1 Samuel 24

¹Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi.

²And when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying: Behold, David is in the desert of Engaddi.

³Saul therefore took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went out to seek after David, and his men, even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats.

⁴And he came to the sheepcotes, which were in his way. And there was a cave, into which Saul went, to ease nature: now David and his men lay hid in the inner part of the cave.

⁵And the servants of David said to him: Behold the day, of which the Lord said to thee: I will deliver thy enemy unto thee, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good in thy eyes. Then David arose, and secretly cut off the hem of Saul’s robe.

⁶After which David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off the hem of Saul’s robe.

⁷And he said to his men: The Lord be merciful unto me, that I may do no such thing to my master the Lord’s anointed, as to lay my hand upon him, because he is the Lord’s anointed.

⁸And David stopped his men with his words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rising up out of the cave, went on his way.

⁹And David also rose up after him: and going out of the cave cried after Saul, saying: My lord the king. And Saul looked behind him: and David bowing himself down to the ground, worshipped,

¹⁰And said to Saul: Why dost thou hear the words of men that say David seeketh thy hurt?

¹¹Behold this day thy eyes have seen, that the Lord hath delivered thee into my hand, in the cave, and I had a thought to kill thee, but my eye hath spared thee. For I said: I will not put out my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.