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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>1 Samuel 26 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_samuel/26.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_samuel/26-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > 1 Samuel 26</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_samuel/25.htm" title="1 Samuel 25">◄</a> 1 Samuel 26 <a href="../1_samuel/27.htm" title="1 Samuel 27">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/1_samuel/26.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">David Spares Saul Again</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>’s anointed and be guiltless?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>And David said, “As the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> lives, the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>The <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> forbid that I should put out my hand against the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> had fallen upon them.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>This thing that you have done is not good. As the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>The <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>’s anointed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.</p></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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