1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David. 2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill thee; and now, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place and hide thyself; 3 and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and will speak of thee with my father: and see what it is, and tell thee. 4 And Jonathan spoke good 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 thee; for also what he did was very advantageous to thee; 5 for he put his life in hand, and smote the Philistine, and Jehovah wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou didst see it, and didst rejoice; why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, in slaying David without cause? 6 And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, As Jehovah liveth, he shall not be put to death! 7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan declared to him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as previously.

8 And there was war again; and David went forth and fought with the Philistines, and smote them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. 9 And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul. And he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David played with his hand. 10 And Saul sought to smite David and the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night.

11 And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning; and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be put to death. 12 And Michal let David down through a window; and he went, and fled and escaped. 13 And Michal took the image, and laid it in the bed, and put the net of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with the coverlet. 14 And Saul sent messengers to take David, and she said, He is sick. 15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may put him to death. 16 And the messengers came in, and behold, the image was in the bed, and the net of goats' hair at its head. 17 Then Saul said to Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal said to Saul, He said to me, Let me go; why should I slay thee?

18 And David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth by Ramah. 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David; and they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as president over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Sechu; and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, at Naioth by Ramah. 23 And he went thither to Naioth by Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth by Ramah. 24 And he himself also stripped off his clothes, and prophesied, himself also, before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?