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 ² and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding^(C) and stay there. ³ I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak^(D) to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

⁴ Jonathan spoke^(E) well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong^(F) to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. ⁵ He took his life^(G) in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory^(H) for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent^(I) man like David by killing him for no reason?”

⁶ Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”

⁴ Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

⁵ So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast,^(A) and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide^(B) in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission^(C) to hurry to Bethlehem,^(D) his hometown, because an annual^(E) sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ ⁷ If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper,^(F) you can be sure that he is determined^(G) to harm me. ⁸ As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant^(H) with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill^(I) me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

⁹ “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

⁴² Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³ In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa^(A) and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places,^(B) however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.^[a]

Azariah King of Judah^(A)

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah^[a](B) son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. ² He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right^(C) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.

Jotham King of Judah^(A)

³² In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham^(B) son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. ³³ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.