24:1 掃羅追趕非利士人回來，有人告訴他說：「大衛在隱‧基底的曠野。」
24:2 掃羅就從以色列人中挑選三千精兵，率領他們往野羊的磐石去，尋索大衛和跟隨他的人。
24:3 到了路旁的羊圈，在那裡有洞，掃羅進去大解。大衛和跟隨他的人正藏在洞裡的深處。
24:4 跟隨的人對大衛說：「耶和華曾應許你說：『我要將你的仇敵交在你手裡，你可以任意待他。』如今時候到了！」大衛就起來，悄悄地割下掃羅外袍的衣襟。
24:5 隨後大衛心中自責，因為割下掃羅的衣襟；
24:6 對跟隨他的人說：「我的主乃是耶和華的受膏者，我在耶和華面前萬不敢伸手害他，因他是耶和華的受膏者。」
24:7 大衛用這話攔住跟隨他的人，不容他們起來害掃羅。掃羅起來，從洞裡出去行路。
24:8 隨後大衛也起來，從洞裡出去，呼叫掃羅說：「我主，我王！」掃羅回頭觀看，大衛就屈身、臉伏於地下拜。
24:9 大衛對掃羅說：「你為何聽信人的讒言，說大衛想要害你呢？
24:10 今日你親眼看見在洞中，耶和華將你交在我手裡；有人叫我殺你，我卻愛惜你，說：『我不敢伸手害我的主，因為他是耶和華的受膏者。』
24:11 我父啊，看看你外袍的衣襟在我手中。我割下你的衣襟，沒有殺你；你由此可以知道我沒有惡意叛逆你。你雖然獵取我的命，我卻沒有得罪你。
24:12 願耶和華在你我中間判斷是非，在你身上為我伸冤，我卻不親手加害於你。
24:13 古人有句俗語說：『惡事出於惡人。』我卻不親手加害於你。
24:14 以色列王出來要尋找誰呢？追趕誰呢？不過追趕一條死狗，一個虼蚤就是了。
24:15 願耶和華在你我中間施行審判，斷定是非，並且鑒察，為我伸冤，救我脫離你的手。」
24:16 大衛向掃羅說完這話，掃羅說：「我兒大衛，這是你的聲音嗎？」就放聲大哭，
24:17 對大衛說：「你比我公義；因為你以善待我，我卻以惡待你。
24:18 你今日顯明是以善待我；因為耶和華將我交在你手裡，你卻沒有殺我。
24:19 人若遇見仇敵，豈肯放他平安無事地去呢？願耶和華因你今日向我所行的，以善報你。
24:20 我也知道你必要作王，以色列的國必堅立在你手裡。
24:21 現在你要指著耶和華向我起誓，不剪除我的後裔，在我父家不滅沒我的名。」
24:22 於是大衛向掃羅起誓，掃羅就回家去；大衛和跟隨他的人上山寨去了。
After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.
8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.
14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”
16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18 You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”
22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
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大衛在此展現的君王風範勝過了掃羅，掃羅求大衛：「我也知道你必要作王，以色列的國必堅立在你手裡。現在你要指著耶和華向我起誓，不剪除我的後裔，在我父家不滅沒我的名。」
雖然掃羅向他示好，當然並不是從此以後掃羅與大衛之間就平安無事，掃羅依然是心胸狹小，仍然時時刻刻想除掉大衛！只是大衛保持一個原則，就是不可以傷害耶和華的受膏者！他不是不恨惡掃羅，是因為耶和華的緣故尊重保羅而已！
其實對一位事奉上帝的人，尊重教會中有權柄的人也是非常必要的！因為尊重上帝的僕人，就是敬畏上帝！正如大衛尊重掃羅的背後原因，不是害怕掃羅的權勢，而是因為敬畏上帝！
我們要成為一位敬畏上帝的人，就需要從這樣的操練開始，為主的緣故尊重在教會中的領袖，就如牧師、長老、執事和傳道師、…等等，不在乎他們如何，而是在乎設立他們的主！
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