1 Samuel 18:5–19:24
5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and 1prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6 It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that athe women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with 1musical instruments.
7 The women asang as they 1played, and said,
“bSaul has slain his thousands,
cAnd David his ten thousands.”
8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying 1displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now awhat more can he have but the kingdom?”
9 Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.
10 Now it came about on the next day that aan evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and bhe raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, 1cas usual; and 2da spear was in Saul’s hand.
11 aSaul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will 1pin David to the wall.” But David 2escaped from his presence twice.
12 Now aSaul was afraid of David, bfor the Lord was with him but chad departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from 1his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and ahe went out and came in before the people.
14 David was 1prospering in all his ways for athe Lord was with him.
15 When Saul saw that he was 1prospering greatly, he dreaded him.
16 But aall Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them.
17 Then Saul said to David, “aHere is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight bthe Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but clet the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18 But David said to Saul, “aWho am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”
19 So it came about at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to aAdriel bthe Meholathite for a wife.
20 Now aMichal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable 1to him.
21 Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and athat the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “bFor a second time you may be my son-in-law today.”
22 Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words 1to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, asince I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”
24 The servants of Saul reported to him 1according to these words which David spoke.
25 Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any adowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, bto take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now cSaul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 When his servants told David these words, 1it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. 2aBefore the days had expired
27 David rose up and went, ahe and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then bDavid brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.
28 When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,
29 then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the commanders of the Philistines awent out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David bbehaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.
1 Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants ato put David to death. But bJonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.
2 So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.
3 “I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; aif I 1find out anything, then I will tell you.”
4 Then Jonathan aspoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “bDo not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very 1beneficial to you.
5 “For ahe took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and bthe Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. cWhy then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?”
6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.”
7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as aformerly.
8 When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and 1defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him.
9 Now there was aan evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house bwith his spear in his hand, cand David was playing the harp with his hand.
10 aSaul tried to 1pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he 2stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 Then aSaul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.”
12 aSo Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped.
13 Michal took athe 1household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes.
14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “aHe is sick.”
15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on 1his bed, that I may put him to death.”
16 When the messengers entered, behold, the 1household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head.
17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! aWhy should I put you to death?’ ”
18 Now David fled and escaped and came ato Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in bNaioth.
19 It was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 Then aSaul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw bthe company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and cthey also prophesied.
21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 He 1proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and athe Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and 1lay down 2anaked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “bIs Saul also among the prophets?”