Then Abishaisaidto David,"TodayGodhas deliveredyour enemyinto your hand;nowtherefore, pleaselet me strikehim with the spearto the groundwith onestroke,and I will not strike him the secondtime."
Then Abishaithe sonof Zeruiahsaidto the king,"Whyshould thisdeaddogcursemy lordthe king?Let me goovernowand cutoffhis head."
And You have not givenme overinto the handof the enemy;You have setmy feetin a largeplace.
Then Johananthe sonof Kareahspokesecretlyto Gedaliahin Mizpah,saying,"Let me goand killIshmaelthe sonof Nethaniah,and not a manwill know!Whyshould he takeyour life,so that allthe Jewswho are gatheredto you would be scatteredand the remnantof Judahwould perish?"
Whateveryou deviseagainstthe LORD,He will makea completeendof it. Distresswill not riseup twice.
For Godhas shutup allin disobediencesothat He may show mercyto all.
"Howcould onechasea thousand,And twoputtenthousandto flight,Unlesstheir Rockhad soldthem, And the LORDhad giventhem up?
And the LORDgavethem reston everyside,according to allthat He had swornto their fathers,and nooneof alltheir enemiesstoodbeforethem; the LORDgavealltheir enemiesinto their hand.
Judahwentup, and the LORDgavethe Canaanitesand the Perizzitesinto their hands,and they defeatedtenthousandmenat Bezek.
Davidstayedin the wildernessin the strongholds,and remainedin the hillcountryin the wildernessof Ziph.And Saulsoughthim everyday,but Goddid not deliverhim into his hand.
The menof Davidsaidto him, "Behold,[this is] the dayof whichthe LORDsaidto you, 'Behold;I am about to giveyour enemyinto your hand,and you shall doto him as it seemsgoodto you.'" Then Davidaroseand cutoffthe edgeof Saul'srobesecretly.
It cameabout afterwardthat David'sconsciencebotheredhim becausehe had cutoffthe edgeof Saul's[robe].
"The LORDwill repayeachman[for] his righteousnessand his faithfulness;for the LORDdeliveredyou into [my] handtoday,but I refusedto stretchout my handagainst the LORD'Sanointed.
So Davidand Abishaicameto the peopleby night,and behold,Saullaysleepinginside the circleof the campwith his spearstuckin the groundat his head;and Abnerand the peoplewere lyingaroundhim.
But Davidsaidto Abishai,"Do not destroyhim, for whocan stretchout his handagainst the LORD'Sanointedand be withoutguilt?"
