| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David, | 1Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, |
| 2so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there. | 2told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. |
| 3I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.” | 3I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.” |
| 4Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. | 4The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. |
| 5He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?” | 5Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the LORD brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!” |
| 6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.” | 6So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed.” |
| 7So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul to serve him as he had before. | 7Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before. |
| 8When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them with such a mighty blow that they fled before him. | 8War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away. |
| 9But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp, | 9But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the LORD suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, |
| 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But the spear struck the wall and David eluded him, ran away, and escaped that night. | 10Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night. Michal Saves David’s Life |
| 11Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” | 11Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.” |
| 12So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped. | 12So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped. |
| 13Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment. | 13Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head. |
| 14When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.” | 14When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. |
| 15But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.” | 15But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!” |
| 16And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair on its head. | 16But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat’s hair at its head. |
| 17And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’ ” | 17“Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal. “I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.” |
| 18So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. | 18So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. |
| 19When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah, | 19When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, |
| 20he sent messengers to capture him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy. | 20he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. |
| 21When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy. | 21When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. |
| 22Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told. | 22Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded. “They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. |
| 23So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. | 23But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! |
| 24Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” | 24He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?” |
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