| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 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. | 1Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, |
| 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. | 2told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. |
| 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’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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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?” | 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!” |
| 6And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” | 6So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed.” |
| 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. | 7Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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, |
| 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 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 |
| 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.” | 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 let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. | 12So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled 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 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. |
| 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” | 14When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. |
| 15Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may 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 came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at 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. |
| 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?’” | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” | 19When the report reached Saul that David was 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. | 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 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 Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. |
| 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 and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded. “They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. |
| 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. | 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! |
| 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 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?” |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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