Saul orders his servants and Jonathan to kill David. Jonathan pleads for David and reconciles them for a time. When Saul tries again, Michal helps David escape through a window.
1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son , and to all his servants , that they should kill David .
2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David : and Jonathan told David , saying , Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning , and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see , that I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father , and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant , against David ; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good :
5 For he did put his life in his hand , and slew the Philistine , and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel : thou sawest it, and didst rejoice : wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood , to slay David without a cause ?
6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan : and Saul sware , As the LORD liveth , he shall not be slain .
7 And Jonathan called David , and Jonathan shewed him all those things . And Jonathan brought David to Saul , and he was in his presence , as in times past .
8 And there was war again : and David went out , and fought with the Philistines , and slew them with a great slaughter ; and they fled from him.
9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul , as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand : and David played with his hand .
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin ; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence , and he smote the javelin into the wall : and David fled , and escaped that night .
11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's house , to watch him, and to slay him in the morning : and Michal David's wife told him, saying , If thou save not thy life to night , to morrow thou shalt be slain .
12 So Michal let David down through a window : and he went , and fled , and escaped .
13 And Michal took an image , and laid it in the bed , and put a pillow of goats ' hair for his bolster , and covered it with a cloth .
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David , she said , He is sick .
15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David , saying , Bring him up to me in the bed , that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers were come in , behold, there was an image in the bed , with a pillow of goats ' hair for his bolster .
17 And Saul said unto Michal , Why hast thou deceived me so , and sent away mine enemy , that he is escaped ? And Michal answered Saul , He said unto me, Let me go ; why should I kill thee?
18 So David 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 And it was told Saul , saying , Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah .
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David : and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying , and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul , and they also prophesied .
21 And when it was told Saul , he sent other messengers , and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he also to Ramah , and came to a great well that is in Sechu : and he asked and said , Where are Samuel and David ? And one said , Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah .
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah : and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on , and prophesied , until he came to Naioth in Ramah .
24 And he stripped off his clothes also , and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night . Wherefore they say , Is Saul also among the prophets ?