1 Samuel 24-26
1599 Geneva Bible
24 1 David hid in a cave spareth Saul. 10 He showeth to Saul his innocency. 18 Saul acknowledgeth his fault. 22 He causeth David to swear unto him to be favorable to his.
1 And David went thence, and dwelt in [a]holds at En Gedi.
2 When Saul was turned from the Philistines, they told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of [b]En Gedi.
3 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks among the wild goats.
4 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way where there was a cave, and Saul went in [c]to do his easement: and David and his men sat in the [d]inward parts of the cave.
5 And the men of David said unto him, See, the day is [e]come, whereof 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 to thee. Then David arose and cut off the lap of Saul’s garment privily.
6 And afterward David [f]was touched in his heart, because he had cut off the lap which was on Saul’s garment.
7 And he said unto his men, The Lord keep me from doing that thing unto my master the Lord’s anointed, to lay mine hand upon him: for he is the Anointed of the Lord.
8 So David overcame his servants with these words, and suffered them not to arise against Saul: for Saul rose up out of the cave and went away.
9 ¶ David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, O my lord the King. And when Saul looked behind him, David inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
10 And David said to Saul, [g]Wherefore givest thou an ear to men’s words, that say, Behold, David seeketh evil against thee?
11 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen, that the Lord had delivered thee this day into mine hand in the cave, and some bade me kill thee, but I had compassion on thee, and said, I will not lay mine hand on my master: for he is the Lord’s Anointed.
12 Moreover my father, behold: behold, I say, the lap of thy garment in mine hand: for when I cut off the lap of thy garment, I killed thee not. Understand and see, that there is neither evil nor wickedness in me, neither have I sinned against thee, yet thou huntest after my soul, to take it.
13 The Lord be judge between thee and me, and the Lord avenge me of thee, and let not mine hand be upon thee.
14 According as the [h]old proverb saith, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked, but mine hand be not upon thee.
15 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, and after a flea?
16 The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between thee and me, and see, and plead my cause, and [i]deliver me out of thine hand.
17 When David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, [j]Is this thy voice, my son David? and Saul lift up his voice, and wept,
18 And said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rendered me good, and I have rendered thee evil.
19 And thou hast showed this day, that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had closed me in thine hands, thou killedst me not.
20 For who shall find his enemy, and let him depart [k]free? wherefore the Lord render thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
21 For now behold, I [l]know that thou shalt be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be stablished in thine hand.
22 Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, and that thou wilt not abolish my name out of my father’s house.
23 So David swore unto Saul, and Saul went home: but David and his men went up unto the hold.
25 1 Samuel dieth. 3 Nabal and Abigail. 38 The Lord killeth Nabal. 43 Abigail and Ahinoam David’s wives. 44 Michal is given to Palti.
1 Then (A)Samuel died, and all Israel assembled, and mourned for him, and buried him in his [m]own house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2 Now in [n]Maon was a man, who had his possession in Carmel, and the man was exceeding mighty, and had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 The name also of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and she was a woman of singular wisdom, and beautiful, but the man was churlish, and evil conditioned, and was of the family of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 Therefore David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name [o]how he doeth.
6 And thus shall ye say [p][q]for salutation, Both thou, and thine house, and all that thou hast, be in peace, wealth and prosperity.
7 Behold, I have heard, that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds were with us, and we did them no hurt, neither did they miss anything all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy servants, and they will show thee. Wherefore let these young men find favor in thine eyes: (for we come in a good season) give, I pray thee, whatsoever [r]cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 ¶ And when David’s young men came, they told Nabal all those words in the name of David, and held their peace.
10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the [s]son of Jesse? there be many servants nowadays, that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 ¶ So David’s servants turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those things.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird every man his sword about him. And they girded every man his sword: David also girded his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, and two hundred abode by the [t]carriage.
14 Now one of the servants told Abigail Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he [u]railed on them.
15 Notwithstanding, the men were very good [v]unto us, and we had no displeasure, neither missed we anything as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields.
16 They were as a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping sheep.
17 Now therefore take heed, and see what thou shalt do: for evil [w]will surely come upon our master, and upon all his family: for he is so wicked, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 ¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred [x]cakes, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred [y]frails of raisins, and two hundred of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 Then she said unto her servants, Go ye before me: behold, I will come after you: yet she told not her [z]husband Nabal.
20 And as she rode on her ass, she came down by a secret place of the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met them.
21 And David said, Indeed I have kept all in vain that this fellow had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: for he hath requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David: for surely I will not leave of all that he hath by the dawning of the day, any that [aa]pisseth against the wall.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Oh, my lord, I have committed the iniquity, and I pray thee, let thine handmaid speak [ab]to thee, and hear thou the words of thine handmaid.
