rd

1 Samuel 24

1 Dauid hid in a caue ſpareth Saúl 10 He ſheweth to Saúl his innocẽcie 18 Saul acknowledgeth his faute 22 He cauſeth Dauid to ſweare vnto him to be fauorable to his.
1.ANd Dauid went thence, and dwelt in a holdes at En-gédi.
2.When Saúl was returned from the Philiſtims, they tolde him, ſaying, Beholde, Dauid is in the wildernes of b En-gédi.
3.Then Saúl toke thre thouſand choſen men out of all Iſraél, and went to ſeke Dauid and his men vpon the rockes among the wilde goates.
4.And he came to the ſhepecotes by the way where there was a caue and Saúl wét in c to do his eaſement : and Dauid and his men ſate in the d inward partes of the caue.
5.And the men of Dauid ſaid vnto him, c Se, the day is come, whereof the Lord ſaid vnto thee, Beholde, I wil deliuer thine enemie into thine hand, and thou ſhalt do to him as it ſhal ſeme good to thee. Then Dauid aroſe and cut of the lappe of Sauls garment priuely.
6.And afterward Dauid d was touched in his heart, becauſe he had cut of the lappe which was on Sauls garment.
7.And he ſaid vnto his mē, The Lord kepe me from doing that thing vnto my maſter the Lords Anointed, to lay mine hand vp-on him : for he is the Anointed of the Lord.
8.So Dauid ouercame his ſeruants wt theſe wordes, & ſuffred them not to ariſe againſt Saúl: ſo Saúl roſe vp out of the caue & wēt away.
9.e Dauid alſo aroſe afterward, & went out of the caue, and cryed after Saúl, ſaying, O my Lord y King And when Saúl loked behinde him, Dauid inclined his face to the earth, and bowed him ſelfe.
10.And Dauid ſaid to Saúl, Wherefore giueſt thou an eare to mēs wordes, that ſay, Beholde, Dauid ſeketh euil againſt thee?
11.Beholde, this day thine eyes haue ſene, that the Lord had deliuered thee this day into mine hand in the caue, and ſome bade me kil thee, but I had compaſsiō on thee, and ſaid, I wil not lay mine hand on my maſter: for he is the Lords Anointed.
12.Moreouer my father, beholde: beholde, I ſay, the lappe of thy garmēt in mine hād: for whē I cut of the lappe of thy garmēt, I killed thee not. Vnderſtand and ſe, that there is nether euil nor wickednes in me, nether haue I ſinned againſt thee, yet thou hunteſt after my ſoule to take it.
13.The Lord be iudge betwene thee & me, and the Lord auenge me of thee, and let not mine hand be vpon thee.
14.According as the " olde prouerbe faith, Wickednes procedeth from the wicked, but mine hand be not vpon thee.
15.After whome is the King of Iſraél come out? after whome doeſt thou purſue? after a dead dog, & after a flye?
16.The Lord therefore be iudge, & iudge betwene thee and me, and ſe, and pleade my cauſe, and " deliuer me out of thine hand.
17.When Dauid had made an end of ſpeaking theſe wordes to Saúl, Saúl ſaid, f Is this thy voyce, my ſonne Dauid? and Saúl lift vp his voyce, and wept,
18.And ſaid to Dauid, Thou art more righteous then I: for thou haſt rendred me good, and I haue rendred thee euil.
19.And thou haſt ſhewed this day, that thou haſt dealt wel with me: foraſmuche as whē 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 vnto me this day.
21.For now beholde, I knowe that y ſhalt g be King, and that the kingdome of Iſraél ſhal be ſtabliſhed in thine hand.
22.Sweare now therefore vnto me by the Lord, that y wilt not deſtroy my ſede after me, and that thou wilt not aboliſh my name out of my fathers houſe.
23.So Dauid ſware vnto Saúl, and Saúl wēt home: but Dauid and his men went vp vnto the holde.

Notes

1:a.
That is, in strong places, w were defended by nature.
2:b.
A citie of Iudah. Iosh. 15.62.
4:c.
Ebr to couer his fete
4:d.
Ebr in the sides.
5:c.
Here we ſe how ready we are to haſten Gods promes, if y occaſion ſerue neuer ſo litle.
6:d.
For ſeing it was his owne priuate cauſe, he repented y he had touched his enemie.
9:e.
Contrare to y falſe report of them y ſaid, Dauid was Sauls enemie, he proueth hi selfe to be his friend.
14:".
Or, the prouerbe of an ancient man.
16:".
Ebr. iudge.
17:f.
Thogh he was a moſte cruel enemie to Dauid, yet by his great gentlenes his conſcience cō pelled him to yelde.
20:".
Ebr a good way
21:g.
Thogh this tyrant saw and confessed the fauour of God toward Dauid, yet he ceaſeth not to persecute him against his owne conscience.