Saul Tries To Have David Killed
1 One day, Saul told his son Jonathan and his officers to kill
David. But Jonathan liked David a lot, 2 and he warned David,
“My father is trying to have you killed, so be very careful.
Hide in a field tomorrow morning, and I’ll bring him there.
Then I’ll talk to him about you, and if I find out anything,
I’ll let you know.”
4 The next morning, Jonathan reminded
Saul about the many good things David had done for him. Then he
said, “Why do you want to kill David? He hasn’t done
anything to you. He has served in your army and has always done
what’s best for you. He even risked his life to kill Goliath.
The Lord helped Israel win a great victory that day, and it made
you happy.”
6 Saul agreed and promised, “I swear
by the living Lord that I won’t have David killed!”
7 Jonathan called to David and told him
what Saul had said. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served
in Saul’s army just as he had done before.
8 The next time there was a war with the
Philistines, David fought hard and forced them to retreat.
Michal Helps David Escape
9 One night, David was in Saul’s
home, playing the harp for him. Saul was sitting there, holding
a spear, when an evil spirit from the Lord took control of him.
Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David
dodged, and it stuck in the wall. David ran out of the house and
escaped.
11 Saul sent guards to watch David’s
house all night and then to kill him in the morning.
Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If
you don’t escape tonight, they’ll kill you tomorrow!”
12 She helped David go through a window and climb down to the
ground. As David ran off, 13 Michal put a statue in his bed.
She put goat hair on its head and dressed it in some of David’s
clothes.
14 The next morning, Saul sent guards
to arrest David. But Michal told them, “David is sick.”
15 Saul sent the guards back and told
them, “Get David out of his bed and bring him to me, so I
can have him killed.”
16 When the guards went in, all they found
in the bed was the statue with the goat hair on its head.
17 “Why have you tricked me this
way?” Saul asked Michal. “You helped my enemy get away!”
She answered, “He said he would kill
me if I didn’t help him escape!”
Samuel Helps David Escape
18 Meanwhile, David went to Samuel
at Ramah and told him what Saul had done. Then Samuel and David
went to Prophets Village and stayed there.
19 Someone told Saul, “David is at
Prophets Village in Ramah.”
20 Saul sent a few soldiers to bring David
back. They went to Ramah and found Samuel in charge of a group
of prophets who were all prophesying. Then the Spirit of God took
control of the soldiers and they started prophesying too.
21 When Saul heard what had happened,
he sent another group of soldiers, but they prophesied the same
way. He sent a third group of soldiers, but the same thing happened
to them. 22 Finally, Saul left for Ramah himself. He went as far
as the deep pit at the town of Secu, and he asked, “Where
are Samuel and David?”
“At Prophets Village in Ramah,”
the people answered.
23 Saul left for Ramah. But as he walked
along, the Spirit of God took control of him, and he started prophesying.
Then, when he reached Prophets Village, 24 he stripped off his
clothes and prophesied in front of Samuel. He dropped to the ground
and lay there naked all day and night. That’s how the saying
started, “Is Saul now a prophet?”