1 Samuel 19

1 Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,

2 so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.

3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”

4 Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.

5 He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”

6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”

7 So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

8 When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them with such a mighty blow that they fled before him.

9 But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,

10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”

12 So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.

13 Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.

14 When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”

15 But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”

16 And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.

17 And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”

18 So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.

19 When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,

20 he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.

21 When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy.

22 Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told.

23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 ¶ And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret [place], and hide thyself:

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou [art], and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works [have been] to thee-ward very good:

5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest [it], and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, [As] the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.

7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

8 ¶ And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.

9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with [his] hand.

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that 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 him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

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

13 And Michal took an image, and laid [it] in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster, 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 up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster.

17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I 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 Naioth.

19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David [is] at Naioth in Ramah.

20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing [as] appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

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

22 Then went he also 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 went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?

1 And Saul spake unto Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son loved David very much;

2 And told him, saying, My father Saul seeketh to kill thee. Now therefore keep thee tomorrow, and be hid, and hide thyself.

3 And I will go forth, and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and speak of thee unto my father; and whatsoever I see I will make known unto thee.

4 And Jonathan spake the best of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against David his servant: for he hath done no sin against thee, and his doings are very profitable unto thee;

5 And he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine: and the LORD did great salvation unto all Israel. This thou sawest, and rejoicedst. Why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?

6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not die.

7 Then Jonathan called David, and told him all these words; and brought him to Saul, and he was before him as before.

8 And there was war again, and David went out, and fought against the Philistines, and made a great slaughter, and they fled before him.

9 And the evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, and he sat in his house with a spear in his hand: and David played upon the strings with his hand.

10 And Saul sought to spear David to the wall with the spear. And he tore himself from Saul, and the spear went into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night.

11 And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to keep him, and to kill him in the morning. And Michal his wife told David, saying, If thou wilt not save thy soul this night, thou shalt die to morrow.

12 And Michal brought him down by the window, and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a kidskin for his head, and covered it with garments.

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

15 And Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me with the bed, that he may be put to death.

16 And when the messengers were come, behold, the image lay in the bed, and a kidskin at his head.

17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me, and left mine enemy to escape? And Michal said unto Saul, He said unto me, Let me go, or I will kill thee.

18 And David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done unto him. And he went with Samuel, and dwelt at Naioth.

19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

20 And Saul sent messengers to fetch David. And they saw two choirs of prophets prophesying; and Samuel was their overseer. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, and they prophesied also.

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

22 And he himself went to Ramah; and when he came to the great well that is in Seku, he asked, saying, Where is Samuel and David? And it was told him, Behold, at Naioth in Ramah.

23 And there he went to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he went and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 And he stripped himself also of his garments, and prophesied also before Samuel, and fell down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say: Is Saul also among the prophets?