And the Ziphites²¹³⁰ came⁹³⁵ unto Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ to Gibeah,¹³⁹⁰ saying,⁵⁵⁹ Doth not David¹⁷³² hide⁵⁶⁴¹ himself in the hill¹³⁸⁹ of Hachilah,²⁴⁴⁴ which is before⁶⁴⁴⁰ Jeshimon?³⁴⁵²

Then Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ arose,⁶⁹⁶⁵ and went down³³⁸¹ to the wilderness⁴⁰⁵⁷ of Ziph,²¹²⁸ having three⁷⁹⁶⁹ thousand⁵⁰⁵ chosen⁹⁷⁷ men³⁷⁶ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ with him, to seek¹²⁴⁵ David¹⁷³² in the wilderness⁴⁰⁵⁷ of Ziph.²¹²⁸

And Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ pitched²⁵⁸³ in the hill¹³⁸⁹ of Hachilah,²⁴⁴⁴ which is before⁶⁴⁴⁰ Jeshimon,³⁴⁵² by the way.¹⁸⁷⁰ But David¹⁷³² abode³⁴²⁷ in the wilderness,⁴⁰⁵⁷ and he saw⁷²⁰⁰ that Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ came⁹³⁵ after³¹⁰ him into the wilderness.⁴⁰⁵⁷

David¹⁷³² therefore sent⁷⁹⁷¹ out spies,⁷²⁷⁰ and understood³⁰⁴⁵ that Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ was come⁹³⁵ in very deed.³⁵⁵⁹

And David¹⁷³² arose,⁶⁹⁶⁵ and came⁹³⁵ to the place⁴⁷²⁵ where Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ had pitched:²⁵⁸³ and David¹⁷³² beheld⁷²⁰⁰ the place⁴⁷²⁵ where Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ lay,⁷⁹⁰¹ and Abner⁷⁴ the son¹¹²¹ of Ner,⁵³⁶⁹ the captain⁸²⁶⁹ of his host:⁶⁶³⁵ and Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ lay⁷⁹⁰¹ in the trench,⁴⁵⁷⁰ and the people⁵⁹⁷¹ pitched²⁵⁸³ round about⁵⁴³⁹ him.

Then answered⁶⁰³⁰ David¹⁷³² and said⁵⁵⁹ to Ahimelech²⁸⁸ the Hittite,²⁸⁵⁰ and to Abishai⁵² the son¹¹²¹ of Zeruiah,⁶⁸⁷⁰ brother²⁵¹ to Joab,³⁰⁹⁷ saying,⁵⁵⁹ Who will go down³³⁸¹ with me to Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ to the camp?⁴²⁶⁴ And Abishai⁵² said,⁵⁵⁹ I will go down³³⁸¹ with thee.

So David¹⁷³² and Abishai⁵² came⁹³⁵ to the people⁵⁹⁷¹ by night:³⁹¹⁵ and, behold, Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ lay⁷⁹⁰¹ sleeping³⁴⁶³ within the trench,⁴⁵⁷⁰ and his spear²⁵⁹⁵ stuck⁴⁶⁰⁰ in the ground⁷⁷⁶ at his bolster:⁴⁷⁶³ but Abner⁷⁴ and the people⁵⁹⁷¹ lay⁷⁹⁰¹ round about⁵⁴³⁹ him.

Then said⁵⁵⁹ Abishai⁵² to David,¹⁷³² Elohim⁴³⁰ hath delivered⁵⁴⁶² thine enemy³⁴¹ into thine hand³⁰²⁷ this day:³¹¹⁷ now therefore let me smite⁵²²¹ him, I pray thee, with the spear²⁵⁹⁵ even to the earth⁷⁷⁶ at once,⁶⁴⁷¹ and I will not smite him the second time.⁸¹³⁸

And David¹⁷³² said⁵⁵⁹ to Abishai,⁵² Destroy⁷⁸⁴³ him not: for who can stretch forth⁷⁹⁷¹ his hand³⁰²⁷ against Yahweh's³⁰⁶⁸ anointed,⁴⁸⁹⁹ and be guiltless?⁵³⁵²

David¹⁷³² said⁵⁵⁹ furthermore, As Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ liveth,²⁴¹⁶ Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ shall smite⁵⁰⁶² him; or his day³¹¹⁷ shall come⁹³⁵ to die;⁴¹⁹¹ or he shall descend³³⁸¹ into battle,⁴⁴²¹ and perish.⁵⁵⁹⁵

Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ forbid²⁴⁸⁶ that I should stretch forth⁷⁹⁷¹ mine hand³⁰²⁷ against Yahweh's³⁰⁶⁸ anointed:⁴⁸⁹⁹ but, I pray thee, take³⁹⁴⁷ thou now the spear²⁵⁹⁵ that is at his bolster,⁴⁷⁶³ and the cruse⁶⁸³⁵ of water,⁴³²⁵ and let us go.³²¹²

So David¹⁷³² took³⁹⁴⁷ the spear²⁵⁹⁵ and the cruse⁶⁸³⁵ of water⁴³²⁵ from Saul's⁷⁵⁸⁶ bolster;⁷²²⁶ and they gat them away,³²¹² and no man saw⁷²⁰⁰ it, nor knew³⁰⁴⁵ it, neither awaked:⁶⁹⁷⁴ for they were all asleep;³⁴⁶³ because a deep sleep⁸⁶³⁹ from Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ was fallen⁵³⁰⁷ upon them.

