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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></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="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</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">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">David Again Lets Saul Live</h3><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_1"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.1" class="v9_26_1">1</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Sam.26.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Once again,<a href="#fn" id="link_1Sam.26.1!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul. “David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert,” they told him.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_2"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.2" class="v9_26_2">2</span>Saul took 3,000 of Israel's best soldiers and went to look for David there in Ziph Desert. </span><span class="v9_26_3"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.3" class="v9_26_3">3</span>Saul set up camp on Mount Hachilah, which is across the road from Jeshimon. But David was hiding out in the desert.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_3">When David heard that Saul was following him, </span><span class="v9_26_4"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.4" class="v9_26_4">4</span>he sent some spies to find out if it was true. </span><span class="v9_26_5"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.5" class="v9_26_5">5</span>Then he sneaked up to Saul's camp. He noticed that Saul and his army commander Abner the son of Ner were sleeping in the middle of the camp, with soldiers sleeping all around them. </span><span class="v9_26_6"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.6" class="v9_26_6">6</span>David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab's brother Abishai,<a href="#fn" id="link_1Sam.26.6!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> “Which one of you will go with me into Saul's camp?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_6">“I will!” Abishai answered.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_7"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.7" class="v9_26_7">7</span>That same night, David and Abishai crept into the camp. Saul was sleeping, and his spear was stuck in the ground not far from his head. Abner and the soldiers were sound asleep all around him.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_8"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.8" class="v9_26_8">8</span>Abishai whispered, “This time God has let you get your hands on your enemy! I'll pin him to the ground with one thrust of his own spear.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_9"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.9" class="v9_26_9">9</span>“Don't kill him!” David whispered back. “The <span class="nd">Lord</span> will punish anyone who kills his chosen king. </span><span class="v9_26_10"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.10" class="v9_26_10">10</span>As surely as the <span class="nd">Lord</span> lives, the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will kill Saul, or Saul will die a natural death or be killed in battle. </span><span class="v9_26_11"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.11" class="v9_26_11">11</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Sam.26.11!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> But I pray that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will keep me from harming his chosen king. Let's grab his spear and his water jar and get out of here!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_12"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.12" class="v9_26_12">12</span>David took the spear and the water jar, then left the camp. None of Saul's soldiers knew what had happened or even woke up—the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had made all of them fall sound asleep. </span><span class="v9_26_13"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.13" class="v9_26_13">13</span>David and Abishai crossed the valley and went to the top of the next hill, where they were at a safe distance. </span><span class="v9_26_14"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.14" class="v9_26_14">14</span>“Abner!” David shouted toward Saul's army. “Can you hear me?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_14">Abner shouted back. “Who dares disturb the king?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_15"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.15" class="v9_26_15">15</span>“Abner, what kind of a man are you?” David replied. “Aren't you supposed to be the best soldier in Israel? Then why didn't you protect your king? Anyone who went into your camp could have killed him tonight.<a href="#fn" id="link_1Sam.26.15!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v9_26_16"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.16" class="v9_26_16">16</span>You're a complete failure! I swear by the living <span class="nd">Lord</span> that you and your men deserve to die for not protecting the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s chosen king. Look and see if you can find the king's spear and the water jar that were near his head.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_17"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.17" class="v9_26_17">17</span>Saul could tell it was David's voice, and he called out, “David, my son! Is that you?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_17">“Yes it is, Your Majesty. </span><span class="v9_26_18"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.18" class="v9_26_18">18</span>Why are you hunting me down? Have I done something wrong, or have I committed a crime? </span><span class="v9_26_19"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.19" class="v9_26_19">19</span>Please listen to what I have to say. If the <span class="nd">Lord</span> has turned you against me, maybe a sacrifice will make him change his mind. But if some people have turned you against me, I hope the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will punish them! They have forced me to leave the land that belongs to the <span class="nd">Lord</span> and have told me to worship foreign gods.<a href="#fn" id="link_1Sam.26.19!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v9_26_20"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.20" class="v9_26_20">20</span>Don't let me die in a land far away from the <span class="nd">Lord</span>. I'm no more important than a flea! Why should the king of Israel hunt me down as if I were a bird in the mountains?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_21"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.21" class="v9_26_21">21</span>“David, you had the chance to kill me today. But you didn't. I was very wrong about you. It was a terrible mistake for me to try to kill you. I've acted like a fool, but I'll never try to harm you again. You're like a son to me, so please come back.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_22"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.22" class="v9_26_22">22</span>“Your Majesty, here's your spear! Let one of your soldiers come and get it. </span><span class="v9_26_23"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.23" class="v9_26_23">23</span>The <span class="nd">Lord</span> put you in my power today, but you are his chosen king and I wouldn't harm you. The <span class="nd">Lord</span> rewards people who are faithful and live right. </span><span class="v9_26_24"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.24" class="v9_26_24">24</span>I spared your life today, and I pray that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will spare my life and keep me safe.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_25"><span class="reftext" id="1Sam.26.25" class="v9_26_25">25</span>“David, my son, I pray that the Lord will bless you and make you successful!”</span></p><h3 class="s1">David in Philistia</h3><p class="par"><span class="v9_26_25">Saul went back home. David also left,</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">26.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">again: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See 23.19.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">26.6 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Abishai: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew “Abishai the son of Zeruiah.” Zeruiah was David's older sister, so Abishai and Joab were David's nephews (see 1 Chronicles 2.12-17; 2 Samuel 17.25 and the note there).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">26.15 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Anyone … tonight: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “Someone went into your camp to kill him tonight.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">26.19 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">gods: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">In ancient times it was often believed that gods (even the God of Israel) could only be properly worshiped in their own countries, and only a country's gods should be worshiped in that country.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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