1And Sha’ul spoke to Yonathan his son and to all his servants, to put Dawiḏ to death. But Yehonathan, Sha’ul’s son, delighted much in Dawiḏ,

2and Yehonathan declared to Dawiḏ, saying, “My father Sha’ul seeks to put you to death. And now, please be on your guard until morning, and dwell in secrecy, and hide.

3“And I myself shall go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and speak with my father about you, and shall see, and shall let you know.”

4And Yehonathan spoke well of Dawiḏ to Sha’ul his father, and said to him, “Let not the sovereign sin against his servant, against Dawiḏ, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you.

5“For he took his life in his hands and smote the Philistine, and יהוה wrought a great deliverance for all Yisra’ĕl. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then do you sin against innocent blood, to put Dawiḏ to death without cause?”

6And Sha’ul listened to the voice of Yehonathan, and Sha’ul swore, “As יהוה lives, he does not die.”

7Yehonathan then called Dawiḏ, and Yehonathan told him all these words. So Yehonathan brought Dawiḏ to Sha’ul, and he was in his presence as before.

8And there was fighting again, and Dawiḏ went out and fought with the Philistines, and smote them, a great smiting, and they fled before him.

9And an evil spirit from יהוה came upon Sha’ul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And Dawiḏ was playing the lyre with his hand,

10and Sha’ul sought to smite the spear through Dawiḏ, and into the wall, but he slipped away from the presence of Sha’ul, so he smote the spear into the wall. And Dawiḏ fled and escaped that night.

11And Sha’ul sent messengers to Dawiḏ’s house to watch him and to put him to death in the morning. And Miḵal, Dawiḏ’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you are put to death.”

12So Miḵal let Dawiḏ down through a window, and he went and fled and escaped.

13And Miḵal took the household idol and laid it in the bed, and put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with a garment.

14And when Sha’ul sent messengers to take Dawiḏ, she said, “He is sick.”

15And Sha’ul sent the messengers back to see Dawiḏ, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed to put him to death.”

16And the messengers came in and saw the household idol in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.

17Sha’ul then said to Miḵal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he escaped?” And Miḵal answered Sha’ul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go, why should I put you to death?’ ”

18Now Dawiḏ fled and escaped, and went to Shemu’ĕl at Ramah, and told him all that Sha’ul had done to him. And he and Shemu’ĕl went and dwelt in Nawith.

19And it was reported to Sha’ul, saying, “See, Dawiḏ is in Nawith in Ramah!”

20And Sha’ul sent messengers to take Dawiḏ. And they saw the assembly of the prophets prophesying, and Shemu’ĕl standing as leader over them, and the Spirit of Elohim came upon the messengers of Sha’ul, and they also prophesied.

21And when Sha’ul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. So Sha’ul sent messengers again, the third time, and they prophesied also.

22Then he himself went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Seḵu. And he asked, and said, “Where are Shemu’ĕl and Dawiḏ?” And one said, “There in Nawith in Ramah.”

23So he went there to Nawith in Ramah. And the Spirit of Elohim was upon him too, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Nawith in Ramah.

24And he also stripped off his garments and prophesied before Shemu’ĕl, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Sha’ul also among the prophets?”