| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David. | 1Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David, |
| 2So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. | 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. |
| 3And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you.” | 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.” |
| 4Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. | 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. |
| 5For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?” | 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?” |
| 6So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.” | 6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.” |
| 7Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past. | 7So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul to serve him as he had before. |
| 8And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him. | 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. |
| 9Now 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. | 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, |
| 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. | 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. |
| 11Saul 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.” | 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!” |
| 12So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. | 12So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped. |
| 13And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. | 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. |
| 14So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” | 14When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.” |
| 15Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” | 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.” |
| 16And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. | 16And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair on its 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! Why should I kill you?’ ” | 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!’ ” |
| 18So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. | 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. |
| 19Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!” | 19When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah, |
| 20Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. | 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. |
| 21And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. | 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. |
| 22Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.” | 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. |
| 23So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. | 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. |
| 24And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” | 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?” |
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