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2 And it was, when Saul returned from following after the Philistines, that they told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
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3 And Saul took three thousand chosen men◦ out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men◦ on the faces of the rocks of the wild··goats.
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4 And he came to the fences of the flock on the way, and a cave was there; and Saul came··in to shelter his feet. And David and his men◦ were sitting in the flanks of the cave.
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5 And the men◦ of David said unto▵ him, Behold, the day of which Jehovah said unto▵ thee, Behold, I▵ will give thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do unto him as it shall be··good in thine eyes. And David arose and cut··off the wing* of the mantle of Saul secretly◦.
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6 And it was, after this, that the heart of David smote him, because he had cut··off the wing of the mantle of Saul.
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7 And he said to his men◦, Far··be··it from Jehovah to me* that· I ·should do this thing to my lord, to the anointed of Jehovah, to put··forth◦ my hand against◦ him, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.
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8 And David held back* his men◦ with these words, and allowed◦ them not to rise··up against Saul. And Saul rose··up from the cave and went on◦ his way.
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9 And David rose··up after this and went··out from the cave and called after Saul, saying, My lord, the king. And Saul looked behind him, and David bent his face◦ toward the earth and bowed··down.
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10 And David said to Saul, Why hearest thou the words of man, saying, Behold, David seeks thine evil?
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11 Behold this day thine eyes have seen that Jehovah had given thee into my hand today in the cave, and one said to kill thee, but I spared thee, and I said, I will not put··forth◦ my hand against my lord; for he is the anointed of Jehovah.
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12 And, my father, see, also see the wing of thy mantle in my hand, for in that I cut··off the wing of thy mantle and killed thee not, know thou◦ and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee, but thou◦ art stalking after my soul to take it.
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13 Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me on thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
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14 As◦ says the proverb of the ancients, Out··of the wicked goes··forth wickedness, but my hand shall not be on◦ thee.
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15 After whom has the king of Israel come··out? After whom dost thou◦ pursue? After a dead dog? After one flea?
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16 But Jehovah shall be the Adjudicator, and He shall judge between me and thee, and shall see and plead my plea, and judge me out··of thy hand.
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17 And it was, as David completed speaking these words to▵ Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted··up his voice and wept.
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18 And he said to▵ David, Thou◦ art more just than I◦, for thou◦ hast recompensed good to me, and I◦ have recompensed evil to thee.
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19 And thou◦ hast told me today, how▫ thou hast done good to me, how▫ Jehovah shut me in thy hand, and thou didst not kill me.
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20 For if a man◦ find his enemy, will he send him forth in a good way? And may Jehovah repay thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.
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21 And, now, behold, I know that reigning thou shalt reign, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be raised··up in thy hand.
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22 And now, promise to me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut··off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not blot··out my name from the house of my father.
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23 And David promised unto▵ Saul, and Saul went to his house; and David and his men◦ went··up into the fort.
