David Is Persecuted by Saul
1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officials that he planned to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David, 2 and so he told him, “My father is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning; hide in some secret place and stay there. 3 I will go and stand by my father in the field where you are hiding, and I will speak to him about you. If I find out anything, I will let you know.”
4 Jonathan praised David to Saul and said, “Sir, don't do wrong to your servant David. He has never done you any wrong; on the contrary, everything he has done has been a great help to you. 5 He risked his life when he killed Goliath, and the Lord won a great victory for Israel. When you saw it, you were glad. Why, then, do you now want to do wrong to an innocent man and kill David for no reason at all?”
6 Saul was convinced by what Jonathan said and made a vow in the Lord's name that he would not kill David. 7 So Jonathan called David and told him everything; then he took him to Saul, and David served the king as he had before.
8 War with the Philistines broke out again. David attacked them and defeated them so thoroughly that they fled.
9 One day an evil spirit from the Lord took control of Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was there, playing his harp. 10 Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear, but David dodged, and the spear stuck in the wall. David ran away and escaped.
11 That same night Saul sent some men to watch David's house and kill him the next morning. Michal, David's wife, warned him, “If you don't get away tonight, tomorrow you will be dead.” 12 She let him down from a window, and he ran away and escaped. 13 Then she took the household idol, laid it on the bed, put a pillow made of goats' hair at its head, and put a cover over it. 14 When Saul's men came to get David, Michal told them that he was sick. 15 But Saul sent them back to see David for themselves. He ordered them, “Carry him here in his bed, and I will kill him.” 16 They went inside and found the household idol in the bed and the goats' hair pillow at its head. 17 Saul asked Michal, “Why have you tricked me like this and let my enemy escape?”
She answered, “He said he would kill me if I didn't help him escape.”
18 David escaped and went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Saul was told that David was in Naioth in Ramah, 20 so he sent some men to arrest him. They saw the group of prophets dancing and shouting, with Samuel as their leader. Then the spirit of God took control of Saul's men, and they also began to dance and shout. 21 When Saul heard of this, he sent more messengers, and they also began to dance and shout. He sent messengers the third time, and the same thing happened to them. 22 Then he himself started out to Ramah. When he came to the large well in Secu, he asked where Samuel and David were and was told that they were at Naioth. 23 As he was going there, the spirit of God took control of him also, and he danced and shouted all the way to Naioth. 24 He took off his clothes and danced and shouted in Samuel's presence, and lay naked all that day and all that night. (This is how the saying originated, “Has even Saul become a prophet?”)
Jonatāns iestājas par Dāvidu
1 Sauls sacīja savam dēlam Jonatānam un visiem saviem kalpiem, ka Dāvids jānonāvē, bet Saula dēlam Jonatānam Dāvids bija ļoti mīļš, 2 un Jonatāns pastāstīja Dāvidam: “Mans tēvs Sauls grib tevi nonāvēt. Tad nu uzmanies rīt no rīta un kaut kur paslēpies. 3 Es iziešu kopā ar tēvu, un mēs apstāsimies uz lauka, kurā tu būsi, un es runāšu ar tēvu par tevi – ja ko manīšu, tev izstāstīšu.”
4 Jonatāns runāja savam tēvam Saulam labu par Dāvidu un sacīja viņam: “Lai ķēniņš neapgrēkojas pret savu kalpu Dāvidu, jo viņš nav grēkojis pret tevi – viss, ko viņš darījis, ir bijis tavā labā. 5 Viņš sažņaudza savu dzīvību saujā un nokāva to filistieti. Kungs izcīnīja varenu uzvaru visam Israēlam – tu pats to redzēji un priecājies! Kāpēc tev apgrēkoties ar nevainīgām asinīm, bez iemesla nonāvējot Dāvidu?” 6 Tad Sauls paklausīja Jonatānu un zvērēja: “Dzīvs Kungs! – Dāvids netiks nonāvēts!” 7 Tad Jonatāns pasauca Dāvidu un viņam to visu izstāstīja. Jonatāns aizveda Dāvidu pie Saula, un viņš palika pie tā kā iepriekš.
Mīhala palīdz Dāvidam izbēgt
8 Atkal bija karš, un Dāvids devās cīnīties ar filistiešiem. Viņš tos pamatīgi sakāva, un tie bēga no viņa. 9 Bet no Kunga pār Saulu bija nācis ļaunais gars. Sauls sēdēja savā namā ar šķēpu rokā, bet Dāvids spēlēja. 10 Sauls mēģināja ar šķēpu piedurt Dāvidu pie sienas, bet viņš parāvās sāņus, un Sauls ietrieca šķēpu sienā. Un Dāvids tonakt bēga un paglābās.
11 Sauls sūtīja uz Dāvida namu vēstnešus, lai viņu uzmanītu un no rīta nonāvētu. Bet Dāvida sieva Mīhala viņam pavēstīja: “Ja tu šonakt neglābsi savu dzīvību, rīt būsi beigts!” 12 Mīhala nolaida Dāvidu pa logu, un viņš steidzās prom un paglābās. 13 Bet Mīhala paņēma mājas dieviņus un nolika gultā, galvgalī nolika kazādas segu un apsedza to ar drēbēm. 14 Kad Sauls sūtīja vēstnešus saņemt Dāvidu, viņa teica: “Viņš ir slims.” 15 Tad Sauls sūtīja vēstnešus apskatīt Dāvidu un teica: “Nesiet viņu pie manis ar visu gultu, lai viņu nonāvējam!” 16 Vēstneši atnāca, un, redzi, gultā mājas dieviņi un galvgalī tam kazādas sega! 17 Sauls nu teica Mīhalai: “Kāpēc tu piekrāpi mani un ļāvi aizbēgt manam ienaidniekam, ka viņš izglābjas?!” Mīhala atbildēja Saulam: “Viņš man teica: laid mani, neliec man tevi nogalināt!”
Dāvids bēg pie Samuēla uz Rāmu
18 Dāvids steidzās glābties un nonāca pie Samuēla Rāmā, un izstāstīja tam visu, ko Sauls viņam nodarījis. Viņi ar Samuēlu gāja un apmetās Najotā. 19 Un Saulam tika stāstīts: “Redzi, Dāvids ir Najotā Rāmā.” 20 Sauls sūtīja vēstnešus saņemt Dāvidu. Kad tie redzēja praviešu pūli pravietojam un Samuēlu stāvam kā viņu vadoni, Dieva Gars nāca pār Saula vēstnešiem, un arī viņi pravietoja. 21 Tas tika pastāstīts Saulam, un viņš sūtīja citus vēstnešus, un arī viņi pravietoja. Un Sauls sūtīja vēstnešus trešo reizi, un arī tie sāka pravietot. 22 Tad viņš pats devās uz Rāmu, nonāca līdz lielajai akai pie Sehū un jautāja: “Kur ir Samuēls un Dāvids?” Un viņam teica: “Redzi, Najotā Rāmā.” 23 Viņš devās turp, uz Najotu Rāmā, un arī pār viņu nāca Dieva Gars. Viņš klīda pravietodams, līdz nonāca Najotā Rāmā. 24 Arī viņš saplēsa savas drēbes, nāca pravietodams pie Samuēla un gulēja kails zemē visu dienu un nakti. Tāpēc saka: “Vai tad arī Sauls ir pravietis?”
