1 Samuel 19:1-10

Saul Seeks to Kill David

19¹ Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death . But Jonathan , Saul's son , greatly delighted in David . ² So Jonathan told David saying , "Saul my father is seeking to put you to death . Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning , and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. ³ "I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where e you are, and I will speak with my father about you; if I find out anything , then I will tell you." ⁴ Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, " Do not let the king sin against his servant David , since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you. ⁵ "For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine , and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel ; you saw it and rejoiced . Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause ?" ⁶ Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan , and Saul vowed , "As the Lord lives , he shall not be put to death ." ⁷ Then Jonathan called David , and Jonathan told him all these words . And Jonathan brought David to Saul , and he was in his presence as formerly .

⁸ When there was war again , David went out and fought with the Philistines and defeated them with great slaughter , so that they fled before e him. ⁹ Now there was an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand , and David was playing the harp with his hand . ¹⁰ Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear , but he slipped away out of Saul's presence , so that he stuck the spear into the wall . And David fled and escaped that night .