1 Samuel 19
Expanded Bible
Saul Tries to Kill David
19 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David, but Jonathan ·liked [delighted in] David very much. 2 So he warned David, “My father Saul is ·looking for a chance [L seeking] to kill you. ·Watch out [Be on guard] in the morning. Hide in a secret place. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are hiding, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll let you know what I find out.”
4 When Jonathan talked to Saul his father, he ·said good things about [spoke well of] David. Jonathan said, “The king should ·do no wrong to [not harm/sin against] your servant David since he has ·done nothing wrong to [not harmed/sinned against] you. What he has done has ·helped [benefited; served] you greatly. 5 ·David risked his life [L He took his life in his hand] when he ·killed Goliath the Philistine [L struck the Philistine], and the Lord won a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and ·were happy [rejoiced]. Why would you ·do wrong against David? He’s innocent [L … sin against innocent blood?]. There’s no reason to kill him!”
6 Saul listened to Jonathan and then ·made this promise [vowed; swore]: “As surely as the Lord lives, David won’t be put to death.”
7 ·So [Afterward] Jonathan called to David and told him everything that had been said. He brought David to Saul, and David ·was with [served] Saul as before.
8 When war broke out again, David went out to ·fight [L strike] the Philistines. He ·defeated them [attacked them with great force], and they ran away from him.
9 But once again an ·evil [tormenting] spirit from the Lord ·rushed upon [overwhelmed; seized; possessed] Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was playing the ·harp [lyre]. 10 Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear, but David ·jumped out of the way [slipped away; eluded him]. So Saul’s spear ·went into [stuck in] the wall, and David ·ran away [escaped] that night.
11 Saul sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, saying, “Tonight you must ·run for [save] your life. If you don’t, you will be dead in the morning.” 12 So she let David down out of a window, and he ·ran away [fled] and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an ·idol [household image; L teraphim; C probably household gods; Gen. 31:19], laid it on the bed, covered it with ·clothes [blankets], and put goats’ hair at its head.
14 Saul sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] to take David prisoner, but Michal said, “He is sick.”
15 Saul sent ·them [L messengers; agents; soldiers] back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me on his bed so I can kill him.”
16 When the ·messengers [agents; soldiers] entered David’s house, they found just an ·idol [household image; 19:13] on the bed with goats’ hair on its head.
17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did ·you trick [deceive; betray] me this way? You let my enemy go so he could ·run away [escape]!”
Michal answered Saul, “David told me ·if I did not help him escape, he would kill me [L “Let me go. Why should I kill you?].”
18 After David had [L fled and] escaped from Saul, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Saul heard that David was in Naioth at Ramah. 20 So he sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] to capture him. But they met a group of prophets ·prophesying [in a frenzy], with Samuel standing there ·leading [in charge of] them. So the Spirit of God ·entered [came upon] Saul’s men, and they also ·prophesied [fell into a frenzy].
21 When Saul heard the news, he sent more ·messengers [agents; soldiers], but they also ·prophesied [fell into a frenzy]. Then he sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] a third time, but they also ·prophesied [fell into a frenzy]. 22 Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah, to the [large; great] well at Secu. He asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
The people answered, “In Naioth at Ramah.”
23 When Saul went to Naioth at Ramah, the Spirit of God also ·rushed upon [overwhelmed; seized; possessed] him. And he walked on, ·prophesying [in a frenzy,] until he came to Naioth at Ramah. 24 He ·took [tore; stripped] off his ·robes [clothes] and prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay ·that way [L naked] all day and all night. That is why people ask, “Is ·even [also] Saul one of the prophets?”
1 Samuel 19
New American Standard Bible
David Protected from Saul
19 Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants (A)to put David to death. But (B)Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. 2 So Jonathan informed David, saying, “My father Saul is seeking to put you to death. Now then, please be on your guard in the morning, and stay in a hiding place and conceal yourself. 3 And as for me, I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are hiding, and I will speak with my father about you; and (C)whatever I [a]find out, I will tell you.” 4 Then Jonathan (D)spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “(E)May the king not sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very [b]beneficial to you. 5 For (F)he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and (G)the Lord brought about a great [c]victory for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. (H)Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death [d]for no reason?” 6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, David shall not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as (I)before.
8 When there was war again, David went out and fought the Philistines and [e]defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled from him. 9 Now there was (J)an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house (K)with his spear in his hand, (L)and David was playing the harp with his hand. 10 (M)And Saul tried to [f]pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 Then (N)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!” 12 (O)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled, and escaped. 13 And Michal took (P)the [g]household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothing. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “(Q)He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on [h]his bed, so that I may put him to death.” 16 When the messengers entered, behold, the [i]household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! (R)Why should I put you to death?’”
18 So David fled and escaped, and came (S)to Samuel at Ramah; and he informed him of everything that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in (T)Naioth. 19 But it was reported to Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then (U)Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw (V)the company of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and (W)they also prophesied. 21 When Saul was informed of this, he sent other messengers, but they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, yet they prophesied. 22 Then he went to Ramah himself and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he [j]asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 So he [k]proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; but (X)the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and [l]lay down [m](Y)naked all that day and all night. Therefore they say, “(Z)Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 19:3 Lit see
- 1 Samuel 19:4 Lit good
- 1 Samuel 19:5 Lit deliverance
- 1 Samuel 19:5 Or undeservedly
- 1 Samuel 19:8 Lit struck
- 1 Samuel 19:10 Lit strike David and the wall
- 1 Samuel 19:13 Heb teraphim
- 1 Samuel 19:15 Lit the
- 1 Samuel 19:16 Heb teraphim
- 1 Samuel 19:22 Lit asked and said
- 1 Samuel 19:23 Lit went
- 1 Samuel 19:24 Lit fell
- 1 Samuel 19:24 I.e., without outward garments
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
