1 Samuel 26:9

Good News Translation

But David said, "You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be innocent?”

Hebrew Names Version
David said to Avishai, Don't destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?

King James Version
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord 's anointed, and be guiltless?

Lexham English Bible
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him! For who has stretched out his hand against Yahweh's anointed one and remained blameless?"

English Standard Version
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord 's anointed and be guiltless?"

New Century Version
But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill Saul! No one can harm the Lord 's appointed king and still be innocent!

New English Translation
But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord 's chosen one and remain guiltless?"

Amplified Bible
But David said to Abishai, "Do not kill him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD'S anointed [king] and be guiltless (innocent)?"

New American Standard Bible
But David said to Abishai, "Do not kill him, for who can reach out with his hand against the LORD'S anointed and remain innocent?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid sayde to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand on the Lordes anoynted, and be giltlesse?

Legacy Standard Bible
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can send forth his hand against the anointed of Yahweh and be without guilt?"

Contemporary English Version
"Don't kill him!" David whispered back. "The Lord will punish anyone who kills his chosen king.

Complete Jewish Bible
But David said to Avishai, "Don't destroy him! Nobody can raise his hand against Adonai 's anointed without becoming guilty!"

Darby Translation
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?

Easy-to-Read Version
But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill Saul! Anyone who hurts the Lord 's chosen king must be punished.

George Lamsa Translation
But David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORDS anointed, and be guiltless?

Literal Translation
And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who shall put forth his hand against the anointed of Jehovah and be guiltless?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles Dauid sayde vnto Abisai: Destroye him not, for who wil laye hande vpon the anoynted of ye LORDE, & remayne vngiltye?

American Standard Version
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?

Bible in Basic English
And David said to Abishai Do not put him to death; for who, without sin, may put out his hand against the man on whom the Lord has put the holy oil?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid saide to Abisai, Destroye him not: For who can laye his hand on the Lordes annoynted, and be giltlesse?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said to Abishai: 'Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?'

King James Version (1611)
And Dauid sayd to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed, and be guiltlesse?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Abessa, Do not lay him low, for who shall lift up his hand against the anointed of the Lord, and be guiltless?

English Revised Version
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can put forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?

Berean Standard Bible
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid seide to Abysai, Sle thou not hym, for who schal holde forth his hond into the crist of the Lord, and schal be innocent?

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Abishai, `Destroy him not; for who hath put forth his hand against the anointed of Jehovah, and been acquitted?'

Update Bible Version
And David said to Abishai, Don't destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against Yahweh's anointed, and be innocent?

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be guiltless?

World English Bible
David said to Abishai, Don't destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against Yahweh's anointed, and be guiltless?

New King James Version
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?"

New Living Translation
"No!" David said. "Don't kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord 's anointed one?

New Life Bible
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him. For who can put his hand out against the Lord's chosen one and not be guilty?"

New Revised Standard
But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord 's anointed, and be guiltless?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But David said unto Abishai, Do not destroy him, - for who that hath thrust forth his hand against the Anointed of Yahweh, shall be guiltless?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Abisai: Kill him not: for who shall put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and shall be guiltless?

Revised Standard Version
But David said to Abi'shai, "Do not destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?"

THE MESSAGE
But David said to Abishai, "Don't you dare hurt him! Who could lay a hand on God 's anointed and even think of getting away with it?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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?"

Contextual Overview

⁶ Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab (their mother was Zeruiah), "Which of you two will go to Saul's camp with me?" "I will," Abishai answered. ⁷ So that night David and Abishai entered Saul's camp and found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. ⁸ Abishai said to David, "God has put your enemy in your power tonight. Now let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground with just one blow—I won't have to strike twice!" ⁹ But David said, "You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. ¹⁰ By the living Lord ," David continued, "I know that the Lord himself will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. ¹¹ The Lord forbid that I should try to harm the one whom the Lord has made king! Let's take his spear and his water jar, and go." ¹² So David took the spear and the water jar from right beside Saul's head, and he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what had happened or even woke up—they were all sound asleep, because the Lord had sent a heavy sleep on them all.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

who can stretch: 1 Samuel 24:6, 1 Samuel 24:7, 2 Samuel 1:14, 2 Samuel 1:16, Psalms 105:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:28 - nor curse 1 Samuel 12:5 - his anointed 1 Samuel 23:7 - God hath 1 Samuel 24:10 - the Lord's 1 Samuel 25:33 - avenging 1 Samuel 26:16 - Lord's 1 Samuel 26:23 - I would not 2 Samuel 19:21 - cursed 2 Samuel 20:21 - lifted 1 Kings 21:3 - The Lord 2 Kings 8:15 - And it came Psalms 7:4 - I have Psalms 119:61 - but I Psalms 119:87 - but I forsook Proverbs 24:11 - General Lamentations 4:20 - the anointed

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said to Abishai, destroy him not,.... He laid his commands upon him not to hurt him:

for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? since Saul was king, and appointed to that office by the Lord, and was anointed by his order for it, and invested with it by him, his person was sacred, and not to be touched; nor could his life be taken away by any without being guilty of a very great crime indeed, which it might be justly expected the Lord would resent and punish.