UST 1SA Chapter 26

◄ 1SA 26 ► ║ ═ ©

26 One day people who lived in the region of Ziph once again went to Saul while he was at Gibeah. They told him, “David is hiding somewhere on the hill of Hakilah, near the desolate area that people call Jeshimon.” 2 So Saul chose 3,000 of the best Israelite soldiers and led them to the desolate area in the region of Ziph to search for David. 3 Saul and his men set up their tents close to the road on the hill of Hakilah, east of the area of Jeshimon, but David and his men stayed in the desolate area. David found out that Saul had come to search for him, 4 He learned that by sending out some spies. They came back and told him that Saul had in fact come to their area. 5 David decided to go at night and look at the place where the spies told him Saul’s army had set up its tents. From a distance, he could see where Saul and his army commander, Abner, were sleeping. Saul was sleeping inside a barricade that the soldiers had made with the wagons in which they had brought their supplies. The rest of the army was sleeping all around Saul. 6 When David saw this, he spoke with two of his men who were with him. These men were Ahimelech, who was from the Hittite people group, and Abishai, who was the son of Zeruiah and the brother of Joab. David asked them, “Which of you will go with me down into the camp where Saul is sleeping?” Abishai replied, “I will go with you.” 7 So that night David and Abishai crept into Saul’s camp. They saw that Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp. Saul had stuck his spear into the ground near his head. Abner and the other soldiers were sleeping around Saul. 8 Abishai whispered to David, “Today God has enabled you to kill your enemy! This is what I want to do. Allow me to kill Saul by plunging his own spear right through him into the ground. I will only need to strike him once. That first blow will kill him.” 9 But David whispered to Abishai, “No, do not kill Saul. Yahweh has appointed him to be king, so Yahweh will surely punish anyone who kills him.” 10 David continued, “Instead, Yahweh may cause him to die, or he may die of some disease or of old age, or enemy soldiers may kill him in a battle. But I swear by Yahweh that I will not kill Saul myself. 11 I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the king whom he has appointed. This is what we should do. Let us just take Saul’s spear and water jug that are near his head. Then we should leave right away.” 12 So David took the spear and the jug that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai left. Yahweh had made Saul and his soldiers very sleepy, so they were all asleep during this time. So no one woke up and saw them or knew what they were doing. 13 David and Abishai went across a valley and climbed up high on a hill opposite Hakilah. They were far away from Saul’s camp. 14 Then David shouted in the direction of Saul’s army. He shouted to Abner, “I want to speak with you, Abner!” Abner replied “Who are you? You should not be waking up the king by calling out like this!” 15 David replied, “You are a better soldier than any other man in Israel. So you should have protected the king whom you serve. Someone came into your camp tonight, and he could have killed your king. 16 You have failed in your duties as soldiers. I swear by Yahweh that someone should punish you and your men by executing you! You have not protected your master, whom Yahweh appointed to be the king. Here is proof that someone came into your camp tonight: the royal spear and the water jug that were close to the king’s head are now missing!” 17 Saul woke up and recognized David by his voice. He called out, “Is that really you speaking to me, David my son?” David replied, “Yes, your majesty, I am the one speaking.” 18 Then David added, “Sir, there is no reason for you to be chasing me. I have done nothing at all to harm you! 19 Your majesty, please listen to me! If Yahweh is punishing me for sinning by causing you to want to harm me, I hope he will accept a guilt offering from me and forgive me. But if it is people who have caused you to be angry with me, then I hope Yahweh will make bad things happen to them! If people have convinced you to want to harm me, they are now forcing me to leave this land that Yahweh has given to the Israelites. By making me leave Israel, it is as if they are telling me to live somewhere else where the people worship different gods! 20 Now do not force me to die away from the land where Yahweh is present in a special way. I am as unimportant as a single flea, so you, the king, do not need to be chasing me! That makes no more sense than chasing one bird into the mountains when many birds of that kind live in nearby fields.” 21 Then Saul said, “David, my son, I have sinned by trying to kill you. Please come back home. Today you considered my life to be very valuable, so you did not kill me. So I will not try to harm you anymore. I have been very foolish, and I have made a very big mistake.” 22 David replied, “Look, here is your spear! Send one of your young men over here to get it. 23 Yahweh gave me the opportunity to kill you today, but I refused to do that, because you are the one whom Yahweh has appointed to be the king. When people treat others right and are loyal to them as I have just done for you, may Yahweh treat them the same way. 24 Just as I considered your life to be valuable and spared it today, I hope that Yahweh will consider my life to be valuable and rescue me from every danger.” 25 Then Saul said to David, “My son David, I want Yahweh to do good things for you. I know that you will do great things very successfully.” Then David left that place, and Saul went back home.

1SA C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31