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1 Samuel 19
Expanded Bible
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
Revised Geneva Translation
1 Samuel 19
Revised Geneva Translation
19 Then Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants, so that they would kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David.
2 And Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul, my father, intends to kill you. Now, therefore, please be on your guard until morning and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.
3 “And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where you are and will commune with my father about you. And I will see what he says and will tell you.”
4 And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul, his father, and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David. For he has not sinned against you, but his works have been very good to you.
5 “For he put his life in danger and killed the Philistine. And the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and you rejoiced. Why, then, will you sin against innocent blood and kill David without a reason?”
6 Then Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not die.”
7 So Jonathan called David. And Jonathan told him all those words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul. And he was in his presence, as in times past.
8 Again, the war began. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and killed them with a great slaughter. And they fled from him.
9 And the spirit of misery from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David played with his hand.
10 And Saul intended to pin David to the wall with the spear. But he turned aside, out of Saul’s presence. And he struck the spear against the wall. But David fled and escaped that same night.
11 Saul also sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told it to him, saying, “If you do not save yourself this night, tomorrow you shall be killed.
12 So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.
13 Then Michal took an image and laid it in the bed and put a pillow stuffed with goat’s hair under the head of it and covered it with a cloth.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
15 And Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me in the bed, so that I may kill him.”
16 And when the messengers had come in, behold, an image was in the bed with a pillow of goat’s hair under the head of it.
17 And Saul said to Michal, “Why have you mocked me so, and sent away my enemy, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go, or else I will kill you.’”
18 So 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.
19 But someone told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw a company of Prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God fell upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it was told to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Again, Saul sent a third group of messengers; and they prophesied also.
22 Then, he himself went 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, at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 And he went there, to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also. And he went prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes; and he also prophesied before Samuel and fell down naked, all that day and all that night. Therefore, they say, “Is Saul also among the Prophets?”
1 Samuel 19
New International Version
1 Samuel 19
New International Version
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.”
7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.(J)
8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
9 But an evil[a] spirit(K) from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,(L) 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded(M) him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch(N) it and to kill him in the morning.(O) 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,(P) and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol(Q) 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,(R) “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(S) 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(T) prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on(U) Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.(V) 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(W) until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped(X) off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s(Y) presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”(Z)
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 19:9 Or But a harmful
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.