1. When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, “Look, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.”
2. So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and he and his men went to search for David in the direction of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats.
3. He came to the sheep pens beside the road, and a cave was there. Then Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave.
4. And David’s men said to him, “Look, today is the day about which Yahweh said to you, ‘See, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems good to you.’ ” So David got up and secretly cut the hem of Saul’s robe.
5. And then afterward David felt guilty, because he had cut the hem of Saul’s robe.
6. He said to his men, “Far be it from me in Yahweh, that I do this thing to my lord, to Yahweh’s anointed one, by stretching out my hand against him! For he is the anointed one of Yahweh.”
7. So David rebuked his men with the words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave, and he went on his way.
8. Then David got up afterward and went out of the cave and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked after him, David knelt down with his face to the ground and bowed down.
9. Then David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say: ‘Look, David is seeking to do you harm’?
10. Look, this day your eyes have seen that Yahweh gave you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you. But I took pity on you and said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, because he is Yahweh’s anointed one.’
11. Now, my father, see, yes, see, the hem of your robe in my hand! For when I cut the hem of your robe I did not kill you. Know and realize that there is no evil or rebellion in my hand. I did not sin against you, but you are hunting down my life to take it.
12. May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me on you, but my hand will not be against you!