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 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. 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.”

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. 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?”

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

So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.(J)

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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. 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. 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.” 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. 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?” Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, David shall not be put to death.” 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:3 Lit see
  2. 1 Samuel 19:4 Lit good
  3. 1 Samuel 19:5 Lit deliverance
  4. 1 Samuel 19:5 Or undeservedly