1 Samuel 24
1 After Saul [and his soldiers] returned [home] after fighting against the Philistia army, someone reported to Saul that David [and his men] had gone into the desert near En-Gedi.
When Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, it was reported to him, “David is in the Desert of En-gedi.”
2 [When] Saul [heard that, he] chose 3,000 men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at a place named Rocks of Wild Goats.
So Saul took three thousand specially-picked men from all Israel and went searching for David and his men in the area around Wild Goats' Rocks.
3 At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul [left the road and] entered a cave to defecate [EUP]. [He did not know that] David and his men were hiding further inside that same cave!
As Saul passed the sheep pens on the way, there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding deep inside the cave.
4 David’s men [saw Saul and] whispered to David, “Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said, ‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and [with his knife] he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
David's men said to him, “Today's the day the Lord promised you when he told you, ‘Listen, I'm going to hand over your enemy to you, so you can do to him whatever you want.’” Then David crept up quietly and cut a piece from the edge of Saul's robe.
5 [And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
But afterwards David felt really bad because he'd cut off a piece of Saul's robe.
6 He said to his men, “I should not have done that to the king! I hope/desire that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him [to be the king].”
He told his men, “May the Lord prevent me from doing anything like this to my master, the Lord's anointed one. I will never attack him, for he is the Lord's anointed one.”
7 By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
He reprimanded his men and didn't allow them to attack Saul. Saul stood up and went on his way.
8 After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul, “King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground.
A little later David came out of the cave and shouted, “My master the king!” When Saul looked around, David bowed down with his face to the ground.
9 Then he said to Saul, “(Why do you pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’?/You should not pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’.) [RHQ]
“Why do you pay attention to people who say, ‘Watch out, David wants to harm you’?” David asked.
10 Today you can see with your own eyes that [what they say is not true]. Yahweh put you in a place where my men and I could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not do that. I said to them, ‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’
“Just look! You've seen with your own eyes today that the Lord handed you over to me in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I showed you compassion, and said, ‘I refuse to attack my master, for he is the Lord's anointed one.’
11 Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me.
Take a look, my father! You see this piece of your robe I'm holding. Yes, I did I cut it off, but I didn't kill you. Now you can see for yourself and you can be sure that I have done nothing evil or rebellious. I have not sinned against you, but you are hunting me down, trying to kill me.
12 I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us ([is doing what is right/pleases him]). And I hope/desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm you.
May the Lord decide between you and me as to who of us is right, and may the Lord punish you, but I myself will never try to harm you.
13 There is a proverb that has the words, ‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But [I am not evil, so] I will not do evil things to you.
As the old saying goes, ‘From the wicked comes wickedness,’ but I myself will never try to harm you.
14 “You are the king of Israel. So (why are you pursuing me?/you should not be pursuing me.) [RHQ] I am [as harmless as] [MET] a dead dog or a flea.
Who is the king of Israel coming after? Who are you chasing? A dead dog! Just a flea!
15 I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge which of us [is doing what (he wants/is right)]. I trust that he will [act like a lawyer and] judge (my case/what I have done), and that he will rescue me from your power [MTY].”
May the Lord decide and choose between you and me. May he pay attention to my case and support it; may he save me from you.”
16 When David finished speaking, Saul [called out to him and] asked, “My son David, is that your voice [that I am hearing]?” Then he began to cry loudly.
After David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that you speaking, David my son?” and he wept out loud.
17 He said, “You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you.
He told David, “You are a better person than I am, because you have repaid me with good, but I have repaid you with evil.
18 When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
Today you have demonstrated how well you have treated me—for when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn't kill me.
19 (Who else would/No one else would) find his enemy and allow his enemy to escape [when he could kill him instead] [RHQ]. I hope/desire that Yahweh will reward you for being kindly to me today.
For if a man caught hold of his enemy, would he let him escape unharmed? The Lord reward you well for how you've treated me today.
20 I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
Listen, I know you definitely will be king, and your rule over the kingdom of Israel will be secure.
21 Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not destroy my descendants who follow me, and that you will not wipe out my name from my family line.”
22 David solemnly promised Saul that he would not [harm Saul’s family]. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding.
So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went back home, but David and his men returned to the stronghold.
