I - Chapter 19

1Shaul urged his son Yonatan and all his courtiers to kill David. But Shaul's son Yehonatan was very fond of David,

אוַיְדַבֵּר שָׁאוּל אֶל־יוֹנָתָן בְּנוֹ וְאֶל־כָּל־עֲבָדָיו לְהָמִית אֶת־דָּוִד וִיהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שָׁאוּל חָפֵץ בְּדָוִד מְאֹד׃

2and Yehonatan told David, “My father Shaul is bent on killing you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; get to a secret place and remain in hiding.

בוַיַּגֵּד יְהוֹנָתָן לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר מְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל אָבִי לַהֲמִיתֶךָ וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁמֶר־נָא בַבֹּקֶר וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בַסֵּתֶר וְנַחְבֵּאתָ׃

3I will go out and stand next to my father in the field where you will be, and I will speak to my father about you. If I learn anything, I will tell you.”

גוַאֲנִי אֵצֵא וְעָמַדְתִּי לְיַד־אָבִי בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שָׁם וַאֲנִי אֲדַבֵּר בְּךָ אֶל־אָבִי וְרָאִיתִי מָה וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָךְ׃

4So Yehonatan spoke well of David to his father Shaul. He said to him, “Let not Your Majesty wrong his servant David, for he has not wronged you; indeed, all his actions have been very much to your advantage.

דוַיְדַבֵּר יְהוֹנָתָן בְּדָוִד טוֹב אֶל־שָׁאוּל אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַל־יֶחֱטָא הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעַבְדּוֹ בְדָוִד כִּי לוֹא חָטָא לָךְ וְכִי מַעֲשָׂיו טוֹב־לְךָ מְאֹד׃

5He took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and Hashem wrought a great victory for all Yisrael. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then should you incur the guilt of shedding the blood of an innocent man, killing David without cause?”

הוַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ בְכַפּוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי וַיַּעַשׂ יְהֹוָה תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאִיתָ וַתִּשְׂמָח וְלָמָּה תֶחֱטָא בְּדָם נָקִי לְהָמִית אֶת־דָּוִד חִנָּם׃

6Shaul heeded Yehonatan's plea, and Shaul swore, “As Hashem lives, he shall not be put to death!”

ווַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל בְּקוֹל יְהוֹנָתָן וַיִּשָּׁבַע שָׁאוּל חַי־יְהֹוָה אִם־יוּמָת׃

7Yehonatan called David, and Yehonatan told him all this. Then Yehonatan brought David to Shaul, and he served him as before.

זוַיִּקְרָא יְהוֹנָתָן לְדָוִד וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ יְהוֹנָתָן אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיָּבֵא יְהוֹנָתָן אֶת־דָּוִד אֶל־שָׁאוּל וַיְהִי לְפָנָיו כְּאֶתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם׃

8Fighting broke out again. David went out and fought the Philistines. He inflicted a great defeat upon them and they fled before him.

חוַתּוֹסֶף הַמִּלְחָמָה לִהְיוֹת וַיֵּצֵא דָוִד וַיִּלָּחֶם בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּךְ בָּהֶם מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה וַיָּנֻסוּ מִפָּנָיו׃

9Then an evil spirit of Hashem came upon Shaul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing [the lyre].

טוַתְּהִי רוּחַ יְהֹוָה רָעָה אֶל־שָׁאוּל וְהוּא בְּבֵיתוֹ יוֹשֵׁב וַחֲנִיתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ וְדָוִד מְנַגֵּן בְּיָד׃

10Shaul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Shaul, so that he drove the spear into the wall. David fled and got away. That night

יוַיְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל לְהַכּוֹת בַּחֲנִית בְּדָוִד וּבַקִּיר וַיִּפְטַר מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל וַיַּךְ אֶת־הַחֲנִית בַּקִּיר וְדָוִד נָס וַיִּמָּלֵט בַּלַּיְלָה הוּא׃

11Shaul sent messengers to David's home to keep watch on him and to kill him in the morning. But David's wife Michal told him, “Unless you run for your life tonight, you will be killed tomorrow.”

יאוַיִּשְׁלַח שָׁאוּל מַלְאָכִים אֶל־בֵּית דָּוִד לְשָׁמְרוֹ וְלַהֲמִיתוֹ בַּבֹּקֶר וַתַּגֵּד לְדָוִד מִיכַל אִשְׁתּוֹ לֵאמֹר אִם־אֵינְךָ מְמַלֵּט אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ הַלַּיְלָה מָחָר אַתָּה מוּמָת׃

12Michal let David down from the window and he escaped and fled.

va-TO-red mi-KHAL et da-VID b'-AD ha-kha-LON va-YAY-lekh va-yiv-RAKH va-yi-ma-LAYT

יבוַתֹּרֶד מִיכַל אֶת־דָּוִד בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּבְרַח וַיִּמָּלֵט׃

13Michal then took the household idol, laid it on the bed, and covered it with a cloth; and at its head she put a net of goat's hair.

