1And Saul spake to Jonathan his son , and to all his servants , that they should kill David . 2But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David : and Jonathan told David , saying , Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until 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 what I see , that 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 did put his life in his hand , and slew the Philistine , and the LORD wrought a great salvation 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 the LORD liveth , he shall not be slain . 7And Jonathan called David , and Jonathan shewed him all those things . And Jonathan brought David to Saul , and he was in his presence , as in times past . 8And there was war again : and David went out , and fought with the Philistines , and slew them with a great slaughter ; and they fled from him. 9And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul , as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand : and David played with his hand . 10And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin ; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence , and he smote the javelin into the wall : and David fled , and escaped that night .
Jonathan's Loyalty to David
11Saul also 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 shalt be slain . 12So Michal let David down through a window : and he went , and fled , and escaped . 13And Michal took an image , and laid it in the bed , and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster , and covered it with a cloth . 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David , she said , He is sick . 15And Saul sent the messengers again to see David , saying , Bring him up to me in the bed , that I may slay him. 16And when the messengers were come in , behold, there was an image in the bed , with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster . 17And Saul said unto Michal , Why hast thou deceived me so , and sent away mine enemy , 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
18So 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 appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul , and they also prophesied . 21And when it was told Saul , he sent other messengers , and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. 22Then went he also to Ramah , and came to a great well that is in Sechu : and he asked and said , Where are Samuel and David ? And one said , Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah . 23And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah : and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on , and prophesied , until he came to Naioth in Ramah . 24And he stripped off his clothes also , and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night . Wherefore they say , Is Saul also among the prophets ?