The Skeptics Annotated Bible (275 page)

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:

5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.

7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

8 And there was war again: and
David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter;
and they fled from him.

(19.8)
“David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter.”

9
And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul
, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

(19.9)
“And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul.”
Poor guy, he just can’t keep away from God’s damned evil spirit.

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.

14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.

17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

(19.20-23) Saul sent messengers to kill David. But when they messengers arrived and saw everyone prophesying, the spirit of the Lord came upon them too and they began prophesying.

20 And
Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying
, and Samuel standing as appointed over them,
the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

(19.20)
“Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying … the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.”

21 And
when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

(19.21a)
“When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise.”

(19.21b)
“And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.”

22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

23 And
he went thither
to Naioth in Ramah:
and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied
, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

(19.23)
“He
[Saul]
went thither … and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied.”

24
And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied
before Samuel in like manner,
and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

(19.24)
“And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied … and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Saul gets a bit carried away with his prophesying “and he stripped off his clothes … and lay down naked all that day and night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?”
184 When was the last time that Samuel saw Saul?
178 When did “Is Saul among the prophets?” become a proverb?

20
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?