Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Samuel 23
²⁷ an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.
²⁸ So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.
²⁹ David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
1 Samuel 24
¹ After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi.
² So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.
³ At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!
⁴ “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.
⁵ But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe.
⁶ “The LORD knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.”
⁷ So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,
⁸ David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.