1
Then the
Ziphites came to
Saul at
Gibeah,
saying, "Is not
David hiding on the
hill of
Hachilah, which is
before * Jeshimon?"
r{mael h't'[.biG;h l.Wa'v -l,a ~yipiZ;h .Wa{b'Y;w ? l;[ h'lyik]x;h t;[.big.B reT;T.sim diw'd aw{l]h ? !{myiv.y;h yen.P
2
So
Saul arose and
went down to the
wilderness of
Ziph, having with him
three thousand chosen men of
Israel, to
search for
David in the
wilderness of
Ziph.
w{Tia.w @yiz -r;B.dim -l,a d,reY;w l.Wa'v ~'q'Y;w ? veQ;b.l lea'r.fIy yer.Wx.B vyia ~yip'l]a -t,v{l.v ? @yiz -r;B.dim.B diw'D -t,a
3
Saul camped in the
hill of
Hachilah,
which is
before * Jeshimon,
beside the
road, and
David was
staying in the
wilderness. When he
saw that
Saul came after him into the
wilderness,
yen.P -l;[ r,v]a h'lyik]x;h t;[.big.B l.Wa'v !;xiY;w ? r'B.diM;B bev{y diw'd.w .$,r'D;h -l;[ !{myiv.y;h ? h'r'B.diM;h wy'r]x;a l.Wa'v a'b yiK a.r;Y;w
4
David sent out
spies, and he
knew that
Saul was
definitely coming.
l.Wa'v a'b -yiK [;deY;w ~yil.G;r.m diw'D x;l.viY;w ? !w{k'n -l,a
5
David then
arose and
came to the
place where * Saul had
camped. And
David saw the
place where * Saul lay, and
Abner the
son of
Ner, the
commander of his
army; and
Saul was
lying in the
circle of the
camp, and the
people were
camped around him.
~'v -h'n'x r,v]a ~w{q'M;h -l,a a{b'Y;w diw'D ~'q'Y;w ? ~'v -b;k'v r,v]a ~w{q'M;h -t,a diw'D a.r;Y;w l.Wa'v ? l.Wa'v.w w{a'b.c -r;f ren -n,B ren.b;a.w l.Wa'v ? w{t{byib.s ~yin{x ~'['h.w l'G.[;M;B bek{v
6
Then
David said to
Ahimelech the
Hittite and to
Abishai the
son of
Zeruiah,
Joab's brother,
saying,
"Who will
go down with me to
Saul in the
camp?" And
Abishai said, "I will
go down with you."
yiTix;h .$,l,myix]a -l,a r,ma{Y;w diw'D !;[;Y;w ? r{mael b'aw{y yix]a h'y.Wr.c -n,B y;vyib]a -l,a.w ? h,n]x;M;h -l,a l.Wa'v -l,a yiTia derey -yim ? .$'Mi[ derea yin]a y;vyib]a r,ma{Y;w
7
So
David and
Abishai came to the
people by
night, and
behold,
Saul lay sleeping inside the
circle of the
camp with his
spear stuck in the
ground at his
head; and
Abner and the
people were
lying around him.
heNih.w h'l.y;l ~'['h -l,a y;vyib]a;w diw'd a{b'Y;w ? #,r'a'b -h'k.W[.m w{tyin]x;w l'G.[;M;B !ev'y bek{v l.Wa'v ? w{t{byib.s ~yib.k{v ~'['h.w ren.b;a.w w{t{v]a;r.m
8
Then
Abishai said to
David,
"Today God has
delivered your
enemy into your
hand;
now therefore,
please let me
strike him with the
spear to the
ground with
one stroke, and I will not strike him the
second time."
~w{Y;h ~yih{l/a r;Gis diw'D -l,a y;vyib]a r,ma{Y;w ? tyin]x;B a'n .WN,K;a h'T;[.w '$,d'y.B '$.bIyw{a -t,a ? w{l h,n.v,a a{l.w t;x;a ~;[;P #,r'a'b.W
9
But
David said to
Abishai, "Do not
destroy him, for
who can
stretch out his
hand against the
LORD'S anointed and be
without guilt?"
