1 Samuel 19
1THEREFORE Saul spoke to his son Jonathan, and all his servants, to kill David. Now Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David exceedingly;
2therefore Jonathan told David, and said, Saul seeketh to kill thee, therefore be on thy guard till to-morrow morning, and hide thyself, and keep close,
3and I will go out, and stand near my father in the field where thou art, and speak to my father about thee, and see what may be the matter, and tell thee.
4So Jonathan spoke to his father in commendation of David, and said to him, Let not the king sin against thy servant David; for he hath not sinned against thee; and his services are very good.
5For he hath put his life in his hands, and smitten the Philistines, and the Lord hath wrought a great deliverance, and all Israel have seen and rejoiced. Why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without cause?
6And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan, and swore, saying, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be put to death.
7Thereupon Jonathan called David, and told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as heretofore.
8And as the war continued against Saul, David took courage and fought against the Philistines, and smote them with a very great slaughter, and they fled before him.
9But the evil spirit from God came upon Saul when he was sitting in his house, with his spear in his hand, and while David’s hands were engaged in playing,
10Saul sought to strike the spear into David; but David darted from before him, and he struck the spear into the wall. As David had withdrawn, and escaped,
11Saul sent messengers that night to David’s house, to watch him, with an intent to put him to death in the morning. But Melchol, David’s wife, told him, and said, Unless thou save thy life this night, to-morrow thou wilt be put to death.
12Then Melchol let David out through a window, and he departed, and fled, and escaped.
13And Melchol took the cenotaphs, and laid them on the bed, and placed a goat skin pillow for his head, and covered them with a mantle.
14So when Saul sent messengers to take David, they said he was sick.
15Then Saul sent them for David, saying, Bring him to me on the bed, that I may put him to death.
16And when the messengers came, behold! There were the cenotaphs on the bed, and a goat skin pillow for his head.
17Whereupon Saul said to Melchol, Why hast thou thus deceived me, and sent away my enemy, so that he hath escaped? And Melchol said to Saul, He said, Let me go, else I will put thee to death.
18So David fled, and escaped, and went to Samuel, to Armathaim, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And Samuel went with David, and they made their abode at Navath in Rama.
19And when it was told Saul, saying, Behold David is at Navath, in Rama,
20Saul sent messengers to take David. But when they saw the assembly of the prophets, with Samuel, standing at the head of them, a Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesied.
21When this was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And when Saul sent a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied,
22he was exceedingly enraged, and went himself to Armathaim. And when he came to the well of Alo, which is at Sephi, he inquired, and said, Where are Samuel and David? And they said, Behold at Navath, in Rama.
23Thereupon he went thence to Navath, in Rama, and a Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Navath, in Rama.
24And having stripped off his upper garments, he prophesied before them, and lay uncovered that whole day, and the whole night. For this cause they said, Is Saul also among the prophets?