¹It happened, when Saul returned from after the Philistines, that they told him, saying, "Look, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi."

²Saul took three thousand men chosen from all Israel and went to search for David and his men upon the face of the boulders of the wild goats.

³He came to the sheepfolds of the flock along the road, and a cave was there; and Saul went in to relieve himself, while David and his men were dwelling in the flanks of the cave.

⁴The men of David said to him, "Look, this is the day of which Yahweh said to you, 'Look, I am setting your enemy in your hand, and you will do to him as it goes well in your eyes.'" And David rose and cut off the wing of the robe that was Saul's, in secret.

⁵It happened after this that David's heart struck him because he had cut off the wing that was Saul's.

⁶He said to his men, "Far be it for me, from Yahweh, that I should do this word to my lord, to the anointed of Yahweh, to stretch out my hand against him; for he is the anointed of Yahweh."

⁷David tore into his men with words and did not let them rise up against Saul; and Saul rose from the cave and went on his way.

⁸David rose after that, and went out of the cave and called out after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" Saul looked behind him, and David bowed low, his face to the land, and bowed down.

⁹David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of a man saying, 'Look, David is seeking evil against you'?

¹⁰Look, this day your eyes have seen that Yahweh gave you today in my hand in the cave; and someone said to kill you, but it looked on you with compassion, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Yahweh.'

¹¹And, my father, see! Yes, see the wing of your robe in my hand; for when I cut off the wing of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is no evil or transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, yet you lie in wait for my living being to take it.

¹²May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me on you; but my hand will not be against you.

¹³As the proverb of the ancient one says, 'From the wicked comes wickedness'; but my hand will not be against you.

¹⁴After whom has the king of Israel gone forth? After whom do you run? After a dead dog, after one flea!

¹⁵Yahweh will become judge, and he will judge between me and you; and may he see, and contend in my dispute, and may he vindicate me from your hand."

¹⁶It happened, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

¹⁷He said to David, "You are righteous more than I; for you have dealt out to me good, while I have dealt out to you evil.

¹⁸And you have told this day what good you have done with me, in that Yahweh closed me up in your hand, and you did not kill me.

¹⁹For if a man finds his enemy, will he send him away on a good road? So may Yahweh repay you good in place of this day, which you have done for me.

²⁰And now, look, I know that you will surely reign, and the kingdom of Israel will rise in your hand.

²¹And now swear an oath to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not wipe out my name from the house of my father."

²²David swore an oath to Saul, and Saul went to his house; but David and his men went up to the stronghold.