1 Samuel 19
19
Saul Tries to Kill David
1Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”
4Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”
6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”
7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
8Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
9But an evil#19:9 Or But a harmful spirit 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, 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
11Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15Then 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.” 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
17Saul 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?’ ”
18When David had fled and made his escape, 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. 19Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied. 21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22Finally, 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.
23So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
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1 Samuel 19: NIV
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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1 Kings 19
19
1And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan the son of Saul loved David exceedingly.
2And Jonathan told David, saying: Saul my father seeketh to kill thee. Wherefore look to thyself, I beseech thee, in the morning; and thou shalt abide in a secret place and shalt be hid.
3And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art. And I will speak of thee to my father; and whatsoever I shall see, I will tell thee.
4And Jonathan spoke good things of David to Saul his father; and said to him: Sin not, O king, against thy servant, David, because he hath not sinned against thee; and his works are very good towards thee.
5And he put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine; and the Lord wrought great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Why therefore wilt thou sin against innocent blood by killing David, who is without fault?
6And when Saul heard this he was appeased with the words of Jonathan, and swore: As the Lord liveth he shall not be slain.
7Then Jonathan called David and told him all these words. And Jonathan brought in David to Saul, and he was before him, as he had been yesterday and the day before.
8And the war began again. And David went out and fought against the Philistines, and defeated them with a great slaughter: and they fled from his face.
9And the evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul: and he sat in his house, and held a spear in his hand. And David played with his hand.
10And Saul endeavoured to nail David to the wall with his spear. And David slipt away out of the presence of Saul: and the spear missed him, and was fastened in the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11Saul therefore sent his guards to David's house to watch him, that he might be killed in the morning. And when Michol David's wife had told him this, saying: Unless thou save thyself this night, to-morrow thou wilt die,
12She let him down through a window. And he went and fled away and escaped.
13And Michol took an image and laid it on the bed: and put a goat's skin with the hair at the head of it, and covered it with clothes.
14And Saul sent officers to seize David: and it was answered that he was sick.
15And again Saul sent to see David, saying: Bring him to me in the bed, that he may be slain.
16And when the messengers were come in they found an image upon the bed, and a goat's skin at its head.
17And Saul said to Michol: Why hast thou deceived me so, and let my enemy go and flee away? And Michol answered Saul: Because he said to me: Let me go, or else I will kill thee.
18But David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel in Ramatha, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Najoth.
19And it was told Saul by some, saying: Behold David is in Najoth in Ramatha.
20So Saul sent officers to take David: and when they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel presiding over them, the spirit of the Lord came also upon them, and they likewise began to prophesy.
21And when this was told Saul he sent other messengers: but they also prophesied. And again Saul sent messengers the third time: and they prophesied also. And Saul being exceedingly angry,
22Went also himself to Ramatha, and came as far as the great cistern, which is in Socho, and he asked, and said: In what place are Samuel and David? And it was told him: Behold they are in Najoth in Ramatha.
23And he went to Najoth in Ramatha. And the spirit of the Lord came upon him also; and he went on, and prophesied till he came to Najoth in Ramatha.
24And he stripped himself also of his garments, and prophesied with the rest before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and night. This gave occasion to a proverb: What! Is Saul too among the prophets?
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.