1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1 Samuel 24

1 David in a cave at En-gedi, having cut off Saul's skirt, spareth his life. 8 He sheweth thereby his innocency. 16 Saul, acknowledging his fault, taketh an oath of David, and departeth.

 24:1 Now when 3512c Saul 7586 returned 7725 from pursuing 310 the Philistines 6430, he was told 5046, saying 559, “Behold 2009, David 1732 is in the wilderness 4057b of Engedi 5872.”

 24:2 Then Saul 7586 took 3947 three 7969 thousand 505 chosen 977 men 376 from all 3605 Israel 3478 and went 1980 to seek 1245 David 1732 and his men 376 in front 6440 of the Rocks 6697 of the Wild 3277 Goats 3277.

 24:3 He came 935 to the sheepfolds 6629 1448 on the way 1870, where 8033 there 8033 [was] a cave 4631; and Saul 7586 went 935 in to relieve 5526a 7272 himself. Now David 1732 and his men 376 were sitting 3427 in the inner 3411 recesses 3411 of the cave 4631.

 24:4 The men 376 of David 1732 said 559 to him, “Behold 2009, [this is] the day 3117 of which 834 the LORD 3068 said 559 to you, ‘Behold 2009; I am about to give 5414 your enemy 340 into your hand 3027, and you shall do 6213a to him as it seems 3190 good 3190 to you.’” Then David 1732 arose 6965 and cut 3772 off 3772 the edge 3671 of Saul’s 7586 robe 4598 secretly 3909.

 24:5 It came 1961 about afterward 310 3651 that David’s 1732 conscience 3820 bothered 5221 him because 5921 834 he had cut 3772 off 3772 the edge 3671 of Saul’s 7586 [robe].

 24:6 So he said 559 to his men 376, “Far 2486 be it from me because 4480 of the LORD 3068 that I should do 6213a this 2088 thing 1697 to my lord 113, the LORD’S 3068 anointed 4899, to stretch 7971 out my hand 3027 against him, since 3588 he is the LORD’S 3068 anointed 4899.”

 24:7 David 1732 persuaded 8156 his men 376 with [these] words 1697 and did not allow 5414 them to rise 6965 up against 413 Saul 7586. And Saul 7586 arose 6965, left 4480 the cave 4631, and went 1980 on [his] way 1870.

 24:8 ¶ Now afterward 310 3651 David 1732 arose 6965 and went 3318 out of the cave 4631 and called 7121 after 310 Saul 7586, saying 559, “My lord 113 the king 4428!” And when Saul 7586 looked 5027 behind 310 him, David 1732 bowed 6915 with his face 639 to the ground 776 and prostrated 7812 himself.

 24:9 David 1732 said 559 to Saul 7586, “Why 4100 do you listen 8085 to the words 1697 of men 120, saying 559, ‘Behold 2009, David 1732 seeks 1245 to harm 7463a you’?

 24:10 “Behold 2009, this 2088 day 3117 your eyes 5869 have seen 7200 that the LORD 3068 had given 5414 you today 3117 into my hand 3027 in the cave 4631, and some said 559 to kill 2026 you, but [my eye] had pity 2347 on you; and I said 559, ‘I will not stretch 7971 out my hand 3027 against my lord 113, for he is the LORD’S 3068 anointed 4899.’

 24:11 “Now, my father 1, see 7200! Indeed 1571, see 7200 the edge 3671 of your robe 4598 in my hand 3027! For in that I cut 3772 off 3772 the edge 3671 of your robe 4598 and did not kill 2026 you, know 3045 and perceive 7200 that there 369 is no 369 evil 7463a or rebellion 6588 in my hands 3027, and I have not sinned 2398 against you, though you are lying 6658a in wait 6658a for my life 5315 to take 3947 it.

 24:12 “May the LORD 3068 judge 8199 between 996 you and me, and may the LORD 3068 avenge 5358 me on you; but my hand 3027 shall not be against you.

 24:13 “As the proverb 4912 of the ancients 6931 says 559, ‘Out of the wicked 7563 comes 3318 forth 3318 wickedness 7562’; but my hand 3027 shall not be against you.

 24:14 “After 310 whom 4310 has the king 4428 of Israel 3478 come 3318 out? Whom 4310 are you pursuing 7291? A dead 4191 dog 3611, a single 259 flea 6550?

 24:15 “The LORD 3068 therefore be judge 1781 and decide 8199 between 996 you and me; and may He see 7200 and plead 7378 my cause 7379 and deliver 8199 me from your hand 3027.”

 24:16 ¶ When David 1732 had finished 3615 speaking 1696 these 428 words 1697 to Saul 7586, Saul 7586 said 559, “Is this 2088 your voice 6963, my son 1121 David 1732?” Then Saul 7586 lifted 5375 up his voice 6963 and wept 1058.

 24:17 He said 559 to David 1732, “You are more 4480 righteous 6662 than 4480 I; for you have dealt 1580 well 2899b with me, while I have dealt 1580 wickedly 7463a with you.

 24:18 “You have declared 5046 today 3117 that you have done 6213a good 2899b to me, that the LORD 3068 delivered 5462 me into your hand 3027 and [yet] you did not kill 2026 me.

 24:19 “For if 3588 a man 376 finds 4672 his enemy 340, will he let him go 7971 away 7971 safely 2896a 1870? May the LORD 3068 therefore reward 7999a you with good 2899b in return 8478 for what 834 you have done 6213a to me this 2088 day 3117.

 24:20 “Now 6258, behold 2009, I know 3045 that you will surely 4427a be king 4427a, and that the kingdom 4467 of Israel 3478 will be established 6965 in your hand 3027.

 24:21 “So now 6258 swear 7650 to me by the LORD 3068 that you will not cut 3772 off 3772 my descendants 2233 after 310 me and that you will not destroy 8045 my name 8034 from my father’s 1 household 1004.”

 24:22 David 1732 swore 7650 to Saul 7586. And Saul 7586 went 1980 to his home 1004, but David 1732 and his men 376 went 5927 up to the stronghold 4686b.