Other attempts of Saul upon David’s life. He cometh to Samuel. Saul’s
messengers, and Saul himself prophesy.
19:1. And Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants,
that they should kill David. But Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David
exceedingly.
19:2. And Jonathan told David, saying: Saul, my father, seeketh to kill
thee: wherefore look to thyself, I beseech thee, in the morning and
thou shalt abide in a secret place, and shalt be hid.
19:3. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where
thou art: and I will speak of thee to my father, and whatsoever I shall
see, I will tell thee.
19:4. And Jonathan spoke good things of David to Saul, his father: and
said to him: Sin not, O king, against thy servant, David, because he
hath not sinned against thee, and his works are very good towards thee.
19:5. And he put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the
Lord wrought great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst
rejoice. Why therefore wilt thou sin against innocent blood, by killing
David, who is without fault?
19:6. And when Saul heard this, he was appeased with the words of
Jonathan, and swore: As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.
19:7. Then Jonathan called David, and told him all these words: and
Jonathan brought in David to Saul, and he was before him, as he had
been yesterday and the day before.
19:8. And the war began again, and David went out, and fought against
the Philistines, and defeated them with a great slaughter, and they
fled from his face.
19:9. And the evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul; and he sat in
his house, and held a spear in his hand: and David played with his
hand.
19:10. And Saul endeavoured to nail David to the wall with his spear.
And David slipt away out of the presence of Saul: and the spear missed
him, and was fastened in the wall, and David fled, and escaped that
night.
19:11. Saul therefore sent his guards to David’s house to watch him,
that he might be killed in the morning. And when Michol, David’s wife,
had told him this, saying: Unless thou save thyself this night, to
morrow thou wilt die:
19:12. She let him down through a window. And he went and fled away,
and escaped.
19:13. And Michol took an image, and laid it on the bed, and put a
goat’s skin, with the hair at the head of it, and covered it with
clothes.
19:14. And Saul sent officers to seize David; and it was answered that
he was sick.
19:15. And again Saul sent to see David, saying: Bring him to me in the
bed, that he may be slain.
19:16. And when the messengers were come in, they found an image upon
the bed, and a goat skin at his head.
19:17. And Saul said to Michol: Why hast thou deceived me so, and let
my enemy go and flee away? And Michol answered Saul: Because he said to
me: Let me go, or else I will kill thee.
19:18. But David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel in Ramatha, and
told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and
dwelt in Najoth.
Najoth.... It was probably a school or college of prophets, in or near
Ramath under the direction of Samuel.
19:19. And it was told Saul by some, saying: Behold David is in Najoth,
in Ramatha.
19:20. So Saul sent officers to take David: and when they saw a company
of prophets prophesying, and Samuel presiding over them, the Spirit of
the Lord came also upon them, and they likewise began to prophesy.
Prophesying.... That is, singing praises to God by a divine impulse.
God was pleased on this occasion that both Samuel’s messengers and
himself should experience the like impulse, that he might understand,
by this instance of the divine power, how vain are the designs of man
against him whom God protects.
19:21. And when this was told Saul, he sent other messengers: but they
also prophesied. And again Saul sent messengers the third time: and
they prophesied also. And Saul being exceeding angry,
19:22. Went also himself to Ramatha, and came as far as the great
cistern, which is in Socho, and he asked, and said: In what place are
Samuel and David? And it was told him: Behold they are in Najoth, in
Ramatha.
19:23. And he went to Najoth, in Ramatha, and the Spirit of the Lord
came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied till he came to
Najoth, in Ramatha.
19:24. And he stripped himself also of his garments, and prophesied
with the rest before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and night.
This gave occasion to a proverb: What! is Saul too among the prophets?