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¹ And it comes to pass, when Saul has turned back from after the Philistines, that they declare to him, saying, "Behold, David [is] in the wilderness of En-gedi."² And Saul takes three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goes to seek David and his men, on the front of the rocks of the wild goats,³ and he comes to folds of the flock, on the way, and there [is] a cave, and Saul goes in to cover his feet; and David and his men are abiding in the sides of the cave.⁴ And the men of David say to him, "Behold, the day of which YHWH said to you, Behold, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you have done to him as it is good in your eyes"; and David rises and cuts off the skirt of the upper robe which [is] on Saul with stealth.⁵ And it comes to pass afterward that the heart of David strikes him, because that he has cut off the skirt which [is] on Saul,⁶ and he says to his men, "Far be it from me, by YHWH; I do not do this thing to my lord—to the anointed of YHWH—to put forth my hand against him, for he [is] the anointed of YHWH."⁷ And David subdues his men by words, and has not permitted them to rise against Saul; and Saul has risen from the cave, and goes on the way;⁸ and David rises afterward, and goes out from the cave, and calls after Saul, saying, "My lord, O king!" And Saul looks attentively behind him, and David bows—face to the earth—and pays respect.

⁹ And David says to Saul, "Why do you hear the words of man, saying, Behold, David is seeking your calamity?¹⁰ Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that YHWH has given you into my hand today in the cave; and [one] said to slay you, and [my eye] has pity on you, and I say, I do not put forth my hand against my lord, for he [is] the anointed of YHWH.¹¹ And my father, see, indeed see the skirt of your upper robe in my hand; for by cutting off the skirt of your upper robe, and I have not slain you, know and see that there is not evil and transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, and you are hunting my soul to take it!¹² YHWH judges between me and you, and YHWH has avenged me of you, and my hand is not on you;¹³ as the allegory of the ancients says, Wickedness goes out from the wicked, and my hand is not on you.¹⁴ After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog! After one flea!¹⁵ And YHWH has been for judge, and has judged between me and you, indeed, He sees and pleads my cause, and delivers me out of your hand."

¹⁶ And it comes to pass, when David completes to speak these words to Saul, that Saul says, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifts up his voice, and weeps.¹⁷ And he says to David, "You [are] more righteous than I; for you have done me good, and I have done you evil;¹⁸ and you have declared today how that you have done good with me, how that YHWH shut me up into your hand, and you did not slay me,¹⁹ and that a man finds his enemy, and has sent him away in a good manner; and YHWH repays you good for that which you did to me this day.²⁰ And now, behold, I have known that you certainly reign, and the kingdom of Israel has stood in your hand;²¹ and now, swear to me by YHWH [that] you do not cut off my seed after me, nor do you destroy my name from the house of my father."²² And David swears to Saul, and Saul goes to his house, and David and his men have gone up to the fortress.