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Listen to 1 Samuel 19:4-18
4Jonathan spoke(A) well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong(B) to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5He took his life(C) in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory(D) for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent(E) man like David by killing him for no reason?”
6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”
7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.(F)
8Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
9But an evil[a] spirit(G) from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,(H) 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded(I) him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
11Saul sent men to David’s house to watch(J) it and to kill him in the morning.(K) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12So Michal let David down through a window,(L) and he fled and escaped. 13Then Michal took an idol(M) and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said,(N) “He is ill.”
15Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
17Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”
Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”
18When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah(O) and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
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Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 19:9 Or But a harmful
Cross references
- 1 Samuel 19:4 : 1Sa 20:32; 22:14; Pr 31:8, 9; Jer 18:20
- 1 Samuel 19:4 : 1Sa 25:21; Pr 17:13
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : S Jdg 9:17; S 12:3
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : S 1Sa 11:13
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : S Ge 31:36; Dt 19:10-13
- 1 Samuel 19:7 : S 1Sa 18:2, 13
- 1 Samuel 19:9 : S Jdg 9:23
- 1 Samuel 19:9 : S 1Sa 10:5
- 1 Samuel 19:10 : 1Sa 18:11
- 1 Samuel 19:11 : Ps 59 Title
- 1 Samuel 19:11 : Jdg 16:2
- 1 Samuel 19:12 : S Jos 2:15; Ac 9:25; 2Co 11:33
- 1 Samuel 19:13 : S Ge 31:19
- 1 Samuel 19:14 : S Ex 1:19; Jos 2:4
- 1 Samuel 19:18 : S 1Sa 7:17
4Thus Jonathan (A)spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king (B)sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. 5For he took his (C)life in his hands and (D)killed the Philistine, and (E)the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. (F)Why then will you (G)sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”
6So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.” 7Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence (H)as in times past.
8And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, (I)and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.
9Now (J)the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. 10Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.
11(K)Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12So Michal (L)let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. 13And Michal took [a]an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. 14So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
15Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. 17Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?”
And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! (M)Why should I kill you?’ ”
18So David fled and escaped, and went to (N)Samuel at (O)Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.
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Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 19:13 household idols, Heb. teraphim
Cross references
- 1 Samuel 19:4 : 1 Sam. 20:32; [Prov. 31:8, 9]
- 1 Samuel 19:4 : Gen. 42:22; [Prov. 17:13]; Jer. 18:20
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : Judg. 9:17; 12:3
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : 1 Sam. 17:49, 50
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : 1 Sam. 11:13; 1 Chr. 11:14
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : 1 Sam. 20:32
- 1 Samuel 19:5 : [Deut. 19:10–13]
- 1 Samuel 19:7 : 1 Sam. 16:21; 18:2, 10, 13
- 1 Samuel 19:8 : 1 Sam. 18:27; 23:5
- 1 Samuel 19:9 : 1 Sam. 16:14; 18:10, 11
- 1 Samuel 19:11 : Judg. 16:2; Ps. 59:title
- 1 Samuel 19:12 : Josh. 2:15; Acts 9:25; 2 Cor. 11:33
- 1 Samuel 19:17 : 2 Sam. 2:22
- 1 Samuel 19:18 : 1 Sam. 16:13
- 1 Samuel 19:18 : 1 Sam. 7:17
4And 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:
5For 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?
6And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.
7And 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.
8And 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.
9And 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.
10And 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.
11Saul 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.
12So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13And 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.
14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
16And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
17And 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?
18So 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.
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