---
title: "1 Samuel 26 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/1-samuel/26/
description: "Saul goeth out again after David, who cometh by night where Saul and his men… 1 Samuel 26 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# 1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26 is chapter 26 of 31 in the First Book of Samuel. Here are all 25 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Saul goeth out again after David, who cometh by night where Saul and his men are asleep, but suffereth him not to be touched. Saul again confesseth his fault, and promiseth peace.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## 1 Samuel 26 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. And the Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying: “Behold, David is hidden on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the wilderness.”
2. And Saul rose up, and he descended into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand elect men of Israel, so that he might seek David in the desert of Ziph.
3. And Saul encamped at Gibeah on Hachilah, which was opposite the wilderness on the way. But David was living in the desert. Then, seeing that Saul had arrived after him in the wilderness,
4. he sent explorers, and he learned that he certainly had arrived in that place.
5. And David rose up secretly, and he went to the place where Saul was. And when he had seen the place where Saul was sleeping, and Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of his military, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the remainder of the common people all around him,
6. David spoke to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will descend with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will descend with you.”
7. Therefore, David and Abishai went to the people by night, and they found Saul lying down and sleeping in the tent, with his spear fixed in the ground at his head. And Abner and the people were sleeping all around him.
8. And Abishai said to David: “God has enclosed your enemy this day in your hands. Now therefore, I will pierce him with my lance, through to the ground, once, and there will not need to be a second.”
9. And David said to Abishai: “You shall not kill him. For who may extend his hand against the Christ of the Lord, and yet be innocent?”
10. And David said: “As the Lord lives, unless the Lord himself will strike him, or unless his day to die will have arrived, or unless, descending into battle, he will perish,
11. may the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, take the spear that is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go.”
12. And so, David took the spear, and the cup of water that was at Saul’s head, and they went away. And there was no one who saw it, or realized it, or awakened, but they were all sleeping. For a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen over them.
13. And when David had crossed over to the opposite side, and had stood upon the top of the hill far away, so that there was a great interval between them,
14. David cried out to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not respond, Abner?” And responding, Abner said, “Who are you, that you would cry out and disquiet the king?”
15. And David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? And who else is like you in Israel? Then why have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people entered, so that he might kill the king, your lord.
16. This is not good, what you have done. As the Lord lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your lord, the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, where is the king’s spear, and where is the cup of water that was at his head?”
17. Then Saul recognized the voice of David, and he said, “Is this not your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.”
18. And he said: “For what reason has my lord pursued his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is there in my hand?
19. Now therefore, listen, I beg you, my lord the king, to the words of your servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him make the sacrifice fragrant. But if the sons of men have done so, they are accursed in the sight of the Lord, who has cast me out this day, so that I would not live within the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve strange gods.’
20. And now, let not my blood be poured out upon the earth before the Lord. For the king of Israel has gone out, so that he might seek a flea, just as the partridge is pursued amid the mountains.”
21. And Saul said: “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will never again do evil to you, because my life has been precious in your eyes this day. For it is apparent that I have acted senselessly, and have been ignorant of very many things.”
22. And responding, David said: “Behold, the king’s spear. Let one of the servants of the king cross over and take it.
23. And the Lord will repay each one according to his justice and faith. For the Lord has delivered you this day into my hand, but I was not willing to extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord.
24. And just as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and may he free me from all distress.”
25. Then Saul said to David: “You are blessed, my son David. And whatever you may do, it shall certainly succeed.” And David departed on his way. And Saul returned to his place.

## 1 Samuel 26 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Et venerunt Ziphæi ad Saul in Gabaa, dicentes: Ecce David absconditus est in colle Hachila, quæ est ex adverso solitudinis.
2. Et surrexit Saul, et descendit in desertum Ziph, et cum eo tria millia virorum de electis Israël, ut quæreret David in deserto Ziph.
3. Et castrametatus est Saul in Gabaa Hachila, quæ erat ex adverso solitudinis in via: David autem habitabat in deserto. Videns autem quod venisset Saul post se in desertum,
4. misit exploratores, et didicit quod illuc venisset certissime.
