1And from there, David went up and took cover in the safe place of En-gedi.
2Now when Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, news was given him that David was in the waste land of En-gedi.
3Then Saul took three thousand of the best men out of all Israel, and went in search of David and his men on the rocks of the mountain goats.
4And on the way he came to a place where sheep were kept, where there was a hollow in the rock; and Saul went in for a private purpose. Now David and his men were in the deepest part of the hollow.
5And David's men said to him, Now is the time when the Lord says to you, I will give up your hater into your hands to do with him whatever seems good to you. Then David, getting up, took the skirt of Saul's robe in his hand, cutting off the end of it without his knowledge.
6And later, David was full of regret for cutting off Saul's skirt.
7And David said to his men, Before the Lord, never let it be said that my hand was lifted up against my lord, the man of the Lord's selection, for the Lord's holy oil has been put on him.