11 (A)Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 (B)So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took (C)an image[a] and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, (D)the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. (E)Why should I kill you?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at (F)Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, (G)the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, (H)and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, (I)and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, (J)and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in (K)Ramah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. (L)And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 (M)And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, (N)“Is Saul also among the prophets?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:13 Or a household god

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.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window,(C) and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol(D) and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said,(E) “He is ill.”

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.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”

Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah(F) and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets(G) prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on(H) Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.(I) 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.

23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying(J) until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped(K) off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s(L) presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”(M)

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