1 Samuel 26 :: Darby Translation (DBY)

David Again Spares Saul

1Sa 26:1And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, facing the waste?

1Sa 26:2

1Sa 26:2And Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

1Sa 26:3

1Sa 26:3And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which faces the waste, by the way side. And David abode in the wilderness; and when he saw that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,

1Sa 26:4

1Sa 26:4David sent out spies, and learned that Saul was certainly come.

1Sa 26:5

1Sa 26:5And David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay within the wagon-defence, and the people were encamped round about him.

1Sa 26:6

1Sa 26:6And David spake and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

1Sa 26:7

1Sa 26:7And David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the wagon-defence, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.

1Sa 26:8

1Sa 26:8And Abishai said to David, God has delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day; and now let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the ground once, and I will not do it the second time.

1Sa 26:9

1Sa 26:9And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?

1Sa 26:10

1Sa 26:10And David said, As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will surely smite him; either his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish.

1Sa 26:11

1Sa 26:11Jehovah forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed! But now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

1Sa 26:12

1Sa 26:12And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they went away, and no man saw it, and none knew it, and none awaked, for they were all asleep; for a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen upon them.

1Sa 26:13

1Sa 26:13And David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off; a great space being between them.

1Sa 26:14

1Sa 26:14And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

1Sa 26:15

1Sa 26:15And David said to Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like to thee in Israel? and why hast thou not guarded thy lord the king? for one of the people came in to destroy the king thy lord.

1Sa 26:16

1Sa 26:16This thing is not good which thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not guarded your master, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

1Sa 26:17

1Sa 26:17And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

1Sa 26:18

1Sa 26:18And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

1Sa 26:19

1Sa 26:19And now, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If Jehovah have moved thee against me, let him accept an oblation; but if the sons of men, cursed be they before Jehovah; for they have driven me out this day from adhering to the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.

1Sa 26:20

1Sa 26:20And now, let not my blood fall to the earth far from the face of Jehovah; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when they hunt a partridge on the mountains.

1Sa 26:21

1Sa 26:21And Saul said, I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have acted foolishly, and have erred exceedingly.

1Sa 26:22

1Sa 26:22And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear, and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

1Sa 26:23

1Sa 26:23And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for Jehovah gave thee into my hand this day, and I would not stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.

1Sa 26:24

1Sa 26:24And behold, as thy life was highly esteemed this day in mine eyes, so let my life be highly esteemed in the eyes of Jehovah, that he may deliver me out of all distress.

1Sa 26:25

1Sa 26:25And Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt certainly do great things, and shalt certainly prevail. And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

In 1867, John Nelson Darby translated the New Testament from Greek into English. Further revisions were done in 1872 and 1884. Darby’s work was first published as The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation from the Original Languages by J. N. Darby. After Darby’s death in 1882, some of his students worked together to produce the complete Darby Bible based on the Masoretic Hebrew text, Darby’s German (Elberfelder), and the French (Pau) translations. In 1890, the first complete Darby Bible was published in English. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

1 Samuel 26 :: Darby Translation (DBY)

David Again Spares Saul

Pericope