VERSE STUDY • KJV

1 Samuel 19:11-17

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?

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

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?

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹¹ Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” ¹² So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped. ¹³ Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment. ¹⁴ When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.” ¹⁵ But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.” ¹⁶ And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head. ¹⁷ And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”

WEB World English Bible

¹¹ Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” ¹² So Michal let David down through the window. He went, fled, and escaped. ¹³ Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with the clothes. ¹⁴ When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” ¹⁵ Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. ¹⁷ Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped?” Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

ASV American Standard Version

¹¹ And Saul 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 wilt be slain. ¹² So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. ¹³ And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes. ¹⁴ And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. ¹⁵ And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. ¹⁶ And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at the head thereof. ¹⁷ And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹¹ And Saul sendeth messengers unto the house of David to watch him, and to put him to death in the morning; and Michal his wife declareth to David, saying, ‘If thou art not delivering thy life to-night—tomorrow thou art put to death.’ ¹² And Michal causeth David to go down through the window, and he goeth on, and fleeth, and escapeth; ¹³ and Michal taketh the teraphim, and layeth on the bed, and the mattress of goats’ hair she hath put for his pillows, and covereth with a garment. ¹⁴ And Saul sendeth messengers to take David, and she saith, ‘He is sick.’ ¹⁵ And Saul sendeth the messengers to see David, saying, ‘Bring him up in the bed unto me,’—to put him to death. ¹⁶ And the messengers come in, and lo, the teraphim are on the bed, and the mattress of goats’ hair, for his pillows. ¹⁷ And Saul saith unto Michal, ‘Why thus hast thou deceived me—that thou dost send away mine enemy, and he is escaped?’ and Michal saith unto Saul, ‘He said unto me, Send me away: why do I put thee to death?’

Surrounding context — 1 Samuel 19

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.

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.

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.

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.

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