1 N ow Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan found much joy in David.

¶ And Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his slaves that they should kill David.

2 S o Jonathan told David, “My father Saul wants to kill you. I beg you, be careful in the morning. Stay hidden in a secret place.

But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David, and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father, seeks 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 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak to my father about you. If I find out anything, I will tell you.”

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

4 T hen Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, saying, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David. He has not sinned against you. What he has done has been good for you.

And Jonathan spoke good of David unto Saul, his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his slave David, for he has not sinned against thee; on the other hand his works have been very good for thee,

5 H e put his life in danger and killed the Philistine. And the Lord helped all Israel with His saving power. You saw it and were glad. Why then will you sin against him who has done no wrong, by killing David for no reason?”

for he put his soul in his hand and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Thou didst see it and rejoice. Why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood to slay David without a cause?

6 S aul listened to Jonathan, and promised, “As the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”

And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, As the LORD lives, he shall not be slain.

7 T hen Jonathan called David and told him all these things. He brought David to Saul, and David stayed with Saul as before.

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

8 W hen there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines. He killed many of them, and the others ran away from him.

¶ 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 T hen a bad spirit sent from the Lord came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was playing the harp.

And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David played with his hand.

10 S aul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but David got out of the way. Saul hit the wall with the spear, and David ran away that night.

And Saul sought to smite David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, who smote the spear into the wall; and David fled and escaped that night.

11 T hen Saul sent men to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”

¶ Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house to watch him and to slay him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be dead.

12 S o Michal let David down through a window, and he ran away.

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

13 M ichal took a house god and laid it on the bed. She put a goat hair pillow at its head, and covered it with clothes.

Then Michal took an image and laid it in the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at his head and covered it with a cloth.

14 W hen Saul sent men to take David, Michal said, “He is sick.”

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

15 T hen Saul sent men to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”

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

16 W hen the men came in, the house god was on the bed, with the goat hair pillow at its head.

And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed with a pillow of goats’ hair at his head.

17 S o Saul said to Michal, “Why have you fooled me like this and let the man I hate go? Now he has run away to be safe.” Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so and sent away my enemy that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; if not, I shall kill thee.

18 N ow David ran away from Saul and came to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

¶ So David fled and escaped and came to Samuel in Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

19 S aul was told, “See, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”

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

20 S o Saul sent men to take David. But when they saw the men of God saying what was going to happen, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon the men sent by Saul. And they began saying what was going to happen also.

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 came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

21 W hen Saul heard this, he sent other men, and they began saying what was going to happen. So Saul sent men for the third time, and they began saying what was going to happen.

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 T hen he himself went to Ramah, and came as far as the large well in Secu. He asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “See, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”

Then he also went 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 are at Naioth in Ramah.

23 S o he went to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also. As he traveled he said what would happen, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

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

24 H e took off his clothes and said what was going to happen in front of Samuel. He lay down without clothing all that day and all that night. So they say, “Is Saul among those who say what will happen?”

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. From here it was said, Is Saul also among the prophets?