Saul Tries to Kill David
1
And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 1But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.
2
And Jonathan told David, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself.
3
And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you."
4
And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king 2sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you.
5
For 3he took his life in his hand 4and he struck down the Philistine, 5and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against 6innocent blood by killing David without cause?"
6
And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, 7"As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."
7
And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence 8as before.
8
And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him.
9
9Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. 10And David was playing the lyre.
10
11And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11
12Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."
13
Michal took 14an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes.
14
And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
15
Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
16
And when the messengers came in, behold, 15the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
17
Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go. 16Why should I kill you?'"
18
Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at 17Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.
19
And it was told Saul, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."
20
Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, 18the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, 19and they also prophesied.
21
When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, 20and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, 21and they also prophesied.
22
Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in 22Ramah."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)