19 2 Jonathan declareth to David the wicked purpose of Saul. 11 Michal his wife saveth him. 18 David cometh to Samuel. 23 The Spirit of prophecy cometh on Saul.

Then Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should [a]kill David: but Jonathan Saul’s son had a great favor to David.

And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed unto thyself unto the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.

And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where thou [b]art, and will commune with my father of thee, and I will see what he saith, and will tell thee.

¶ And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works have been to thee very good.

For he [c]did (A)put his life in danger, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and thou rejoicedst: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, and slay David without a cause?

Then Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and Saul [d]swore, As the Lord liveth, he shall not die.

So Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those words, and Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

¶ Again the war began, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.

¶ And the evil spirit of the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house having his spear in his hand, and David [e]played with his hand.

10 And Saul intended to smite David to the wall with the spear: but he turned aside out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear against the wall: but David fled, and escaped the same night.

11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told it him, saying, If thou save not thyself this night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.

12 So Michal [f]let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 Then Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goat’s hair under the head of it, and covered it with a cloth.

14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him to me in the [g]bed, that I may slay him.

16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed with a pillow of goat’s hair under the head of it.

17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go, or else I will kill thee.

18 ¶ So 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 dwelt in [h]Naioth.

19 But one told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

20 And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw a company of Prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing [i]as appointed over them, the Spirit of God fell upon the messengers of Saul, and they also [j]prophesied.

21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise: again Saul sent the third messengers, and they prophesied also.

22 Then went he himself to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked, and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

23 And he [k]went thither, even to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 And he stripped off his [l]clothes, and he prophesied also before Samuel, and fell [m]down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they say, (B)Is Saul also among the Prophets?

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:1 Before Saul sought David’s life secretly, but now his hypocrisy bursteth to open cruelty.
  2. 1 Samuel 19:3 That I may give thee warning what to do.
  3. 1 Samuel 19:5 Hebrew, he put his soul in his hand.
  4. 1 Samuel 19:6 Whatsoever he pretended outwardly, yet his heart was full of malice.
  5. 1 Samuel 19:9 He played on his harp to mitigate the rage of the evil spirit, as 1 Sam. 16:23.
  6. 1 Samuel 19:12 Thus God moved both the son and daughter of this tyrant to favor David against their father.
  7. 1 Samuel 19:15 Behold, how the tyrants to accomplish their rage, neither regard oath nor friendship, God nor man.
  8. 1 Samuel 19:18 Naioth was a school where the word of God was studieth, near to Ramah.
  9. 1 Samuel 19:20 Being their chief instructor.
  10. 1 Samuel 19:20 Changed their minds and praised God.
  11. 1 Samuel 19:23 With a mind to persecute them.
  12. 1 Samuel 19:24 His kingly apparel.
  13. 1 Samuel 19:24 He humbled himself as others did.

Saul Tries to Kill David

19 Saul told his son Jonathan(A) and all the attendants to kill(B) David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding(C) and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak(D) to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

Jonathan spoke(E) well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong(F) to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life(G) in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory(H) for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent(I) man like David by killing him for no reason?”

Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”

So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.(J)

Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

But an evil[a] spirit(K) from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,(L) 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded(M) him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch(N) it and to kill him in the morning.(O) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window,(P) and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol(Q) and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said,(R) “He is ill.”

15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”

Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah(S) and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets(T) prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on(U) Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.(V) 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.

23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying(W) until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped(X) off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s(Y) presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:9 Or But a harmful