rd

1 Samuel 26

1 Dauid was diſcouered vnto Saúl by the Ziphims. 12 Dauid taketh awaye Sauls ſpeare, and a pot of water that ſtode at his head. 21 Saúl cõfeſſeth his ſinne.
1.AGaine the Ziphíms came vnto Saúl to " Gibeáh, ſaying, * Doeth not Dauid hide him ſelfe in the hil of Hachiláh before " Ieſhimón?
2.Then Saúl aroſe, and went downe to the wildernes of Ziph, hauing thre thouſand a choſen men of Iſraél with him, for to ſeke Dauid in the wildernes of Ziph.
3.And Saúl pitched in the hil of Hachiláh, which is before Ieſhimón by the waye ſide. Now Dauid abode in the wildernes, and he ſawe that Saúl came after him in-to the wildernes.
4.(For Dauid had ſent out ſpies, & vnderſtode, that Saúl was come " in very dede)
5.Then Dauid aroſe, and came to the place where Saúl had pitched, and when Dauid beheld the place where Saúl lay, & * Abnér the ſonne of Ner which was his chief captaine, (for Saúl lay in the forte, and the people pitched round about him)
6.Then ſpake Dauid, & ſaid to Ahimélech the b Hittite, and to Abiſhaí the ſonne of Zeruiáh, brother to c Ioáb, ſaying, Who wil go downe with me to Saúl to the hoſte? Then Abiſhaí ſaid, I wil go downe with thee.
7.So Dauid & Abiſhaí came downe to the people by night: and beholde, Saúl laye ſleping within the forte, & his ſpeare did ſticke in the grounde at his " head: and Abnér and the people lay round about him.
8.¶ The ſaid Abiſhaí to Dauid, God hathe cloſed thine enemie into thine hand this day: now therefore, I pray thee, let me ſmite him once with a ſpeare to ye earth, and I wil not ſmite him d againe.
9.And Dauid ſaid to Abiſhaí, Deſtroye him not: for who can lay his hand e on the Lords anointed, and be giltles?
10.Moreouer Dauid ſaid, As the Lord liueth, ether the Lord ſhal ſmite him, or his day ſhal come to dye, or he ſhal deſcende into battel, and periſh.
11.The Lord kepe me from laying mine hand vpõ the Lords anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the ſpeare that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let vs go hence.
12.So Dauid toke the ſpeare and the pot of water from Sauls head, & thei gate them away, and no man ſawe it, nor marked it, nether did any awake, but thei were all a-ſlepe: for " the Lord had ſent a dead ſlepe vpon them.
13.Then Dauid went into the other ſide, & ſtode on ye toppe of an hil a far of, a great ſpace being betwene them.
14.And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abnér the ſonne of Ner, ſaying, " Heareſt thou not Abnér? Then Abnér anſwered, and ſaid, Who art thou that cryeſt to the King?
15.¶ And Dauid ſaid to Abnér, Art not yu a f man? and who is like thee in Iſraél? wherefore then haſt thou not kept thy lord the King? for there came one of the folke in to deſtroye the King thy lord.
16.This is not wel done of thee: as the Lord liueth, ye are " worthy to dye, becauſe ye haue not kept your maſter the Lords Anointed: and now ſe where the Kings ſpeare is, and the pot of water that was at his head.
17.And Saúl knewe Dauids voyce, & ſaid, Is this thy voyce, g my ſonne Dauid? And Dauid ſaid, It is my voyce, my lord ô King.
18.And he ſaid, Wherefore doeth my lord thus perſecute his ſeruant? for what haue I done? or what euil is in mine hand?
19.Now therefore, I beſeche thee, let my lord the King heare the wordes of his ſeruant. If the Lord haue ſtirred thee vp againſt me, h let him ſmel the ſauour of a ſacrifice: but if the children of men haue done it, curſed be thei before the Lord: for thei haue caſt me out this day frõ abiding in the inheritãce of the Lord, ſaying, Go, ſerue other i gods.
20.Now therefore let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the King of Iſraél is come out to ſeke a flye, as one wolde hunt a partriche in the mountaines.
21.Then ſaid Saúl, I haue ſinned: come againe, my ſonne Dauid: for I wil do thee nomore harme, becauſe my ſoule was k precious in thine eyes this day: beholde, I haue done fooliſhly, and haue erred excedingly.
22.Then Dauid anſwered, & ſaid, Beholde the Kings ſpeare, let one of the yong mē come ouer and fet it.
23.And let the Lord rewarde euerie man according to his l righteouſnes & faithfulnes: for the Lord had deliuered thee into mine hāds this daie, but I wolde not lay mine hand vpon the Lords anointed.
24.And beholde, like as thy life was muche ſet by this day in mine eyes: ſo let my life be ſet by in the eyes of the Lord, that he may deliuer me out of all tribulacion.
25.Then Saúl ſaid to Dauid, Bleſſed art thou, my ſonne Dauid: for thou ſhalt do great things, and alſo preuaile. So Dauid went his way, and Saúl returned to his m place.

Notes

1:".
Or, in Gibeah.
1:*.
Chap.23.19.
1:".
Or, the wildernes.
2:a.
That is, of ye moste skilfull and valiant soldiers.
4:".
Or, to a certeine place.
5:*.
Chap.14.50. & 17.55.
6:b.
Who was a stranger & not an Israelite.
6:c.
Who afterwarde was Dauids chief captaine.
7:".
Or, bolster.
8:d.
Meaning, he wolde make him sure at one stroke.
9:e.
To wit, in his owne priuate cause: for Iehu flew two Kings at Gods appointment, 2. King. 9,24.
12:".
Ebr. the heauy slepe of the Lord was fallen vpõ them.
14:".
Ebr. answerest.
15:f.
Estemed moste valiant, and mete to saue the King.
16:".
Ebr. sonnes of death.
17:g.
Hereby it appeareth, yt the hypocrite persecuted Dauid against his owne conscience, and contrary to his promes.
19:h.
Let his angre towarde vs be pacified by a sacrifice.
19:i.
As muche as laye in them, they co[m]pelled him to idolatrie, because they forced hi to flee to the idolaters.
21:k.
Becauſe thou ſauedſt my life this day
23:l.
Thus he proteſteth his innocencie toward Saul not defending his iuſtice in the ſight of God, in whoſe preſence none is righteous. Pſal 14.3. and 130.3.
25:m.
To Gibeáh of Beniamín