1 Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David.

2 Jonathan told David: »My father Saul is seeking to kill you. Please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

3 »I will stand beside my father in the field where you will be. I will speak with my father about you. If I find out anything I will tell you.«

4 Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. »You should not commit a sin against your servant David,« he said. »He has not sinned against you. He has in fact done some very fine things for you.

5 »He risked his life and killed the Philistine Goliath. Jehovah gave all Israel a great victory. You rejoiced when you saw it. Why should you sin by shedding David’s innocent blood for no reason?«

6 Jonathan convinced Saul, so Saul made a vow in Jehovah’s name that he would not kill David.

7 Jonathan called to David and told him what Saul said. Then he brought David to Saul. David served in Saul’s army just as he had done before.

8 Then there was a war with the Philistines. David fought hard and forced them to retreat.

9 One night, David was in Saul’s home, playing the harp for him. Saul sat there with a spear in his hand. The distressing spirit from Jehovah took control of him.

10 Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David dodged it, and Saul’s spear struck the wall. David escaped from Saul that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to watch David’s house and kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife advised him: »If you do not save yourself tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!«

12 Michal lowered David through a window. He ran away to escape.

13 Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goat-hair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment.

14 Saul sent messengers to get David. Michal said: »He is sick.«

15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David. They said: »Bring him up to me on his bed. I will put him to death.«

16 The messengers entered. There, on the bed was the household idol with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head.

17 Saul said to Michal: »Why have you deceived me like this? You let my enemy go. He has escaped!« Michal said to Saul: »He said to me: ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’«

18 David escaped to Samuel at Ramah. He told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel stayed in Naioth.

19 Saul was told: »David is at Naioth in Ramah.«

20 Saul sent messengers to get David. They saw a group of prophets prophesying with their leader Samuel. God’s Spirit came over Saul’s messengers so that they also prophesied.

21 Saul heard what happened. So he sent another group of messengers, but they prophesied the same way. He sent a third group of messengers, 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. He asked: »Where are Samuel and David?« The people answered: »At Prophets Village in Ramah.«

23 He went on from there to Naioth in Ramah. The spirit of God came on him and he acted like a prophet. Then he arrived at Naioth in Ramah.

24 He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay there naked all day and all night. The saying: »Is Saul one of the prophets?« came from there.