.Whetyix.v;T -l;a y;vyib]a -l,a diw'D r,ma{Y;w ? h'Qin.w h'wh.y ;xyiv.miB w{d'y x;l'v yim yiK
10
David also
said, "As the
LORD lives,
surely * the
LORD will
strike him,
or his
day will
come that he
dies,
or he will
go down into
battle and
perish.
h'wh.y -mia yiK h'wh.y -y;x diw'D r,ma{Y;w ? h'm'x.liM;b w{a tem'w aw{b'y w{mw{y -w{a .WN,p'GIy ? h'P.sin.w derey
11
"The
LORD forbid that I should
stretch out my
hand against the
LORD'S anointed; but
now please take the
spear that is at his
head and the
jug of
water, and let us
go."
h'wh.y ;xyiv.miB yid'y ;x{l.Vim h'whyem yiL h'lyil'x ? w{t{v]a;r.m r,v]a tyin]x;h -t,a a'n -x;q h'T;[.w ? .Wn'L h'k]len.w ~Iy;M;h t;x;P;c -t,a.w
12
So
David took the
spear and the
jug of
water from beside
Saul's head, and they
went away, but
no one saw or
knew it,
nor did any
awake, for they were
all asleep,
because a
sound sleep from the
LORD had
fallen on them.
~Iy;M;h t;x;P;c -t,a.w tyin]x;h -t,a diw'D x;QiY;w ? h,a{r !yea.w ~,h'l .Wk.leY;w l.Wa'v yet{v]a;rem ? ~yinev.y ~'LUk yiK #yiqem !yea.w ;[edw{y !yea.w ? ~,hyel][ h'l.p'n h'wh.y t;meD.r;T yiK
13
Then
David crossed over to the
other side and
stood on
top of the
mountain at a
distance with a
large area between them.
r'h'h -va{r -l;[ d{m][;Y;w r,be['h diw'D r{b][;Y;w ? ~,hyenyeB ~w{q'M;h b;r q{x'rem
14
David called to the
people and to
Abner the
son of
Ner,
saying, "Will you not
answer,
Abner?" Then
Abner replied,
"Who are you who
calls to the
king?"
ren -n,B ren.b;a -l,a.w ~'['h -l,a diw'd a'r.qiY;w ? r,ma{Y;w ren.b;a !;[;Y;w ren.b;a h,n][;t aw{l]h r{mael ? .$,l,M;h -l,a 'ta'r'q h'T;a yim
15
So
David said to
Abner, "Are you not a
man? And
who is
like you in
Israel?
Why then have you not
guarded your
lord the
king? For
one of the
people came to
destroy the
king your
lord.
h'T;a vyia -aw{l]h ren.b;a -l,a diw'D r,ma{Y;w ? '$y,n{d]a -l,a 'T.r;m'v a{l h'M'l.w lea'r.fIy.B '$w{m'k yim.W ? .$,l,M;h -t,a tyix.v;h.l ~'['h d;x;a a'b -yiK .$,l,M;h ? '$y,n{d]a
16
"This thing that you have
done is not
good. As the
LORD lives, all of you
must surely die,
because you did not
guard your
lord, the
LORD'S anointed. And
now,
see where the
king's spear is and the
jug of
water that was at his
head."
h'wh.y -y;x 'tyif'[ r,v]a h,Z;h r'b'D;h bw{j -a{l ? ~,kyen{d]a -l;[ ~,T.r;m.v -a{l r,v]a ~,T;a t,w'm -yen.b yiK ? tyin]x -yea hea.r h'T;[.w h'wh.y ;xyiv.m -l;[ ? w{t{v]a;r.m r,v]a ~Iy;M;h t;x;P;c -t,a.w .$,l,M;h
17
Then
Saul recognized David's voice and
said, "Is
this your
voice, my
son David?" And
David said, "It is my
voice, my
lord the
king."