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this wicked man, Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: [ac]Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom thou sentest.
26 Now therefore my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth (the Lord, I say, that hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and that thine [ad]hand should not save thee) so now thine enemies shall be as Nabal, and they that intend to do my lord evil.
27 And now this [ae]blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men, that [af]follow my lord.
28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will make my lord a [ag]sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and none evil hath been found in thee [ah]in all thy life.
29 Yet [ai]a man hath risen up to persecute thee, and to seek thy soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the [aj]bundle of life with the Lord thy God: and the soul of thine enemies shall God cast out, as out of the middle of a sling.
30 And when the Lord shall have done to my lord all the good that he hath promised thee, and shall have made thee ruler over Israel,
31 Then shall it be no grief unto thee, nor offence of mind unto my lord, that he hath not shed blood causeless, nor that my lord hath [ak]not preserved himself: and when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, remember thine handmaid.
32 Then David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me.
33 And blessed be thy counsel, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, [al]and that mine hand hath not saved me.
34 For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, [am]who hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and met me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the dawning of the day, any that pisseth against the wall.
35 Then David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to thine house: behold, I have heard thy voice, and have [an]granted thy petition.
36 ¶ So Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he made a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him [ao]nothing, neither less nor more, until the morning arose.
37 Then in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, his wife told him those words, and his heart died within him, and he was like [ap]a stone.
38 And about ten days after, the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
39 ¶ Now when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath [aq]judged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath recompensed the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. Also David sent to commune with Abigail, to [ar]take her to his wife.
40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us to thee, to take thee to his wife.
41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, and her five maids [as]followed her, and she went after the messengers of David, and was his wife.
43 David also took Ahinoam of (B)Jezreel, and they were both his wives.
44 Now Saul had given (C)Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, which was of [at]Gallim.
26 1 David was discovered unto Saul by the Ziphites. 12 David taketh away Saul’s spear, and a pot of water that stood at his head. 21 Saul confesseth his sin.
1 Again the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, (D)Doth not David hide himself [au]in the hill of Hachilah before [av]Jeshimon?
2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand [aw]chosen men of Israel with him, for to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon by the wayside. Now David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 (For David had sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come [ax]in very deed.)
5 Then David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and when David beheld the place where Saul lay, and (E)Abner the son of Ner which was his chief captain, (for Saul lay in the fort, and the people pitched round about him.)
6 Then spake David, and said to Ahimelech the [ay]Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to [az]Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the host? Then Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came down to the people by night: and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his spear did stick in the ground at his [ba]head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 ¶ Then said Abishai to David, God hath closed thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore, I pray thee, let me smite him once with a spear to the earth, and I will not smite him [bb]again.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand [bc]on the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?
10 Moreover David said, As the Lord liveth, either the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11 The Lord keep me from laying mine hand upon the Lord’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the spear that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let us go hence.
12 So David took the spear and the pot of water from Saul’s head, and they got them away, and no man saw it, nor marked it, neither did any awake, but they were all asleep: for [bd]the Lord had sent a dead sleep upon them.
13 Then David went unto the other side, and stood on the top of an hill a far off, a great space being between them.
14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, [be]Hearest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and said, Who art thou that cryest to the King?
15 ¶ And David said to Abner, Art not thou a [bf]man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the King? for there came one of the folk in to destroy the king thy lord.
16 This is not well done of thee: as the Lord liveth, ye are [bg]worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master the Lord’s anointed: and now see where the King’s spear is, and the pot of water that was at his head.
17 And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, [bh]my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O King.
18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus persecute his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
19 Now therefore, I beseech thee, let my Lord the King hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, [bi]let him smell the savor of a sacrifice: but if the children of men have done it, cursed be they before the Lord: for they have cast me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve [bj]other gods.
20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the King of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as one would hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: Come again, my son David: for I will do thee no more harm, because my soul was [bk]precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have done foolishly, and have erred exceedingly.
22 Then David answered, and said, Behold the King’s spear, let one of the young men come over and fet it.
23 And let the Lord reward every man according to his [bl]righteousness and faithfulness: for the Lord had delivered thee into mine hands this day, but I would not lay mine hand upon the Lord’s anointed.
24 And behold, like as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes: so let my life be set by in the eyes of the Lord, that he may deliver me out of all tribulation.
25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed art thou, my son David: for thou shalt do great things, and also prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his [bm]place.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 24:1 That is, in strong places, which were defensed by nature.
- 1 Samuel 24:2 A city of Judah, Josh. 15:62.
- 1 Samuel 24:4 Hebrew, to cover his feet.
- 1 Samuel 24:4 Hebrew, in the sides.
- 1 Samuel 24:5 Here we see how ready we are to hasten God’s promise, if the occasion serve never so little.
