⁶ When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,^(A) with joyful songs and with timbrels^(B) and lyres. ⁷ As they danced, they sang:^(C)

⁸ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?^(E)” ⁹ And from that time on Saul kept a close^(F) eye on David.

¹⁰ The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(G) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(H) as he usually^(I) did. Saul had a spear^(J) in his hand ¹¹ and he hurled it, saying to himself,^(K) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded^(L) him twice.^(M)

Saul Tries to Kill David

19 Saul told his son Jonathan^(A) and all the attendants to kill^(B) David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David

¹¹ Saul sent men to David’s house to watch^(A) it and to kill him in the morning.^(B) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”

¹⁵ Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.”