1 ARST Then Saul urged all his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David. But Jonathan liked David very much. BSB BSB: Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,
2 ARST So he warned David,“My father Saul is seeking for a way to kill you. So be careful. Tomorrow morning go and find a place to hide in the field. BSB BSB: so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.
3 ARST I will ask my father to go out there with me. While we are out there, I will talk to him about you. Then I will tell you everything that he tells me.” So David did what Jonathan told him to do. BSB BSB: I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
4 ARST The next morning, Jonathan spoke with his father, saying many good things about David. He said,“You should never do anything to harm your servant David! He has never done anything to harm you! Everything that he has done has helped you very much. BSB BSB: Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
5 ARST He was in danger of being killed when he fought against Goliath, the great soldier of the Philistine army. By enabling David to kill him, Yahweh won a great victory for all the people of Israel. You were very happy when you saw that. Why would you want to do anything now to harm David? There is no reason for you to kill him, because he has not done anything wrong!” BSB BSB: He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
6 ARST Saul listened to what Jonathan said. Then Saul said,“I solemnly promise that just as surely as Yahweh is alive, I will not kill David.” BSB BSB: Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
7 ARST Afterward, Jonathan summoned David and told him what he and Saul had said. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David served Saul as he had done before. BSB BSB: So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
8 ARST One day a war started again, and David led his soldiers to fight against the Philistine army. David’ s army attacked them very furiously, with the result that the Philistine army ran away. BSB BSB: When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them with such a mighty blow that they fled before him.
9 ARST But one day when Saul was sitting in his house, an evil spirit sent from Yahweh suddenly came upon Saul. Saul picked up his spear as David was playing his harp for him. BSB BSB: But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
10 ARST Saul hurled his spear at David to try to fasten him to the wall. David dodged, and the spear did not hit him. The spear stuck in the wall, but David ran out into the darkness and escaped. BSB BSB: Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 ARST Then Saul sent messengers to David’ s house. He told them to watch the house and to kill David while he was leaving the house the following morning. But David’ s wife Michal saw them and warned him, saying,“To save your life, you must run away tonight, because if you do not do that, you will be killed tomorrow!” BSB BSB: Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
12 ARST So she enabled David to climb out through a window, and he ran away and escaped. BSB BSB: So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
13 ARST Then Michal took an idol that was in the house and put it in the bed. She covered it with some of David’ s clothes, and put some goat’ s hair on the head of the idol. BSB BSB: Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
14 ARST When the messengers came to the house the next morning, she told them that David was sick and could not get out of bed. BSB BSB: When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15 ARST When they reported that to Saul, he told them to go back to David’ s house. He said to them,“Bring him to me lying on his bed, in order that I can kill him!” BSB BSB: But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”
16 ARST But when those men entered David’ s house, they saw that there was only an idol in the bed, with goat’ s hair on its head. BSB BSB: And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.
17 ARST When they reported that to Saul, Saul summoned Michal and said to her,“Why did you trick me like that? You allowed my enemy to escape!” Michal replied to Saul,“David told me that if I did not help him to escape, he would kill me!” BSB BSB: And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
18 ARST After David had escaped from Saul, he went to Samuel, who was at his home in Ramah. He told Samuel everything that Saul had done to try to kill him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth, which was nearby, and they stayed there. BSB BSB: So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
19 ARST Someone told Saul that David was in Naioth near the city of Ramah, BSB BSB: When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 ARST so Saul sent some messengers to capture him. When those messengers arrived in Ramah, they met some men who were shouting messages from Yahweh, and Samuel was there as their leader. When Saul’ s messengers met them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’ s men, and they also shouted in the same way. BSB BSB: he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
21 ARST When Saul heard about that, he sent two more lots of messengers, but they also started to shout out messages from Yahweh. BSB BSB: When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy.
22 ARST Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the well at a place named Seku, he asked people there,“Where are Samuel and David?” The people replied,“They are at Naioth near Ramah.” BSB BSB: Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told.
23 ARST While Saul was walking toward Naioth, the Spirit of God also came upon him. While he walked on, he shouted messages from Yahweh until he came to Naioth. BSB BSB: So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 ARST There he took off his outer clothes, and he spoke messages from God in front of Samuel. He lay on the ground doing that all day and all night. That is the reason that when people see someone doing something that is very unexpected, they say,“Is Saul also a prophet?” BSB BSB: Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.