- 1 Samuel 24:6 For seeing it was his own private cause, he repented that he had touched his enemy.
- 1 Samuel 24:10 Contrary to the false report of them that said, David was Saul’s enemy, he proveth himself to be his friend.
- 1 Samuel 24:14 Or, the proverb of an ancient man.
- 1 Samuel 24:16 Hebrew, judge.
- 1 Samuel 24:17 Though he was a most cruel enemy to David, yet by his great gentleness his conscience compelled him to yield.
- 1 Samuel 24:20 Hebrew, a good way.
- 1 Samuel 24:21 Though this tyrant saw and confessed the favor of God toward David, yet he ceaseth not to persecute him against his own conscience.
- 1 Samuel 25:1 That is, among his own kindred.
- 1 Samuel 25:2 Maon and Carmel were cities in the tribe of Judah. Carmel the mountain was in Galilee.
- 1 Samuel 25:5 Hebrew, of peace.
- 1 Samuel 25:6 Some read, so mayest thou live in prosperity the next year, both thou, etc.
- 1 Samuel 25:6 Hebrew, for life.
- 1 Samuel 25:8 Whatsoever thou hast ready for us.
- 1 Samuel 25:10 Thus the covetous wretches instead of relieving the necessity of God’s children, used to revile their persons and condemn their cause.
- 1 Samuel 25:13 Hebrew, vessel.
- 1 Samuel 25:14 Hebrew, drove them away.
- 1 Samuel 25:15 When we kept our sheep in the wilderness of Paran.
- 1 Samuel 25:17 Hebrew, is accomplished.
- 1 Samuel 25:18 Hebrew, bread.
- 1 Samuel 25:18 Or, clusters.
- 1 Samuel 25:19 Because she knew his crooked nature, that he would rather have perished, than consented to her enterprise.
- 1 Samuel 25:22 Meaning by this proverb, that he would destroy both small and great.
- 1 Samuel 25:24 Hebrew, in thine ears.
- 1 Samuel 25:25 Or, fool.
- 1 Samuel 25:26 That is, that thou shouldest not be revenged of thine enemy.
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Or, present.
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Hebrew, walk at the feet.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 Confirm his Kingdom to his posterity.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 Hebrew, from thy days.
- 1 Samuel 25:29 To wit, Saul.
- 1 Samuel 25:29 God shall preserve thee long in his service, and destroy thine enemies.
- 1 Samuel 25:31 That he hath not avenged himself, which things would have tormented his conscience.
- 1 Samuel 25:33 Read verse 26.
- 1 Samuel 25:34 He attributeth it to the Lord’s mercy, and not to himself that he was stayed.
- 1 Samuel 25:35 Hebrew, received thy face.
- 1 Samuel 25:36 For he had no reason either to consider, or to give thanks for this great benefit of deliverance.
- 1 Samuel 25:37 For fear of the great danger.
- 1 Samuel 25:39 Or, revenged.
- 1 Samuel 25:39 For he had experience of her great godliness, wisdom and humility.
- 1 Samuel 25:42 Hebrew, went at her feet.
- 1 Samuel 25:44 Which was a place bordering on the country of the Moabites.
- 1 Samuel 26:1 Or, in Gibeah.
- 1 Samuel 26:1 Or, the wilderness.
- 1 Samuel 26:2 That is, of the most skillful and valiant soldiers.
- 1 Samuel 26:4 Or, to a certain place.
- 1 Samuel 26:6 Who was a stranger, and not an Israelite.
- 1 Samuel 26:6 Who afterward was David’s chief captain.
- 1 Samuel 26:7 Or, bolster.
- 1 Samuel 26:8 Meaning, he would make him sure at one stroke.
- 1 Samuel 26:9 To wit, in his own private cause: for Jehu slew two Kings at God’s appointment, 2 Kings 9:24.
- 1 Samuel 26:12 Hebrew, the heavy sleep of the Lord was fallen upon them.
- 1 Samuel 26:14 Hebrew, Answerest.
- 1 Samuel 26:15 Esteemed most valiant and meet to save the King?
- 1 Samuel 26:16 Hebrew, sons of death.
- 1 Samuel 26:17 Hereby it appeareth, that the hypocrite persecuted David against his own conscience, and contrary to his promise.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 Let his anger toward us be pacified by a sacrifice.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 As much as lay in them, they compelled him to idolatry because they forced him to flee to the idolaters.
- 1 Samuel 26:21 Because thou savedst my life this day.
- 1 Samuel 26:23 Thus he protesteth his innocency toward Saul, not defending his justice in the sight of God, in whose presence none is righteous, Ps 14:3 and 130:3.
- 1 Samuel 26:25 To Gibeah of Benjamin.
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