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1 Samuel 19
New English Translation

Saul Repeatedly Attempts to Take David’s Life

19 Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much.[a] 2 So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying[b] to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find[c] a hiding place and stay in seclusion.[d] 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak to my father about you. When I find out what the problem is,[e] I will let you know.”

4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf[f] to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial[g] for you. 5 He risked his life[h] when he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”

6 Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice[i] and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly.[j]

8 Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly,[k] and they ran away from him. 9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon[l] Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre.[m] 10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, and the spear drove into the wall.[n] David escaped quickly[o] that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself[p] tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 12 So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped.

13 Then Michal took a household idol[q] and put it on the bed. She put a quilt[r] made of goats’ hair over its head[s] and then covered the idol with a garment. 14 When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.”

15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.” 16 When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goats’ hair at its head.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!” Michal replied to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away or else I will kill you!’”[t]

18 Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 19 It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. 22 Finally Saul[u] himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” They said, “At Naioth in Ramah.”

23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there[v] naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:1 tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.”
  2. 1 Samuel 19:2 tn Heb “seeking.”
  3. 1 Samuel 19:2 tn Heb “stay in.”
  4. 1 Samuel 19:2 tn Heb “and hide yourself.”
  5. 1 Samuel 19:3 tn Heb “when I see.”
  6. 1 Samuel 19:4 tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.”
  7. 1 Samuel 19:4 tn Heb “good.”
  8. 1 Samuel 19:5 tn Heb “and he put his life into his hand.”
  9. 1 Samuel 19:6 tn Heb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.”
  10. 1 Samuel 19:7 tn Heb “and he was before him as before.”
  11. 1 Samuel 19:8 tn Heb “and he struck them down with a great blow.”
  12. 1 Samuel 19:9 tn Heb “[was] to.”
  13. 1 Samuel 19:9 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
  14. 1 Samuel 19:10 tn Heb “and he drove the spear into the wall.”
  15. 1 Samuel 19:10 tn Heb “fled and escaped.”
  16. 1 Samuel 19:11 tn Heb “your life.”
  17. 1 Samuel 19:13 tn Heb “teraphim” (also a second time in this verse and once in v. 16). These were statues that represented various deities. According to 2 Kgs 23:24 they were prohibited during the time of Josiah’s reform movement in the seventh century. The idol Michal placed under the covers was of sufficient size to give the mistaken impression that David lay in the bed, thus facilitating his escape.
  18. 1 Samuel 19:13 tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word כָּבִיר (kavir) is uncertain; it is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in v. 16. It probably refers to a quilt made of goats’ hair, perhaps used as a fly net while one slept. See HALOT 458 s.v. *כָּבִיר. Cf. KJV, TEV “pillow”; NLT “cushion”; NAB, NRSV “net.”
  19. 1 Samuel 19:13 tn Heb “at the place of its head.”
  20. 1 Samuel 19:17 tn Heb “Send me away! Why should I kill you?” The question has the force of a threat in this context. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 325-26.
  21. 1 Samuel 19:22 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 23). The referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. 1 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “and he fell down.”
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1 Samuel 19
New American Standard Bible 1995

David Protected from Saul

19 Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants (A)to put David to death. But (B)Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. 2 So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; (C)if I [a]find out anything, then I will tell you.” 4 Then Jonathan (D)spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “(E)Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very [b]beneficial to you. 5 For (F)he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and (G)the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. (H)Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?” 6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as (I)formerly.

8 When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and [c]defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him. 9 Now there was (J)an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house (K)with his spear in his hand, (L)and David was playing the harp with his hand. 10 (M)Saul tried to [d]pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he [e]stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 Then (N)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.” 12 (O)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. 13 Michal took (P)the [f]household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “(Q)He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on [g]his bed, that I may put him to death.” 16 When the messengers entered, behold, the [h]household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! (R)Why should I put you to death?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped and came (S)to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in (T)Naioth. 19 It was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then (U)Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw (V)the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and (W)they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 He [i]proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and (X)the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and [j]lay down [k](Y)naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “(Z)Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:3 Lit see
  2. 1 Samuel 19:4 Lit good
  3. 1 Samuel 19:8 Lit smote
  4. 1 Samuel 19:10 Lit strike David and the wall
  5. 1 Samuel 19:10 Lit struck
  6. 1 Samuel 19:13 Heb teraphim
  7. 1 Samuel 19:15 Lit the
  8. 1 Samuel 19:16 Heb teraphim
  9. 1 Samuel 19:23 Lit went
  10. 1 Samuel 19:24 Lit fell
  11. 1 Samuel 19:24 I.e. without outward garments
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1 Samuel 19
New International Version

Saul Tries to Kill David

19 Saul told his son Jonathan(A) and all the attendants to kill(B) David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding(C) and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak(D) to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

4 Jonathan spoke(E) well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong(F) to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life(G) in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory(H) for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent(I) man like David by killing him for no reason?”

6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”

7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.(J)

8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

9 But an evil[a] spirit(K) from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,(L) 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded(M) him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch(N) it and to kill him in the morning.(O) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window,(P) and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol(Q) and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said,(R) “He is ill.”

15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”

Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah(S) and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets(T) prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on(U) Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.(V) 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.

23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying(W) until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped(X) off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s(Y) presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:9 Or But a harmful
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1 Samuel 19
King James Version

19 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:

5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.

