| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. | 1Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David |
| 2But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan 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: | 2and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. |
| 3And 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 see, that I will tell thee. | 3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out." |
| 4And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to theeward very good: | 4Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. |
| 5For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? | 5He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" |
| 6And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain. | 6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death." |
| 7And 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 past. | 7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before. |
| 8And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. | 8Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him. |
| 9And 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. | 9But an evil spirit 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, |
| 10And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. | 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. |
| 11Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, 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. | 11Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." |
| 12So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. | 12So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. |
| 13And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. | 13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. |
| 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. | 14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." |
| 15And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. | 15Then 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." |
| 16And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. | 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. |
| 17And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee? | 17Saul 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?'" |
| 18So 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. | 18When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. |
| 19And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. | 19Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; |
| 20And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they 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. | 20so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they also prophesied. |
| 21And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. | 21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. |
| 22Then 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. | 22Finally, 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. |
| 23And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. | 23So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. |
| 24And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? | 24He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" |
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