1 Samuel 24

David spares Saul in the cave

¹David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.^{a 2}When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, word was brought to him: “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”^b

³So Saul took 3,000 men chosen from all Israel and set out to search for David and his men east of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ⁴He came to the sheep pens along the road. A cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself, while David and his men sat far back in the cave. ⁵David’s men said to him, “This is the day the LORD spoke of when he told you, ‘I am going to give your enemy into your hand, and you may do to him whatever you think best.’” Then David got up and quietly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. ⁶Afterward David’s conscience troubled him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁷He told his men, “The LORD forbid that I do this to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, and raise my hand against him! He is the LORD’s anointed.” ⁸With these words David held his men back and would not let them attack Saul. Saul got up, left the cave and went on his way.

⁹Afterward David also got up, went out of the cave and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” Saul looked back, and David bowed low with his face to the ground and lay prostrate before him.

¹⁰David said to Saul, “Why do you listen when people say, ‘David is out to harm you’? ¹¹Today you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD put you into my hands in the cave. I was urged to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not raise my hand against my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’ ¹²My father, look! See the corner of your robe here in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe, but I did not kill you. You can know for certain from this that I mean you no harm and am not rebelling against you. I have not wronged you, yet you are hunting me down to take my life. ¹³May the LORD judge between us, and may the LORD avenge the wrong you have done me. But I will not lift my hand against you. ¹⁴As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from the wicked.’ But my hand will not be against you. ¹⁵Whom has the king of Israel come out to chase? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog! A single flea! ¹⁶May the LORD be the judge and decide between you and me. May he see this, take up my case and rescue me from your power by giving me justice.”

Saul admits that David is in the right

¹⁷When David had finished saying this to Saul, Saul said, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And Saul wept aloud. ¹⁸He said to David, “You are more righteous than I am. You have repaid me with good, while I have repaid you with evil. ¹⁹Today you have shown how well you have treated me: the LORD handed me over to you, and you did not kill me. ²⁰Who ever finds an enemy and lets him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you have treated me today. ²¹Now I know that you will surely become king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be firmly established in your hands. ²²Now then, give me your oath by the LORD that you will not wipe out my descendants after me or destroy my name from my father’s family.” ²³So David gave Saul his oath. Then Saul went back home, while David and his men climbed up to the stronghold.