² So Saul went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand of the best warriors of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

⁷ So David and Abishai reached Saul’s soldiers by night, and there was Saul lying asleep within the camp, his spear thrust into the ground at his head and Abner and his troops sleeping around him.

⁸ Abishai whispered to David: “God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not need to strike him twice!”^{(A) 9} But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him, for who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?

¹² So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head, and they withdrew without anyone seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because a deep slumber^[a] from the Lord had fallen upon them.^(A)

David Taunts Abner. ¹³ Crossing over to an opposite slope, David stood on a distant hilltop. With a great distance between them

²² But David answered: “Here is the king’s spear. Let an attendant come over to get it. ²³ The Lord repays everyone’s righteousness and faithfulness. Although the Lord delivered you into my hands today, I could not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.^(A)