Michal Helps David Escape

Saul told Jonathan and his servants to kill David. But Jonathan cared greatly for David, so he warned him to hide and promised to speak to Saul. Jonathan told his father that David had not sinned against him. He had risked his life against the Philistine, and the Lord had given a great victory for Israel.

Saul listened for a time and swore that David would not be put to death. Jonathan told David what had happened and brought him back to Saul. David was with Saul as before. But when war came again, David fought the Philistines and struck them down, and they ran away.

After that, an evil spirit from Yahweh came on Saul while he sat in his house with a spear in his hand. David was playing music. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David slipped away. The spear struck the wall, and David fled that night.

Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, warned him that he had to escape that very night. She let him down through the window, and he fled. Then she put a household image in the bed, placed goats' hair at its head, covered it with clothes, and told Saul's messengers that David was sick.

Saul ordered the messengers to bring David in the bed so he could kill him. When they came in, they found the image instead. Saul asked Michal why she had deceived him, and she answered that David had threatened her. David escaped to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done. They went to live at Naioth.

When Saul heard that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the prophets and Samuel leading them, God's Spirit came on the messengers, and they prophesied. The same thing happened with a second group and a third. At last Saul went himself, and God's Spirit came on him too. He prophesied, took off his clothes, and lay uncovered all that day and night. People said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”