Kings I 19
1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, to kill David.
Now Saul spoke to his son Jonathan, and to all his servants, so that they would kill David. But Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David very much.
2 And Jonathan, Saul's son, loved David much: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul seeks to kill you: take heed to yourself therefore to-morrow morning, and hide yourself, and dwell in secret.
And Jonathan revealed it to David, saying: “Saul, my father, is seeking to kill you. Because of this, I ask you, take care for yourself in the morning. And you should conceal yourself and remain in hiding.
3 And I will go forth, and stand near my father in the field where you shall be, and I will speak concerning you to my father; and I will see what his answer may be, and I will tell you.
Then I, going out, will be standing beside my father in the field, where you will be. And I will speak about you to my father. And whatever I see, I will report to you.”
4 And Jonathan spoke favorably concerning David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against your servant David, for he has not sinned against you, and his deeds [are] very good.
Then Jonathan spoke good things about David to his father Saul. And he said to him: “You should not sin, O king, against your servant David. For he has not sinned against you, and his works toward you are very good.
5 And he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance; and all Israel saw, and rejoined: why then do you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?
And he took his life in his own hand, and struck down the Philistine. And the Lord wrought a great salvation for all of Israel. You saw it, and you rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by killing David, who is without guilt?”
6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, saying, [As] the Lord lives, he shall not die.
And when Saul had heard this, being pleased by the voice of Jonathan, he swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.”
7 And Jonathan called David, and told him all these words; and Jonathan brought David in to Saul, and he was before him as in former times.
And so Jonathan called David, and he revealed to him all of these words. And Jonathan led in David to Saul, and he was before him, just as he had been yesterday and the day before.
8 And there was again war against Saul; and David did valiantly, and fought against the Philistines, and struck them with a very great slaughter, and they fled from before him.
Then the war was stirred up again. And David went out and fought against the Philistines. And he struck them down with a great slaughter. And they fled from his face.
9 And an evil spirit from God was upon Saul, and he was resting in his house, and a spear [was] in his hand, and David was playing on the harp with his hands.
And the evil spirit from the Lord came to Saul, who was sitting in his house and holding a lance. And David was playing music with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to strike David with the spear; and David withdrew [suddenly] from the presence of Saul; and he drove the spear into the wall; and David retreated and escaped.
And Saul attempted to fix David to the wall with the lance. But David turned aside from the face of Saul. And the lance failed to wound him, and it became fixed in the wall. And David fled, and so he was saved that night.
11 And it came to pass in that night, that Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to kill him in the morning; and Melchol David's wife told him, saying, Unless you save your life this night, to-morrow you shall be slain.
Therefore, Saul sent his guards to David’s house, so that they might watch for him, and so that he might be killed in the morning. And after Michal, his wife, had reported this to David, saying, “Unless you save yourself this night, tomorrow you will die,”
12 So Melchol lets David down by the window, and he departed, and fled, and escaped.
she lowered him down through a window. Then he fled and went away, and he was saved.
13 And Melchol took images, and laid them on the bed, and she put the liver of a goat by his head, and covered them with clothes.
Then Michal took a statue, and placed it on the bed. And she placed the pelt of a goat for the hair at its head. And she covered it with clothes.
14 And Saul sent messengers to take David; and they say that he is sick.
And Saul sent attendants to seize David. And it was answered that he was sick.
15 And he sends to David, saying, Bring him to me on the bed, that I may kill him.
And again, Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him to me on the bed, so that he may be killed.”
16 And the messengers come, and, behold, the images [were] on the bed, and the goat's liver at his head.
And when the messengers had arrived, they found a likeness on the bed, with a goat pelt at its head.
17 And Saul said to Melchol, Why have you thus deceived me, and suffered my enemy to depart, and he has escaped? and Melchol said to Saul, He said, let me go, and if not, I will kill you.
And Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me in this way, and released my enemy, so that he may flee?” And Michal responded to Saul, “Because he said to me, ‘Release me, otherwise I will kill you.’”
18 So David fled, and escaped, and comes to Samuel to Armathaim, and tells him all that Saul had done to him: and Samuel and David went, and lived in Navath in Rama.
Now David was saved by fleeing, and he went to Samuel in Ramah. And he reported to him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went away and stayed at Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David [is] in Navath in Rama.
Then it was reported to Saul by some, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth, in Ramah.”
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw the assembly of the prophets, and Samuel stood [as] appointed over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesy.
Therefore, Saul sent officers to seize David. And when they had seen a company of prophets prophesying, with Samuel presiding over them, the Spirit of the Lord also came to them, and they also began to prophesy.
21 And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied: and Saul sent again a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied.
And when this was reported to Saul, he sent other messengers. But they also prophesied. And again, Saul sent messengers a third time. And they also prophesied. And Saul, being exceedingly angry,
22 And Saul was very angry, and went himself also to Armathaim, and he comes as far as the well of the threshing floor that is in Sephi; and he asked and said, Where [are] Samuel and David? And they said, Behold, in Navath in Rama.
also went to Ramah himself. And he went as far as the great cistern, which is in Socoh. And he inquired and said, “In which place are Samuel and David?” And it was told to him, “Behold, they are at Naioth, in Ramah.”
23 And he went thence to Navath in Rama: and there came the Spirit of God upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Navath in Rama.
And he went to Naioth, in Ramah, and the Spirit of the Lord came to him also. And he continued on, walking and prophesying, until he arrived at Naioth, in Ramah.
24 And he took off his clothes, and prophesied before them; and lay down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they said, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?
And he also took off his garments, and he prophesied with the others before Samuel. And he fell down naked, throughout that day and night. From this, too, is derived the proverb, “Could Saul also be among the prophets?”
