¹And it came to pass, when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, that they reported to him and said, “Look, David is in the Desert of En-Gedi.” ²Then Saul took three thousand men, chosen from the whole of Israel, and he went to seek David and his men in the area of the rocks of the mountain goats. ³And they came to the sheepfolds on the way, and there was a cave there, and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were stationed at the sides of the cave. ⁴And David's men said to him, “Behold the day about which the Lord told you, when he said, ‘Behold, I am giving you your enemy in your hand, and you can do to him as is good in your sight.’ ” Then David arose and cut the hem of Saul's coat in secret. ⁵And it came to pass after that, that David's heart pained him, because he had cut the hem of Saul's coat. ⁶And he said to his men, “Far be it from me with the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, to the Lord's anointed, to lay my hand on him, for he is the Lord's anointed.” ⁷And David restrained his men with these words, and he did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose from the cave and went on his way. ⁸Then David arose after that, and he came out of the cave, and he called after Saul and said, “My lord the king.” Then Saul looked behind him and David bowed face down to the ground and prostrated himself. ⁹And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of a man who says, ‘Look, David is trying to harm you’? ¹⁰Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord handed you over to me this day in the cave, and one would have said to kill you, but my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.’ ¹¹And, my father, just look, and see the hem of your coat in my hand, for when I cut the hem of your coat, I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or transgression in my hand, and that I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt me down to take my life. ¹²May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me on you, but my hand will not be on you. ¹³As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked’, but my hand will not be on you. ¹⁴After whom has the king of Israel gone out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea? ¹⁵And may the Lord be a judge, and may he judge between me and you, and may he see and contend my case and acquit me from your charge.” ¹⁶And it came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul raised his voice and wept. ¹⁷And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I am, for you have repaid me good, whereas I repaid you evil. ¹⁸And you have shown me today that you have done good to me – that when the Lord delivered me up into your hand, you did not kill me. ¹⁹For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him cheerily go on his way? So may the Lord repay you with goodness, because of what you did with me on this day. ²⁰And now, look, I know that you will certainly reign and that the kingdom of Israel will be established under your authority. ²¹So now, swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut my seed off after me, and that you will not obliterate my name from the house of my father.” ²²Then David swore to Saul, and Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.