HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 633
1 SAM UEL 20
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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!”
6 So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed,
“As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be
killed.”
7 Afterward Jonathan called David and told
him what had happened. Then he brought David
to Saul, and David served in the court as before.
8 War broke out again after that, and David led
his troops against the Philistines. He attacked
them with such fury that they all ran away.
9 But 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, 10 Saul 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.
Michal Saves David’s Life
11 Then 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.” 12 So she helped him
climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then 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.
14 When the troops came to arrest David, she
told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed.
15 But Saul sent the troops back to get David.
He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can
kill him!” 16 But 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.
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.”
18 So 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. 19 When the report reached Saul that
David was at Naioth in Ramah, 20 he 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. 21 When
Saul heard what had happened, he sent other
troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same
thing happened a third time. 22 Finally, 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.
19:9 Or evil spirit. 19:13 Hebrew teraphim; also in 19:16.
23 But 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! 24 He
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?”
Jonathan Helps David
David 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?”
2 “That’s not true!” Jon a than 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!”
3 Then 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!”
4 “Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.
5 David 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. 6 If your father asks where I am,
tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. 7 If 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. 8 Show 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!”
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.”
10 Then David asked, “How will I know
whether or not your father is angry?”
11 “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together.
12 Then 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. 13 But 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. 14 And may you treat
me with the faithful love of the Lord as long
as I live. But if I die, 15 treat my family with this
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