rd

1 Samuel 24

1 David hid in a cave spareth Saúl 10 He sheweth to Saúl his innocencie 18 Saúl acknowledgeth his faute 22 He causeth David to sweare unto him to be favourable to his.
1.aAnd David went thence, & dwelt in holdes at En-gédi.
2.When Saúl was returned from the Philistíms, they tolde him, saying, Beholde, David is in the wildernes of bEn-gédi.
3.Then Saúl toke thre thousand chosen men out of all Israél, and went to seke David and his men upon the rockes among the wilde goates.
4.And he came to the shepecoates by the way where there was a cave and Saúl went in ^to do his easement: and David and his men sate in the ^inward partes of the cave.
5.And the men of David said unto him, Se, the day is ccome, whereof the Lord said unto thee, Beholde, I wil deliver thine enemie into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shal seme good to thee. Then David arose and cut of the lappe of Saúls garment prively.
6.And afterward David dwas touched in his heart, because he had cut of the lappe which was on Saúls garment.
7.And he said unto his men, The Lord kepe me from doing that thing unto my master the Lords Anointed, to lay mine hand upon him: for he is the Anointed of the Lord.
8.So David overcame his servants with these wordes, and suffred them not to arise against Saúl: so Saúl rose up out of the cave and went away.
9.¶ David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cryed after Saúl, saying, O my Lord the King And when Saúl loked behinde him, David inclined his face to the earth, and bowed him selfe.
10.And David said to Saúl, eWherefore givest thou an eare to mens wordes, that say, Beholde, David seketh evil against thee?
11.Beholde, this day thine eyes have sene, that the Lord had delivered thee this day into mine hand in the cave, and some bade me kil thee, but I had compasion on thee, and said, I wil not lay mine hand on my master: for he is the Lords Anointed.
12.Moreover my father, beholde: beholde, I say, the lappe of thy garment in mine hand: for when I cut of the lappe of thy garment, I killed thee not. Understand and se, that there is nether evil nor wickednes in me, nether have I sinned against thee, yet thou huntest after my soule to take it.
13.The Lord be judge betwene thee and me, and the Lord avenge me of thee, and let not mine hand be upon thee.
14.According as the ^olde proverbe saith, Wickednes procedeth from the wicked, but mine hand be not upon thee.
15.After whome is the King of Israél come out? after whom doest thou pursue? after a dead dog, and after a flye?
16.The Lord therefore be judge, and judge betwene thee and me, and se, and pleade my cause, and ^deliver me out of thine hand.
17.When David had made an end of speaking these wordes to Saúl, Saúl said, fIs this thy voyce, my sonne David? and Saúl lift up his voyce, and wept,
18.And said to David, Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast rendred me good, and I have rendred thee evil.
19.And thou hast shewed this day, that thou hast dealt wel with me: forasmuche as when the Lord had closed me in thine hands, thou killedst me not.
20.For who shal finde his enemy, and let him departe ^fre? wherefore the Lord rendre thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
21.For now beholde, I gknow that thou shalt be King, and that the kingdome of Israél shalbe stablished in thine hand.
22.Sweare now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seede after me, and that thou wilt not abolish my name out of my fathers house.
23.So David sware unto Saúl, and Saúl went home: but David and his men went up unto the holde.

Notes

1-a.
That is, in strong places, which were defensed by nature.
2-b.
A city of Judah, Josh. 15.62.
4-^.
Ebr., to cover his feet.
4-^-1.
Ebr., in the sides.
5-c.
Here we see how ready we are to hasten God’s promise, if the occasion serve never so little.
6-d.
For seeing it was his own private cause, he repented that he had touched his enemy.
10-e.
Contrary to the false report of them that said, David was Saul’s enemy, he proved himself to be his friend.
14-^.
Or, the proverb of an ancient man. 2 Geneva Bible 1560
16-^.
Ebr., judge.
17-f.
Though he was a most cruel enemy to David, yet by his great gentleness his conscience compelled him to yield.
20-^.
Ebr., a good way.
21-g.
Though this tyrant saw and confessed the favour of God toward David, yet he ceased not to persecute him against his own con- science.