1 Samuel 24 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines , that it was told him, saying , Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.

KJV_Strongs⁽ⁱ⁾

1 H7586 And it came to pass, when Saul H7725 was returned [H8804] H310 from following H6430 the Philistines H5046 , that it was told [H8686] H559 him, saying [H8800] H1732 , Behold, David H4057 is in the wilderness H5872 of Engedi.

2 H7586 Then Saul H3947 took [H8799] H7969 three H505 thousand H977 chosen [H8803] H376 men H3478 out of all Israel H3212 , and went [H8799] H1245 to seek [H8763] H1732 David H582 and his men H6440 upon H6697 the rocks H3277 of the wild goats.

3 H935 And he came [H8799] H1448 to the sheepcotes H6629 H1870 by the way H4631 , where was a cave H7586 ; and Saul H935 went in [H8799] H5526 to cover [H8687] H7272 his feet H1732 : and David H582 and his men H3427 remained [H8802] H3411 in the sides H4631 of the cave.

4 H582 And the men H1732 of David H559 said [H8799] H3117 unto him, Behold the day H3068 of which the LORD H559 said [H8804] H5414 unto thee, Behold, I will deliver [H8802] H341 thine enemy [H8802] H3027 into thine hand H6213 , that thou mayest do [H8804] H3190 to him as it shall seem good [H8799] H5869 unto thee H1732 . Then David H6965 arose [H8799] H3772 , and cut off [H8799] H3671 the skirt H7586 of Saul's H4598 robe H3909 privily.

5 H310 And it came to pass afterward H1732 , that David's H3820 heart H5221 smote [H8686] H3772 him, because he had cut off [H8804] H7586 Saul's H3671 skirt.

6 H559 And he said [H8799] H582 unto his men H3068 , The LORD H2486 forbid H6213 that I should do [H8799] H1697 this thing H113 unto my master H3068 , the LORD'S H4899 anointed H7971 , to stretch forth [H8800] H3027 mine hand H4899 against him, seeing he is the anointed H3068 of the LORD.

7 H1732 So David H8156 stayed [H8762] H582 his servants H1697 with these words H5414 , and suffered [H8804] H6965 them not to rise [H8800] H7586 against Saul H7586 . But Saul H6965 rose up [H8804] H4631 out of the cave H3212 , and went [H8799] H1870 on his way.

8 H1732 David H6965 also arose [H8799] H3318 afterward, and went out [H8799] H4631 of the cave H7121 , and cried [H8799] H310 after H7586 Saul H559 , saying [H8800] H113 , My lord H4428 the king H7586 . And when Saul H5027 looked [H8686] H310 behind H1732 him, David H6915 stooped [H8799] H639 with his face H776 to the earth H7812 , and bowed [H8691] himself.

9 H1732 And David H559 said [H8799] H7586 to Saul H8085 , Wherefore hearest [H8799] H120 thou men's H1697 words H559 , saying [H8800] H1732 , Behold, David H1245 seeketh [H8764] H7451 thy hurt?

10 H3117 Behold, this day H5869 thine eyes H7200 have seen [H8804] H3068 how that the LORD H5414 had delivered [H8804] H3117 thee to day H3027 into mine hand H4631 in the cave H559 : and some bade [H8804] H2026 me kill [H8800] H2347 thee: but mine eye spared [H8799] H559 thee; and I said [H8799] H7971 , I will not put forth [H8799] H3027 mine hand H113 against my lord H3068 ; for he is the LORD'S H4899 anointed.

11 H1 Moreover, my father H7200 , see [H8798] H7200 , yea, see [H8798] H3671 the skirt H4598 of thy robe H3027 in my hand H3772 : for in that I cut off [H8800] H3671 the skirt H4598 of thy robe H2026 , and killed [H8804] H3045 thee not, know [H8798] H7200 thou and see [H8798] H7451 that there is neither evil H6588 nor transgression H3027 in mine hand H2398 , and I have not sinned [H8804] H6658 against thee; yet thou huntest [H8802] H5315 my soul H3947 to take [H8800] it.

12 H3068 The LORD H8199 judge [H8799] H3068 between me and thee, and the LORD H5358 avenge [H8804] H3027 me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

13 H559 As saith [H8799] H4912 the proverb H6931 of the ancients H7562 , Wickedness H3318 proceedeth [H8799] H7563 from the wicked H3027 : but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

14 H310 After H4428 whom is the king H3478 of Israel H3318 come out [H8804] H310 ? after H7291 whom dost thou pursue [H8802] H310 ? after H4191 a dead [H8801] H3611 dog H310 , after H259 a H6550 flea.

15 H3068 The LORD H1781 therefore be judge H8199 , and judge [H8804] H7200 between me and thee, and see [H8799] H7378 , and plead [H8799] H7379 my cause H8199 , and deliver [H8799] H3027 me out of thine hand.

16 H1732 And it came to pass, when David H3615 had made an end [H8763] H1696 of speaking [H8763] H1697 these words H7586 unto Saul H7586 , that Saul H559 said [H8799] H6963 , Is this thy voice H1121 , my son H1732 David H7586 ? And Saul H5375 lifted up [H8799] H6963 his voice H1058 , and wept [H8799] .

17 H559 And he said [H8799] H1732 to David H6662 , Thou art more righteous H1580 than I: for thou hast rewarded [H8804] H2896 me good H1580 , whereas I have rewarded [H8804] H7451 thee evil.

18 H5046 And thou hast shewed [H8689] H3117 this day H6213 how that thou hast dealt [H8804] H2896 well H3068 with me: forasmuch as when the LORD H5462 had delivered [H8765] H3027 me into thine hand H2026 , thou killedst [H8804] me not.

19 H376 For if a man H4672 find [H8799] H341 his enemy [H8802] H7971 , will he let him go [H8765] H2896 well H1870 away H3068 ? wherefore the LORD H7999 reward [H8762] H2896 thee good H6213 for that thou hast done [H8804] H3117 unto me this day.

20 H3045 And now, behold, I know well [H8804] H4427 that thou shalt surely [H8800] H4427 be king [H8799] H4467 , and that the kingdom H3478 of Israel H6965 shall be established [H8804] H3027 in thine hand.

21 H7650 Swear [H8734] H3068 now therefore unto me by the LORD H518 , that thou wilt not H3772 cut off [H8686] H2233 my seed H310 after H8045 me, and that thou wilt not destroy [H8686] H8034 my name H1 out of my father's H1004 house.

22 H1732 And David H7650 sware [H8735] H7586 unto Saul H7586 . And Saul H3212 went [H8799] H1004 home H1732 ; but David H582 and his men H5927 gat them up [H8804] H4686 unto the hold.

ERV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. ² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. ³ And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave. ⁴ And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. ⁵ And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. ⁶ And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to put forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’S anointed. ⁷ So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. ⁸ David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance. ⁹ And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? ¹⁰ Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but [mine eye] spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed. ¹¹ Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my soul to take it. ¹² The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. ¹³ As saith the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. ¹⁴ After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. ¹⁵ The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹⁷ And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil. ¹⁸ And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me up into thine hand, thou killedst me not. ¹⁹ For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. ²⁰ And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. ²¹ Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house. ²² And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.