1Samuel 19-21 - Prayer Tents

Saul Tries to Kill David

19Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,H7586H1696H3129H1121H5650H4191H1732 2told him what his father was planning. "Tomorrow morning," he warned him, "you must find a hiding place out in the fields.H3083H7586H1121H2654H3966H1732H3083H5046H1732H559H7586H1H1245H4191H8104H1242H3427H5643H2244 3I'll ask my father to go out there with me, and I'll talk to him about you. Then I'll tell you everything I can find out."H3318H5975H3027H1H7704H1696H1H4100H7200H5046 4The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. "The king must not sin against his servant David," Jonathan said. "He's never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could.H3083H1696H2896H1732H7586H1H559H4428H2398H5650H1732H2398H4639H3966H2896 5Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the LORD brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!"H7760H5315H3709H5221H6430H3068H6213H1419H8668H3478H7200H8055H2398H5355H1818H4191H1732H2600 6So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed."H7586H8085H6963H3083H7586H7650H3068H2416H518H4191 7Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.H3083H7121H1732H3083H5046H1697H3083H935H1732H7586H6440H865H8032 8War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away.H4421H3254H1732H3318H3898H6430H5221H1419H4347H5127H6440 9But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the LORD suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp,H7451H7307H3068H7586H3427H1004H2595H3027H1732H5059H3027 10Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.H7586H1245H5221H1732H7023H2595H6362H7586H6440H5221H2595H7023H1732H5127H4422H3915

Michal Saves David’s Life

11Then Saul sent troops to watch David's house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't escape tonight, you will be dead by morning."H7586H7971H4397H1732H1004H8104H4191H1242H4324H1732H802H5046H559H4422H5315H3915H4279H4191 12So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped.H4324H3381H1732H3381H2474H3212H1272H4422 13Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat's hair at its head.H4324H3947H8655H7760H4296H7760H3523H5795H4763H3680H899 14When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn't get out of bed.H7586H7971H4397H3947H1732H559H2470 15But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, "Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!"H7586H7971H4397H7200H1732H559H5927H4296H4191 16But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat's hair at its head.H4397H935H8655H4296H3523H5795H4763 17"Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?" Saul demanded of Michal. "I had to," Michal replied. "He threatened to kill me if I didn't help him."H7586H559H4324H7411H7971H341H4422H4324H559H7586H559H7971H4191 18So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth.H1732H1272H4422H935H8050H7414H5046H7586H6213H8050H3212H3427H5121 19When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah,H5046H7586H559H1732H5121H7414 20he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men, and they also began to prophesy.H7586H7971H4397H3947H1732H7200H3862H5030H5012H8050H5975H5324H7307H430H4397H7586H5012 21When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time.H5046H7586H7971H312H4397H5012H7586H7971H4397H3254H7992H5012 22Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. "Where are Samuel and David?" he demanded. "They are at Naioth in Ramah," someone told him.H3212H7414H935H1419H953H7906H7592H559H375H8050H1732H559H5121H7414 23But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth!H3212H5121H7414H7307H430H3212H1980H5012H935H5121H7414 24He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, "What? Is even Saul a prophet?"H6584H899H1571H5012H6440H8050H5307H6174H3117H3915H559H7586H5030

