1 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?

1 Daarna het Saul met sy seun Jonatan en met al sy dienaars gespreek om Dawid dood te maak; maar Jonatan, die seun van Saul, het baie van Dawid gehou;

2 en Jonatan het dit aan Dawid meegedeel en gesê: My vader Saul soek geleentheid om jou dood te maak: pas dan nou môre vroeg op en hou jou verborge en steek jou weg.

3 Dan sal ek uitgaan en langs my vader gaan staan in die veld waar jy is, en ek sal met my vader oor jou spreek; en as ek iets sien, sal ek jou dit meedeel.

4 Jonatan het toe goed van Dawid gespreek by sy vader Saul en vir hom gesê: Laat die koning hom tog nie besondig aan sy dienaar Dawid nie, omdat hy nie teen u gesondig het nie, en omdat sy handelwyse u geheel ten goede kom:

5 hy het sy lewe gewaag en die Filistyn verslaan, en die HERE het aan die hele Israel 'n groot oorwinning besorg. U het dit gesien en u was bly; waarom sal u dan aan onskuldige bloed u besondig deur Dawid sonder oorsaak dood te maak?

6 En Saul het na Jonatan geluister, en Saul het gesweer: So waar as die HERE leef, hy sal nie gedood word nie!

7 Daarop het Jonatan Dawid geroep, en Jonatan het al hierdie woorde aan hom meegedeel. En Jonatan het Dawid na Saul gebring, en hy was voor hom soos gister en eergister.

8 En toe daar weer oorlog kom, het Dawid uitgetrek en teen die Filistyne geveg en 'n groot slag onder hulle geslaan, sodat hulle voor hom uit gevlug het.

9 Maar 'n bose gees van die HERE het oor Saul gekom terwyl hy in sy huis sit met sy spies in sy hand en Dawid met die hand op die snare speel.

10 Toe probeer Saul om Dawid met die spies teen die muur vas te steek, maar hy het vir Saul gekoes, sodat hy die spies teen die muur vasgooi. En Dawid het gevlug en daardie nag vrygekom.

11 Maar Saul het boodskappers na Dawid se huis gestuur om hom te bewaak en hom die môre vroeg dood te maak. Maar sy vrou Migal het dit aan Dawid meegedeel en gesê: As jy nie vannag jou lewe red nie, word jy môre gedood.

12 Migal het Dawid toe deur die venster laat afsak; en hy het weggegaan en gevlug en vrygekom.

13 Daarop neem Migal die huisgod en lê dit op die bed neer, en sy sit die net van bokhaar aan sy koppenent en bedek dit met 'n kombers.

14 Toe Saul dan boodskappers stuur om Dawid te gaan haal, sê sy: Hy is siek.

15 Daarop stuur Saul die boodskappers om Dawid te besoek met die opdrag: Bring hom met bed en al na my toe, dat ek hom kan ombring.

16 Toe die boodskappers inkom, lê die huisgod daar op die bed en die net van bokhaar aan sy koppenent!

17 En Saul sê vir Migal: Waarom het jy my so bedrieg en my vyand laat gaan, sodat hy vrygekom het? Maar Migal het Saul geantwoord: Hy het vir my gesê: Laat my gaan, of ek maak jou dood.

18 Intussen het Dawid gevlug en vrygeraak en by Samuel in Rama gekom en hom meegedeel alles wat Saul hom aangedoen het. Toe het hy saam met Samuel weggegaan, en hulle het in Najot gebly.

19 En aan Saul is meegedeel en gesê: Kyk, Dawid is in Najot by Rama.

20 Daarop stuur Saul boodskappers om Dawid te gaan haal. Maar toe hulle die skare profete sien profeteer, met Samuel as leier aan hulle hoof, het die Gees van God oor die boodskappers van Saul gekom, sodat hulle ook geprofeteer het.

21 Toe hulle dit aan Saul meedeel, het hy ander boodskappers gestuur, maar hulle het ook geprofeteer; en Saul het die derde keer weer boodskappers gestuur, maar hulle het ook geprofeteer.

22 En hy het self ook na Rama gegaan en by die groot put gekom wat by Segu is, en gevra en gesê: Waar is Samuel en Dawid? En hulle antwoord: Daar in Najot by Rama.

23 Hierop gaan hy daarheen, na Najot by Rama; en die Gees van God het ook oor hom gekom, sodat hy aldeur geloop en profeteer het totdat hy in Najot by Rama aangekom het.

24 Hy het ook self sy klere uitgetrek en ook voor Samuel geprofeteer en ontbloot neergeval daardie hele dag en die hele nag. Daarom sê hulle: Is Saul ook onder die profete?