5. Et surrexit David clam, et venit ad locum ubi erat Saul: cumque vidisset locum in quo dormiebat Saul, et Abner filius Ner, princeps militiæ ejus, et Saulem dormientem in tentorio, et reliquum vulgus per circuitum ejus,
6. ait David ad Achimelech Hethæum, et Abisai filium Sarviæ fratrem Joab, dicens: Quis descendet mecum ad Saul in castra? Dixitque Abisai: Ego descendam tecum.
7. Venerunt ergo David et Abisai ad populum nocte, et invenerunt Saul jacentem et dormientem in tentorio, et hastam fixam in terra ad caput ejus: Abner autem et populum dormientes in circuitu ejus.
8. Dixitque Abisai ad David: Conclusit Deus inimicum tuum hodie in manus tuas: nunc ergo perfodiam eum lancea in terra semel, et secundo opus non erit.
9. Et dixit David ad Abisai: Ne interficias eum: quis enim extendet manum suam in christum Domini, et innocens erit?
10. Et dixit David: Vivit Dominus, quia nisi Dominus percusserit eum, aut dies ejus venerit ut moriatur, aut in prælium descendens perierit:
11. propitius sit mihi Dominus ne extendam manum meam in christum Domini. Nunc igitur tolle hastam quæ est ad caput ejus, et scyphum aquæ, et abeamus.
12. Tulit igitur David hastam, et scyphum aquæ qui erat ad caput Saul, et abierunt: et non erat quisquam qui videret, et intelligeret, et evigilaret, sed omnes dormiebant, quia sopor Domini irruerat super eos.
13. Cumque transisset David ex adverso, et stetisset in vertice montis de longe, et esset grande intervallum inter eos,
14. clamavit David ad populum, et ad Abner filium Ner, dicens: Nonne respondebis, Abner? Et respondens Abner, ait: Quis es tu, qui clamas, et inquietas regem?
15. Et ait David ad Abner: Numquid non vir tu es? et quis alius similis tui in Israël? quare ergo non custodisti dominum tuum regem? ingressus est enim unus de turba ut interficeret regem dominum tuum.
16. Non est bonum hoc, quod fecisti: vivit Dominus, quoniam filii mortis estis vos, qui non custodistis dominum vestrum, christum Domini: nunc ergo vide ubi sit hasta regis, et ubi sit scyphus aquæ qui erat ad caput ejus.
17. Cognovit autem Saul vocem David, et dixit: Numquid vox hæc tua, fili mi David? Et ait David: Vox mea, domine mi rex.
18. Et ait: Quam ob causam dominus meus persequitur servum suum? quid feci? aut quod est malum in manu mea?
19. Nunc ergo audi, oro, domine mi rex, verba servi tui: si Dominus incitat te adversum me, odoretur sacrificium: si autem filii hominum, maledicti sunt in conspectu Domini qui ejecerunt me hodie ut non habitem in hæreditate Domini, dicentes: Vade, servi diis alienis.
20. Et nunc non effundatur sanguis meus in terram coram Domino: quia egressus est rex Israël ut quærat pulicem unum, sicut persequitur perdix in montibus.
21. Et ait Saul: Peccavi: revertere, fili mi David: nequaquam enim ultra tibi malefaciam, eo quod pretiosa fuerit anima mea in oculis tuis hodie: apparet enim quod stulte egerim, et ignoraverim multa nimis.
22. Et respondens David, ait: Ecce hasta regis: transeat unus de pueris regis, et tollat eam.
23. Dominus autem retribuet unicuique secundum justitiam suam et fidem: tradidit enim te Dominus hodie in manum meam, et nolui extendere manum meam in christum Domini.
24. Et sicut magnificata est anima tua hodie in oculis meis, sic magnificetur anima mea in oculis Domini, et liberet me de omni angustia.
25. Ait ergo Saul ad David: Benedictus tu, fili mi David: et quidem faciens facies, et potens poteris. Abiit autem David in viam suam, et Saul reversus est in locum suum.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Sun, Feb 20, 2028 (computed): Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time — First Reading, 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).