1 Un Dāvids aizgāja no turienes un apmetās Engedija nepieejamās kalnu augstienēs.
2 Un notika, kad Sauls bija atgriezies atpakaļ no filistiešu vajāšanas, tad viņam pateica, ka pēc ļaužu runām Dāvids esot Engedija tuksnesī.
3 Tad Sauls ņēma trīs tūkstoš izlasītus vīrus no visa Israēla un devās mēklēt Dāvidu un viņa vīrus austrumu pusē no Meža kazu klints.
4 Un kad viņš nonāca pie avju aplokiem ceļa malā, tad tur bija kāda ala, un tur Sauls iegāja dabiskās vaja-dzībās. Bet Dāvids un viņa vīri atradās alas dibenā.
5 Tad Dāvida vīri tam sacīja: „Redzi, šī patiesi ir tā diena, par kupu tas Kungs tev ir sacījis: Redzi, es tavu ienaidnieku nodošu tavā rokā, un tu viņam darīsi, kas tavām acīm labi patiks!“ Un Dāvids piecēlās un slepeni nogrieza Saula virssvārku stūri, kas tam bija mugurā.
6 Bet vēlāk Dāvidam sirds lēca jo strauji krūtīs, tādēļ ka viņš bija nogriezis apģērba stūri, kas piederēja Saulam.
7 Un viņš teica saviem vīriem: „Lai tas Kungs mani no tā pasargā, ka es ko nodaru savam pavēlniekam, tam, kas ir tā Kunga svaidīts, un lai es pret to nekad nepaceļu savu roku, jo viņš ir 1 tā Kunga svaidītais!“
8 Un Dāvids ar vārdiem apsauca pats i savus vīrus, un viņš tiem neļāva Saulam uzbrukt; un Sauls piecēlās un izgāja no alas.
9 Tūliņ pēc tam cēlās arī Dāvids, izgāja no alas un sauca Saulam nopakaļ: „Mans pavēlniek un ķēniņ!“ Kad Sauls atskatījās atpakaļ, tad Dāvids noliecās ar savu seju pie zemes, tā izteikdams ķēniņam savu suminājumu.
10 Un Dāvids sacīja Saulam: „Kāpēc tu klausi ļaužu valodām, kas saka: Redzi, Dāvids meklē tavu nelaimi?
11 Redzi, šodien tavas acis redz, ka tas Kungs tevi šodien tanī alā bija nodevis manā rokā; un kaut gan kāds gribēja mani pierunāt, lai es tevi nokauju, bet es tevi žēloju un domāju: Es tomēr necelšu savu roku pret savu pavēlnieku, jo viņš ir tā Kunga svaidītais.
12 Un nu mans tēvs, skaties šurp! Tu redzi te sava mēteļa stūri manā rokā un redzi, ka es esmu gan nogriezis tava mēteļa stūri, bet tevi neesmu nogalinājis; tāpēc atzīsti un saproti, ka manā prātā nav nedz ļaunuma, nedz viltus un ka es neesmu pret tevi apgrēkojies, bet tu gan uzglūni manai dvēselei, lai man to atrautu.
13 Lai tas Kungs pats ir tiesnesis starp mani un tevi, un lai tas Kungs pats atdara un atriebj tev manā vietā, bet mana roka nebūs pret tevi!
14 Sensenais sakāmvārds gan mēdz teikt: No bezdievīgiem iziet bezdievība! Bet mana roka nebūs pret tevi!
15 Ko tu, Israēla ķēniņ, esi izgājis vajāt? Ko tu īsteni vajā? Vienu beigtu suni, vienu atsevišķu blusu!
16 Tāpēc lai tas Kungs ir tiesnesis un lai izspriež taisnību un tiesu starp mani un tevi! Viņš arī izmeklēs manu lietu, aizstāvēs un atbrīvos mani no tavas rokas!“
17 Kad Dāvids bija beidzis šos vārdus ar Sauļu runāt, tad notika, ka Sauls sacīja: „Vai šī nav tava balss, mans dēls Dāvid?“ Un Sauls pacēla savu balsi un gauži raudāja.
18 Un viņš sacīja Dāvidam: „Tu esi taisnāks nekā es, jo tu man esi labu darījis, bet es pret tevi esmu ļauns bijis.
19 Un šodien tu esi savu mīlestību pret mani parādījis it sevišķi spēcīgi, jo kad tas Kungs mani bija nodevis tavā rokā, tu tomēr mani neesi nokāvis.
20 Vai tad ir kāds, kas, savu ienaidnieku atradis, to atlaistu, novēlēdams viņam labu ceļu? Lai tas Kungs tev par to atmaksā ar labu, ko tu šodien esi man darījis!
21 Un nu, redzi, tagad es zinu, ka tu tiešām valdīsi kā ķēniņš un ka tavās rokās pastāvēs Israēla ķēniņa valstība.
22 Tad nu tagad zvērē pie tā Kunga, ka tu manu dzimumu pēc manas nāves neiznīcināsi un ka tu neizdeldēsi manu vārdu manā dzimti!“
23 Tad Dāvids zvērēja Saulam, un Sauls atgriezās savās mājās, bet Dāvids un viņa vīri devās kalnup uz savām nocietinātām kalnu viesām.
David Spares Saul's Life
1 When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. 2 Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. 3 He came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself. It happened to be the very cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. 4 They said to him, “This is your chance! The Lord has told you that he would put your enemy in your power and you could do to him whatever you wanted to.” David crept over and cut off a piece of Saul's robe without Saul's knowing it. 5 But then David's conscience began to hurt, 6 and he said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the Lord chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the Lord!” 7 So David convinced his men that they should not attack Saul.
Saul got up, left the cave, and started away. 8 Then David went out after him and called to him, “Your Majesty!” Saul turned around, and David bowed down to the ground in respect 9 and said, “Why do you listen to people who say that I am trying to harm you? 10 You can see for yourself that just now in the cave the Lord put you in my power. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I felt sorry for you and said that I would not harm you in the least, because you are the one whom the Lord chose to be king. 11 Look, my father, look at the piece of your robe I am holding! I could have killed you, but instead I only cut this off. This should convince you that I have no thought of rebelling against you or of harming you. You are hunting me down to kill me, even though I have not done you any wrong. 12 May the Lord judge which one of us is wrong! May he punish you for your action against me, for I will not harm you in the least. 13 You know the old saying, ‘Evil is done only by evil people.’ And so I will not harm you. 14 Look at what the king of Israel is trying to kill! Look at what he is chasing! A dead dog, a flea! 15 The Lord will judge, and he will decide which one of us is wrong. May he look into the matter, defend me, and save me from you.”
16 When David had finished speaking, Saul said, “Is that really you, David my son?” And he started crying. 17 Then he said to David, “You are right, and I am wrong. You have been so good to me, while I have done such wrong to you! 18 Today you have shown how good you are to me, because you did not kill me, even though the Lord put me in your power. 19 How often does someone catch an enemy and then let him get away unharmed? The Lord bless you for what you have done to me today! 20 Now I am sure that you will be king of Israel and that the kingdom will continue under your rule. 21 But promise me in the Lord's name that you will spare my descendants, so that my name and my family's name will not be completely forgotten.” 22 David promised that he would.
Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back to their hiding place.
