David Spares Saul 1 UST After Saul and his soldiers returned home from fighting against the Philistine army, someone reported to Saul that David and his men had gone into the desolate area near En Gedi. BSB BSB: After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”
2 UST When Saul heard that, he chose 3, 000 of the best soldiers he could find anywhere in Israel. They went to search for David and his men among the{ caves in the} rocky cliffs in that area. Those cliffs were so steep that only wild goats lived on them. 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 UST As they searched, they came to a place where shepherds had built enclosures for their sheep in front of the entrances to caves. Saul went into one of the caves to use it as a toilet. He did not realize that David and his men were hiding farther 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 UST David’ s men{ saw Saul and} whispered to him,“Yahweh told you that he would put your enemy in a position where you could do anything you wanted to him. Look! He has done that right now!” So David crept quietly toward the entrance of the cave, and he cut off a 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 UST David then he returned to his men. But he 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 UST David told his men,“Yahweh is very displeased with me for doing that to my master, the man Yahweh appointed as king! Because Yahweh chose him to be the king, I should not have done anything hostile to him.” 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 UST By saying that, David made his men move farther back into the cave away from Saul. He did not allow them to kill him. After Saul left the cave and started to search for David 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 UST David then came out of the cave and shouted to Saul,“King Saul, my lord!” Saul turned around and looked, and David humbly 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 UST Then he said to Saul,“You should not pay any attention to people who tell you that I actually want to hurt 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 UST Today you can clearly recognize that{ what they say is not true.} Today Yahweh brought you into this cave, where I could have killed you. Some of my men told me that I should do that. But I spared your life. I told them that I would not harm you, my master, because you are 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 UST Your majesty, look carefully at this piece of your robe that I am holding! I cut it from your robe, and that shows that I could have killed you, but I did not. From this you should understand that I am not wickedly planning to harm you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you have been searching for me so that you can 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 UST I ask Yahweh to decide which of us has been doing what is right. I ask him to punish you if he determines that you have been doing wrong things to me. But I myself will do nothing 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 UST There is an old saying that says,‘Wicked people do wicked things.’ But I will do nothing to harm you. BSB BSB: As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.
14 UST You, the king of Israel, did not have to bring this army out here to try to capture me. I am of as low status and as harmless as a dead dog! I am as unimportant as a single flea! BSB BSB: Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
15 UST I ask Yahweh to be our judge and decide which of us has been doing what is right. I ask him to recognize that he should take my side in our dispute. I ask him to decide that you should not be able to kill me.” 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.”
David’s Oath to Saul 16 UST When David finished saying this to Saul, Saul called back to him and said,“Is that really you speaking to me, David my son?” 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 UST He told David,“You are a better person than I am. I tried to do something very bad to you, but you did something very good to me. 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 UST As you have just explained, Yahweh brought me into that cave where you could have easily killed me. But you did not do that. So you have done something very good to me. 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 UST No one lets his enemy go free once he has captured him!{ But you have done that for me.} I hope that Yahweh will reward you for 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 UST Now I know that someday you will surely become king and that you will have a long and successful reign over the kingdom of Israel. 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 UST So now make me a solemn promise that you will not kill my whole family so that I have no descendants left in my clan. Wish that Yahweh will kill all of your descendants if you do that!” 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 UST 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 one of the places 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.