4
David sent spies to confirm that Saul had arrived.
5
Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. David saw the place where Saul and Ner's son Abner, the commander of the army, were lying. Saul was lying in the camp, and the troops were camped around him.
6
David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, who was Zeruiah's son and Joab's brother, "Who will go with me to Saul in the camp?" Abishai answered, "I'll go with you."
7
So David and Abishai went among [Saul's] troops that night. Saul was lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.
8
Abishai said to David, "Today God has turned your enemy over to you. Please let me nail him to the ground with one stab of the spear. I won't have to do it twice!"
9
"Don't kill him!" David told Abishai. "No one has ever attacked the LORD's anointed king and remained free of guilt.
10
I solemnly swear, as the LORD lives," David added, "the LORD will strike him. Either his time will come when he'll die [naturally], or he'll go into battle and be swept away.
11
It would be unthinkable for me to attack the LORD's anointed king. But please take that spear near his head and that jar of water, and let's go."
12
David took the spear and the jar of water near Saul's head, and they left. All of them were asleep. No one saw them, knew about it, or woke up. The LORD had made them fall into a deep sleep.
13
David went over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away. (There was a wide space between them.)
14
Then David called to the troops and to Ner's son Abner. "Won't you answer, Abner?" he asked. "Who is calling the king?" Abner asked.