1 Samuel 19
1 Then Saul spake to Ionathan his sonne, and to all his seruantes, that they shoulde kill Dauid: but Ionathan Sauls sonne had a great fauour to Dauid.
Then Saul instructed his son Jonathan and all his officials to kill David. But Jonathan really liked David,
2 And Ionathan told Dauid, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: nowe therefore, I pray thee, take heede vnto thy selfe vnto the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thy selfe.
so he warned him, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning—find a place to hide and stay hidden.
3 And I will go out, and stand by my father in the fielde where thou art, and will commune with my father of thee, and I will see what he sayth, and will tell thee.
I'll go out with my father and stand in the field near to where you are hiding. I'll talk to him about you and see what I can find out, then I'll let you know.”
4 And Ionathan spake good of Dauid vnto Saul his father, and said vnto him, Let not the King sinne against his seruat, against Dauid: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works haue bene to thee very good.
Then Jonathan spoke positively about David to his father Saul, and told him, “The king should not do anything bad to his servant David because he's not done anything bad to you—he has always served you well.
5 For he did put his life in daunger, and slew the Philistim, and the Lord wrought a great saluation for al Israel: thou sawest it, and thou reioycedst: wherefore then wilt thou sinne against innocent blood, and slay Dauid without a cause?
He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about great salvation for the whole of Israel. You saw it and you were delighted, so why would you sin and spill innocent blood by killing David without having any reason?”
6 Then Saul hearkened vnto the voyce of Ionathan, and Saul sware, As the Lord liueth, he shall not dye.
Saul accepted what Jonathan had to say, and promised with an oath: “I swear on the life of the Lord, he won't be put to death.”
7 So Ionathan called Dauid, and Ionathan shewed him all those words, and Ionathan brought Dauid to Saul, and hee was in his presence as in times past.
Later Jonathan called David and told him all that had been said. Then he took him to Saul, and David worked for Saul as he had before.
8 Againe the warre began, and Dauid went out and fought with the Philistims, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.
War broke out once again, and David went to fight the Philistines. He attacked them so forcefully that they ran away in defeat.
9 And the euill spirit of the Lord was vpon Saul, as hee sate in his house hauing his speare in his hand, and Dauid played with his hand.
A while later an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. As David played the lyre,
10 And Saul intended to smite Dauid to the wall with the speare: but hee turned aside out of Sauls presence, and he smote the speare against the wall: but Dauid fled, and escaped the same night.
Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. David managed to dodge the spear which embedded itself in the wall. Then David escaped and ran away into the night.
11 Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal Dauids wife told it him, saying, If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne.
Saul sent some messengers to David's house to keep watch and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, “If you don't get away tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed.”
12 So Michal let Dauid downe through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
Michal lowered David down from a window, and he ran off, managing to escape.
13 Then Michal tooke an image, and layde it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goates heare vnder the head of it, and couered it with a cloth.
Then she took a home idol and laid it in the bed, put a goat hair wig on its head, and covered it with bedclothes.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take Dauid, she sayd, He is sicke.
When Saul sent the messengers to arrest David, Michal told them, “He's sick.”
15 And Saul sent the messengers againe to see Dauid, saying, Bring him to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me in the bed so I can kill him.”
16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed, with a pillow of goates heare vnder the head of it.
But when the messengers went into the bedroom, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair wig on its head.
17 And Saul said vnto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemie, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said vnto me, Let me go, or els I will kill thee.
“Why did you trick me like this—helping my enemy get away so he could escape?” Saul asked Michal. “He told me, ‘Get out of my way! I don't want to have to kill you!’” Michal replied.
18 So Dauid fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
This is how David got away and escaped. He went to Samuel at Ramah and explained to him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to stay in Naioth.
19 But one tolde Saul, saying, Beholde, Dauid is at Naioth in Ramah.
When Saul got to hear that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 And Saul sent messengers to take Dauid: and when they sawe a company of Prophets prophecying, and Samuel standing as appoynted ouer them, the Spirit of God fell vpon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophecied.
he sent messengers to arrest him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading out, the Spirit of God came on Saul's messengers and they started prophesying too.
21 And when it was tolde Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophecied likewise: againe Saul sent the third messengers, and they prophecied also.
Saul was told what had happened, so he sent more messengers, and they started prophesying as well.
22 Then went he himselfe to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked, and sayd, Where are Samuel and Dauid? and one sayd, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
For the third time Saul sent messengers, and they also started prophesying.
23 And he went thither, euen to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came vpon him also, and he went prophecying vntill hee came to Naioth in Ramah.
In the end Saul went himself to Ramah and arrived at the large cistern at Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he asked. “At Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. So Saul went on to Naioth at Ramah, but the Spirit of God even came on him, and he was prophesying as he walked along until he arrived in Naioth.
24 And he stript off his clothes, and he prophesied also before Samuel, and fell downe naked all that day and all that night: therefore they say, Is Saul also among the Prophets?
Then Saul also took off his clothes and he too prophesied in Samuel's presence. Then he fell down and lay there naked all that day and all that night. That's why it is said, “Is Saul one of the prophets too?”
