Chapter 19

And Saul spake¹⁷ to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill⁵³ David.

But Jonathan Saul's son delighted¹ much in David: and Jonathan told⁵⁵ David, saying,² Saul my father seeketh¹⁸ to kill⁵³ thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed¹⁰ to thyself until the morning, and abide¹ in a secret [place], and hide⁸ thyself:

And I will go out⁴ and stand¹ beside my father in the field where thou [art], and I will commune¹⁷ with my father of thee; and what I see,¹ that I will tell⁵² thee.

And Jonathan spake¹⁷ good of David unto Saul his father, and said⁴ unto him, Let not the king sin⁴ against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned¹ against thee, and because his works [have been] to thee-ward very good:

For he did put⁴ his life in his hand, and slew⁵⁵ the Philistine, and the LORD wrought⁴ a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest¹ [it], and didst rejoice:⁴ wherefore then wilt thou sin⁴ against innocent blood, to slay⁵³ David without a cause?

And Saul hearkened⁴ unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware,¹¹ [As] the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.⁹³

And Jonathan called⁴ David, and Jonathan shewed⁵⁵ him all those things. And Jonathan brought⁵⁵ David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. ⁸⁰³²

And there was war again:⁵⁵ and David went out,⁴ and fought¹¹ with the Philistines, and slew⁵⁵ them with a great slaughter; and they fled⁴ from him.

And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat⁶ in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played¹⁸ with [his] hand.

And Saul sought¹⁷ to smite⁵³ David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away⁴ out of Saul's presence, and he smote⁵⁵ the javelin into the wall: and David fled,¹ and escaped¹¹ that night.

Saul also sent⁴ messengers unto David's house, to watch² him, and to slay⁵³ him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told⁵⁵ him, saying,² If thou save¹⁸ not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.⁹⁴

So Michal let David down⁵⁵ through a window: and he went,⁴ and fled,⁴ and escaped.¹¹

And Michal took⁴ an image, and laid⁴ [it] in the bed, and put¹ a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster, and covered¹⁷ [it] with a cloth.

And when Saul sent⁴ messengers to take² David, she said,⁴ He [is] sick.⁶

And Saul sent⁴ the messengers [again] to see² David, saying,² Bring him up⁵⁴ to me in the bed, that I may slay⁵³ him.

And when the messengers were come in,⁴ behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster.

And Saul said⁴ unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived¹⁴ me so, and sent away¹⁷ mine enemy,⁶ that he is escaped?¹¹ And Michal answered⁴ Saul, He said¹ unto me, Let me go;¹⁶ why should I kill⁵⁵ thee?

So David fled,¹ and escaped,¹¹ and came⁴ to Samuel to Ramah, and told⁵⁵ him all that Saul had done¹ to him. And he and Samuel went⁴ and dwelt⁴ in Naioth.

And it was told⁹³ Saul, saying,² Behold, David [is] at Naioth in Ramah.

And Saul sent⁴ messengers to take² David: and when they saw⁴ the company of the prophets prophesying,¹² and Samuel standing⁶ [as] appointed¹² over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.¹⁰¹

And when it was told⁵⁵ Saul, he sent⁴ other messengers, and they prophesied¹⁰¹ likewise. And Saul sent⁴ messengers again⁵⁵ the third time, and they prophesied¹⁰¹ also.

Then went⁴ he also to Ramah, and came⁴ to a great well that [is] in Sechu: and he asked⁴ and said,⁴ Where [are] Samuel and David? And [one] said,⁴ Behold, [they be] at Naioth in Ramah.

And he went⁴ thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went⁴ on,² and prophesied,¹⁰¹ until he came² to Naioth in Ramah.

And he stripped off⁴ his clothes also, and prophesied¹⁰¹ before Samuel in like manner, and lay down⁴ naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say,⁴ [Is] Saul also among the prophets?