Jonathan Helps David

20David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. "What have I done?" he exclaimed. "What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?"H1732H1272H5121H7414H935H559H6440H3083H6213H5771H2403H6440H1H1245H5315 2"That's not true!" Jonathan protested. "You're not going to die. He always tells me everything he's going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn't hide something like this from me. It just isn't so!"H559H2486H4191H1H6213H6213H1697H1419H6996H1540H241H1H5641H1697 3Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, "Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, 'I won't tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?' But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the LORD and by your own soul!"H1732H7650H559H1H3045H3045H4672H2580H5869H559H3083H3045H6087H199H3068H2416H5315H2416H6587H4194 4"Tell me what I can do to help you," Jonathan exclaimed.H559H3083H1732H5315H559H6213 5David replied, "Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I've always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I'll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.H1732H559H3083H4279H2320H3427H3427H4428H398H7971H5641H7704H7992H6153 6If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.H1H6485H6485H559H1732H7592H7592H7323H1035H5892H3117H2077H4940 7If he says, 'Fine!' you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me.H559H2896H5650H7965H2734H2734H3045H7451H3615 8Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the LORD—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don't betray me to him!"H6213H2617H5650H935H5650H1285H3068H3426H5771H4191H935H1 9"Never!" Jonathan exclaimed. "You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once."H3083H559H2486H3045H3045H7451H3615H1H935H5046 10Then David asked, "How will I know whether or not your father is angry?"H559H1732H3083H5046H1H6030H7186 11"Come out to the field with me," Jonathan replied. And they went out there together.H3083H559H1732H3212H3318H7704H3318H8147H7704 12Then Jonathan told David, "I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.H3083H559H1732H3068H430H3478H2713H1H4279H6256H7992H2895H1732H7971H1540H241 13But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the LORD strike me and even kill me if I don't warn you so you can escape and live. May the LORD be with you as he used to be with my father.H3068H6213H3541H3254H3083H3190H1H7451H1540H241H7971H1980H7965H3068H1 14And may you treat me with the faithful love of the LORD as long as I live. But if I die,H518H2416H6213H2617H3068H4191 15treat my family with this faithful love, even when the LORD destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth."H3772H2617H1004H5704H5769H3068H3772H341H1732H376H6440H127 16So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, "May the LORD destroy all your enemies!"H3083H3772H1004H1732H3068H1245H3027H1732H341 17And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.H3083H1732H7650H3254H160H157H160H5315 18Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty.H3083H559H1732H4279H2320H6485H4186H6485 19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile.H8027H3381H3966H935H4725H5641H3117H4639H3427H681H68H237 20I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target.H3384H7969H2671H6654H7971H4307 21Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, 'They're on this side,' then you will know, as surely as the LORD lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble.H7971H5288H3212H4672H2671H559H559H5288H2671H3947H935H7965H1697H3068H2416 22But if I tell him, 'Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,' then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the LORD is sending you away.H559H5958H2671H1973H3212H3068H7971 23And may the LORD make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them."H1697H1696H3068H5704H5769 24So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.H1732H5641H7704H2320H4428H3427H398H3899 25He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David's place was empty.H4428H3427H4186H6471H4186H7023H3083H6965H74H3427H7586H6654H1732H4725H6485 26Saul didn't say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, "Something must have made David ceremonially unclean."H7586H1696H3972H3117H559H4745H1115H2889H2889 27But when David's place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?"H4283H8145H2320H1732H4725H6485H7586H559H3083H1121H935H1121H3448H3899H8543H3117 28Jonathan replied, "David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem.H3083H6030H7586H1732H7592H7592H5978H1035 29He said, 'Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.' That's why he isn't here at the king's table."H559H7971H4940H2077H5892H251H6680H4672H2580H5869H4422H7200H251H935H4428H7979 30Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. "You stupid son of a whore!" he swore at him. "Do you think I don't know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother?H7586H639H2734H3083H559H1121H5753H4780H3045H977H1121H3448H1322H1322H517H6172 31As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you'll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!"H3117H1121H3448H2425H127H3559H4438H7971H3947H1121H4194 32"But why should he be put to death?" Jonathan asked his father. "What has he done?"H3083H6030H7586H1H559H4191H6213 33Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.H7586H2904H2595H5221H3083H3045H3617H1H4191H1732 34Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father's shameful behavior toward David.H3083H6965H7979H2750H639H398H3899H8145H3117H2320H6087H1732H1H3637 35The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.H1242H3083H3318H7704H4150H1732H6996H5288 36"Start running," he told the boy, "so you can find the arrows as I shoot them." So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.H559H5288H7323H4672H2671H3384H5288H7323H3384H2678H5674 37When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, "The arrow is still ahead of you.H5288H935H4725H2678H3083H3384H3083H7121H310H5288H559H2678H1973 38Hurry, hurry, don't wait." So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master.H3083H7121H310H5288H4120H2363H5975H3083H5288H3950H2671H2678H935H113 39He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal.H5288H3045H3972H3083H1732H3045H1697 40Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.H3083H5414H3627H5288H559H3212H935H5892 41As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.H5288H935H1732H6965H681H5045H5307H639H776H7812H7969H6471H5401H376H7453H1058H376H7453H1732H1431 42At last Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD's name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever." Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.H3083H559H1732H3212H7965H7650H8147H8034H3068H559H3068H2233H2233H5704H5769H6965H3212H3083H935H5892

David Runs from Saul

21David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. "Why are you alone?" he asked. "Why is no one with you?"H935H1732H5011H288H3548H288H2729H7125H1732H559H376 2"The king has sent me on a private matter," David said. "He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.H1732H559H288H3548H4428H6680H1697H559H376H3045H3972H1697H7971H6680H3045H5288H6423H492H4725 3Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have."H3426H3027H5414H2568H3899H3027H4672 4"We don't have any regular bread," the priest replied. "But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently."H3548H6030H1732H559H2455H3899H3027H3426H6944H3899H5288H8104H389H802 5"Don't worry," David replied. "I never allow my men to be with women when they are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!"H1732H6030H3548H559H518H802H6113H8032H8543H3318H3627H5288H6944H1870H2455H6942H3117H3627 6Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.H3548H5414H6944H3899H3899H6440H5493H6440H3068H7760H2527H3899H3117H3947 7Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the LORD.H376H5650H7586H3117H6113H6440H3068H8034H1673H130H47H7462H7586 8David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword? The king's business was so urgent that I didn't even have time to grab a weapon!"H1732H559H288H3426H371H3027H2595H2719H3947H2719H3627H3027H4428H1697H1961H5169 9"I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah," the priest replied. "It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here." "There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!"H3548H559H2719H1555H6430H5221H6010H425H3874H8071H310H646H3947H3947H312H2108H2088H1732H559H5414 10So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath.H1732H6965H1272H3117H6440H7586H935H397H4428H1661 11But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. "Isn't he the one the people honor with dances, singing, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"H5650H397H559H1732H4428H776H6030H2088H4246H559H7586H5221H505H1732H7233 12David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him.H1732H7760H1697H3824H3966H3372H6440H397H4428H1661 13So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.H8138H2940H5869H1984H3027H8427H1817H8179H7388H3381H2206 14Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman?H559H397H5650H7200H376H7696H935 15We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?"H2638H7696H935H7696H935H1004