1 Samuel 24 When Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines he was told, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ When Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines he was told, 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 on the rocks of the wild goats. ³ He came to the sheep pens beside the road, and a cave was there. Then Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave. ⁴ The men of David said to him, Look, the day of which the LORD said to you, 'I will deliver your enemy into your hand and you can do to him whatever you wish'. Then David got up and cut off a corner of Saul's robe secretly. ⁵ Afterwards David's conscience smote him, because he had cut off a piece of Saul's robe. ⁶ And he said to his men, the LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD`s anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, for he is the anointed of the LORD. ⁷ So with these words David kept his servants back, and did not let them make an attack on Saul. And Saul got up and went on his way. ⁸ Then David got up and left the cave. He called to Saul: "My lord!" When Saul looked back. David knelt down with his face touching the ground. ⁹ David said to Saul, Why do you listen when men say 'David is trying to harm you?'. ¹⁰ Look, today your eyes have seen how the LORD had delivered you into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, I will not lift up my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed. ¹¹ »My master, look at this! The border of your robe is in my hand! I cut off the border of your robe and did not kill you. You should know and be able to see I mean no harm or rebellion. I have not sinned against you! But you are trying to ambush me in order to take my life. ¹² May the LORD judge between me and you, and may the LORD avenge the wrong you have done me; but my hand shall not be against you. ¹³ "An old proverb says: 'Only evil people do evil things.' So I will not harm you. ¹⁴ Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ May the LORD therefore be judge, and judge between you and me, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand. ¹⁶ When David had finished saying this to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? Saul wept aloud. ¹⁷ to David, "You are more righteous than I am, because you have treated me well even though I've treated you poorly. ¹⁸ You have explained how you treated me well, in that the LORD delivered me into your hand but you didn't kill me. ¹⁹ For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may the LORD reward you good for that which you have done to me today. ²⁰ Now I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹ Now swear to me by the LORD that you will never eliminate my descendants after me, and that you won't erase my name from my father's family." ²² David gave his oath to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.