10. This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the lord’s anointed one.’
11. Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.
12. “May the lord judge between us. Perhaps the lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.
13. As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you.
14. Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea?
15. May the lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”
16. When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry.
17. And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil.