1 Samuel Chapter 19

Samuel was the leader of Israel in the period between de Judges and Saul, the first king. When Saul's leadership failed, Samuel anointed David as king.

A Conservative Version

19 : 1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.

19 : 2 And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.

19 : 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou are, and I will converse with my father of thee, and if I see anything, I will tell thee.

19 : 4 And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against thee, and because his works have been very good toward thee.

19 : 5 For he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and Jehovah wrought a great victory for all Israel. Thou saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will thou sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?

19 : 6 And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, As Jehovah lives, he shall not be put to death.

19 : 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as beforetime.

19 : 8 And there was war again. And David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him.

19 : 9 And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing with his hand.

19 : 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night.

19 : 11 And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou will be slain.

19 : 12 So Michal let David down through the window, and he went, and fled, and escaped.

19 : 13 And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at the head of it, and covered it with the clothes.

19 : 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

19 : 15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.

19 : 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at the head of it.

19 : 17 And Saul said to Michal, Why have thou deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill thee?

19 : 18 Now 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 : 19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

19 : 20 And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

19 : 21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.

19 : 22 Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.

19 : 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

19 : 24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?