יגוַתִּקַּח מִיכַל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִים וַתָּשֶׂם אֶל־הַמִּטָּה וְאֵת כְּבִיר הָעִזִּים שָׂמָה מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַתְּכַס בַּבָּגֶד׃

14Shaul sent messengers to seize David; but she said, “He is sick.”

ידוַיִּשְׁלַח שָׁאוּל מַלְאָכִים לָקַחַת אֶת־דָּוִד וַתֹּאמֶר חֹלֶה הוּא׃

15Shaul, however, sent back the messengers to see David for themselves. “Bring him up to me in the bed,” he ordered, “that he may be put to death.”

טווַיִּשְׁלַח שָׁאוּל אֶת־הַמַּלְאָכִים לִרְאוֹת אֶת־דָּוִד לֵאמֹר הַעֲלוּ אֹתוֹ בַמִּטָּה אֵלַי לַהֲמִתוֹ׃

16When the messengers came, they found the household idol in the bed, with the net of goat's hair at its head.

טזוַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים וְהִנֵּה הַתְּרָפִים אֶל־הַמִּטָּה וּכְבִיר הָעִזִּים מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו׃

17Shaul said to Michal, “Why did you play that trick on me and let my enemy get away safely?” “Because,” Michal answered Shaul, “he said to me: ‘Help me get away or I'll kill you.'”

יזוַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־מִיכַל לָמָּה כָּכָה רִמִּיתִנִי וַתְּשַׁלְּחִי אֶת־אֹיְבִי וַיִּמָּלֵט וַתֹּאמֶר מִיכַל אֶל־שָׁאוּל הוּא־אָמַר אֵלַי שַׁלְּחִנִי לָמָה אֲמִיתֵךְ׃

18David made good his escape, and he came to Shmuel at Rama and told him all that Shaul had done to him. He and Shmuel went and stayed at Naioth.

יחוְדָוִד בָּרַח וַיִּמָּלֵט וַיָּבֹא אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתָה וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לוֹ שָׁאוּל וַיֵּלֶךְ הוּא וּשְׁמוּאֵל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בנוית [בְּנָיוֹת׃]

19Shaul was told that David was at Naioth in Rama,

יטוַיֻּגַּד לְשָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה דָוִד בנוית [בְּנָיוֹת] בָּרָמָה׃

20and Shaul sent messengers to seize David. They saw a band of Neviim speaking in ecstasy, with Shmuel standing by as their leader; and the spirit of Hashem came upon Shaul's messengers and they too began to speak in ecstasy.

כוַיִּשְׁלַח שָׁאוּל מַלְאָכִים לָקַחַת אֶת־דָּוִד וַיַּרְא אֶת־לַהֲקַת הַנְּבִיאִים נִבְּאִים וּשְׁמוּאֵל עֹמֵד נִצָּב עֲלֵיהֶם וַתְּהִי עַל־מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁאוּל רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ גַּם־הֵמָּה׃

21When Shaul was told about this, he sent other messengers; but they too spoke in ecstasy. Shaul sent a third group of messengers; and they also spoke in ecstasy.

כאוַיַּגִּדוּ לְשָׁאוּל וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ גַּם־הֵמָּה וַיֹּסֶף שָׁאוּל וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים שְׁלִשִׁים וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ גַּם־הֵמָּה׃

22So he himself went to Rama. When he came to the great cistern at Secu, he asked, “Where are Shmuel and David?” and was told that they were at Naioth in Rama.

כבוַיֵּלֶךְ גַּם־הוּא הָרָמָתָה וַיָּבֹא עַד־בּוֹר הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר בַּשֶּׂכוּ וַיִּשְׁאַל וַיֹּאמֶר אֵיפֹה שְׁמוּאֵל וְדָוִד וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה בנוית [בְּנָיוֹת] בָּרָמָה׃

23He was on his way there, to Naioth in Rama, when the spirit of Hashem came upon him too; and he walked on, speaking in ecstasy, until he reached Naioth in Rama.

כגוַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁם אֶל־נוית [נָיוֹת] בָּרָמָה וַתְּהִי עָלָיו גַּם־הוּא רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וַיִּתְנַבֵּא עַד־בֹּאוֹ בנוית [בְּנָיוֹת] בָּרָמָה׃

24Then he too stripped off his clothes and he too spoke in ecstasy before Shmuel; and he lay naked all that day and all night. That is why people say, “Is Shaul too among the Neviim?”

כדוַיִּפְשַׁט גַּם־הוּא בְּגָדָיו וַיִּתְנַבֵּא גַם־הוּא לִפְנֵי שְׁמוּאֵל וַיִּפֹּל עָרֹם כָּל־הַיּוֹם הַהוּא וְכָל־הַלָּיְלָה עַל־כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ הֲגַם שָׁאוּל בַּנְּבִיאִם׃