David Spares Saul

1Now whan Saul came agayne from the Philistines, it was tolde him: Beholde, Dauid is in the wyldernes of Engaddi. 2And Saul toke thre thousande chosen men out of all Israel, and wente to seke Dauid with his men vpon the stony rockes of the wylde goates. 3And whan he came to the shepe foldes by ye waye, there was a caue, and Saul wente in to couer his fete. But Dauid and his men sat behinde within the caue. 4Then sayde Dauids men vnto him: Lo, this is the daye, wherof the LORDE thy God hath sayde vnto the: Beholde, I wyll delyuer thyne enemye in to thy hande, that thou mayest do wt him what it pleaseth the. And Dauid stode vp, & cut of the typpe of Sauls garment quyetly. 5Neuertheles it smote him afterwarde in his hert, because he had cut of the typpe of Sauls garment, 6and sayde vnto his men: The LORDE let that be farre frome, that I shulde do it, & laye my hande vpo my lorde the LORDES anoyntd: for he is ye anoynted of the LORDE. 7And Dauid withelde his seruautes with wordes, & suffred the not to ryse vp agaynst Saul. But whan Saul gat him vp out of the caue, and was goinge his waye,

8Dauid rose vp also after him, and wente out of the caue, and cried behynde Saul, & sayde: My lorde the kynge. And Saul loked behynde him. And Dauid bowed downe his face to the earth, and worshipped, 9and sayde vnto Saul: Why herkenest thou vnto the wordes of men, that saye: Dauid seketh thy mysfortune? 10Beholde, thine eyes se this daye that the LORDE gaue the into my hande in the caue, and I was counceled to slaye the: Neuertheles thou wast fauoured, for I sayde: I wil not laye my hande vpon my lorde, for he is the LORDES anoynted. 11Beholde, my father the typpe of thy garment in my hande, that I wolde not slaye the, whan I cut of the typpe of thy garment. Knowe and se, yt there is no euell ner trespace in my hande: nether haue I offended the, and thou folowest after my soule, to take it awaye. 12The LORDE shal be iudge betwene me and the, and auenge me on the, but my hade shal not be vpon the, 13acordinge as it is sayde after the olde prouerbe: Vngodlynes commeth of the vngodly: but my hande shal not be vpon the. 14Whom persecutest thou O kynge of Israel, whom persecutest thou? a deed dogg? a flee? 15The LORDE be iudge, and geue sentence betwene me and the, and cosidre it, and defende my cause, and delyuer me from thy hande.

David’s Oath to Saul

16Now whan Dauid had spoken out these wordes vnto Saul, Saul saide: Is not this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? And Saul lifte vp his voyce, and wepte, 17and saide vnto Dauid: Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast recompesed me good, but I haue rewarded the euell. 18And this daye hast thou shewed me how thou hast done me good, for so moch as ye LORDE hath delyuered me in to thy hande, and thou neuertheles hast not slaine me. 19What is he, which yf he fynde his enemye, wyl let him go in a good waye? The LORDE rewarde the good for yt thou hast done vnto me this daye? 20Beholde now, I knowe that thou shalt be kynge, & the kyngdome of Israel stondeth in thy hande: 21sweare now therfore vnto me by the LORDE, yt thou shalt not rote out my sede after me, nether destroie my name out of my fathers house. 22And Dauid sware vnto Saul. Then wente Saul home, but Dauid gat him vp with his men vnto the castell.