1 Samuel 24:1-10 ▼

1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, |Look, David is in the desert of En Gedi.|

2 So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find David and his men in the region of the rocks of the mountain goats.

3 He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave.

4 David's men said to him, |This is the day about which the LORD said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.'| So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul's robe.

5 Afterward David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off an edge of Saul's robe.

6 He said to his men, |May the LORD keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the LORD's chosen one, by extending my hand against him. After all, he is the LORD's chosen one.|

7 David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down the road.

8 Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, |My lord, O king!| When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground.

9 David said to Saul, |Why do you pay attention when men say, 'David is seeking to do you harm'?

10 Today your own eyes see how the LORD delivered you--this very day--into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity on you and said, 'I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's chosen one.'