'$.lw{q]h r,ma{Y;w diw'D lw{q -t,a l.Wa'v reK;Y;w ? yin{d]a yilw{q diw'D r,ma{Y;w diw'd yin.B h,z ? .$,l,M;h
18
He also
said,
"Why then is my
lord pursuing his
servant? For
what have I
done? Or
what evil is in my
hand?
w{D.b;[ yer]x;a @ed{r yin{d]a h,Z h'M'l r,ma{Y;w ? h'['r yid'y.B -h;m.W yityif'[ h,m yiK
19
"Now therefore,
please let my
lord the
king listen to the
words of his
servant.
If the
LORD has
stirred you up against me, let Him
accept an
offering; but
if it is
men *,
cursed are they
before the
LORD, for they have
driven me out
today so that I would have
no attachment with the
inheritance of the
LORD,
saying,
'Go,
serve other gods.'
yer.biD tea .$,l,M;h yin{d]a a'n -[;m.vIy h'T;[.w ? h'x.nim x;r'y yib '$.tyis/h h'wh.y -mia w{D.b;[ ? h'wh.y yen.pil ~eh ~yir.Wr]a ~'d'a'h yen.B ~ia.w ? h'wh.y t;l]x;n.B ;xeP;T.sihem ~w{Y;h yin.Wv.reg -yiK ? ~yirex]a ~yih{l/a d{b][ .$el r{mael
20
"Now then, do not let my
blood fall to the
ground away from the
presence of the
LORD; for the
king of
Israel has
come out to
search for a
single flea,
just as one
hunts a
partridge in the
mountains."
yen.P d,g,Nim h'c.r;a yim'D l{PIy -l;a h'T;[.w ? v{[.r;P -t,a veQ;b.l lea'r.fIy .$,l,m a'c'y -yiK h'wh.y ? ~yir'h,B aer{Q;h @{D.rIy r,v]a;K d'x,a
21
Then
Saul said, "I have
sinned.
Return, my
son David, for I will not
harm you
again because * my
life was
precious in your
sight this day.
Behold, I have
played the
fool and have
committed a
serious * error."
yiK diw'd -yin.B b.Wv yita'j'x l.Wa'v r,ma{Y;w ? yiv.p;n h'r.q'y r,v]a t;x;T dw{[ '$.l [;r'a -a{l ? h,G.v,a'w yiT.l;K.sih heNih h,Z;h ~w{Y;h '$y,nye[.B ? d{a.m heB.r;h
22
David replied,
"Behold the
spear of the
king! Now let
one of the
young men come over and
take it.
r{b][;y.w .$,l,M;h tyin]x;h<02595!> heNih r,ma{Y;w diw'D !;[;Y;w ? 'h,x'QIy.w ~yir'[.N;hem d'x,a
23
"The
LORD will
repay each man for his
righteousness and his
faithfulness; for the
LORD delivered you into my
hand today, but I
refused * to
stretch out my
hand against the
LORD'S anointed.
w{t'nUm/a -t,a.w w{t'q.dic -t,a vyia'l byiv'y h'why;w ? yityib'a a{l.w d'y.B ~w{Y;h h'wh.y '$.n't.n r,v]a ? h'wh.y ;xyiv.miB yid'y ;x{l.vil
24
"Now
behold, as your
life was
highly valued in my
sight this day,
so may my
life be
highly valued in the
sight of the
LORD, and may He
deliver me from
all distress."
y'nye[.B h,Z;h ~w{Y;h '$.v.p;n h'l.d'G r,v]a;K heNih.w ? yineliC;y.w h'wh.y yenye[.B yiv.p;n l;D.giT !eK ? h'r'c -l'Kim
25
Then
Saul said to
David,
"Blessed are you, my
son David; you will
both accomplish much and
surely prevail." So
David went on his
way, and
Saul returned to his
place.
yin.B h'T;a .$.Wr'B diw'D -l,a l.Wa'v r,ma{Y;w ? .$,leY;w l'k.WT l{k'y ~;g.w h,f][;t h{f'[ ~;G diw'd ? w{mw{q.mil b'v l.Wa'v.w w{K.r;d.l diw'D