David Again Spares Saul’s Life
1The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”
2So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand select Israelite troops, to search there for David. 3Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, 4he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.
5Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.
6David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?”
“I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.
7So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.
8Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”
9But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? 10As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”
12So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.
13Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. 14He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?”
Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
15David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. 16What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”
17Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?”
David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.” 18And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? 19Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
21Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.”
22“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. 23The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. 24As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”
25Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.”
So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.
大衛再次放過掃羅
1西弗人到基比亞見掃羅，說：「大衛正躲在曠野附近的哈基拉山中。」 2掃羅就帶領三千以色列精兵到西弗的曠野去追捕大衛。 3他們在曠野附近路邊的哈基拉山上紮營。大衛在曠野聽說掃羅追來了， 4就派人去打探消息，得知掃羅的追兵果然已到。 5大衛來到掃羅的營地，看見了他和他的元帥尼珥的兒子押尼珥睡覺的地方，他睡在軍營中間，其他人圍繞著他紮營。 6大衛問赫人亞希米勒和洗魯雅的兒子約押的兄弟亞比篩：「誰願意跟我到掃羅的營裡？」亞比篩答道：「我願意。」 7大衛和亞比篩就趁夜間走進掃羅的軍營，發現掃羅正在熟睡，他的矛插在地上，靠近他的頭，押尼珥和其他人睡在他周圍。 8亞比篩對大衛說：「現在上帝把你的敵人交在你手中了，讓我一矛把他釘在地上，決不用刺第二下。」 9大衛卻說：「不要殺他，誰殺害耶和華所膏立的王，都難逃罪責。 10我憑永活的耶和華起誓，耶和華必親手擊殺他。他要麼壽終而死，要麼命喪沙場。 11我在耶和華面前絕不敢出手傷害祂所膏立的王。我們拿走他旁邊的矛和水瓶吧。」 12大衛拿上掃羅的矛和水瓶便同亞比篩離開了，沒有人看見，沒有人知道，他們都在沉睡，沒有人醒來，因為耶和華使他們都熟睡了。
13大衛爬上營地對面的山坡，遠遠地站在山頂上，與他們相距很遠。 14他呼喊掃羅的士兵和尼珥的兒子押尼珥：「押尼珥，你回答我！」押尼珥問道：「你是誰，竟敢在王面前喊叫？」 15大衛說：「你不是勇士嗎？在以色列有誰比得上你呢？有人來刺殺你的王你的主，你為何沒有保護他呢？ 16你失職了。我憑永活的耶和華起誓，你們都該死。因為你們沒有保護你們的主——耶和華所膏立的王。你看看王頭旁的矛和水瓶在哪裡？」
17掃羅聽出是大衛的聲音，就說：「我兒大衛！是你嗎？」大衛答道：「我主我王啊，是我。 18我主為什麼又要追殺僕人呢？我做錯了什麼，犯了什麼罪？ 19我主我王，請聽僕人說，如果是耶和華使你與我作對，願祂悅納我獻上的祭物；如果這是出於人的主意，願他們在耶和華面前受咒詛。因為他們趕我離開耶和華所賜的產業，叫我去供奉其他神明。 20求你不要讓我死在遠離耶和華的異鄉！以色列王為何要像在山上獵殺鷓鴣一樣追捕一隻跳蚤呢？」
21掃羅說：「我犯罪了。我兒大衛，你回來吧，我不會再傷害你，因為你今日保存了我的性命。我真是糊塗，犯了大錯。」 22大衛答道：「王的矛在這裡，請派一個人來拿回去吧。 23耶和華獎賞公義、信實的人。今天耶和華把你交在我手中，但我不願下手傷害耶和華所膏立的王。 24我今天保存了你的性命，願耶和華也保存我的性命，救我脫離一切患難。」 25掃羅對大衛說：「我兒大衛，願你蒙福。你一定能建功立業，戰勝仇敵。」於是，大衛起身離開，掃羅也回家去了。
