David Doesn’t Kill Saul When He Has the Chance
1Saul returned from chasing the Philistines. Then he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2So Saul took 3,000 of the best soldiers from the whole nation of Israel. He started out to look for David and his men. He planned to look near the Rocky Cliffs of the Wild Goats.
3He came to some sheep pens along the way. A cave was there. Saul went in to go to the toilet. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4David’s men said, “This is the day the Lord told you about. He said to you, ‘I will hand your enemy over to you. Then you can deal with him as you want to.’ ” So David came up close to Saul without being seen. He cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5Later, David felt sorry that he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6He said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing a thing like that again to my master. He is the Lord’s anointed king. So I promise that I will never lay my hand on him. The Lord has anointed him.” 7David said that to correct his men. He wanted them to know that they should never suggest harming the king. He didn’t allow them to attack Saul. So Saul left the cave and went on his way.
8Then David went out of the cave. He called out to Saul, “King Saul! My master!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground. 9He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is trying to harm you’? 10This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Some of my men begged me to kill you. But I didn’t. I said, ‘I will never lay my hand on my master. He is the Lord’s anointed king.’ 11Look, my father! Look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe. But I didn’t kill you. See, there is nothing in my hand that shows I am guilty of doing anything wrong. I haven’t turned against you. I haven’t done anything to harm you. But you are hunting me down. You want to kill me. 12May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord pay you back because of the wrong things you have done to me. But I won’t do anything to hurt you. 13People say, ‘Evil acts come from those who do evil.’ So I won’t do anything to hurt you.
14“King Saul, who are you trying to catch? Who do you think you are chasing? I’m nothing but a dead dog or a flea! 15May the Lord be our judge. May he decide between us. May he consider my case and stand up for me. May he show that I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong. May he save me from you.”
16When David finished speaking, Saul asked him a question. He said, “My son David, is that your voice?” And Saul wept out loud. 17“You are a better person than I am,” he said. “You have treated me well. But I’ve treated you badly. 18You have just now told me about the good things you did to me. The Lord handed me over to you. But you didn’t kill me. 19Suppose a man finds his enemy. He doesn’t let him get away without harming him. May the Lord reward you with many good things. May he do it because of the way you treated me today. 20I know for sure that you will be king. I know that the kingdom of Israel will be made secure under your control. 21Now make a promise in the name of the Lord. Promise me that you won’t kill the children of my family. Also promise me that you won’t wipe out my name from my family line.”
22So David made that promise to Saul. Then Saul returned home. But David and his men went up to his usual place of safety.
大衛不殺掃羅
1掃羅追擊非利士人回來，得知大衛在隱·基底的曠野， 2就率領三千以色列精兵去野羊岩附近搜索大衛和他的部下。 3他們來到路旁的一處羊圈，那裡有一個山洞，掃羅進去大解。大衛和他的部下就躲在洞的深處。 4大衛的部下對大衛說：「耶和華說過要把你的仇敵交在你手中，任你處置，今天機會來了。」大衛就爬過去，偷偷割了掃羅外袍的一角。 5事後，大衛心裡不安， 6他對部下說：「我不該做這樣的事，我主是耶和華所膏立的王，我絕不出手傷害他，因為他是耶和華所膏立的。」 7大衛用這些話攔住他的部下，不讓他們殺掃羅。
掃羅起來離開山洞走了， 8大衛隨後也來到洞外，在後面喊掃羅：「我主我王啊！」掃羅回頭一看，見大衛俯伏在地，向他下拜。 9大衛對掃羅說：「你為什麼聽信讒言，認為我要謀害你呢？ 10你現在親眼看見了，剛才在山洞裡，耶和華把你交在我手中，有人叫我殺你，我卻不肯，因為你是耶和華所膏立的王，我不會動手傷害你。 11我父請看，你的這塊袍子在我手中。我割下了你的袍角，沒有殺你，現在你應該明白我並未圖謀背叛你。我沒有對不起你，你卻要置我於死地。 12願耶和華在你我之間判定是非，替我伸冤，我卻不會動手傷害你。 13俗語說，『惡事出於惡人』，所以我不會動手傷害你。 14以色列王出來要捉拿誰呢？一條死狗嗎？一隻跳蚤嗎？ 15願耶和華做我們的審判官，在你我之間判定是非。願耶和華鑒察，為我伸冤，從你手中拯救我。」
16大衛說完了，掃羅問道：「我兒大衛啊！是你嗎？」便放聲大哭起來。 17掃羅對大衛說：「你比我公義，因為你善待我，我卻惡待你。 18你今天使我明白你善待了我，耶和華把我交在你手中，你卻沒有下手殺我。 19有誰會讓自己手中的仇敵平安離去呢？願耶和華因你今日善待我而賜福你。 20我知道你必做王，以色列國必在你手中得到堅固。 21現在請你憑耶和華向我起誓，你不會殺害我的子孫，滅絕我的後代。」 22大衛便向掃羅起誓。之後，掃羅回家了，大衛和部下也回堡壘去了。
