1And Saul spake to Jonathan his son , and to all his servants , that they should slay David . But Jonathan , Saul ’s son , delighted much in David . 2And Jonathan told David , saying, Saul my father seeketh to slay thee : now therefore , I pray thee , take heed to thyself in the morning , and abide in a secret place , and hide thyself : 3and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee ; and if I see aught, I will tell thee . 4And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him , Let not the king sin against his servant , against David ; because he hath not sinned against thee , and because his works have been to thee-ward very good : 5for he put his life in his hand , and smote the Philistine , and Jehovah wrought a great victory for all Israel : thou sawest it , and didst rejoice ; wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood , to slay David without a cause ? 6And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan : and Saul sware , As Jehovah liveth , he shall not be put to death . 7And Jonathan called David , and Jonathan showed him all those things . And Jonathan brought David to Saul , and he was in his presence , as beforetime . 8And there was war again : and David went out , and fought with the Philistines , and slew them with a great slaughter ; and they fled before him . 9And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul , as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand ; and David was playing with his hand . 10And Saul sought to smite David even to 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 .
Jonathan's Loyalty to David
11And Saul sent messengers unto 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 slain . 12So Michal let David down through the window : and he went , and fled , and escaped . 13And Michal took the teraphim , and laid it in the bed , and put a pillow of goats ’ hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes. 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David , she said, He is sick . 15And Saul sent the messengers to see David , saying, Bring him up to me in the bed , that I may slay him . 16And when the messengers came in, behold , the teraphim was in the bed , with the pillow of goats ’ hair at the head thereof. 17And Saul said unto Michal , Why hast thou deceived me thus , and let mine enemy go , so that he is escaped ? And Michal answered Saul , He said unto me , Let me go ; why should I kill thee ?
David's Escape and God's Providence
18Now 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 . 19And it was told Saul , saying, Behold , David is at Naioth in Ramah . 20And 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 . 21And when it was told Saul , he sent other messengers , and they also prophesied . And Saul sent messengers again the third time , and they also prophesied . 22Then went he also to Ramah , and came to the great well that is in Secu : and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David ? And one said, Behold , they are at Naioth in Ramah . 23And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah : and the Spirit of God came upon him also , and he went on , and prophesied , until he came to Naioth in Ramah . 24And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel , and lay down naked all that day and all that night . Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets ?