| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan liked David very much. | 1Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David |
| 2So Jonathan told David, "My father Saul is trying to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find a hiding place and stay in seclusion. | 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. |
| 3I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is, I will let you know." | 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." |
| 4So Jonathan spoke on David's behalf to his father Saul. He said to him, "The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial for you. | 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. |
| 5He risked his life when he struck down the Philistine and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?" | 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?" |
| 6Saul accepted Jonathan's advice and took an oath, "As surely as the LORD lives, he will not be put to death." | 6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death." |
| 7Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. | 7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before. |
| 8Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly and they ran away 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. |
| 9Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. | 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, |
| 10Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul's presence and the spear drove into the wall. David escaped quickly 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 sent messengers to David's house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save yourself tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!" | 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 lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped. | 12So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. |
| 13Then Michal took a household idol and put it on the bed. She put a quilt made of goat's hair over its head and then covered the idol with a garment. | 13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. |
| 14When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, "He's sick." | 14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." |
| 15Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill 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." |
| 16When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat's hair at its head. | 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. |
| 17Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!" Michal replied to Saul, "He said to me, 'Help me get away or else I will kill you!'" | 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?'" |
| 18Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at 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. |
| 19It was reported to Saul saying, "David is at Naioth in Ramah." | 19Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; |
| 20So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, 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. |
| 21When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. | 21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. |
| 22Finally Saul himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" They said, "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. |
| 23So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying 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. |
| 24He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, "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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