1 Samuel 19
1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan the son of Saul loved David exceedingly.
Then spake Saul unto Jonathan his son, and unto all his servants, that they should put David to death;
2 And Jonathan told David, saying: Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: wherefore look to thyself, I beseech thee, in the morning, and thou shalt abide in a secret place and shalt be hid.
but, Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted in David, exceedingly, —so Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father, is seeking to put thee to death, —now, therefore, take heed to thyself I pray thee, in the morning, and abide thou in concealment, and hide thyself;
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art: and I will speak of thee to my father, and whatsoever I shall see, I will tell thee.
and, I, will come out and stand beside my father, in the field where, thou, art, and, I, will speak of thee unto my father, —and, if I see aught, I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spoke good things of David to Saul his father: and said to him: Sin not, O king, against thy servant, David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and his works are very good towards thee.
So then Jonathan spake of David things that were good, unto Saul his father, —and said unto him—May the king not sin against his servant—against David; for he hath not sinned against, thee, nay, indeed, his doings have been good to theeward exceedingly.
5 And he put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Why therefore wilt thou sin against innocent blood by killing David, who is without fault?
And, when he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and Yahweh wrought a great victory for all Israel, thou sawest, and didst rejoice. Wherefore, then, shouldst thou sin against innocent blood by putting David to death, without cause?
6 And when Saul heard this he was appeased with the words of Jonathan, and swore: As the Lord liveth he shall not be slain.
And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, —and Saul sware, By the life of Yahweh, he shall not be put to death!
7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these words: and Jonathan brought in David to Saul, and he was before him, as he had been yesterday and the day before.
And Jonathan called for David, and Jonathan told him all these things, —and Jonathan brought in David unto Saul, and so he was in his presence, as aforetime.
8 And the war began again, and David went out and fought against the Philistines, and defeated them with a great slaughter, and they fled from his face.
But, when the war again brake out, —and David went forth and fought with the Philistines, and smote them with a great smiting, and they fled before him,
9 And the evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, and he sat in his house, and held a spear in his hand: and David played with his hand.
then came there a sad spirit of Yahweh unto Saul, he being in his house, seated, with his spear in his hand, —while, David, played with his hand,
10 And Saul endeavoured to nail David to the wall with his spear. And David slipt away out of the presence of Saul: and the spear missed him, and was fastened in the wall, and David fled and escaped that night.
Saul sought to smite David with the spear, even to the wall, but he slipped away from before Saul, who smote the spear into the wall, —whereas, David, fled and escaped, that night.
11 Saul therefore sent his guards to David’s house to watch him, that he might be killed in the morning. And when Michol David’s wife had told him this, saying: Unless thou save thyself this night, tomorrow thou wilt die,
And Saul sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to put him to death, in the morning! And Michal his wife told David, saying, If thou do not deliver thyself to-night, to-morrow, art thou to be put to death.
12 She let him down through a window. And he went and fled away and escaped.
So Michal let down David, through the window, and he departed and fled, and escaped.
13 And Michol took an image and laid it on the bed, and put a goat’s skin with the hair at the head of it, and covered it with clothes.
And Michal took the household god, and put it in the bed, and, a fly-net of goat’s-hair, put she at its head, —and covered it with the clothes.
14 And Saul sent officers to seize David: and it was answered that he was sick.
And, when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said—He is, sick.
15 And again Saul sent to see David, saying: Bring him to me in the bed, that he may be slain.
So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, —Bring him up in the bed unto me, that I may put him to death.
16 And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon the bed, and a goat’s skin at its head.
And, when the messengers entered, lo! the household god in the bed, —with a fly-net of goat’s-hair at its head.
17 And Saul said to Michol: Why hast thou deceived me so, and let my enemy go and flee away? And Michol answered Saul: Because he said to me: Let me go, or else I will kill thee.
And Saul said unto Michal—Wherefore, in this way, hast thou deceived me, and let go mine enemy, that he hath escaped? Then said Michal unto Saul, He, himself, said unto me—Let me go, wherefore should I put thee to death?
18 But David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel in Ramatha, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Najoth.
So, David, fled, and escaped, and came in unto Samuel in Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him, —and he and Samuel departed, and dwelt in Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul by some, saying: Behold David is in Najoth in Ramatha.
And it was told Saul, saying, —Lo! David, is in Naioth, in Ramah.
20 So Saul sent officers to take David: and when they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel presiding over them, the spirit of the Lord came also upon them, and they likewise began to prophesy.
So Saul sent messengers to take David, but, when they saw the assembly of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, then came the Spirit of God upon the messengers of Saul, and, they also, were, moved to prophesy.
21 And when this was told Saul, he sent other messengers: but they also prophesied. And again Saul sent messengers the third time: and they prophesied also. And Saul being exceedingly angry,
And, when they told Saul, and he sent other messengers, then were, they also, moved to prophesy. And, when Saul again sent messengers a third time, then were, they also, moved to prophesy.
22 Went also himself to Ramatha, and came as far as the great cistern, which is in Socho, and he asked, and said: In what place are Samuel and David? And it was told him: Behold they axe in Najoth in Ramatha.
Then went, he also himself, to Ramah, and came in as far as the well of the threshing-floor which is in Sephi, and asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said—Lo! in Naioth, in Ramah.
23 And he went to Najoth in Ramatha, and the spirit of the Lord came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied till he came to Najoth in Ramatha.
And, when he departed from thence towards Naioth in Ramah, then came upon, him also, the Spirit of God, and he went on and on, and was moved to prophesy, until he entered Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped himself also of his garments, and prophesied with the rest before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and night. This gave occasion to a proverb: What! is Saul too among the prophets?
And, even he, stripped off his upper garments, and, even he, was moved to prophesy before Samuel, and lay prostrate, disrobed, all that day, and all the night. For this cause, do they say, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?
