6. Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7. So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.
8. Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.
9. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can put forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?
10. And David said, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle, and perish.
11. The LORD forbid that I should put forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
12. So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
13. Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them:
14. and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saving, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
15. And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
16. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD'S anointed. And now, see, where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.