Then David¹⁷³² went over⁵⁶⁷⁴ to the other side,⁵⁶⁷⁶ and stood⁵⁹⁷⁵ on the top⁷²¹⁸ of an hill²⁰²² afar off;⁷³⁵⁰ a great⁷²²⁷ space⁴⁷²⁵ being between them:

And David¹⁷³² cried⁷¹²¹ to the people,⁵⁹⁷¹ and to Abner⁷⁴ the son¹¹²¹ of Ner,⁵³⁶⁹ saying,⁵⁵⁹ Answerest⁶⁰³⁰ thou not, Abner?⁷⁴ Then Abner⁷⁴ answered⁶⁰³⁰ and said,⁵⁵⁹ Who art thou that criest⁷¹²¹ to the king?⁴⁴²⁸

And David¹⁷³² said⁵⁵⁹ to Abner,⁷⁴ Art not thou a valiant man?³⁷⁶ and who is like to thee in Israel?³⁴⁷⁸ wherefore then hast thou not kept⁸¹⁰⁴ thy master¹¹³ the king?⁴⁴²⁸ for there came⁹³⁵ one²⁵⁹ of the people⁵⁹⁷¹ in to destroy⁷⁸⁴³ the king⁴⁴²⁸ thy master.¹¹³

This thing¹⁶⁹⁷ is not good²⁸⁹⁶ that thou hast done.⁶²¹³ As Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ liveth,²⁴¹⁶ ye are worthy¹¹²¹ to die,⁴¹⁹⁴ because ye have not kept⁸¹⁰⁴ your master,¹¹³ Yahweh's³⁰⁶⁸ anointed.⁴⁸⁹⁹ And now see⁷²⁰⁰ where the king's⁴⁴²⁸ spear²⁵⁹⁵ is, and the cruse⁶⁸³⁵ of water⁴³²⁵ that was at his bolster.⁴⁷⁶³

And Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ knew⁵²³⁴ David's¹⁷³² voice,⁶⁹⁶³ and said,⁵⁵⁹ Is this thy voice,⁶⁹⁶³ my son¹¹²¹ David?¹⁷³² And David¹⁷³² said,⁵⁵⁹ It is my voice,⁶⁹⁶³ my master,¹¹³ O king.⁴⁴²⁸

And he said,⁵⁵⁹ Wherefore doth my master¹¹³ thus pursue⁷²⁹¹ after³¹⁰ his servant?⁵⁶⁵⁰ for what have I done?⁶²¹³ or what evil⁷⁴⁵¹ is in mine hand?³⁰²⁷

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my master¹¹³ the king⁴⁴²⁸ hear⁸⁰⁸⁵ the words¹⁶⁹⁷ of his servant.⁵⁶⁵⁰ If Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ have stirred thee up⁵⁴⁹⁶ against me, let him accept⁷³⁰⁶ an offering:⁴⁵⁰³ but if they be the children¹¹²¹ of men,¹²⁰ cursed⁷⁷⁹ be they before⁶⁴⁴⁰ Yahweh;³⁰⁶⁸ for they have driven me out¹⁶⁴⁴ this day³¹¹⁷ from abiding⁵⁵⁹⁶ in the inheritance⁵¹⁵⁹ of Yahweh,³⁰⁶⁸ saying,⁵⁵⁹ Go,³²¹² serve⁵⁶⁴⁷ other³¹² mighty ones.⁴³⁰

Now therefore, let not my blood¹⁸¹⁸ fall⁵³⁰⁷ to the earth⁷⁷⁶ before the face⁶⁴⁴⁰ of Yahweh:³⁰⁶⁸ for the king⁴⁴²⁸ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ is come out³³¹⁸ to seek¹²⁴⁵ a²⁵⁹ flea,⁶⁵⁵⁰ as when one doth hunt⁷²⁹¹ a partridge⁷¹²⁴ in the mountains.²⁰²²

Then said⁵⁵⁹ Saul,⁷⁵⁸⁶ I have sinned:²³⁹⁸ return,⁷⁷²⁵ my son¹¹²¹ David:¹⁷³² for I will no more do thee harm,⁷⁴⁸⁹ because my soul⁵³¹⁵ was precious³³⁶⁵ in thine eyes⁵⁸⁶⁹ this day:³¹¹⁷ behold, I have played the fool,⁵⁵²⁸ and have erred⁷⁶⁸⁶ exceedingly.⁷²³⁵

And David¹⁷³² answered⁶⁰³⁰ and said,⁵⁵⁹ Behold the king's⁴⁴²⁸ spear!²⁵⁹⁵ and let one²⁵⁹ of the young men⁵²⁸⁸ come over⁵⁶⁷⁴ and fetch³⁹⁴⁷ it.

Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ render⁷⁷²⁵ to every man³⁷⁶ his righteousness⁶⁶⁶⁶ and his faithfulness:⁵³⁰ for Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ delivered⁵⁴¹⁴ thee into my hand³⁰²⁷ to day,³¹¹⁷ but I would¹⁴ not stretch forth⁷⁹⁷¹ mine hand³⁰²⁷ against Yahweh's³⁰⁶⁸ anointed.⁴⁸⁹⁹

And, behold, as thy life⁵³¹⁵ was much set by¹⁴³¹ this day³¹¹⁷ in mine eyes,⁵⁸⁶⁹ so let my life⁵³¹⁵ be much set by¹⁴³¹ in the eyes⁵⁸⁶⁹ of Yahweh,³⁰⁶⁸ and let him deliver⁵³³⁷ me out of all tribulation.⁶⁸⁶⁹

Then Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ said⁵⁵⁹ to David,¹⁷³² Blessed¹²⁸⁸ be thou, my son¹¹²¹ David:¹⁷³² thou shalt both do⁶²¹³ great⁶²¹³ things, and also shalt still³²⁰¹ prevail.³²⁰¹ So David¹⁷³² went³²¹² on his way,¹⁸⁷⁰ and Saul⁷⁵⁸⁶ returned⁷⁷²⁵ to his place.⁴⁷²⁵