1 ARST After Saul and his soldiers returned home after fighting against the Philistine army, someone reported to Saul that David and his men had gone into the wilderness near EnGedi. BSB BSB: After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”
2 ARST When Saul heard that, he chose three thousand men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at the Rocks of Wild Goats. BSB BSB: So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
3 ARST At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul left the road and entered a cave to relieve himself. He did not know that David and his men were hiding further inside that same cave! BSB BSB: Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.
4 ARST David’ s men saw Saul and whispered to David,“Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said,‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and cut off with his knife a small piece of Saul’ s robe. BSB BSB: So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 ARST And then he returned to his men. But David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’ s robe. BSB BSB: Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
6 ARST He said to his men,“I should not have done that to the king! I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him to be the king.” BSB BSB: So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”
7 ARST By saying that, David restrained his men and did not allow them to kill Saul. After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, BSB BSB: With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.
8 ARST David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul,“King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground. BSB BSB: After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence
9 ARST Then he said to Saul,“Why do you pay attention to people when they say‘David wants to harm you’? BSB BSB: and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
10 ARST Today you can see with your own eyes that what they say is not true. Yahweh put you in a place where I and my men could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not allow them to do that. I said to them,‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’ BSB BSB: Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’
11 ARST Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me. BSB BSB: See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.
12 ARST I desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us is doing what is right. And I desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm you. BSB BSB: May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.
13 ARST There is a proverb that has the words,‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But I am not evil, so I will not do evil things to you. BSB BSB: As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.
14 ARST You are the king of Israel. So why are you pursuing me? What is it you are chasing? I am nothing more than a dead dog or a flea. BSB BSB: Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
15 ARST I hope that Yahweh will decide who is right in this matter, you or I? And when he decides in my favor, I hope he will defend me and save me from your power.” BSB BSB: May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”
16 ARST When David finished saying that to Saul, Saul called out to him and asked,“My son David, is that your voice that I am hearing?” Then he cried loudly. BSB BSB: When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud
17 ARST He said,“You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you. BSB BSB: and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.
18 ARST When Yahweh put me in a place in that cave where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that. BSB BSB: And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
19 ARST No one lets his enemy go free after he finds him. But you have done this. I hope that Yahweh will reward you for your acting kindly toward me today. BSB BSB: When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.
20 ARST I know that some day you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israelite people. BSB BSB: Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
21 ARST Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.” BSB BSB: So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.”
22 ARST David solemnly promised Saul that he would not harm Saul’ s family. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding. BSB BSB: So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.