| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. | 1Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan liked David very much. |
| 2And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. | 2So Jonathan told David, "My father Saul is trying to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find a hiding place and stay in seclusion. |
| 3And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” | 3I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is, I will let you know." |
| 4And Jonathan spoke well of 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 brought good to you. | 4So Jonathan spoke on David's behalf to his father Saul. He said to him, "The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial for you. |
| 5For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” | 5He risked his life when he struck down the Philistine and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?" |
| 6And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” | 6Saul accepted Jonathan's advice and took an oath, "As surely as the LORD lives, he will not be put to death." |
| 7And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before. | 7Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. |
| 8And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. | 8Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly and they ran away from him. |
| 9Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. | 9Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. |
| 10And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. | 10Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul's presence and the spear drove into the wall. David escaped quickly that night. |
| 11Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” | 11Saul sent messengers to David's house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save yourself tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!" |
| 12So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. | 12So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped. |
| 13Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. | 13Then Michal took a household idol and put it on the bed. She put a quilt made of goat's hair over its head and then covered the idol with a garment. |
| 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” | 14When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, "He's sick." |
| 15Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” | 15Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him." |
| 16And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. | 16When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat's hair at its head. |
| 17Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’” | 17Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!" Michal replied to Saul, "He said to me, 'Help me get away or else I will kill you!'" |
| 18Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. | 18Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. |
| 19And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” | 19It was reported to Saul saying, "David is at Naioth in Ramah." |
| 20Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. | 20So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, and they also prophesied. |
| 21When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. | 21When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. |
| 22Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” | 22Finally Saul himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" They said, "At Naioth in Ramah." |
| 23And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. | 23So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. |
| 24And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” | 24He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, "Is Saul also among the prophets?") |
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