1 Samuel 24

Great(i) 1 When Saul was come agayne from folowing after the Philistines, it fortuned, that there were, which told him saying: beholde, Dauid is in the wildernesse of Engadi. 2 Then Saul toke thre thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seke Dauid and his men in the height of the Rockes, where wilde gootes remayne. 3 And he cam to the flockes of shepe in the waye. And Saul went in to a caue to couer his fete. And Dauid and hys men remayned in the inward partes of the caue. 4 And the men of Dauid sayd vnto him: se, the daye is come, of which the Lorde sayde vnto the: Beholde: I will delyuer thyne enemyes into thyne hand, & thou shalt do to him as it shall seme good in thy syght. Then Dauid arose and cutt of a lappe of Sauls garment priuelye. 5 And immediatly Dauids hert smote hym because he had cutt of a lapp of Sauls garment. 6 And he sayde vnto his men: the Lorde kepe me from doing that thing vnto my master the Lords anoynted, to laye mine hande vpon hym, seyng he is the anoynted of the Lorde. 7 And so Dauid kept of hys seruauntes with these wordes, and soffred them not to ryse agaynst Saul. But Saul rose vp out of the caue & went awaye, 8 Dauid also arose and went out of of the caue, and cryed after Saul, saying: My Lorde kyng. And when Saul loked behynde hym. Dauid stowped to the erth, and bowed him self, 9 & sayd to Saul: wherfore geuest thou an eare to mennes wordes that saye, Dauid seketh euell agaynst the? 10 Beholde, this daye thyne eyes haue sene. how that the Lord had delyuered the thys daye into myne hand in the caue. And some bad me kyll the, but I had compassion on the, and sayde: I will not laye my handes on my master, for he is the Lordes anointed. 11 And moreouer, my father, behold, & se yet the lapp of thy garment in my hand: in as moch as I kylled the not, when I cutt of the lapp of thy garment. Understande therfore & se, that there is nether euell nor wickednesse in me, and that I haue not synned agaynst the. And yet thou huntest after my soule to take it. 12 The Lord be iudge betwene the and me, and the Lorde aduenge me of the. But myne hand be not vpon the. 13 Accordyng as the olde prouerbe sayeth: wyckednesse proceadeth from the wycked: But myne hande be not vpon the. 14 After whom is the kyng of Israel come out? After whom dost thou moue persecucion? after a deed dogg, and after a flee. 15 The Lorde be iudge, and iudge betwene the and me, & se & pleate my cause, and avenge me of thyne hande. 16 When Dauid had made an ende of speaking these wordes to Saul, Saul sayde is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? and Saul lyfte vp his voyce, and wepte, 17 and sayde to Dauid: thou art ryghteouser then I, for thou hast rewarded me with good, where as I haue rewarded the wyth euell. 18 And thou hast shewed thys daye, how that thou hast dealt louynglye wyth me, for as moche as when the Lorde had locked me in thyne handes, thou kylledst me not. 19 For who shall finde his enemye, & lett him depart in to a good waye? Wherfore the Lord reward the with good, for that thou hast done vnto me this daye. 20 And now beholde, I wote well that thou shalt be kyng, and that the kingdom of Israel shalbe stablyshed in thyne hande. 21 Swere now therfore vnto me by the Lord that thou shalt not destroye my seade after me, & that thou shalt not put my name out of my fathers house. 22 And Dauid sware vnto Saul, and Saul went home. But Dauid and his men gatt them vp vnto an hold.