² I know wellºª that² thou shalt surely¹ª be king,ºª and that the kingdomº of Israelº shall be establishedºª in thine hand.º 21 Swearºª now² therefore unto me by the LORD,º that² thou wilt not¹ cut offºª² my seedº afterº me, and that² thou wilt not destroyºª² my nameº out of my father's¹ house.º²² 22 And Davidº swareºª unto Saul.º And Saulº went¹ª²² home;º but Davidº and his men¹² gat them upºª unto² the hold.º

[16] Gn 33:4; 1S 26:17; Jb 6:25; Pv 15:1; 25:11; Lk 21:15; Ac 6:10.
[17] Gn 38:26; Ex 9:27; 1S 26:21; Ps 37:6; Mt 5:44; 27:4; Ro 12:20.
[18] 1S 23:7, 12; 24:10; 26:8, 23; Ps 31:8.
[19] Jg 17:2; 1S 23:21; 26:25; Ps 18:20; Pv 25:21.
[20] 1S 20:30; 23:17; 2S 3:17; Jb 15:25; Mt 2:3, 13, 16.
[21] Gn 21:23; 31:48, 53; 1S 20:14; 2S 21:6; He 6:16.
[22] 1S 23:29; Pv 26:24; Mt 10:16; Jn 2:24.


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