19:1 Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.
19:2 So Jonathan informed David, saying, “My father Saul is seeking to put you to death. Now then, please be on your guard in the morning, and stay in a hiding place and conceal yourself.
19:3 And as for me, I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are hiding, and I will speak with my father about you; and whatever I ①find out, I will tell you.”
▷ ①Lit see
19:4 Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “May the king not sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very ①beneficial to you.
▷ ①Lit good
19:5 For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great ①victory for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death ②for no reason?”
▷ ①Lit deliverance ②Or undeservedly
19:6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the LORD lives, David shall not be put to death.”
19:7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.
19:8 When there was war again, David went out and fought the Philistines and ①defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled from him.
▷ ①Lit struck
19:9 Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand.
19:10 And Saul tried to ①pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
▷ ①Lit strike David and the wall
19:11 Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!”
19:12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled, and escaped.
19:13 And Michal took the ①household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothing.
▷ ①Heb teraphim
19:14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
19:15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on ①his bed, so that I may put him to death.”
▷ ①Lit the
19:16 When the messengers entered, behold, the ①household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head.
▷ ①Heb teraphim
19:17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I put you to death?’ ”
19:18 So David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah; and he informed him of everything that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.
19:19 But it was reported to Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
19:20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.
19:21 When Saul was informed of this, he sent other messengers, but they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, yet they prophesied.
19:22 Then he went to Ramah himself and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he ①asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
▷ ①Lit asked and said
19:23 So he ①proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; but the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
▷ ①Lit went
19:24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and ①lay down ②naked all that day and all night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
▷ ①Lit fell ②I.e., without outward garments