Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and all his servants, instructing them to kill David. But Jonathan's heart went out to David, and he warned him, saying, "My father is determined to kill you. Take care of yourself until morning; hide in a secret place and stay there."

Jonathan promised, "I'll go talk to my father while you're hiding, and I'll tell you what happens. Whatever I see, I'll let you know." He spoke well of David to Saul, saying, "Don't let the king sin against his servant David. David hasn't done anything wrong; he's been kind to you and your family."

Jonathan argued with Saul, saying, "You saw how David risked his life to kill a Philistine and won a great victory for Israel. Why would you want to kill innocent David without cause?" Saul listened to Jonathan's words and took an oath before the Lord that David wouldn't be harmed.

Jonathan called David and explained everything he had done to persuade his father, then brought him back into Saul's presence. As usual, David was in front of Saul. But there was another battle with the Philistines, and David fought bravely, killing many of them and forcing them to flee.

Meanwhile, an evil spirit from God took control of Saul, and he sat at home with a spear in his hand while David played music for him. Saul tried to strike David with the spear, but David dodged it easily and struck the spear into the wall instead. Then he ran away that night to save his life.

Saul sent messengers to watch over David's house and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, saying, "If you don't escape tonight, tomorrow they'll catch up with you and kill you." So she let David down through a window, and he fled into the night.

Michal took an image of Saul and put it in David's bed, covering it with a cloth and placing a pillow made of goat hair under his head. When Saul's messengers came to take David, Michal said, "He's sick." Saul sent more messengers to bring David back on his bed so he could kill him.

When the messengers arrived, they saw Saul's image in the bed with a pillow under his head. Saul was furious with Michal and asked her why she had deceived him like that and let his enemy escape. David fled again and went to Samuel at Ramah to tell him everything Saul had done against him. The two of them settled down in Naioth.

Saul heard that David was hiding in Naioth, so he sent some men to capture him. But when they arrived, they saw Samuel standing among the prophets who were prophesying, and the Spirit of God came upon them too. They started prophesying just like everyone else.

Saul sent more messengers, but they also got caught up in the spirit and began to prophesy. He tried again a third time, sending even more men, but they were overcome by the Spirit and started prophesying as well.

Saul went to Ramah and asked about Samuel and David's whereabouts. Someone told him they were at Naioth, so he headed there too. When he arrived, the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he began to prophesy until he reached Naioth in Ramah. He stripped off his clothes and prophesied alongside Samuel for the rest of the day and night.

Everyone who saw this asked, "Is Saul among the prophets?"