26:1 And the Ziphites 2130 came 935 8799 unto Saul 7586 to Gibeah 1390, saying 559 8800, Doth not David 1732 hide 5641 8693 himself in the hill 1389 of Hachilah 2444, [which is] before 6440 Jeshimon 3452?

26:2 Then Saul 7586 arose 6965 8799, and went down 3381 8799 to the wilderness 4057 of Ziph 2128, having three 7969 thousand 505 chosen 977 8803 men 376 of Israel 3478 with him, to seek 1245 8763 David 1732 in the wilderness 4057 of Ziph 2128.

26:3 And Saul 7586 pitched 2583 8799 in the hill 1389 of Hachilah 2444, which [is] before 6440 Jeshimon 3452, by the way 1870. But David 1732 abode 3427 8802 in the wilderness 4057, and he saw 7200 8799 that Saul 7586 came 935 8804 after 310 him into the wilderness 4057.

26:4 David 1732 therefore sent out 7971 8799 spies 7270 8764, and understood 3045 8799 that Saul 7586 was come 935 8804 in very deed 3559 8737.

26:5 And David 1732 arose 6965 8799, and came 935 8799 to the place 4725 where Saul 7586 had pitched 2583 8804: and David 1732 beheld 7200 8799 the place 4725 where Saul 7586 lay 7901 8804, and Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369, the captain 8269 of his host 6635: and Saul 7586 lay 7901 8802 in the trench 4570, and the people 5971 pitched 2583 8802 round about 5439 him.(trench: or, midst of his carriages)

26:6 Then answered 6030 8799 David 1732 and said 559 8799 to Ahimelech 288 the Hittite 2850, and to Abishai 52 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870, brother 251 to Joab 3097, saying 559 8800, Who will go down 3381 8799 with me to Saul 7586 to the camp 4264? And Abishai 52 said 559 8799, I will go down 3381 8799 with thee.

26:7 So David 1732 and Abishai 52 came 935 8799 to the people 5971 by night 3915: and, behold, Saul 7586 lay 7901 8802 sleeping 3463 within the trench 4570, and his spear 2595 stuck 4600 8803 in the ground 776 at his bolster 4763: but Abner 74 and the people 5971 lay 7901 8802 round about 5439 him.

26:8 Then said 559 8799 Abishai 52 to David 1732, God 430 hath delivered 5462 8765 thine enemy 341 8802 into thine hand 3027 this day 3117: now therefore let me smite 5221 8686 him, I pray thee, with the spear 2595 even to the earth 776 at once 6471 259, and I will not [smite] him the second time 8138 8799.(delivered: Heb. shut up)

26:9 And David 1732 said 559 8799 to Abishai 52, Destroy 7843 8686 him not: for who can stretch forth 7971 8804 his hand 3027 against the LORD'S 3068 anointed 4899, and be guiltless 5352 8738?

26:10 David 1732 said 559 8799 furthermore, [As] the LORD 3068 liveth 2416, the LORD 3068 shall smite 5062 8799 him; or his day 3117 shall come 935 8799 to die 4191 8804; or he shall descend 3381 8799 into battle 4421, and perish 5595 8738.

26:11 The LORD 3068 forbid 2486 that I should stretch forth 7971 8800 mine hand 3027 against the LORD'S 3068 anointed 4899: but, I pray thee, take 3947 8798 thou now the spear 2595 that [is] at his bolster 4763, and the cruse 6835 of water 4325, and let us go 3212 8799.

26:12 So David 1732 took 3947 8799 the spear 2595 and the cruse 6835 of water 4325 from Saul's 7586 bolster 7226; and they gat them away 3212 8799, and no man saw 7200 8802 [it], nor knew 3045 8802 [it], neither awaked 6974 8688: for they [were] all asleep 3463; because a deep sleep 8639 from the LORD 3068 was fallen 5307 8804 upon them.

26:13 Then David 1732 went over 5674 8799 to the other side 5676, and stood 5975 8799 on the top 7218 of an hill 2022 afar off 7350; a great 7227 space 4725 [being] between them:

26:14 And David 1732 cried 7121 8799 to the people 5971, and to Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369, saying 559 8800, Answerest 6030 8799 thou not, Abner 74? Then Abner 74 answered 6030 8799 and said 559 8799, Who [art] thou [that] criest 7121 8804 to the king 4428?

26:15 And David 1732 said 559 8799 to Abner 74, [Art] not thou a [valiant] man 376? and who [is] like to thee in Israel 3478? wherefore then hast thou not kept 8104 8804 thy lord 113 the king 4428? for there came 935 8804 one 259 of the people 5971 in to destroy 7843 8687 the king 4428 thy lord 113.

26:16 This thing 1697 [is] not good 2896 that thou hast done 6213 8804. [As] the LORD 3068 liveth 2416, ye [are] worthy 1121 to die 4194, because ye have not kept 8104 8804 your master 113, the LORD'S 3068 anointed 4899. And now see 7200 8798 where the king's 4428 spear 2595 [is], and the cruse 6835 of water 4325 that [was] at his bolster 4763.(worthy to die: Heb. the sons of death)

26:17 And Saul 7586 knew 5234 8686 David's 1732 voice 6963, and said 559 8799, [Is] this thy voice 6963, my son 1121 David 1732? And David 1732 said 559 8799, [It is] my voice 6963, my lord 113, O king 4428.

26:18 And he said 559 8799, Wherefore doth my lord 113 thus pursue 7291 8802 after 310 his servant 5650? for what have I done 6213 8804? or what evil 7451 [is] in mine hand 3027?

26:19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord 113 the king 4428 hear 8085 8799 the words 1697 of his servant 5650. If the LORD 3068 have stirred thee up 5496 8689 against me, let him accept 7306 8686 an offering 4503: but if [they be] the children 1121 of men 120, cursed 779 8803 [be] they before 6440 the LORD 3068; for they have driven 1644 8765 me out this day 3117 from abiding 5596 8692 in the inheritance 5159 of the LORD 3068, saying 559 8800, Go 3212 8798, serve 5647 8798 other 312 gods 430.(accept: Heb. smell)(abiding: Heb. cleaving)

26:20 Now therefore, let not my blood 1818 fall 5307 8799 to the earth 776 before the face 6440 of the LORD 3068: for the king 4428 of Israel 3478 is come out 3318 8804 to seek 1245 8763 a 259 flea 6550, as when one doth hunt 7291 8799 a partridge 7124 in the mountains 2022.

26:21 Then said 559 8799 Saul 7586, I have sinned 2398 8804: return 7725 8798, my son 1121 David 1732: for I will no more do thee harm 7489 8686, because my soul 5315 was precious 3365 8804 in thine eyes 5869 this day 3117: behold, I have played the fool 5528 8689, and have erred 7686 8799 exceedingly 7235 8687 3966.

26:22 And David 1732 answered 6030 8799 and said 559 8799, Behold the king's 4428 spear 2595! and let one 259 of the young men 5288 come over 5674 8799 and fetch 3947 8799 it.

26:23 The LORD 3068 render 7725 8686 to every man 376 his righteousness 6666 and his faithfulness 530: for the LORD 3068 delivered 5414 8804 thee into [my] hand 3027 to day 3117, but I would 14 8804 not stretch forth 7971 8800 mine hand 3027 against the LORD'S 3068 anointed 4899.

26:24 And, behold, as thy life 5315 was much set by 1431 8804 this day 3117 in mine eyes 5869, so let my life 5315 be much set by 1431 8799 in the eyes 5869 of the LORD 3068, and let him deliver 5337 8686 me out of all tribulation 6869.