1 Samuel 19:1-18 ▼

1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officers to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan was very fond of David,

2 so he reported to David, |My father Saul is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning. Go into hiding, and stay out of sight.

3 I'll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you'll be. I'll speak with my father about you. If I find out anything, I'll tell you.|

4 So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. |You should not commit a sin against your servant David,| he said. |He hasn't sinned against you. Instead, he has done some very fine things for you:

5 He risked his life and killed the Philistine Goliath, and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you rejoiced. Why then should you sin by shedding David's innocent blood for no reason?|

6 Saul listened to Jonathan, and he promised, |I solemnly swear, as the LORD lives, he will not be killed.|

7 Jonathan told David all of this. Then Jonathan took David to Saul. So David was returned to his former status in Saul's court.

8 When war broke out again, David went to fight the Philistines. He defeated them so decisively that they fled from him.

9 Then an evil spirit from the LORD came over Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was strumming a tune.

10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with his spear. But David dodged it, and Saul's spear struck the wall. David fled, escaping [from Saul] that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, advised him, |If you don't save yourself tonight, you'll be dead tomorrow!|

12 So Michal lowered David through a window, and he ran away to escape.

13 Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goat-hair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment.

14 When Saul sent messengers to get David, Michal said, |He's sick.|

15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David themselves. Saul told them, |Bring him here to me in his bed so that I can kill him.|

16 The messengers came, and there in the bed were the idols with the goat-hair blanket at its head.

17 Saul asked Michal, |Why did you betray me by sending my enemy away so that he could escape?| Michal answered, |He told me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?'|

18 David escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah. He told Samuel everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to the pastures and lived there.