1 Samuel 19

Jonathan Warns David

1Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants about putting David to death. But Jonathan son of Saul delighted greatly in David. 2Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. And now please guard yourself in the morning. Stay in a hidden place and conceal yourself. 3I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father concerning you. If I see anything, I will tell you.” 4Jonathan spoke good concerning David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you and because his deeds have been very good toward you. 5He put his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without cause?” 6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was before him as formerly.

Saul Again Tries to Kill David

8There was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him. 9Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing with his hand. 10Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence, and he struck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.

Michal Helps David Escape

11Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to put him to death in the morning. But Michal his wife told David, saying, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.” 12So Michal let David down through the window, and he went and fled and escaped. 13Michal took the household idol, put it in the bed, placed a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with a garment. 14Saul sent messengers to take David, but she said, “He is sick.” 15Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, so that I may put him to death.” 16The messengers came in, and look, the household idol was in the bed, with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and sent my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Send me away. Why should I put you to death?’”

David Flees to Samuel

18David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19It was told to Saul, saying, “Look, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20Saul sent messengers to take David. When they saw the company of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 21When it was told to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul again sent messengers a third time, and they also prophesied.

Saul Prophesies at Naioth

22Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great cistern that is at Secu. He asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” Someone said, “Look, at Naioth in Ramah.” 23He went there, to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24He also stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”