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?"

And David said, "As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his
day shall come to die; or he shall go down into the battle, and
perish. The Lord forbid that I should put forth mine hand against the
Lord's anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his
head, and the jar of water, and let us go."

So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's {408} head;
and they went away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any
awake: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord
was fallen upon them. Then David went over to the other side, and
stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between
them: and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner,
saying, "Answerest thou not, Abner?"

Then Abner answered and said, "Who art thou that criest to the king?"

And David said to Abner, "Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like
to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy
lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king
thy lord. This thing is not