Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
KJV
King James Version
After
Saul had
returned from pursuing
the Philistines, he
was told, “
David is in the wilderness of En-gedi
. ”
And
it
came
to
pass,
when
Saul was
returned from following
the Philistines, that
it
was told him
, saying,
Behold,
David is in the wilderness of Engedi
.
So
Saul took three thousand chosen men from
all Israel and went to look
for
David and his men in
the
region
of
the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Then
Saul took three thousand chosen men out
of
all Israel ,
and went to seek
David and his men upon
the rocks of the wild goats.
Soon
Saul
came to the sheepfolds
along
the road
, where there
was a cave ,
and he
went in to relieve
himself.
And David and his men were
hiding
in the recesses
of the cave.
And
he
came to the sheepcotes
by
the way
, where was a cave ;
and Saul
went in to cover
his
feet:
and David and his men remained
in the sides
of the cave.
So
David’s
men said to
him, “This
is
the day about
which the LORD said to
you
, ‘
Behold, I will deliver your
enemy into your
hand, that you
may
do with
him as you
wish
. ’”
Then David crept
up
secretly
and cut off a
corner
of Saul’s
robe.
And
the
men of
David
said unto
him, Behold
the day of
which the LORD said unto
thee
, Behold, I will deliver thine
enemy into thine
hand, that thou
mayest
do to
him as it
shall
seem
good
unto
thee
. Then David arose,
and cut off the
skirt
of Saul's
robe privily
.
Afterward, David’s
conscience
was
stricken
because he had cut off the
corner
of
Saul’s
robe
.
And
it
came
to
pass
afterward, that
David's
heart
smote
him,
because he had cut off Saul's
skirt
.
So
he said to
his men, “
The LORD forbid that I should do such
a
thing to
my master, the LORD’s
anointed .
May
I
never
lift
my
hand against him, since
he is the LORD’s
anointed. ”
And
he said unto
his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this
thing unto
my master, the LORD's
anointed ,
to
stretch
forth
mine
hand against him, seeing
he is the anointed of
the
LORD
.
With these words David
restrained
his
men
, and he
did
not
let
them rise up
against Saul. Then
Saul left
the cave and went on his way.
So
David
stayed
his
servants
with these words, and suffered
them not
to
rise against Saul. But
Saul rose
up
out
of
the cave ,
and went on his way.
After
that,
David got
up
, went out of the cave, and called
out
to
Saul, “
My lord the king !”
When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown
in
reverence
David also
arose
afterward
, and
went out of the cave, and cried
after
Saul, saying,
My lord the king .
And
when Saul looked behind him, David stooped
with
his
face
to
the
earth,
and
bowed himself.
and said to Saul, “Why
do
you
listen
to
the
words of
men
who
say
, ‘Look
, David intends
to
harm
you’
?
And David
said to Saul, Wherefore
hearest
thou
men's
words, saying
, Behold,
David seeketh
thy
hurt
?
Behold, this day you
have seen with
your
own
eyes
that the LORD delivered you
into my
hand in the cave .
I
was
told
to
kill you,
but I
spared you
and said, ‘
I will not lift
my
hand against my lord ,
since
he is the LORD’s
anointed. ’
Behold, this day thine
eyes
have seen how
that the LORD had
delivered thee
to
day
into mine
hand in the cave :
and
some
bade
me
kill thee:
but mine
eye
spared thee;
and I
said, I will not put
forth
mine
hand against my lord ;
for
he is the LORD's
anointed.
See
, my father, look
at
the corner
of your
robe in my hand .
For I cut it
off, but
I
did
not
kill
you.
See
and know that there is no
evil or
rebellion
in my
hands.
I have not sinned against you,
even
though
you
are
hunting
me
down
to take my
life
.
Moreover
, my father, see,
yea,
see
the skirt
of thy
robe in my hand :
for in
that
I cut off the
skirt
of
thy
robe
, and killed
thee
not,
know thou
and
see
that there is neither
evil nor
transgression
in mine
hand,
and
I have not sinned against thee;
yet
thou
huntest
my
soul
to take it
.
May
the LORD judge between you
and
me, and may
the LORD take
vengeance
on
you,
but my
hand will
never
be against
you
.
The LORD judge between me and
thee
, and the LORD avenge
me
of
thee:
but mine
hand shall
not
be upon
thee
.
As the old
proverb says
, ‘
Wickedness proceeds
from the wicked .’
But my
hand will
never
be against
you
.
As saith
the proverb of
the
ancients
, Wickedness proceedeth
from the wicked :
but mine
hand shall
not
be upon
thee
.
Against
whom has
the king of Israel come out? Whom are
you
pursuing
? A dead dog ?
A flea ?
After
whom is
the king of Israel come out? after
whom dost
thou
pursue
? after
a dead dog ,
after
a flea .
May
the LORD be our
judge and decide
between you
and
me .
May
He
take
notice
and plead my case
and deliver me from
your
hand. ”
The LORD therefore
be judge ,
and judge
between me and thee,
and
see,
and
plead my cause,
and deliver me out
of
thine
hand.
When David had finished
saying
these things
, Saul called
back
, “
Is that
your
voice, David
my son? ”
Then
Saul wept aloud
And
it
came
to
pass,
when David had made
an
end
of
speaking
these words
unto
Saul
, that
Saul said
, Is this
thy
voice, my son David
? And
Saul lifted
up
his
voice,
and
wept .
and said to David, “You
are
more righteous than I ,
for you
have
rewarded me with
good, though
I have rewarded you
with
evil.
And he
said to David, Thou
art
more righteous than I :
for thou
hast
rewarded me good, whereas
I have rewarded thee
evil.
And you
have
shown
this day how well
you
have
dealt with me ;
for
when the LORD delivered me into your
hand, you
did
not
kill
me.
And thou
hast
showed
this day how that
thou
hast
dealt well
with me :
forasmuch
as
when the LORD had
delivered me into thine
hand, thou
killedst
me not
.
When
a man finds
his enemy, does
he let him go away unharmed
? May
the LORD reward you
with
good for what
you
have
done for
me this day.
For
if
a man find
his enemy, will
he let him go well
away? wherefore
the LORD reward thee
good for that
thou
hast
done unto
me this day.
Now I know for
sure
that you
will
be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will
be established in your
hands
.
And
now ,
behold,
I know well
that thou
shalt
surely
be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall
be established in thine
hand
.
So
now,
swear to
me by the LORD that you
will
not cut off my descendants
or
wipe
out
my name from
my father’s
house. ”
Swear now
therefore
unto
me by the LORD ,
that thou
wilt
not cut off my seed
after
me,
and
that
thou
wilt
not
destroy
my name out
of
my father's
house.
So
David gave
his
oath
to
Saul. Then
Saul returned
home ,
but David and his men went
up to
the stronghold
.
And
David sware
unto
Saul. And
Saul went
home ;
but David and his men gat
them
up unto
the hold
.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and King James Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; UK publication rights are administered by the Crown's patentee; public domain in most other jurisdictions..