Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 24"

1 Samuel 24

Common English Bible CEB

1 Even as Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was informed that David was in the En-gedi wilderness.

2 So Saul took three thousand men selected from all Israel and went to look for David and his soldiers near the rocks of the wild goats.

3 He came to the sheep pens beside the road where there was a cave. Saul went into the cave to use the restroom. Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were sitting in the very back of the cave.

4 David's soldiers said to him, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he promised you, ‘I will hand your enemy over to you, and you can do to him whatever you think best.'" So David snuck up and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

5 But immediately David felt horrible that he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

6 "The LORD forbid," he told his men, "that I should do something like that to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him, because he's the LORD's anointed!"

7 So David held his soldiers in check by what he said, and he wouldn't allow them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.

8 Then David also went out of the cave and yelled after Saul, "My master the king!" Saul looked back, and David bowed low out of respect, nose to the ground.

9 David said to Saul, "Why do you listen when people say, ‘David wants to ruin you'?

10 Look! Today your own eyes have seen that the LORD handed you over to me in the cave. But I refused to kill you. I spared you, saying, ‘I won't lift a hand against my master because he is the LORD's anointed.'

11 Look here, my protector! See the corner of your robe in my hand? I cut off the corner of your robe but didn't kill you. So know now that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I haven't wronged you, but you are hunting me down, trying to kill me.

12 May the LORD judge between me and you! May the LORD take vengeance on you for me, but I won't lift a hand against you.

13 As the old proverb goes, ‘Evil deeds come from evildoers!' but I won't lift a hand against you.

14 So who is Israel's king coming after? Who are you chasing? A dead dog? A single flea?

15 May the LORD be the judge and decide between you and me. May he see what has happened, argue my case, and vindicate me against you!"

16 As soon as David finished saying all this to Saul, Saul said, "David, my son, is that your voice?" Then he broke down in tears,

17 telling David, "You are more righteous than I am because you have treated me generously, but I have treated you terribly.

18 Today you've told me the good you have done for me—how the LORD handed me over to you, but how you didn't kill me.

19 When someone finds an enemy, do they send the enemy away in peace? May the LORD repay you with good for what you have done for me today.

20 Now even I know that you will definitely become king, and Israel's kingdom will flourish in your hands.

21 Because of that, make a solemn pledge to me by the LORD that you won't kill off my descendants after I'm gone and that you won't destroy my name from my family lineage."

22 David made a solemn pledge to Saul. Then Saul went back home, but David and his soldiers went up to the fortress.

The Message Bible MSG

1 When Saul came back after dealing with the Philistines, he was told, "David is now in the wilderness of En Gedi."

2 Saul took three companies - the best he could find in all Israel - and set out in search of David and his men in the region of Wild Goat Rocks.

3 He came to some sheep pens along the road. There was a cave there and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were huddled far back in the same cave.

4 David's men whispered to him, "Can you believe it? This is the day God was talking about when he said, 'I'll put your enemy in your hands. You can do whatever you want with him.'" Quiet as a cat, David crept up and cut off a piece of Saul's royal robe.

5 Immediately, he felt guilty.

6 He said to his men, "God forbid that I should have done this to my master, God's anointed, that I should so much as raise a finger against him. He's God's anointed!"

7 David held his men in check with these words and wouldn't let them pounce on Saul. Saul got up, left the cave, and went on down the road.

8 Then David stood at the mouth of the cave and called to Saul, "My master! My king!" Saul looked back. David fell to his knees and bowed in reverence.

9 He called out, "Why do you listen to those who say 'David is out to get you'?

10 This very day with your very own eyes you have seen that just now in the cave God put you in my hands. My men wanted me to kill you, but I wouldn't do it. I told them that I won't lift a finger against my master - he's God's anointed.

11 Oh, my father, look at this, look at this piece that I cut from your robe. I could have cut you - killed you! - but I didn't. Look at the evidence! I'm not against you. I'm no rebel. I haven't sinned against you, and yet you're hunting me down to kill me.

12 Let's decide which of us is in the right. God may avenge me, but it is in his hands, not mine.

13 An old proverb says, 'Evil deeds come from evil people.' So be assured that my hand won't touch you.

14 "What does the king of Israel think he's doing? Who do you think you're chasing? A dead dog? A flea?

15 God is our judge. He'll decide who is right. Oh, that he would look down right now, decide right now - and set me free of you!"

16 When David had finished saying all this, Saul said, "Can this be the voice of my son David?" and he wept in loud sobs.

17 "You're the one in the right, not me," he continued. "You've heaped good on me; I've dumped evil on you.

18 And now you've done it again - treated me generously. God put me in your hands and you didn't kill me.

19 Why? When a man meets his enemy, does he send him down the road with a blessing? May God give you a bonus of blessings for what you've done for me today!

20 I know now beyond doubt that you will rule as king. The kingdom of Israel is already in your grasp!

21 Now promise me under God that you will not kill off my family or wipe my name off the books."

22 David promised Saul. Then Saul went home and David and his men went up to their wilderness refuge.