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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 NIV</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="../">NIV</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">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/1_samuel/26.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="sectionhead">David Again Spares Saul’s Life</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand select Israelite troops, to search there for David. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Saul 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, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Then 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.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?”</p><p class="reg">“I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.</p> <p class="reg"><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 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.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Abishai 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.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the <span class="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>As surely as the <span class="name">Lord</span> lives,” he said, “the <span class="name">Lord</span> himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>But the <span class="name">Lord</span> forbid that I should lay a hand on the <span class="name">Lord</span>’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>So 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 <span class="name">Lord</span> had put them into a deep sleep.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?”</p><p class="reg">Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>David 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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>What you have done is not good. As surely as the <span class="name">Lord</span> lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the <span class="name">Lord</span>’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”</p> <p class="reg"><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 that your voice, David my son?”</p><p class="reg">David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the <span class="name">Lord</span> has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the <span class="name">Lord</span>! They have driven me today from my share in the <span class="name">Lord</span>’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the <span class="name">Lord</span>. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then 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.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>The <span class="name">Lord</span> rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The <span class="name">Lord</span> delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the <span class="name">Lord</span>’s anointed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>As surely as I valued your life today, so may the <span class="name">Lord</span> value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/26-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.”</p><p class="reg">So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. 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