1 Samuel 24 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And it came to pass when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
1 When Saul had returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.”
2 And Saul took three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet; and David and his men were abiding in the recesses of the cave.
3 He came to the sheep pens by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were staying in the innermost parts of the cave.
4 And David's men said to him, Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee, Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.
4 David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.
5 And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
5 Afterward, David’s heart struck him because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 And he said to his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my master, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.
6 He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”
7 And David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on [his] way.
7 So David checked his men with these words, and didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 David also arose afterwards, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.
9 And David said to Saul, Why dost thou listen to words of men, saying, Behold, David seeks thy hurt?
9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had given thee this day into my hand in the cave; and they bade me kill thee; but [mine eye] spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Jehovah.
10 Behold, today your eyes have seen how Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is Yahweh’s anointed.’
11 And see, my father, yes, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it.
11 Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it.
12 Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
12 May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me of you; but my hand will not be on you.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness;’ but my hand will not be on you.
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.
14 Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
15 Jehovah therefore shall be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and do me justice [in delivering me] out of thy hand.
15 May Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”
16 And as soon as David had ended speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
16 It came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.
18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me, forasmuch as when Jehovah had delivered me up into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.
18 You have declared today how you have dealt well with me, because when Yahweh had delivered me up into your hand, you didn’t kill me.
19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that thou hast done to me this day.
19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me today.
20 And now behold, I know that thou shalt certainly be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand.
20 Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
21 Swear now therefore to me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
21 Swear now therefore to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”
22 And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home; and David and his men went up to the stronghold.
22 David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 23:28–29; Proverbs 29:12; Hosea 7:3; 1 Samuel 23:19; Ezekiel 22:9
- 2 1 Samuel 26:2; Psalm 141:6; Psalm 104:18; 1 Samuel 13:2; Psalm 38:12
- 3 Judges 3:24; Psalm 142:1–7; Psalm 57:1–11; Psalm 141:6
- 4 1 Samuel 26:8–11; 1 Samuel 26:23; 1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 25:28–30; 1 Samuel 24:18
- 5 2 Samuel 24:10; 2 Samuel 12:9; 1 John 3:20–21; 2 Kings 22:19
- 6 2 Samuel 1:14; Romans 12:14–13:2; Job 31:29–30; 1 Samuel 26:9–11; 1 Thessalonians 5:15
- 7 Psalm 7:4; Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:17–21; 1 Samuel 25:33
- 8 1 Samuel 25:23–24; 1 Samuel 26:17; Romans 13:7; 1 Samuel 20:41; Genesis 17:3
- 9 Ecclesiastes 7:21–22; Proverbs 29:12; Psalm 101:5; 1 Samuel 26:19; Proverbs 18:8
- 10 1 Samuel 24:4; Psalm 105:15; 1 Samuel 26:8–9
- 11 1 Samuel 26:20; 1 Samuel 23:23; 1 Samuel 23:14; 1 Samuel 26:18; 2 Kings 5:13
- 12 Psalm 43:1; Judges 11:27; Psalm 35:1; Genesis 16:5; Romans 12:19
- 13 Matthew 7:20; Matthew 7:16–18; Matthew 12:33–34; Matthew 15:19
- 14 1 Samuel 26:20; 2 Samuel 9:8; 1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Samuel 3:8
- 15 Psalm 43:1; Psalm 35:1; Psalm 119:154; 1 Samuel 24:12; Micah 7:9
- 16 1 Samuel 26:17; Acts 6:10; Luke 21:15; Proverbs 15:1; Genesis 33:4
- 17 Matthew 5:44; 1 Samuel 26:21; Genesis 38:26; Romans 12:20–21; Matthew 27:4
- 18 1 Samuel 26:23; 1 Samuel 23:12; 1 Samuel 23:7; 1 Samuel 26:8; 1 Samuel 24:10
- 19 Proverbs 25:21–22; 1 Samuel 26:25; Psalm 18:20; Judges 17:2; 1 Samuel 23:21
- 20 1 Samuel 23:17; Matthew 2:3–6; 2 Samuel 3:17–18; 1 Samuel 13:14; Matthew 2:16
- 21 Genesis 21:23; 2 Samuel 21:6–8; 1 Samuel 20:14–17; Genesis 31:53; Hebrews 6:16
- 22 1 Samuel 23:29; Matthew 10:16–17; John 2:24; Proverbs 26:24–25
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For thus it is written: "And David's heart smote him because he had taken away the skirt of his cloak." But to the men with him, who advised him to destroy Saul thus delivered up into his hands, he saith, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's christ, to lay my hand upon …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… shown: but Saul not even after their betrayal could seize David; but rather in a certain cave in that very country, when into his hands Saul had been given to slay, David spared him, and that which he had in his power he did not. But the other was seeking to do that which he had not in his power.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)