Dāvids otrreiz saudzē Saula dzīvību
1 Pie Saula uz Gibu atnāca zīfieši un teica: “Vai tik tas nav Dāvids, kas slēpjas Hahīlas pakalnā, kas iepretim Ješimonai?” 2 Sauls cēlās un devās lejā uz Zīfas tuksnesi, un trīs tūkstoši atlasītu Israēla vīru kopā ar viņu devās meklēt Zīfas tuksnesī Dāvidu. 3 Sauls apmetās Hahīlas pakalnā, kas iepretī Ješimonai pie ceļa. Dāvids mita tuksnesī, un viņš redzēja, ka Sauls atnācis pēc viņa uz tuksnesi. 4 Dāvids sūtīja izlūkus un uzzināja, ka Sauls te atnācis uz palikšanu. 5 Tad Dāvids cēlās un devās turp, kur Sauls bija apmeties. Dāvids noskatīja, kur guļ Sauls un viņa karaspēka virspavēlnieks Abnērs, Nēra dēls, – Sauls gulēja nometnes vidū, un ļaudis sagūluši viņam visapkārt. 6 Dāvids bilda hetietim Ahīmeleham un Abīšajam, Cerūjas dēlam, Joāba brālim: “Kurš kopā ar mani kāps lejā uz nometni pie Saula?” Abīšajs teica: “Es iešu ar tevi!” 7 Dāvids un Abīšajs nonāca pie karapulka naktī, un, redzi, Sauls gulēja aizmidzis apļa vidū, un galvgalī – zemē iedurts viņa šķēps, bet ap viņu Abnērs un viss karapulks. 8 Abīšajs teica Dāvidam: “Šodien Dievs licis tavu ienaidnieku tavās rokās. Es pieduršu viņu pie zemes ar vienu šķēpa cirtienu, otru reizi nevajadzēs!” 9 Bet Dāvids teica Abīšajam: “Nenokauj viņu! Kas gan var pacelt roku pret Kunga svaidīto, palikdams bez vainas?”
10 Dāvids teica: “Dzīvs Kungs! – Kungs viņu satrieks vai arī pienāks viņa laiks un viņš mirs, vai arī viņš dosies karā un ies bojā. 11 Bet mani lai Kungs pasargā, ka es paceltu roku pret Kunga svaidīto! Un nu paņem šķēpu, kas viņam galvgalī, ūdens krūku un ejam!” 12 Dāvids paņēma šķēpu un ūdens krūku no Saula galvgaļa, un viņi aizgāja. Neviens nedz redzēja, nedz zināja, nedz kāds pamodās – visi gulēja, jo Kungs tiem bija uzsūtījis dziļu miegu. 13 Dāvids pārgāja ielejai un nostājās kalna galā krietnu gabalu no turienes. 14 Tad Dāvids sauca karapulkam un Abnēram, Nēra dēlam: “Ei, Abnēr, vai tu man neatbildēsi?” Un Abnērs atsaucās: “Kas tu tāds esi, ka uzsauc ķēniņam!”
