(KJV) 1 Samuel 19¹

⥃Saul Tries to Kill David ^{[ Psalms 59:1–17 ]}

[1] And Saul² spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. [2] But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted³ much in David: and Jonathan⁴ told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret [place], and hide thyself: [3] And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou [art], and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see⁵, that I will tell thee.

[4] [¶]And Jonathan spake good⁶ of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against⁷ his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works⁸ [have been] to thee-ward very good: [5] For he did put his life⁹ in his hand, and slew¹⁰ the Philistine, and the Lord wrought¹¹ a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest [it], and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent¹² blood, to slay David without a cause¹³? [6] And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware¹⁴, [As] the Lord liveth, he shall not¹⁵ be slain. [7] And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past¹⁶.

[8] And there was war again: and David¹⁷ went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him¹⁸. [9] And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with [his] hand.¹⁹ [10] And Saul sought²⁰ to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped²¹ away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped²² that night. [11] Saul also sent messengers²³ unto David’s house, to watch him²⁴, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

[12] [¶]So Michal²⁵ let David²⁶ down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. [13] And Michal took an image²⁷, and laid [it] in the bed, and put a pillow²⁸ of goats’ [hair] for his bolster, and covered [it] with a cloth. [14] And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said²⁹, He [is] sick. [15] And Saul sent the messengers [again] to see David, saying, Bring him³⁰ up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. [16] And when³¹ the messengers were come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ [hair] for his bolster. [17] And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast³² thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy³³, that he is escaped? And Michal³⁴ answered Saul, He said³⁵ unto me, Let me go; why should³⁶ I kill thee?

[18] So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel³⁷ to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. [19] And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David [is] at Naioth in Ramah.³⁸ [20] And Saul sent messengers³⁹ to take David: and when they⁴⁰ saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing [as] appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. [21] And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers⁴¹ again the third time, and they prophesied also⁴². [22] Then went he also 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, [they be] at Naioth in Ramah. [23] And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit⁴³ of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came⁴⁴ to Naioth in Ramah. [24] And he stripped⁴⁵ off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay⁴⁶ down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, [Is] Saul⁴⁷ also among the prophets?