Saul's Attempts on David's Life and Jonathan's Intervention
1 Samuel 19:1-24
1Saul spoke to his son Jonathan and to all his servants about putting David to death. Jonathan the son of Saul delighted greatly in David.2Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore keep yourself, please, in the morning, dwell in secrecy, and hide yourself.3I myself will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak about you to my father. Then I will see what happens and report to you."4Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, "Let the king not sin against his servant David, for David has not sinned against you, and his deeds have been very pleasing to you.5He put his life in his palm when he struck the Philistine, and the LORD accomplished a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without cause?"6Saul listened to Jonathan and swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."7Jonathan summoned David and reported to him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was in his presence as before, three days earlier.8When battle broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines. He inflicted a great defeat on them, and they fled before him.9An evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul. While he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, David was playing music.10Saul sought to strike David with the spear, but David eluded him. Saul struck the spear into the wall, and David fled and escaped that night.11Saul sent messengers to David's house to keep him and to put him to death in the morning. Michal his wife told David, saying, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, you will be put to death tomorrow."12Michal let David down through the window, and he went, fled, and escaped.13Michal took the teraphim and set it on the bed, and she set the goats' quilt at his head and covered it with the garment.14When Saul sent messengers to seize David, she said, "He is ill."15Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up in the bed to me so that I may put him to death."16The messengers came, and behold, the teraphim were on the bed with the goats' quilt at its head.17Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this and sent away my enemy so that he escaped?" Michal said to Saul, "He said to me, 'Send me away; why should I put you to death?'"18David fled and escaped. He came to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then David and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth.19When Saul was told, "David is at Naioth in Ramah,"20Saul sent messengers to take David. He saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing over them. The spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, and they also prophesied.21Saul was informed, so he sent other messengers, and they too prophesied. He sent a third group of messengers, and they likewise prophesied.22Saul himself went to Ramah. He came as far as the great cistern at Secu and asked where Samuel and David were. He was told, "They are at Naioth in Ramah."23He proceeded to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he arrived at Naioth in Ramah.24He also stripped off his garments and prophesied before Samuel. He fell naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"