1 Samuel 26

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Some men from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, 'Look, David is hiding on the Hil of Hachilah onthe edge of the wastelands!'	1 And the Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying: “Behold, David is hidden on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the wilderness.”
2 So Saul set off and went down to the desert of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand picked men ofIsrael, to search for David in the desert of Ziph.	2 And Saul rose up, and he descended into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand elect men of Israel, so that he might seek David in the desert of Ziph.
3 Saul pitched camp on the Hil of Hachilah, which is on the edge of the wastelands near the road. Davidwas then living in the desert and saw that Saul had come after him into the desert.	3 And Saul encamped at Gibeah on Hachilah, which was opposite the wilderness on the way. But David was living in the desert. Then, seeing that Saul had arrived after him in the wilderness,
4 Accordingly, David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed arrived.	4 he sent explorers, and he learned that he certainly had arrived in that place.
5 Setting off, David went to the place where Saul had pitched camp. He saw the place where Saul andAbner son of Ner, commander of his army, had bedded down. Saul had bedded down inside the camp with thetroops bivouacking round him.	5 And David rose up secretly, and he went to the place where Saul was. And when he had seen the place where Saul was sleeping, and Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of his military, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the remainder of the common people all around him,
6 Speaking to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, David said, 'Whowil come down with me to the camp, to Saul?' Abishai answered, 'I will go down with you.'	6 David spoke to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will descend with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will descend with you.”
7 So in the dark David and Abishai made their way towards the force, where they found Saul lyingasleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying roundhim.	7 Therefore, David and Abishai went to the people by night, and they found Saul lying down and sleeping in the tent, with his spear fixed in the ground at his head. And Abner and the people were sleeping all around him.
8 Abishai then said to David, 'Today God has put your enemy in your power; so now let me pin him tothe ground with his own spear. Just one stroke! I shal not need to strike him twice.'	8 And Abishai said to David: “God has enclosed your enemy this day in your hands. Now therefore, I will pierce him with my lance, through to the ground, once, and there will not need to be a second.”
9 David said to Abishai, 'Do not kil him, for who could raise his hand against Yahweh's anointed and gounpunished?	9 And David said to Abishai: “You shall not kill him. For who may extend his hand against the Christ of the Lord, and yet be innocent?”
10 As Yahweh lives,' David said, 'Yahweh himself wil strike him down: either the day wil come for himto die, or he will go into battle and perish then.	10 And David said: “As the Lord lives, unless the Lord himself will strike him, or unless his day to die will have arrived, or unless, descending into battle, he will perish,
11 Yahweh forbid that I should raise my hand against Yahweh's anointed! But now let us take the spearbeside his head and the pitcher of water, and let us go away.'	11 may the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, take the spear that is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go.”
12 David took the spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul's head, and they made off. No onesaw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were al asleep, because a torpor from Yahweh had fal en on them.	12 And so, David took the spear, and the cup of water that was at Saul’s head, and they went away. And there was no one who saw it, or realized it, or awakened, but they were all sleeping. For a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen over them.
13 David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the mountain a long way off; there was awide space between them.	13 And when David had crossed over to the opposite side, and had stood upon the top of the hill far away, so that there was a great interval between them,
14 David then cal ed out to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, 'Abner, why don't you answer?' Abnerreplied, 'Who is that calling?'	14 David cried out to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not respond, Abner?” And responding, Abner said, “Who are you, that you would cry out and disquiet the king?”
15 David said to Abner, 'Are you not a man? Who is your equal in Israel? Why, then, did you not guardthe king your lord? One of the people came to kill the king your lord.	15 And David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? And who else is like you in Israel? Then why have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people entered, so that he might kill the king, your lord.
16 What you did was not wel done. As Yahweh lives, you all deserve to die since you did not guardyour lord, Yahweh's anointed. Look where the king's spear is now, and the pitcher of water which was beside hishead!'	16 This is not good, what you have done. As the Lord lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your lord, the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, where is the king’s spear, and where is the cup of water that was at his head?”
17 Recognising David's voice, Saul said, 'Is that your voice, my son David?' David replied, 'It is myvoice, my lord king.	17 Then Saul recognized the voice of David, and he said, “Is this not your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.”
18 Why is my lord pursuing his servant?' he said. 'What have I done? What crime have I committed?	18 And he said: “For what reason has my lord pursued his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is there in my hand?
19 May my lord king now listen to his servant's words: if Yahweh has incited you against me, may he beappeased with an offering; but if human beings have done it, may they be accursed before Yahweh, since theyhave as effectively banished me today from sharing in Yahweh's heritage as if they had said, "Go and serveother gods!"	19 Now therefore, listen, I beg you, my lord the king, to the words of your servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him make the sacrifice fragrant. But if the sons of men have done so, they are accursed in the sight of the Lord, who has cast me out this day, so that I would not live within the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve strange gods.’
20 So I pray now that my blood shall not be shed on soil remote from Yahweh's presence, when theking of Israel has mounted an expedition to take my life, as one might hunt a partridge in the mountains!'	20 And now, let not my blood be poured out upon the earth before the Lord. For the king of Israel has gone out, so that he might seek a flea, just as the partridge is pursued amid the mountains.”
21 Saul replied, 'I have done wrong! Come back, my son David; I shal never harm you again, sincetoday you have shown respect for my life. Yes, I have behaved like a fool, I have been profoundly in the wrong.'	21 And Saul said: “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will never again do evil to you, because my life has been precious in your eyes this day. For it is apparent that I have acted senselessly, and have been ignorant of very many things.”
22 In reply, David said, 'Here is the king's spear. Let one of the men come across and get it.	22 And responding, David said: “Behold, the king’s spear. Let one of the servants of the king cross over and take it.
23 May Yahweh reward each as each has been upright and loyal. Today Yahweh put you in my powerbut I would not raise my hand against Yahweh's anointed.	23 And the Lord will repay each one according to his justice and faith. For the Lord has delivered you this day into my hand, but I was not willing to extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord.
24 As today I set great value by your life, so may Yahweh set great value by my life and deliver me fromevery tribulation!'	24 And just as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and may he free me from all distress.”
25 Saul then said, 'May you be blessed, my son David! In what you undertake, you wil certainlysucceed.' David then went on his way and Saul returned home.	25 Then Saul said to David: “You are blessed, my son David. And whatever you may do, it shall certainly succeed.” And David departed on his way. And Saul returned to his place.