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The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David
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Sha'ul told Y'honatan his son and all his servants that they should have David killed. But because Y'honatan was very fond of David,
2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there.
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he told him, "My father Sha'ul is out to have you killed. Therefore you must be very cautious tomorrow morning. Find a well-concealed place to hide in.
3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”
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I will go out and stand next to my father in the countryside where you're hiding. I will talk with my father about you; and if I learn anything, I'll tell you."
4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.
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Y'honatan spoke well of David to Sha'ul his father and said to him, "The king shouldn't sin against his servant David, because he hasn't sinned against you. On the contrary, his work for you has been very good indeed.
5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”
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He put his life in his hands to attack the P'lishtim, and ADONAI accomplished a great victory for all Isra'el. You yourself saw it, and you were happy about it. So why do you want to sin against innocent blood by killing David without any reason?"
6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
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Sha'ul heeded Y'honatan's advice and swore, "As ADONAI lives, he will not be put to death."
7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
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Y'honatan called David and told him all these things. Then Y'honatan brought David to Sha'ul to be in attendance on the king, as before.
8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
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War broke out again, and David went and fought the P'lishtim. He defeated them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him.
9 But an evil spirit from the LORD came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,
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Then an evil spirit from ADONAI came upon Sha'ul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. David was playing his lyre,
10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
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when Sha'ul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. But he dodged it and moved out of Sha'ul's way, so that the spear stuck in the wall. David fled, so that night he escaped.
11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”
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But Sha'ul sent messengers to David's house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. Mikhal David's wife told him, "If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be dead."
12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.
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So Mikhal let David down through the window; and he left, fled and escaped.
13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
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Mikhal took the household idol, laid it on the bed, put a goat's-hair quilt at its head and covered it with a cloth.
14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
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When Sha'ul sent messengers to capture David, she said, "He's ill."
15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.”
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Sha'ul sent the messengers to see David with the order, "Bring him up to me, bed and all, so that I can kill him."
16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
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But when the messengers entered, there before them was the household idol in the bed, with the goat's-hair quilt at its head.
17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’ ”
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Sha'ul asked Mikhal, "Why did you deceive me this way and let my enemy go and escape?" Mikhal answered Sha'ul, "He threatened me, 'Let me go, or I'll kill you.'"
18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
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David fled and escaped, then came to Sh'mu'el in Ramah and told him everything Sha'ul had done to him. So he and Sh'mu'el went and stayed in the prophets'dormitory.
19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”;
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The news reached Sha'ul that David had been seen at the prophets'dormitory in Ramah.
20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.
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Sha'ul sent messengers to capture David. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Sh'mu'el standing and leading them, the Spirit of God fell on Sha'ul's messengers; and they too began prophesying.
21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.
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When Sha'ul was told, he sent other messengers; but they too began prophesying. Sha'ul sent messengers a third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.
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Then he himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the big cistern in Sekhu, he asked, "Where are Sh'mu'el and David?" Someone answered, "They're at the prophets' dormitory in Ramah."
23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.
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While on his way to the prophets' dormitory in Ramah, the Spirit of God fell on him too; and he went on, prophesying, until he arrived at the prophets' dormitory in Ramah.
24 He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
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He also stripped off his clothes, prophesied in Sh'mu'el's presence and lay there naked all that day and all that night. Hence it continues to be an expression, "Is Sha'ul a prophet, too?"
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.