And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came [{406}] to his master. But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said unto him, "Go, carry them to the city."
And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of his hiding place, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another. And Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord shall be between me and thee, and between my family and thy family, for ever.'"
And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
DAVID AN OUTLAW.
How He Showed Mercy to His Enemy.
(After this David became a fugitive from the king, who pursued him and tried to kill him. David gathered a band of followers and for a time lived as an outlaw, hiding in caves, plundering farms, living from hand to mouth. Several times he had the king in his power, but each time he allowed him to escape. This is the story of one of these adventures.)
And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?"
Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the [{407}] desert. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was certainly come. And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay within the barricade of the wagons, and the people were encamped round about him. Then said David, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?"
And Abishai said, "I will go down with thee."
So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the barricade of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him. Then said Abishai to David, "God hath delivered up thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not need to smite him the second time."
And David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not: for who can put forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?"