David Again Spares Saul

¹Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

²So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.

³Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon, but David was living in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had followed him there,

⁴David sent out spies to verify that Saul had arrived.

⁵Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp, with the troops camped around him.

⁶And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”“I will go with you,” answered Abishai.

⁷That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.

⁸Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”

⁹But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”

¹⁰David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

¹¹But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

¹²So David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

David Reproves Abner

¹³Then David crossed to the other side and stood atop the mountain at a distance; there was a wide gulf between them.

¹⁴And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?”“Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner replied.

¹⁵So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

¹⁶This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”

¹⁷Then Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?”“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said.

¹⁸And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?

¹⁹Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

²⁰So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

Saul Acknowledges His Sin

²¹Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!”

²²“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of the young men come over and get it.

²³May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

²⁴As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and rescue me from all trouble.”

²⁵Saul said to him, “May you be blessed, David my son. You will accomplish great things and will surely prevail.”So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

David Spares Saul

¹After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”

²So 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.

³Soon 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.

⁴So 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.

⁵Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁶So 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.”

⁷With 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.

⁸After 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

⁹and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?

¹⁰Behold, 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.’

¹¹See, 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.

¹²May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.

¹³As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.

¹⁴Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?

¹⁵May 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

¹⁶When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?”Then Saul wept aloud

¹⁷and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.

¹⁸And 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.

¹⁹When 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.

²⁰Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.

²¹So 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.”

²²So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David Anointed King of All Israel

¹Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.

²Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.

⁴David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

David Conquers Jerusalem

⁶Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.”

⁷Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).

⁸On that day he said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must use the water shaft to reach the lame and blind who are despised by David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the palace.”

⁹So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terracesinward.

¹⁰And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of Hosts was with him.

¹¹Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

David’s Family Grows

¹²And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

¹⁴These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua,Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Two Victories over the Philistines

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went down to the stronghold.

¹⁸Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”“Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

²⁰So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.

²¹There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.

²²Once again the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

²³So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

²⁴As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”

²⁵So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeonto Gezer.

Send Out Your Light

¹Vindicate me, O God, and plead my caseagainst an ungodly nation;deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.

²For You are the God of my refuge.Why have You rejected me?Why must I walk in sorrowbecause of the enemy’s oppression?

³Send out Your light and Your truth;let them lead me.Let them bring me to Your holy mountainand to the place where You dwell.

⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,to God, my greatest joy.I will praise You with the harp,O God, my God.

⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul?Why the unease within me?Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,my Savior and my God.