7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.

9 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin: but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.

14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.

17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

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1 Samuel 19
La Biblia de las Américas

Jonatán intercede por David

19 Saúl dijo a su hijo Jonatán y a todos sus siervos que dieran muerte a David(A); pero Jonatán, hijo de Saúl(B), apreciaba grandemente a David. 2 Y avisó Jonatán a David, diciendo: Saúl mi padre procura matarte. Ahora pues, te ruego que estés alerta por la mañana, y permanezcas en un lugar secreto y te escondas. 3 Yo saldré y me pondré al lado de mi padre en el campo donde tú te encuentres, y hablaré con mi padre de ti; si descubro[a] algo, te avisaré(C). 4 Entonces Jonatán habló bien de David a Saúl su padre(D), y le dijo: No peque el rey contra David su siervo, puesto que él no ha pecado contra ti, y puesto que sus hechos han sido de mucho beneficio[b] para ti(E). 5 Porque puso su vida en peligro[c] e hirió al filisteo(F), y el Señor trajo una gran liberación a todo Israel(G); tú lo viste y te regocijaste. ¿Por qué, pues, pecarás contra sangre inocente, dando muerte a David sin causa(H)? 6 Y escuchó Saúl la voz de Jonatán, y juró[d]: Vive el Señor que no morirá. 7 Entonces Jonatán llamó a David y le[e] comunicó todas estas palabras. Y Jonatán llevó a David ante Saúl, y estuvo en su presencia como antes(I).

8 Cuando hubo guerra de nuevo, David salió y peleó contra los filisteos, y los derrotó[f] con gran matanza, y huyeron delante de él. 9 Y vino[g] un espíritu malo de parte del Señor sobre Saúl(J); y estaba él sentado en su casa con su lanza en la mano(K) mientras David tocaba[h] el arpa(L). 10 Y trató Saúl de clavar a David en[i] la pared con la lanza, pero este se escurrió de la presencia de Saúl, y la lanza se clavó en la pared(M); David huyó y escapó aquella noche.

David salvado por Mical

11 Saúl envió mensajeros a la casa de David para vigilarle a fin de matarlo por la mañana(N); pero Mical, mujer de David, le avisó, diciendo: Si no pones a salvo tu vida esta noche, mañana te darán muerte. 12 Mical descolgó a David por una ventana, y él salió, huyó y escapó(O). 13 Y tomó Mical el ídolo doméstico[j](P) y lo puso en la cama, puso a su cabecera una almohada de pelo de cabra y lo cubrió con ropa. 14 Cuando Saúl envió mensajeros para llevarse a David, ella dijo: Está enfermo(Q). 15 Entonces Saúl envió mensajeros a ver a David, diciendo: Traédmelo en la cama, para que yo lo mate. 16 Cuando los mensajeros entraron, he aquí, el ídolo doméstico[k] estaba sobre la cama con la almohada de pelo de cabra a su cabecera. 17 Y Saúl dijo a Mical: ¿Por qué me has engañado de esta manera y has dejado ir a mi enemigo, de modo que ha escapado? Y Mical dijo a Saúl: Él me dijo: «Déjame ir, porque si no te mato(R)».

18 Huyó, pues, David y escapó, y fue a donde estaba Samuel en Ramá(S), y le contó todo lo que Saúl le había hecho. Y él y Samuel fueron y se quedaron en Naiot(T). 19 Y se le informó a Saúl diciendo: He aquí, David está en Naiot, en Ramá. 20 Saúl envió mensajeros para llevarse a David(U), pero cuando vieron al grupo de los profetas profetizando(V), y a Samuel de pie presidiéndolos, el Espíritu de Dios vino sobre los mensajeros de Saúl, y ellos también profetizaron(W). 21 Cuando se lo dijeron a Saúl, envió otros mensajeros, y también ellos profetizaron. Y por tercera vez Saúl envió mensajeros, y ellos también profetizaron. 22 Entonces él mismo fue a Ramá, y llegó hasta el pozo grande que está en Secú; y preguntó, diciendo: ¿Dónde están Samuel y David? Y alguien dijo: He aquí, están en Naiot en Ramá. 23 Y él prosiguió[l] hasta Naiot en Ramá; y vino también el Espíritu de Dios sobre él, e iba profetizando continuamente hasta llegar a Naiot en Ramá(X). 24 Se quitó además la ropa, también profetizó delante de Samuel, y estuvo echado[m] desnudo[n] todo aquel día y toda la noche(Y). Por lo que suele decirse: ¿También está Saúl entre los profetas(Z)?

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:3 Lit., veo
  2. 1 Samuel 19:4 Lit., muy buenos
  3. 1 Samuel 19:5 Lit., en su palma
  4. 1 Samuel 19:6 Lit., Saúl juró
  5. 1 Samuel 19:7 Lit., y Jonatán le
  6. 1 Samuel 19:8 Lit., hirió
  7. 1 Samuel 19:9 Lit., había
  8. 1 Samuel 19:9 Lit., tocaba con la mano
  9. 1 Samuel 19:10 Lit., de herir a David y a
  10. 1 Samuel 19:13 Heb., terafim
  11. 1 Samuel 19:16 Heb., terafim
  12. 1 Samuel 19:23 Lit., fue
  13. 1 Samuel 19:24 Lit., cayó
  14. 1 Samuel 19:24 I.e., sin ropas exteriores
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