Saul Tries to Kill David (Psalm 59:1–17)
1 ULT And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all of his servants to kill David. But Jonathan, the son of Saul, delighted greatly in David, BSB BSB: Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,
2 ULT so Jonathan declared to David, saying,“Saul my father is seeking to kill you. And now, please guard yourself in the morning and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 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 ULT And I myself will go out and stand at the hand of my father in the field where you{ are} there, and I myself will speak about you to my father, and I will see what, and I will declare to you.” 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 ULT And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and he said to him,“May the king not sin against his servant, against David, for he has not sinned against you, but surely his deeds{ have been} very good for you. 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 ULT And he put his life in his palm and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh made a great salvation for all of Israel. You saw and rejoiced. So why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 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 ULT And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore,“The life of Yahweh, he shall not be killed” 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 ULT And Jonathan called to David, and Jonathan declared to him all of these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was to his face as yesterday and the third day. 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 ULT And there resumed to be war, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and he struck a great striking against them, and they fled from his face. 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 ULT And a bad spirit from Yahweh came upon Saul, and he was sitting in his house, and his spear{ was} in his hand, and David was playing by hand. 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 ULT And Saul sought to strike David with the spear, and into the wall, but he escaped from the face of Saul, and he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and rescued himself on that night. 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 ULT And Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal his wife declared to David, saying,“If you are not rescuing your life tonight, tomorrow you will be being killed.” 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 ULT And Michal lowered David through the window. And he went and fled and rescued himself. BSB BSB: So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
13 ULT And Michal took the teraphim and put{ it} on the bed. And she put a weaving of goats at its head, and she covered{ it} with clothing. 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 ULT And Saul sent messengers to take David. But she said,“He{ is} sick.” BSB BSB: When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15 ULT So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying,“Bring him up to me in the bed to 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 ULT And the messengers came, and behold, the teraphim{ was} on the bed, and the weaving of goats{ was} at its head. BSB BSB: And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.
17 ULT And Saul said to Michal,“Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he rescued himself?” And Michal said to Saul,“He himself said to me,‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’” 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 ULT Now David fled and rescued himself, and he came to Samuel in Ramah, and he declared to him all that Saul had done to him. And he went, and Samuel, and they stayed in Naioth. 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 ULT And it was declared to Saul, saying,“Behold, David{ is} in Naioth in Ramah.” BSB BSB: When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 ULT And Saul sent messengers to take David. And one saw a group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel was standing, having stationed himself over them. And the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 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 ULT And they declared{ this} to Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul added and sent messengers a third{ time}, and they also prophesied. 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 ULT So he went, he also, to Ramah, and he came to the great cistern that{ is} in Secu. And he asked and said,“Where{ are} Samuel and David?” And one said,“Behold, in Naioth in 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 ULT So he went thence, to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him, him also, and going, he went, and he prophesied until he entered into Naioth in Ramah. 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 ULT And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied to the face of Samuel. And he lay naked all of that day and all of the night. Therefore they said,“{ Is} Saul also among the prophets?” 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?”
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