The XXVI. Chapter.
[ A] THey of Siph came to Saul vnto Gi¦beath, & sayde: Is not Dauid hyd vpō the hill of Hachila, which lyeth ouer agaynst the wyldernesse? Then Saul gat him vp, and wente downe to the wilder¦nes of Siph, and thre thousande chosen men of Israel with him, to seke Dauid in the wil¦dernes of Siph, and pitched vpon the hill of Hachila, which lyeth by the waye before the wildernes. But Dauid remayned in the wyldernes, and whan he sawe that Saul ca¦me after him in to the wildernes, he sent out spyes, and knewe of a suertie, that he was co¦me in dede.
And Dauid gat him vp, and came to the place where Saul had pitched his tēt, and sawe the place where Saul laye with his chefe captayne Abner ye sonne of Ner: for Saul laye in the tent, and the hoost aboute him. Then answered Dauid, and sayde vnto Ahimelech the Hethite, and to Abisai the sonne of Ieru Ia ye brother of Ioab: Who wil go downe wt me to Saul in to the hoost? Abisai sayde: I wil go downe with the.
[ B] So Dauid and Abisai came to the peo∣ple in the night season, & beholde, Saul laye and slepte in the tent, and his speare stacke in ye grounde at his heade. But Abner and the people laye rounde aboute him. Thē say¦de Abisai vnto Dauid: God hath closed thi¦ne enemye in thyne hande this daye. Therfo¦re will I now thrust him thorow once with the speare euen in to the grounde, yt he shall haue ynough of it. Neuertheles Dauid say∣de vnto Abisai: Destroye him not, for who wil laye hande vpon the anoynted of ye LOR¦DE, & remayne vngiltye? Dauid sayde mor∣ouer: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, yf ye LORDE him selfe smyte him not, or excepte his tyme come that he dye, or that he go in to the battayll and perishe, the LORDE let it be farre fro me, that I shulde laye my han¦de on the LORDES anoynted. Take ye spea¦re now therfore at his heade, & the cuppe of water, & let vs go. So Dauid toke ye speare & the cuppe of water at Sauls heade, & they wente their waye. And there was no man yt sawe it, ner perceaued it, nether awaked, but they slepte euery one, for there was a depe slepe fallen vpon them from the LORDE.
Now whan Dauid was come ouer on ye [ C] other syde, he stode vpon the toppe of the mount a farre of (so that there was a wyde space betwene them) and cried vpon ye peo∣ple, and vpō Abner the sonne of Ner, & say∣de: Hearest thou not Abner? And Abner an∣swered and sayde: Who art thou that cryest so, and diseasest the kynge? And Dauid say∣de vnto Abner: Art thou not a man? And where is there soch one as thou in Israel? Why hast thou not then kepte thy lorde ye kynge? for there is one of ye people come in to destroye thy lorde ye kynge. It is not well that thou hast done. As truly as the LORDE lyueth ye are the children of death, because ye haue not kepte youre lorde the LORDES anoynted. Beholde now, where is ye kynges speare, and the cuppe of water that was at his heade.
Then knewe Saul the voyce of Dauid, and saide: Is not that thy voyce my sonne Dauid? Dauid sayde: It is my voyce my lor∣de the kynge. And he sayde morouer: Why doth my lorde so persecute his seruaunt? What haue I done? and what euell is the∣re in my hande? Yet let my lorde the kynge heare but the wordes of his seruaunt? Yf ye [ D] LORDE prouoke the against me, let there be smelled a meat offerynge: but yf the childrē of men do it, cursed be they before the LOR∣DE, because they haue thrust me out this daye (that I shulde not dwell in the LORDES inheritaunce) and saye: Go yt waye, and ser∣ue other goddes. So fall not now my blou∣de vpon the earth from the face of the LOR¦DE. For the kynge of Israel is gone forth to seke a flee, as a partriche is folowed on vpō the mountaynes.
And Saul sayde: I haue synned: Come a∣gayne Dauid my sonne, I wil do the nomore hurte, because my soule hath bene deare in ye sighte this daye. Beholde, I haue done foo∣lishly and very vnwysely. Dauid answered and sayde: Beholde, here is the kynges spea¦re, let one of the yonge men come ouer here and fetch it. But the LORDE shal rewarde euery one acordinge to his righteousnes and faith, for ye LORDE delyuered yt this daye into my hande: neuertheles I wolde not laie my hande vpō the LORDES anoynted. And as ye soule hath bene greatly reputed in my sighte this daye, so let ye LORDE repute my soule in his sighte, & delyuer me from all trou¦ble. Saul saide vnto Dauid: Blessed be thou Dauid my sonne, thou shalt do it, & be able. But Dauid wente his waye, and Saul tur∣ned agayne vnto his place.