1 Samuel 19:1-10

Saul Seeks to Kill David

19¹ 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. ² Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself. ³ I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you.” ⁴ Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you; ⁵ for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?” ⁶ Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.” ⁷ Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.

⁸ There was war again. David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. ⁹ An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand. ¹⁰ Saul sought to pin David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.