1 Samuel 19
1 Then Saul urged all his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David. But Jonathan liked David very much.
Then spake Saul unto Jonathan his son, and unto all his servants, that they should put David to death;
2 So he warned David, “My father Saul is seeking for a way to kill you. So be careful. Tomorrow morning go and find a place to hide [in the field].
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 I will ask my father to go out there with me. [While we are out there], I will talk to him about you. Then I will tell you everything that he tells me.” [So David did what Jonathan told him to do].
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 [The next morning], Jonathan spoke with his father, saying many good things about David. He said, “You should never do anything to harm your servant David! He has never done anything to harm you! Everything that he has done has helped you very much.
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 He was in danger of being killed when he fought against [Goliath, the champion of] the Philistia [army. By enabling David to kill him], Yahweh won a great victory for all the people of Israel. You were very happy when you saw that. Why would you want to do anything now to harm David [RHQ]? There is no reason for you to kill him, because he has not done anything wrong!”
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 Saul listened to what Jonathan said. Then Saul said, “I solemnly promise that just as certain as Yahweh lives, I will not kill David.”
And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, —and Saul sware, By the life of Yahweh, he shall not be put to death!
7 Afterward, Jonathan summoned David and told him what he and Saul had said. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David served Saul as he had done 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 One day a war started again, and David [led his soldiers to] fight against the Philistia army. David’s [army] attacked them very furiously, with the result that the Philistia army ran away.
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 But one day when sitting in his house, an evil spirit [sent] from Yahweh [suddenly] came upon Saul. While David was playing his harp [for Saul],
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 Saul hurled his spear at David to try to fasten him to the wall. David (dodged/jumped to one side), and the spear did not hit him. The spear stuck in the wall, but that night David escaped.
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 Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house. He told them to watch the house and to kill David [while he was leaving the house] the following morning. But David’s wife Michal [saw them and] warned him, “To survive, you must run away tonight, because if you do not do that, you will be killed tomorrow!”
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 So she enabled David to climb out through a window, and he ran away and escaped.
So Michal let down David, through the window, and he departed and fled, and escaped.
13 Then Michal took an idol and put it in the bed. She covered it with some [of David’s] clothes, and put some goat’s hair on the head of the idol.
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 When the messengers came [to the house the next morning], she told them that David was sick [and could not get out of bed].
And, when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said—He is, sick.
15 [When they reported that to] Saul, he told them to go back to David’s house. He said to them, “Bring him to me lying on his bed, in order that I can kill him!”
So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, —Bring him up in the bed unto me, that I may put him to death.
16 But when those men entered David’s house, they saw that there was only an idol in the bed, with goat’s hair on 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 [When they reported that to Saul, ] Saul [summoned] Michal [and] said to her, “Why did you trick me like that? You allowed my enemy to escape!” Michal replied to Saul, “David told me that if I did not help him escape, he would kill me!” [RHQ]
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 After David had escaped from Saul, he went to Samuel, who was [at his home] at Ramah. He told Samuel everything that Saul had done to [try to kill] him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth, [which was a section] of [Ramah city], and they stayed there.
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 Someone told Saul that David was in Naioth.
And it was told Saul, saying, —Lo! David, is in Naioth, in Ramah.
20 So Saul sent some messengers to capture David. [When] those messengers [arrived in Ramah, they] met some men who were proclaiming ecstatic messages, and Samuel was there, as their leader. When Saul’s messengers met them, the Spirit of God took control of Saul’s men, and they also spoke ecstatically.
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 When Saul heard about that, he sent messengers a third time, but they also started to speak ecstatically.
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 Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the well at [a place named] Secu, he asked people there, “Where are Samuel and David?” The people replied, “They are at Naioth in Ramah [city].”
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 While Saul was walking toward Naioth, the Spirit of God also took control of him. [While he walked on], he continued speaking ecstatic messages until he came to Naioth.
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 There he took off his clothes, and he spoke messages from God in front of Samuel. He lay on the ground doing that all day and all night. That is the reason that [when people see someone doing something that is very unexpected, they think about what happened to Saul, and] they say, “We are surprised, like the people were surprised to see Saul [acting like] a prophet?” [RHQ]
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?
