Saul Tries To Have David Killed
1 One day, Saul told his son Jonathan and his officers to kill David. But Jonathan and David were best friends, 2-3 and he warned David, “My father is trying to have you killed, so be very careful. Hide in a field tomorrow morning, and I'll bring him there. Then I'll talk to him about you, and if I find out anything, I'll let you know.”
4-5 The next morning, Jonathan reminded Saul about the many good things David had done for him. Then he said, “Why do you want to kill David? He hasn't done anything to you. He has served in your army and has always done what's best for you. He even risked his life to kill Goliath. The Lord helped Israel win a great victory that day, and it made you happy.”
6 Saul agreed and promised, “I swear by the living Lord that I won't have David killed!”
7 Jonathan went to David and told him what Saul had said. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in Saul's army just as he had done before.
8 The next time there was a war with the Philistines, David fought hard and forced them to retreat.
Michal Helps David Escape
9-10 One night, David was in Saul's home, playing the harp for him. Saul was sitting there, holding a spear, when an evil spirit from the Lord took control of him. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David dodged, and it stuck in the wall. David ran out of the house and escaped.
11 Saul sent guards to watch David's house all night and then to kill him in the morning.
Michal, David's wife, told him, “If you don't escape tonight, they'll kill you tomorrow!” 12 She helped David leave through a window and climb down to the ground. As David ran off, 13 Michal put a statue in his bed. She put goat hair on its head and dressed it in some of David's clothes.
14 The next morning, Saul sent guards to arrest David. But Michal told them, “David is sick.”
15 Saul sent the guards back and told them, “Bring David to me—bed and all—so I can kill him.”
16 When the guards went in, all they found in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head.
17 “Why have you tricked me this way?” Saul asked Michal. “You helped my enemy get away!”
She answered, “He said he would kill me if I didn't help him escape!”
Samuel Helps David Escape
18 Meanwhile, David went to Samuel at Ramah and told him what Saul had done. Then Samuel and David went to Prophets Village and stayed there.
19 Someone told Saul, “David is at Prophets Village in Ramah.”
20 Saul sent a few soldiers to bring David back. They went to Ramah and found Samuel in charge of a group of prophets who were all prophesying. Then the Spirit of God took control of the soldiers and they started prophesying too.
21 When Saul heard what had happened, he sent some more soldiers, but they prophesied just like the first group. He sent a third group of soldiers, but the same thing happened to them. 22 Finally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far as the deep pit at the town of Secu, and he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
“At Prophets Village in Ramah,” the people answered.
23 Saul left for Ramah. But as he walked along, the Spirit of God took control of him, and he started prophesying. Then, when he reached Prophets Village, 24 he stripped off his clothes and prophesied in front of Samuel. He dropped to the ground and lay there naked all that day and night. That's how the saying started, “Is Saul now a prophet?”
1 Then Saul spake to Ionathan his sonne, and to all his seruantes, that they shoulde kill Dauid: but Ionathan Sauls sonne had a great fauour to Dauid. 2 And Ionathan told Dauid, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: nowe therefore, I pray thee, take heede vnto thy selfe vnto the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thy selfe. 3 And I will go out, and stand by my father in the fielde where thou art, and will commune with my father of thee, and I will see what he sayth, and will tell thee. 4 And Ionathan spake good of Dauid vnto Saul his father, and said vnto him, Let not the King sinne against his seruat, against Dauid: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works haue bene to thee very good. 5 For he did put his life in daunger, and slew the Philistim, and the Lord wrought a great saluation for al Israel: thou sawest it, and thou reioycedst: wherefore then wilt thou sinne against innocent blood, and slay Dauid without a cause? 6 Then Saul hearkened vnto the voyce of Ionathan, and Saul sware, As the Lord liueth, he shall not dye. 7 So Ionathan called Dauid, and Ionathan shewed him all those words, and Ionathan brought Dauid to Saul, and hee was in his presence as in times past. 8 Againe the warre began, and Dauid went out and fought with the Philistims, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him. 9 And the euill spirit of the Lord was vpon Saul, as hee sate in his house hauing his speare in his hand, and Dauid played with his hand. 10 And Saul intended to smite Dauid to the wall with the speare: but hee turned aside out of Sauls presence, and he smote the speare against the wall: but Dauid fled, and escaped the same night. 11 Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal Dauids wife told it him, saying, If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne. 12 So Michal let Dauid downe through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 13 Then Michal tooke an image, and layde it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goates heare vnder the head of it, and couered it with a cloth. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take Dauid, she sayd, He is sicke. 15 And Saul sent the messengers againe to see Dauid, saying, Bring him to me in the bed, that I may slay him. 16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed, with a pillow of goates heare vnder the head of it. 17 And Saul said vnto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemie, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said vnto me, Let me go, or els I will kill thee. 18 So Dauid fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. 19 But one tolde Saul, saying, Beholde, Dauid is at Naioth in Ramah. 20 And Saul sent messengers to take Dauid: and when they sawe a company of Prophets prophecying, and Samuel standing as appoynted ouer them, the Spirit of God fell vpon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophecied. 21 And when it was tolde Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophecied likewise: againe Saul sent the third messengers, and they prophecied also. 22 Then went he himselfe to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked, and sayd, Where are Samuel and Dauid? and one sayd, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. 23 And he went thither, euen to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came vpon him also, and he went prophecying vntill hee came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he stript off his clothes, and he prophesied also before Samuel, and fell downe naked all that day and all that night: therefore they say, Is Saul also among the Prophets?