15 Dāvids teica Abnēram: “Vai tu neesi vīrs, kam nav līdzīga Israēlā? Kāpēc tad tu nenosargāji savu kungu, ķēniņu? Jo kāds bija nācis nokaut tavu kungu, ķēniņu! 16 Nav labi, ko tu esi darījis – dzīvs Kungs! – par to, ka nenosargājāt savu kungu, Kunga svaidīto, jūs esat pelnījuši nāvi. Paskatieties nu, kur ir ķēniņa šķēps un ūdens krūka, kas bija viņam galvgalī?” 17 Sauls pazina Dāvida balsi un teica: “Vai tā tava balss, mans dēls Dāvid?” Un Dāvids atbildēja: “Mana gan, kungs, ķēniņ!” 18 Un viņš teica: “Kāpēc mans kungs vajā savu kalpu? Ko esmu nodarījis un ko esmu noziedzies? 19 Lai jel mans kungs, ķēniņš, uzklausa sava kalpa vārdus. Ja Kungs tevi mudinājis pret mani, lai viņš saož labības upura smaržu, bet, ja cilvēku dēli, tad lai nolādēti viņi Kunga priekšā, jo tie man lieguši palikt Kunga īpašumā, sacīdami: ej kalpo citiem dieviem! 20 Lai manas asinis nelīst zemē tālumā no Kunga! Jo Israēla ķēniņš ir izgājis meklēt vienu pašu blusu – gluži kā irbi dzenādams kalnos!” 21 Un Sauls teica: “Esmu grēkojis! Atgriezies, mans dēls Dāvid, jo es tev vairs nedarīšu ļaunu. Turpretim tev šodien mana dzīvība ir bijusi dārga. Redzi, cik muļķīgi es esmu darījis un cik briesmīgi kļūdījies!” 22 Dāvids atbildēja: “Redzi, ķēniņa šķēps! Lai kāds no puišiem nāk un to paņem. 23 Kungs ikvienam atdarīs pēc viņa taisnīguma un uzticības. Kungs gan šodien tevi nodeva manās rokās, bet es negribēju pacelt roku pret Kunga svaidīto! 24 Un, redzi, cik vērta man šodien bija tava dzīvība, tikpat vērta viņam būs mana dzīvība, un viņš mani izraus no visām bēdām.”
25 Sauls teica: “Esi svētīts, mans dēls Dāvid! Darīt tu darīsi un varēt varēsi!” Un Dāvids aizgāja savu ceļu, bet Sauls griezās atpakaļ.
David Spares Saul's Life Again
1 Some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah and told him that David was hiding on Mount Hachilah at the edge of the Judean wilderness. 2 Saul went at once with three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel to the wilderness of Ziph to look for David, 3 and camped by the road on Mount Hachilah. David was still in the wilderness, and when he learned that Saul had come to look for him, 4 he sent spies and found out that Saul was indeed there. 5 He went at once and located the exact place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, slept. Saul slept inside the camp, and his men camped around him.
6 Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab (their mother was Zeruiah), “Which of you two will go to Saul's camp with me?”
“I will,” Abishai answered.
7 So that night David and Abishai entered Saul's camp and found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. 8 Abishai said to David, “God has put your enemy in your power tonight. Now let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground with just one blow—I won't have to strike twice!”
9 But David said, “You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. 10 By the living Lord,” David continued, “I know that the Lord himself will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. 11 The Lord forbid that I should try to harm the one whom the Lord has made king! Let's take his spear and his water jar, and go.” 12 So David took the spear and the water jar from right beside Saul's head, and he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what had happened or even woke up—they were all sound asleep, because the Lord had sent a heavy sleep on them all.
13 Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley to the top of the hill, a safe distance away, 14 and shouted to Saul's troops and to Abner, “Abner! Can you hear me?”
“Who is that shouting and waking up the king?” Abner asked.
15 David answered, “Abner, aren't you the greatest man in Israel? So why aren't you protecting your master, the king? Just now someone entered the camp to kill your master. 16 You failed in your duty, Abner! I swear by the living Lord that all of you deserve to die, because you have not protected your master, whom the Lord made king. Look! Where is the king's spear? Where is the water jar that was right by his head?”
17 Saul recognized David's voice and asked, “David, is that you, my son?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” David answered. 18 And he added, “Why, sir, are you still pursuing me, your servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed? 19 Your Majesty, listen to what I have to say. If it is the Lord who has turned you against me, an offering to him will make him change his mind; but if some people have done it, may the Lord's curse fall on them. For they have driven me out from the Lord's land to a country where I can only worship foreign gods. 20 Don't let me be killed on foreign soil, away from the Lord. Why should the king of Israel come to kill a flea like me? Why should he hunt me down like a wild bird?”
21 Saul answered, “I have done wrong. Come back, David, my son! I will never harm you again, because you have spared my life tonight. I have been a fool! I have done a terrible thing!”
22 David replied, “Here is your spear, Your Majesty. Let one of your men come over and get it. 23 The Lord rewards those who are faithful and righteous. Today he put you in my power, but I did not harm you, whom the Lord made king. 24 Just as I have spared your life today, may the Lord do the same to me and free me from all troubles!”
25 Saul said to David, “God bless you, my son! You will succeed in everything you do!”
So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.
