American Standard Version - King James Version

 26:1 ¶ And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?

 26:1 ¶ And the Ziphitesº cameºº untoº Saulº to Gibeah,º saying,ºº Doth notº Davidº hideºº himselfº in the hillº of Hachilah,º [which is] beforeºº Jeshimon?º

 26:2 Then 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.

 26:2 Then Saulº arose,ºº and went downºº toº the wildernessº of Ziph,º having threeº thousandº chosenºº menº of Israelº withº him, to seekººº Davidº in the wildernessº of Ziph.º

 26:3 And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

 26:3 And Saulº pitchedºº in the hillº of Hachilah,º whichº [is] beforeºº Jeshimon,º byº the way.º But Davidº abodeºº in the wilderness,º and he sawºº thatº Saulº cameºº afterº him into the wilderness.º

 26:4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a certainty.

 26:4 Davidº therefore sent outºº spies,ºº and understoodºº thatº Saulº was comeºº inºº very deed.ºº

 26:5 ¶ And 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 place of the wagons, and the people were encamped round about him.

 26:5 ¶ And Davidº arose,ºº and cameºº toº the placeº whereºº Saulº had pitched:ºº and Davidº beheldººº the placeº whereºº Saulº lay,ºº and Abnerº the sonº of Ner,º the captainº of his host:º and Saulº layºº in the trench,º and the peopleº pitchedºº round aboutº him.

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

 26:6 Then answeredºº Davidº and saidºº toº Ahimelechº the Hittite,º and toº Abishaiº the sonº of Zeruiah,º brotherº to Joab,º saying,ºº Whoº will go downºº withº me toº Saulº toº the camp?º And Abishaiº said,ºº Iº will go downºº withº thee.

 26:7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.

 26:7 So Davidº and Abishaiº cameºº toº the peopleº by night:º and, behold,º Saulº layºº sleepingº within the trench,º and his spearº stuckºº in the groundº at his bolster:º but Abnerº and the peopleº layºº round aboutº him.

 26:8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.

 26:8 Then saidºº Abishaiº toº David,º Godº hath deliveredººº thine enemyºº into thine handº this day:º nowº therefore let me smiteºº him, I pray thee,º with the spearº even to the earthº at once,ºº and I will notº [smite] him the second time.ºº

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

 26:9 And Davidº saidºº toº Abishai,º Destroyºº him not:º forº whoº can stretch forthºº his handº against the LORD'Sº anointed,º and be guiltless?ºº

 26:10 And David said, As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.

 26:10 Davidº saidºº furthermore,ºº [As] the LORDº liveth,º the LORDº shall smiteºº him; orº his dayº shall comeºº to die;ºº orº he shall descendºº into battle,º and perish.ºº

 26:11 Jehovah forbid that I should put 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.

 26:11 The LORDºº forbidº that I should stretch forthººº mine handº against the LORD'Sº anointed:º but, I pray thee,º takeºº thou nowºº the spearº thatº [is] at his bolster,º and the cruseº of water,º and let us go.ººº

 26:12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they gat them away: and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.

 26:12 So Davidº tookººº the spearº and the cruseº of waterº from Saul'sº bolster;ºº and they gat them away,ººº and noº man sawºº [it], norº knewºº [it], neitherº awaked:ºº forº they [were] allº asleep;º becauseº a deep sleepº from the LORDº was fallenºº uponº them.

 26:13 ¶ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;

 26:13 ¶ Then Davidº went overºº to the other side,º and stoodºº onº the topº of an hillº afar off;ºº a greatº spaceº [being] betweenº them:

 26:14 and 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?

 26:14 And Davidº criedºº toº the people,º and toº Abnerº the sonº of Ner,º saying,ºº Answerestºº thou not,º Abner?º Then Abnerº answeredºº and said,ºº Whoº [art] thouº [that] criestºº toº the king?º

 26:15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a [valiant] man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

 26:15 And Davidº saidºº toº Abner,º [Art] notº thouº a [valiant] man?º and whoº [is] like to theeº in Israel?º whereforeº then hast thou notº keptººº thy lordº the king?º forº there cameºº oneº of the peopleº in to destroyººº the kingº thy lord.º

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

 26:16 Thisº thingº [is] notº goodº thatº thou hast done.ºº [As] the LORDº liveth,º yeº [are] worthyº to die,º becauseº ye have notº keptººº your master,º the LORD'Sº anointed.º And nowº seeºº whereº the king'sº spearº [is], and the cruseº of waterº thatº [was] at his bolster.º

 26:17 And 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.

 26:17 And Saulº knewººº David'sº voice,º and said,ºº [Is] thisº thy voice,º my sonº David?º And Davidº said,ºº [It is] my voice,º my lord,º O king.º

 26:18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

 26:18 And he said,ºº Whereforeº doth my lordº thusº pursueºº afterº his servant?º forº whatº have I done?ºº or whatº evilº [is] in mine hand?º

 26:19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Jehovah that hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah: for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.

 26:19 Nowº therefore, I pray thee,º let my lordº the kingº hearººº the wordsº of his servant.º Ifº the LORDº have stirred thee upºº against me, let him acceptºº an offering:º but ifº [they be] the childrenº of men,º cursedºº [be] theyº beforeº the LORD;º forº they have drivenºº me outº this dayº from abidingººº in the inheritanceº of the LORD,º saying,ºº Go,ººº serveºº otherº gods.º

 26:20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Jehovah: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

 26:20 Nowº therefore, let notº my bloodº fallºº to the earthº beforeºº the faceº of the LORD:º forº the kingº of Israelº is come outºº to seekººº aº flea,º as whenº oneº doth huntºº a partridgeº in the mountains.º

 26:21 ¶ Then said Saul, 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 played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

 26:21 ¶ Then saidºº Saul,º I have sinned:ºº return,ºº my sonº David:º forº I will noº moreº do thee harm,ºº becauseºº my soulº was preciousºº in thine eyesº thisº day:º behold,º I have played the fool,ºº and have erredºº exceedingly.ººº

 26:22 And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it.

 26:22 And Davidº answeredºº and said,ºº Beholdº the king'sº spear!º and let oneº of the young menºº come overºº and fetchºº it.

 26:23 And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as Jehovah delivered thee into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.

 26:23 The LORDº renderºº to every manºº his righteousnessº and his faithfulness:º forº the LORDº deliveredºº thee into [my] handº to day,º but I wouldºº notº stretch forthºº mine handº against the LORD'Sº anointed.º

 26:24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Jehovah, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

 26:24 And, behold,º asº thy lifeº was much setº byºº thisº dayº in mine eyes,º soº let my lifeº be much setº byºº in the eyesº of the LORD,º and let him deliverºº me out of allºº tribulation.º

 26:25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

 26:25 Then Saulº saidºº toº David,º Blessedºº [be] thou,º my sonº David:º thou shalt bothº doºº greatºº [things], and alsoº shalt stillºº prevail.ºº So Davidº wentººº on his way,º and Saulº returnedºº to his place.º