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1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, to slay David. 2 And Jonathan, Saul's son, *loved David much: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul seeks to kill thee: take heed to thyself therefore to-morrow morning, and hide thyself, and dwell in secret. 3 And I will go forth, and stand near my father in the field where thou shalt be, and I will speak concerning thee to my father; and I will see what his answer may be, and I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spoke favourably concerning David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against thy servant David, for he has not sinned against thee, and his deeds are very good. 5 And he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance; and all Israel saw, and rejoiced: why then dost thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? 6 And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, saying, As the Lord lives, †he shall not die. 7 And Jonathan called David, and told him all these words; and Jonathan brought David in to Saul, and he was before him as in former times.
8 And ‡there was again war against Saul; and David did valiantly, and fought against the Philistines, and smote them with a very great slaughter, and they fled from before him.
9 And an evil spirit §from God was upon Saul, and he was **resting in his house, and a spear was in his hand, and David was playing on the harp with his hands. 10 And Saul sought ††to smite David with the spear; and David withdrew suddenly from the presence of Saul; and he drove the spear into the wall; and David retreated and escaped. 11 And it came to pass in that night, that Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to slay him in the morning; and Melchol ‡‡David's wife told him, saying, Unless thou save thy life this night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. 12 So Melchol lets David down by the window, and he departed, and fled, and escaped. 13 And Melchol took §§images, and laid them on the bed, and she put the ***liver of a goat by his head, and covered them with clothes.
14 And Saul sent messengers to take David; and they say that he is sick. 15 And he sends to David, saying, Bring him to me on the bed, that I may slay him. 16 And the messengers come, and, behold, the images were on the bed, and the goat's liver at his head. 17 And Saul said to Melchol, Why hast thou thus deceived me, and suffered my enemy to depart, and he has escaped? and Melchol said to Saul, He said, Let me go, and if not, I will slay thee.
18 So David fled, and escaped, and comes to Samuel to Armathaim, and tells him all that Saul had done to him: and Samuel and David went, and dwelt in Navath in Rama.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is in Navath in Rama. 20 And Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw the assembly of the prophets, and Samuel stood as appointed over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesy. 21 And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied: and Saul sent again a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied. 22 And Saul was very angry, and went himself also to Armathaim, and he comes as far as the well of the threshing-floor that is in Sephi; and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? and they said, Behold, in Navath in Rama. 23 And he went thence to Navath in Rama: and there came the Spirit of God upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Navath in Rama. 24 And he took off his clothes, and prophesied before them; and lay down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they said, Is Saul also among the prophets?
* 19:2 Gr. chose, q. d. dilexit. † 19:6 Gr. if he shall die. ‡ 19:8 Lit. war added to be. § 19:9 Gr. of God. ** 19:9 Gr. sleeping. Heb. sitting, perhaps ישך read for ישב. †† 19:10 Gr. to strike the spear into David. ‡‡ 19:11 Gr. his wife sent to David. §§ 19:13 Heb. teraphim, probably such images as were put on monuments. *** 19:13 כבר liver, has evidently been read here for כביר a quilt, or perhaps a pillow.