1
When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told,
“Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.” 2 Then Saul took three
thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his
men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds by
the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself.
Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4
And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord
said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you
shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and
stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward David’s
heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 6 He said to his
men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’S
anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord‘S
anointed.“ 7 So David persuaded his men with these words, and did not
permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave, and went
upon his way.
The Revised Standard Version, (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.) 1973, 1977.