< 1 Samuel 19 >

1 Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan liked David very much.
And Saul gave orders to his son Jonathan and to all his servants to put David to death. But Saul's son Jonathan had great delight in David.
2 So Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul seeks to kill you. Please take care of yourself in the morning, and keep hidden in a secret place.
And Jonathan said to David, Saul, my father, is purposing your death: so now, take care in the morning, and keep yourself safe in a secret place:
3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you."
And I will go out and take my place by my father's side in the field near where you are; and I will get into talk with my father about you, and when I see how things are, I will give you word.
4 Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you;
And Jonathan gave his father Saul a good account of David, and said to him, Let not the king do wrong against his servant, against David; because he has done you no wrong, and all his acts have had a good outcome for you:
5 for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?"
For he put his life in danger and overcame the Philistine, and the Lord gave all Israel salvation: you saw it and were glad: why then are you sinning against him who has done no wrong, desiring the death of David without cause?
6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."
And Saul gave ear to the voice of Jonathan, and said with an oath, By the living Lord, he is not to be put to death.
7 Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.
Then Jonathan sent for David and gave him word of all these things. And Jonathan took David to Saul, who kept him by his side as in the past.
8 There was war again. David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
And there was war again: and David went out fighting the Philistines, causing great destruction among them; and they went in flight before him.
9 A harmful spirit from the LORD was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
And an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul, when he was seated in his house with his spear in his hand; and David made music for him.
10 Saul sought to pin David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.
And Saul would have sent his spear through him, pinning him to the wall, but he got away and the spear went into the wall: and that night David went in flight and got away.
11 Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Mikal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."
Then in that night Saul sent men to David's house to keep watch on him so as to put him to death in the morning: and David's wife Michal said to him, If you do not go away to a safe place tonight you will be put to death in the morning.
12 So Mikal let David down through the window. He went, fled, and escaped.
So Michal let David down through the window, and he went in flight and got away.
13 Mikal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with the clothes.
Then Michal took the image and put it in the bed, with a cushion of goat's hair at its head, and she put clothing over it.
14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
And when Saul sent men to take David, she said, He is ill.
15 Then he sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
And Saul sent his men to see David, saying, Do not come back without him, take him in his bed, so that I may put him to death.
16 When the messengers came in, look, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
And when the men came in, there was the image in the bed, with the cushion of goat's hair at its head
17 Saul said to Mikal, "Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped?" Mikal answered Saul, "He said, 'Let me go. Why should I kill you?'"
And Saul said to Michal, why have you been false to me, letting my hater go and get safely away? And in answer Michal said to Saul, He said to me, Let me go, or I will put you to death.
18 Now David 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 lived in the dwellings.
So David went in flight and got away and came to Ramah, to Samuel, and gave him an account of all Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and were living in Naioth.
19 And it was told to Saul, saying, "Look, David is in the dwellings at Ramah."
And word was given to Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to capture David. But when they saw a company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesied.
And Saul sent men to take David; and when they saw the band of prophets at work, with Samuel in his place at their head, the spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they became like prophets.
21 When it was told to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
And Saul, having news of this, sent other men, who in the same way became like prophets. And a third time Saul sent men, and they like the others became like prophets.
22 And Saul became very angry, and he himself also went to Ramah, and came to the cistern of the threshing floor that is on the bare hill. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Look, they are in the dwellings at Ramah."
Then he himself went to Ramah, and came to the great water-spring in Secu; and questioning the people he said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, They are at Naioth in Ramah.
23 So he went to the dwellings at Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to the dwellings in Ramah.
And he went on from there to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God came on him, and he went on, acting like a prophet, till he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes and prophesied before them, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
And he took off his clothing, acting like a prophet before Samuel, and falling down he was stretched out, without his clothing, all that day and all that night. This is the reason for the saying, Is even Saul among the prophets?

< 1 Samuel 19 >