1Saul spoke to his son Jonathan and to all his servants, telling them to kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, was very fond of David.
2Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning, go to a secret place, and hide yourself.
3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are, and I will talk to my father about you. If I learn anything, I will tell you.”
4Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying, “Don't let the king commit a sin against his servant David. He hasn’t sinned against you, and everything he has done for you has been very good.
5He risked his life when he killed the Philistine giant, and Yahweh brought about a great victory for all of Israel. You saw it and were happy. Why would you sin against innocent blood now by killing David without cause?”
6Saul listened to Jonathan. Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, David will not be put to death.”
7Jonathan called David and told him everything. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as he had been before.
8War broke out again. David went out, fought the Philistines, and killed so many of them that they ran away from him.
9An evil spirit from Yahweh came over Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was playing the harp.
10Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David slipped away from Saul, and the spear stuck in the wall. David ran away and escaped that night.
11Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him and kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you don't escape tonight, you will be killed tomorrow."
12So Michal helped David escape through the window, and he ran away.
13Michal then took an idol, put it in the bed, placed a pillow made of goat hair at its head, and covered it with clothes.
14When Saul sent messengers to capture David, she told them, "He is sick."
15Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, "Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him."
16But when the messengers went in, they found the idol in the bed with the pillow of goat hair at its head.
17Saul said to Michal, "Why have you tricked me like this and let my enemy escape?" Michal answered Saul, "He threatened me, saying, 'Let me go, or I will kill you!'"
18Meanwhile, David fled and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.
19Saul was told, "David is in Naioth in Ramah."
20Saul sent messengers to capture David. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's messengers, and they also began to prophesy.
21When Saul heard about this, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers a third time, and they also prophesied.
22Then Saul himself went to Ramah and came to the large well in Secu. He asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" Someone replied, "They are in Naioth in Ramah."
23So he went to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came upon him too, and he went on prophesying until he reached Naioth in Ramah.
24He also took off his clothes and prophesied in front of Samuel, and lay naked all that day and all that night. That is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"