David in Saul’s Court

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul,^(A) and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him, ¹⁵ so Saul’s servants said to him, ‘You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.’^(B)

¹⁷ Then Saul commanded his servants, ‘Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.’

¹⁸ One of the young men answered, ‘I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man,^(C) a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.’^(D)

¹⁹ Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, ‘Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.’ ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a wineskin, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul.^{(E) 21} When David came to Saul^(F) and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armour-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse: ‘Let David remain in my service, for he has found favour with me.’ ²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul,^(G) David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Saul Attempts to Kill David

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul,^(A) and he began to rave^[a] inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual,^(B) but Saul was holding a spear,^{(C) 11} and he threw it, thinking, ‘I’ll pin David to the wall.’^(D) But David got away from him twice.

¹² Saul was afraid of David,^(E) because the Lord was with David^(F) but had left Saul.^(G)

⁹ Now an evil spirit sent from the Lord^(A) came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear.^(B) David was playing the lyre,^(C)

⁷ I am about to put a spirit in him, and he will hear a rumour and return to his own land,^(A) where I will cause him to fall by the sword.” ’^(B)