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19 Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you.”

Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you; for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”

Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.”

Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.

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Jonathan Intercedes for David

19 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officials[a] to kill David, but Saul’s son Jonathan was very fond of[b] David. So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. In the morning be careful and stay hidden in a secret place. I’ll go out and stand by my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to my father about you. If I find out what he intends to do,[c] I’ll tell you.”

Jonathan spoke to his father Saul favorably about David. “The king shouldn’t wrong his servant David because he has not wronged you and because what he has done has been very beneficial for you. He risked his life[d] and struck down the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a spectacular deliverance for all Israel. You saw that and rejoiced, so why would you do wrong and shed innocent blood[e] by killing David without cause?” Saul listened to Jonathan, and swore by the life of the Lord that David[f] would not be killed. Jonathan summoned David and told him all this.[g] Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David[h] served him[i] as before.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:1 Or servants
  2. 1 Samuel 19:1 Lit. took great delight in
  3. 1 Samuel 19:3 The Heb. lacks he intends to do
  4. 1 Samuel 19:5 Lit. put his life in his hand
  5. 1 Samuel 19:5 Lit. do wrong with innocent blood
  6. 1 Samuel 19:6 Lit. he
  7. 1 Samuel 19:7 Lit. all these words
  8. 1 Samuel 19:7 Lit. he
  9. 1 Samuel 19:7 Lit. was in his presence