7. So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his head, but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8. Then Abishai said to David, God has delivered thy enemy into thy hand today; now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear and pin him to the earth at once, and I will not need a second opportunity.
9. And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who has stretched forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and remained innocent?
10. David said furthermore, As the Lord lives, if the Lord does not smite him or his day comes to die or he descends into battle and perishes,
11. the Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his head and the cruse of water and let us go.
12. So David took the spear and the cruse of water that were at Saul’s head, and they went, and no one saw it nor knew it neither awaked, for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13. Then David went over to the other side and stood out of the way on the top of the mountain, a great space being between them;
14. and David cried to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, Dost thou not answer, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that dost cry to the king?
15. And David said to Abner, Art not thou a man? And who is there like unto thee in Israel? Why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king thy lord.
16. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord lives, ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the cruse of water that was at his head.