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The Blue Letter Bible

1 Samuel 24 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

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David Spares Saul’s Life

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:1

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:1 - [fn]After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:2 - So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:3

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:3 - At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:4 - “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:5

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:5 - But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:6

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:6 - “The LORD knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:7 - So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.
After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:8

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:8 - David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:9

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:9 - Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you?

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:10 - This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the LORD placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the LORD’s anointed one.’

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:11

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:11 - Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:12

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:12 - “May the LORD judge between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:13

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:13 - As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:14 - Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea?

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:15

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:15 - May the LORD therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:16

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:16 - When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:17

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:17 - And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:18

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:18 - Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the LORD put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:19

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:19 - Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the LORD reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:20

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:20 - And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:21

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:21 - Now swear to me by the LORD that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:22

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:22 - So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.
See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NLT Footnotes
Verses 24:1-22 are numbered 24:2-23 in Hebrew text.
NLT

Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Full copyright information is provided here. Visit the New Living Translation website.

For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

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1 Samuel Chapter 24 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras