CHAPTER 26
1 And Ziphites came to Saul into Gibeah, and said, Lo! David is hid in the hill of Hachilah, which is even against the wilderness.
2 And Saul rose up, and went down into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand of men of the chosen of Israel, that he should seek David in the desert of Ziph.
3 And Saul setted his tents in the hill of Hachilah, that was even against the wilderness, in the way. And David dwelled in the desert. Forsooth David saw that Saul had come after him into desert;
4 and David sent spyers [or spies], and learned most certainly, that Saul had come thither.
5 And David rose up privily, and came to the place where Saul was. And when David had seen the place, wherein Saul slept, and Abner, the son of Ner, the prince of his chivalry; and Saul sleeping in the tent, and the tother common people by his compass;
6 David said to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, Who shall go down with me to Saul into his tents? And Abishai said, I shall go down with thee.
7 Therefore David and Abishai came to the people in the night, and they found Saul lying and sleeping in the tent, and a spear set fast in the earth at his head; forsooth they found Abner and the people sleeping in his compass.
8 And Abishai said to David, God hath enclosed today thine enemy into thine hands; now therefore I shall pierce him with the spear once through, and into the earth, and no need shall be the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai, Slay thou not him, for who shall hold forth his hand into the christ or the anointed of the Lord, and shall be innocent?
10 And David said, The Lord liveth, for no but the Lord smite him, either his day come that he die, either he go down into battle, and perish;
11 the Lord be merciful to me, that I hold not forth mine hand into the christ of the Lord; now therefore take thou the spear, that is at his head, and the cup of water, and go we away.
12 Then David took the spear, and the cup of water, that was at the head of Saul, and they went forth, and no man was that saw, and understood, and waked, but all men slept; for the sleep of the Lord had fallen [up] on them.
13 And when David had passed [over] even against, and had stood on the top of the hill afar, and a great space was betwixt them,
14 David cried to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, and said, Abner, whether thou wilt not answer? And Abner answered, and said, Who art thou, that criest, and dis-easest the king?
15 And David said to Abner, Whether thou art not a man, and what other man is like thee in Israel? why there-fore hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For one man of the company entered, that he should slay thy lord the king;
16 this that thou hast done, is not good; the Lord liveth, for ye be sons of death, that kept not your lord, the christ of the Lord. Now therefore see thou, where is the spear of the king, and where is the cup of water, that was at his head.
17 Forsooth Saul knew the voice of David, and said, Whether this voice is thine, my son David? And David said, My lord the king, it is my voice.
18 And David said, For what cause pursueth my lord his servant? What have I done, either what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, my lord the king, I pray, hear the words of thy servant; if the Lord stirreth thee against me, the sacrifice be smelled; forsooth if [the] sons of men stir thee, they be cursed in the sight of the Lord, which have cast me out today, that I dwell not in the heritage of the Lord, and say, Go thou, serve thou alien gods.
20 And now my blood be not shed out in the earth before the Lord; for the king of Israel hath gone out, that he seek a quick flea, as a partridge is pursued in hills.
21 And Saul said, I have sinned; turn thou again, my son David, for I shall no more do evil to thee, for my life was precious today in thine eyes; for it seemeth, that I have done follily, and I have unknown full many things.
22 And David answered and said, Lo! the spear of the king, one of the children of the king pass over hither, and take it;
23 forsooth the Lord shall yield to each man after his rightfulness [or rightwiseness] and his faith; for the Lord betook thee today into mine hand, and I would not hold forth mine hand into the christ or the anointed of the Lord;
24 and as thy life is magnified today in mine eyes, so my life be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and deliver he me from all anguish.
25 Therefore Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David; and soothly thou doing shalt do, and thou mighty shalt be mighty. Then David went forth into his way, and Saul turned again into his place.