11
the Lord be merciful to me, that I hold not forth mine hand into the christ of the Lord; now therefore take thou the spear, that is at his head, and the cup of water, and go we away. (the Lord forbid/God forbid that I put my hand against the Lord's anointed; and so now, let us take the spear, that is at his head, and the cup of water, and go we away.)
12
Then David took the spear, and the cup of water, that was at the head of Saul, and they went forth, and no man was that saw, and understood, and waked, but all men slept (and there was no one who saw it, or knew it, or even awoke, but all the men slept); for the sleep of the Lord had fallen [up]on them.
13
And when David had passed [over] even against, and had stood on the top of the hill afar (off), and a great space was betwixt them,
14
David cried to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, and said, Abner, whether thou wilt not answer? (Abner, wilt thou not answer me?) And Abner answered, and said, Who art thou, that criest, and dis-easest the king?
15
And David said to Abner, Whether thou art not a man (Art thou not a man), and what other man is like thee in Israel? why therefore hast thou not kept thy lord the king (safe)? For one man of the company entered, that he should slay thy lord the king;
16
this that thou hast done, is not good; the Lord liveth, for ye be sons of death, that kept not your lord, the christ of the Lord (this is not good, what thou hast done; as the Lord liveth, for ye be the sons of death, who kept not your lord safe, yea, the Lord's anointed). Now therefore see thou, where is the spear of the king, and where is the cup of water, that was at his head.
17
Forsooth Saul knew the voice of David, and said, Whether this voice is thine, my son David? And David said, My lord the king, it is my voice. (And Saul knew the voice of David, and said, Is this thy voice, David my son? And David said, My lord the king, it is my voice.)
18
And David said, For what cause pursueth my lord his servant? What have I done, either what evil is in mine hand?
19
Now therefore, my lord the king, I pray, hear the words of thy servant; if the Lord stirreth thee against me, the sacrifice be smelled; forsooth if [the] sons of men stir thee, they be cursed in the sight of the Lord, which have cast me out today, that I dwell not in the heritage of the Lord, and say, Go thou, serve thou alien gods. (And so now, my lord the king, I pray thee, listen to the words of thy servant; if the Lord stirreth thee against me, let the sacrifice be smelled; but if the sons of men stir thee, be they cursed before the Lord, they who have thrown me out today, so that I live not in the inheritance of the Lord, and who say to me, Go thou, serve thou foreign, or other, gods.)
20
And now my blood be not shed out in the earth before the Lord; for the king of Israel hath gone out, that he seek a quick flea, as a partridge is pursued in hills. (And now let not my blood be shed out on the ground before the Lord; for the king of Israel hath gone out, so that he can seek after a quick, or an insignificant, flea, like a partridge is pursued over the hills.)
21
And Saul said, I have sinned; turn thou again, my son David, for I shall no more do evil to thee, for my life was precious today in thine eyes; for it seemeth, that I have done follily (that I have done foolishly), and I have unknown full many things.