| King James Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. | 1Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan liked David very much, |
| 2But 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: | 2so he told him: "My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning and hide in a secret place and stay there. |
| 3And 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. | 3I'll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are and talk to him about you. When I see what he says, I'll tell you." |
| 4And 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 theeward very good: | 4Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. He said to him: "The king should not sin against his servant David. He hasn't sinned against you; in fact, his actions have been a great advantage to you. |
| 5For 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? | 5He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?" |
| 6And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain. | 6Saul listened to Jonathan's advice and swore an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed." |
| 7And 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. | 7So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he did before. |
| 8And 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. | 8When war broke out again, David went out and fought against the Philistines. He defeated them with such great force that they fled from him. |
| 9And 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. | 9Now an evil spirit sent from the LORD came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear. David was playing the lyre, |
| 10And 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. | 10and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul, ran away, and escaped that night. |
| 11Saul 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. | 11Saul sent agents to David's house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David, "If you don't escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!" |
| 12So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. | 12So she lowered David from the window, and he fled and escaped. |
| 13And 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. | 13Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment. |
| 14And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. | 14When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, "He's sick." |
| 15And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. | 15Saul sent the agents back to see David and said, "Bring him on his bed so I can kill him." |
| 16And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. | 16When the agents arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head. |
| 17And 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? | 17Saul asked Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!" She answered him, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?'" |
| 18So 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. | 18So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel left and stayed at Naioth. |
| 19And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. | 19When it was reported to Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, |
| 20And 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. | 20he sent agents to seize David. However, when they saw the group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came on Saul's agents, and they also started prophesying. |
| 21And 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. | 21When they reported to Saul, he sent other agents, and they also began prophesying. So Saul tried again and sent a third group of agents, and even they began prophesying. |
| 22Then 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. | 22Then Saul himself went to Ramah. He came to the large cistern at Secu and asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "At Naioth in Ramah," someone said. |
| 23And 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. | 23So he went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God also came on him, and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah. |
| 24And 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? | 24Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed and lay naked all that day and all that night. That is why they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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