1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants that he meant to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan was very fond of David,
2 and Jonathan let David know: "My father Saul is looking for a way to kill you. So be careful in the morning; stay in a secret place and hide yourself.
3 I will go out and stand next to my father in the field where you are, and I will talk to my father about you. If I see anything, I will let you know."
4 Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. He said to him, "The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you; what he has done has been greatly to your good.
5 He put his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and were glad. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?"
6 Saul listened to Jonathan and swore, "As the LORD lives, he will not be put to death."
7 Jonathan called David and told him all of this. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was with him as he had been before.
8 War broke out again. David went out and fought the Philistines, struck them a heavy blow, and they ran from him.
9 An evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in hand, and David was playing with his hand.
10 Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped out of Saul's way, and the spear struck the wall. David fled and got away that night.
11 Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you do not get away tonight, tomorrow you will be a dead man."
12 Michal lowered David through the window, and he left, ran away and escaped.
13 Michal took the household idol, laid it on the bed, put a mat of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with a cloak.
14 When Saul sent messengers to seize David, she said, "He is ill."
15 Saul sent the messengers back to see David, with the order, "Bring him up to me in his bed, so I can kill him."
16 The messengers went in, and there was the household idol in the bed, with the mat of goats' hair at its head!
17 Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away to escape?" Michal answered Saul, "He told me, 'Let me go, or I will kill you!'"
18 David had fled and escaped. He came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all Saul had done to him, and he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth.
19 Saul was told, "David is at Naioth in Ramah."
20 Saul sent messengers to seize David. They saw the band of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing in charge of them, and the Spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, and they too began to prophesy.
21 Saul was told, and he sent other messengers, and they too prophesied. Saul sent messengers a third time, and they too prophesied.
22 Then he went to Ramah himself. He came to the great cistern at Secu and asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" He was told, "At Naioth in Ramah."
23 He went on there, to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him as well; he walked along prophesying until he reached Naioth in Ramah.
24 He too stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel, and he lay naked all that day and all that night. That is why it is said, "Is Saul among the prophets too?"