1 Samuel 19
19
Saul Plans to Kill David
1Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan cared very much for David. 2So he warned David, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Watch out in the morning. Hide in a secret place. 3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are hiding. I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll let you know what I find out.”
4Jonathan talked to Saul his father. He said good things about David. Jonathan said, “You are the king. Don’t do wrong to your servant David. He did nothing wrong to you. What he did has helped you greatly. 5David risked his life when he killed Goliath the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and you were happy. Why would you do wrong against David? He’s innocent. There’s no reason to kill him!”
6Saul listened to Jonathan. Then he made this promise: “As surely as the Lord lives, David won’t be put to death.”
7So Jonathan called to David. He told David everything that had been said. And he brought David to Saul. So David was with Saul as before.
8When war broke out again, David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them, and they ran away from him.
9But once again an evil spirit from the Lord entered Saul. He was sitting in his house, and he had his spear in his hand. David was playing the harp. 10Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. But David moved away from him. So Saul’s spear went into the wall. And David ran away that night.
11Saul sent men to David’s house. They watched it, wanting to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him. She said, “Tonight you must run away to save your own life. If you don’t, you will be killed tomorrow morning.” 12Then she let David down out of a window. So he ran away and escaped. 13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed. She covered it with clothes and put goats’ hair at its head.
14Saul sent messengers to take David prisoner. But Michal said, “He is sick.”
15The men went and told Saul, but he sent them back to see David. He told them, “Bring him to me on his bed so I can kill him.”
16But when the messengers entered David’s house, they found it was just an idol on the bed. Its hair was goats’ hair.
17Saul said to Michal, “Why did you trick me this way? You let my enemy go. He has run away!”
Michal answered Saul, “David told me if I did not help him escape, he would kill me.”
18After David had escaped from Saul, he went to Samuel at Ramah. He told Samuel everything Saul had done to him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19Saul heard that David was in Naioth at Ramah. 20So he sent men to capture him. But they met a group of prophets prophesying. Samuel was leading this group and was standing there. The Spirit of God entered Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.
21Saul heard the news. So he sent other men, but they also prophesied. Then he sent men a third time, but they also prophesied. 22Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah. He came to the well at Secu. He asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
The people answered, “In Naioth at Ramah.”
23Then Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God also entered him. And he walked on, prophesying until he came to Naioth at Ramah. 24He took off his robes and prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay that way all day and all night. That is why people ask, “Is even Saul one of the prophets?”
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1 Samuel 19: ICB
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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.