1Folkene fra Zif vendte tilbage til Saul i Gibea og fortalte ham: „David holder sig skjult på Hakilahøjen over for Jeshimon.”2Da tog Saul sit elitekorps på 3000 mand og drog af sted for at genoptage forfølgelsen i Zifs ørken.3-4Han slog lejr ved vejen over for Jeshimon, tæt ved Hakilahøjen. David var nu længere inde i ørkenen, og da han hørte, at Saul var på vej efter ham, sendte han nogle spioner af sted for at få nøje oplysninger om, hvor han befandt sig.5-7En nat sneg David sig hen mod Sauls lejr for at se sig om. Hittitten Ahimelek og Joabs bror Abishaj, søn af Zeruja,[1] var med ham. Kong Saul og hans hærfører Abner lå og sov—omgivet af de sovende livvagter. „Hvem vil gå med mig hen til Saul i hans lejr?” sagde David til Ahimelek og Abishaj. „Det vil jeg!” svarede Abishaj. Så sneg David og Abishaj sig helt ind i lejren til Saul, der lå og sov med spyddet plantet i jorden ved siden af sit hoved. Abner og de andre mænd lå rundt om ham. (1.Krøn 2,15)8„Denne gang er der ingen tvivl om, at Gud har udleveret din fjende til dig,” hviskede Abishaj til David. „Lad mig få lov at spidde ham til jorden med et eneste stød.”9„Nej, slå ham ikke ihjel,” svarede David. „Den, der dræber Herrens salvede, vil blive straffet.10Herren vil selv tage sig af Saul, hvad enten han falder i kamp, eller han dør af alderdom.11Gud forbyde, at jeg skulle slå den mand ihjel, som Herren har salvet til at være konge. Nej, lad os tage hans spyd og hans vandkrukke—og så se at komme af sted!”12Så tog David spyddet og vandkrukken, og sammen med Abishaj slap han væk, uden at nogen så dem eller vågnede. Herren havde nemlig ladet dem falde i dyb søvn.13De klatrede op ad bjergskråningen overfor, indtil de var i sikkerhed.14Så råbte David ned til dem: „Abner, vågn op!” „Hvem er det, der råber?” svarede Abner.15„Nåh, Abner,” drillede David, „har du sovet godt? Du er vel nok en dygtig hærfører, der forstår at passe godt på din konge. Der findes ikke nogen så dygtig som dig i hele Israel. Men er du klar over, at kongen let kunne være blevet dræbt, mens du lå og sov?16Sikke dog en pligtforsømmelse! I burde virkelig dø som straf for, at I ikke passer bedre på jeres herre, Guds salvede konge. Hvad tror du, der er blevet af kongens spyd og vandkrukke, som stod ved hans hoved?”17-18Saul genkendte imidlertid Davids stemme og råbte: „Er det dig, min søn David?” David svarede: „Ja, herre! Sig mig, hvorfor bliver du ved med at jagte mig? Hvad har jeg gjort dig? Hvad er min forbrydelse?19Hvis det er Herren, der har hidset dig op imod mig, så er jeg villig til at blive ofret. Men hvis det er menneskers ondskab, må de da være forbandet af Gud, for resultatet er blevet, at de har berøvet mig mit hjem blandt mit folk i Herrens land og jaget mig bort til et fremmed folk, der dyrker andre guder.20Skal jeg virkelig dø i et fremmed land—borte fra Herrens nærhed? Kan det virkelig være rigtigt, at Israels konge jager mig og mine mænd, som om han var på agerhønejagt?”21Da indrømmede Saul sin fejltagelse. „Jeg har forbrudt mig imod dig, min søn,” sagde han. „Kom tilbage, så lover jeg, at alt skal blive godt igen. I dag har du skånet mit liv. Jeg indrømmer, at jeg har handlet tåbeligt.”22„Herre, her er dit spyd,” råbte David tilbage. „Lad en af de unge mænd komme og hente det.23Herren belønner den, der er loyal og har reelle hensigter, og i nat har jeg undladt at slå dig ihjel på trods af, at Herren udleverede dig til mig.24Må Herren skåne mit liv, sådan som jeg har skånet dit. Ja, må han redde mig, hver gang jeg er i fare.”25„Gud velsigne dig, min søn David,” svarede Saul. „Du vil komme til at udføre store heltegerninger, og alt, hvad du tager dig for, vil lykkes for dig.” Så gik David sin vej, og Saul vendte hjem.
1Then 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?” (1.Sam 23,19)2So 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. (1.Sam 23,14; 1.Sam 24,2)3And 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,4David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come.5Then 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. (1.Sam 14,50; 1.Sam 17,20; 1.Sam 17,55; 2.Sam 2,8)6Then 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.” (Dom 7,9; 2.Sam 2,18; 2.Sam 3,39; 2.Sam 16,10; 2.Sam 19,22; 1.Krøn 2,16)7So 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. (1.Sam 26,5; 1.Sam 26,11; 1.Sam 26,16)8Then 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.” (1.Sam 24,4; 1.Sam 24,18)9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?” (1.Sam 24,6; 1.Sam 24,10; 1.Sam 26,11; 1.Sam 26,16; 1.Sam 26,23; 2.Sam 1,16)10And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. (1.Mos 47,29; 5.Mos 31,14; Ruth 3,13; 1.Sam 25,38; 1.Sam 31,6)11The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” (1.Sam 24,6; 1.Sam 26,7; 1.Sam 26,16)12So 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 Lord had fallen upon them. (1.Mos 2,21; 1.Mos 15,12)13Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them.14And 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?”15And 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.16This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.” (Ruth 3,13; 1.Sam 26,7; 1.Sam 26,11)17Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” (1.Sam 24,16)18And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? (1.Sam 24,9; 1.Sam 24,11)19Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ (2.Sam 14,16; 2.Sam 20,19; 2.Sam 21,3; Salm 120,5)20Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.” (1.Sam 24,14)21Then 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.” (1.Sam 15,24; 1.Sam 24,17)22And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it.23The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. (Salm 7,8; Salm 18,20)24Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.”25Then 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. (1.Mos 32,28)