1 Samuel 26:1-12

David Spares Saul at Ziph

26¹ Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that David is hiding out on the Hakilah Hill just opposite Jeshimon?" ² Saul was on his feet in a minute and on his way to the wilderness of Ziph, taking three thousand of his best men, the pick of the crop, to hunt for David in that wild desert. ³ He camped just off the road at the Hakilah Hill, opposite Jeshimon. ⁴ He sent scouts to determine his precise location. ⁵ Then David set out and came to the place where Saul had set up camp and saw for himself where Saul and Abner, son of Ner, his general, were staying. Saul was safely inside the camp, encircled by the army.

⁶ Taking charge, David spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother: "Who will go down with me and enter Saul's camp?" Abishai whispered, "I'll go with you." ⁷ So David and Abishai entered the encampment by night, and there he was - Saul, stretched out asleep at the center of the camp, his spear stuck in the ground near his head, with Abner and the troops sound asleep on all sides. ⁸ Abishai said, "This is the moment! God has put your enemy in your grasp. Let me nail him to the ground with his spear. One hit will do it, believe me; I won't need a second!" ⁹ 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?" ¹⁰ He went on, "As God lives, either God will strike him, or his time will come and he'll die in bed, or he'll fall in battle, ¹¹ but God forbid that I should lay a finger on God's anointed. Now, grab the spear at his head and the water jug and let's get out of here." ¹² David took the spear and water jug that were right beside Saul's head, and they slipped away. Not a soul saw. Not a soul knew. No one woke up! They all slept through the whole thing. A blanket of deep sleep from God had fallen on them.