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1Another time Saul and his soldiers went to fight with the Philistia mob. After they came back, somebody told him this story, “David’s mob are in the desert at En-Gedi.”
2So Saul got 3,000 of his best soldiers together from every place in Israel. And they went off to look for David and his men in the hill country, near a place called the rocks of the wild goats .
3There were yards for sheep and goats at that place, near a cave. David and his men were in that place before Saul and his men got there, and David’s mob went into the cave to hide. Later on, Saul and his men came, and Saul went into the cave by himself to go to the toilet. But David and his men were already in that cave, right at the back. The cave was very big, so Saul did not see them.[#Psalm 57; 142]
4David’s men said to him, “You remember that God said this, ‘I will help you to beat your enemy that does wrong to you. You can do whatever you like to him.’ So you can kill him dead now.” David went quietly up behind Saul and cut off a little bit of his coat with his knife. Saul just sat there. He did not know what David was doing.
5But after he cut off that bit of Saul’s coat, David felt really shamed about it.
6He said to his men, “God picked Saul to be the big boss of Israel, so I can’t do wrong to him. I can’t touch him, no way.”[#1 Samuel 26:11]
7In that way, David told them not to hurt Saul. Soon after that, Saul stood up and went out of the cave.
8David waited a few minutes, then he went out too. He called out to Saul, “Hey boss.” Saul looked back over his shoulder. David got down on his knees, to show him respect.
9David said, “Some men reckon that I want to hurt you. Don’t listen to them.
10Just now God brought us together in this cave. I could do whatever I liked to you. Some said to me, ‘You can kill him dead now.’ But I was sorry for you. I said, ‘No, I can’t kill my boss. God picked him, to be the big boss of Israel.’
11Look at this, boss. I’m holding a little bit of your coat. I cut it off just then, when you were in the cave, but I did not kill you. This shows that I am not trying to do any wrong to you. I can’t make myself the big boss instead of you. But you keep on looking for me, to kill me.
12One day, God will judge you and me. If you do wrong to me, he will punish you. But I can’t kill you. No way.
13You know what people often say, ‘Only bad people do bad things.’ I do not want to be a bad person, so I will not touch you.”
16After David said that, Saul asked him, “Is that really you, my son David?” And he cried out loud.
17He said to David, “You are a good man, I am not. You are good to me, but I am giving you a hard time.
18And now you have just told me that you feel sorry for me. God brought us together in the cave, but still you did not kill me.
19Whenever a soldier finds his enemy, he can’t let him go. He never does that. But you are not like that. You are good to me. You did good to me today, so God will do good to you.
20I know that one day you will be the big boss of Israel.
21So promise me right now, with God listening, that you will not kill my family dead after you become the big boss. And after you become the big boss, keep on being good to them, so that my family will not finish up.”
22David promised to do what Saul asked. Then Saul went back home. But David went back with his men to the hill country, and they stayed in a safe place.