1 Tad Sauls sacīja savam dēlam Jonatānam un visiem saviem kalpiem, lai tie nonāvētu Dāvidu. Bet Jonatānam, Saula dēlam, Dāvids bija ļoti mīļš.
2 Un Jonatāns paziņoja Dāvidam, teikdams: „Mans tēvs Sauls tīko pēc tavas dzīvības; tāpēc rītu no rīta agri piesargies un labi paslēpies!
3 Bet es pats iziešu laukā un nostāšos pie sava tēva sāniem tanī laukumā, kur tu būsi noslēpies; un es ar savu tēvu par tevi runāšu, un ja es kaut ko ievērošu, tad es tev to paziņošu.“
4 Un Jonatāns runāja labu par Dāvidu, sarunādamies ar savu tēvu Sauļu, un viņš tam sacīja: „Lai ķēniņš tik ļoti neapgrēkojas pret savu kalpu Dāvidu, viņš nav pret tevi grēkojis, bet viņa lielie veikumi ir ļoti lielā mērā nākuši tev par labu.
5 Viņš taču pat savu dzīvību iežņaudza dūrē un nokāva lielo filistieti, un tas Kungs sagādāja lielu brīnumu, izglābdams visu Israēlu. To tu pats redzēji un priecājies; kādēļ tu grēkodams alksti nevainīgā asinis un tīko Dāvidu bez kāda iemesla nonāvēt?“
6 Un Sauls paklausīja Jonatāna balsi, un viņš deva zvērestu: „Tik tiešām, ka tas Kungs dzīvo, tam nebūs tikt nokautam!“
7 Un Jonatāns ataicināja Dāvidu, un Jonatāns pateica visus šos vārdus Dāvidam; tad Jonatāns noveda Dāvidu Saula priekšā, un viņš bija pret to tikpat laipns kā vakar un aizvakar.
8 Kad nu atkal karš no jauna cēlās un Dāvids izgāja un karoja ar filistiešiem, tad viņš tos sagrāva lielā kaujā, un tie metās no viņa bēgt.
9 Bet ļaunais tā Kunga sūtītais gars pārņēma Sauļu, kad viņš sēdēja savā namā, un viņa šķēps bija viņa rokā, un Dāvids ar savu roku spēlēja kokli.
10 Tad Sauls gribēja ar savu šķēpu Dāvidu piedurt pie sienas, bet viņš no Saula izvairījās, un tas iemeta šķēpu sienā. Tad Dāvids bēga un tā tanī naktī izglābās.
11 Tai pašā naktī Sauls sūtīja vēstnešus uz Dāvida namu, lai tie viņu uzmanītu, ka viņš varētu viņu nākošā rītā nokaut. Bet Michala, Dāvida sieva, to viņam pasacīja, ziņodama: „Ja tu šinī naktī neglābsi savu dzīvību, tad tu rīt no rīta būsi beigts!“
12 Un Michala nolaida Dāvidu pa logu zemē, un tas aizgāja, bēga un izglābās.
13 Tad Michala ņēma terafīmu, ielika to gultā, nolika galvgalī tam no kazu vilnas vērptu pārklāju un apklāja to ar segām.
14 Kad Sauls sūtīja vēstnešus, lai tie saņemtu Dāvidu, tā sacīja: „Viņš ir slims!“
15 Bet Sauls atkal sūtīja vēstnešus, lai tie Dāvidu aplūkotu, pieteikdams: „Atnesiet viņu ar visu gultu pie manis, lai es viņu nogalinu.“
16 Kad nu viņa vēstneši ienāca, tad, redzi, terafīms bija gultā, un kazu vilnas auduma pārklājs bija viņa galvgalī.
17 Tad Sauls sacīja Michalai: „Kādēļ tu esi mani šādā kārtā pievīlusi un manu ienaidnieku aizsūtījusi, un viņš ir izglābies?“ Bet Michala sacīja Saulam: „Viņš man sacīja: Atlaid mani, jo citādi man tu esi jānogalina!“
18 Tā Dāvids bēga, un viņš izglābās un nonāca pie Samuēla Rāmā, un viņš tam visu izstāstīja, ko Sauls bija viņam nodarījis. Un tie cēlās, viņš un Samuēls, un apmetās Najotā pie Rāmas.
19 Kad nu Saulam tas tika paziņots, sakot: „Redzi, Dāvids atrodas Najotā pie Rāmas,“
20 Tad Sauls izsūtīja vēstnešus, lai tie Dāvidu sagūstītu. Kad nu tie redzēja praviešu sanāksmi, kas bija praviešu gara aizrauti, un arī Samuēls pie viņiem stāvēja, tos uzraudzīdams, tad Dieva Gars nāca pār Saula vīriem, tā ka arī tie, kopā ar pārējiem tika aizrauti pravietiskā sajūsmā.
21 Kad tas tika Saulam paziņots, tad viņš izsūtīja citus vēstnešus, bet arī tie kļuva it kā pravieši. Un tāpat tas notika ar vēstnešiem, kufus Sauls izsūtīja trešo reizi, —arī tie kļuva kā pravieši.
22 Un tad viņš pats aizgāja uz Rāmu; un kad viņš nonāca pie lielās ūdens tvertnes, kujra atrodas pie Secho, tad viņš jautāja un sacīja: „Kur atrodas Samuēls ar Dāvidu?“ Un viņam pateica: „Lūk, Najotā, Rāmas tuvumā!“
23 Tad viņš gāja uz turieni—uz Najotu pie Rāmas. Bet jau kamēr viņš vēl bija cēlā uz turieni, arī viņu pārņēma Dieva Gars, tā ka arī viņš gāja kā pastaigādamies un praviešu vārdus runādams, līdz viņš nonāca Najotā pie Rāmas.
24 Un arī viņš pats tur novilka savas drēbes un runāja praviešu vārdus Samuēla priekšā. Viņš pat nokrita kails pie zemes un gulēja tur visu dienu un arī visu nakti. Tāpēc mēdz sacīt: „Vai tad arī Sauls ir starp praviešiem?“
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?”)
