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So he proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; but the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

Yet David vowed again, saying, "Your father is well aware that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, 'Jonathan is not to know this, otherwise he will be worried.' But indeed as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is just a step between me and death."

So David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am obligated to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

"If he says, 'That is good,' your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, be aware that he has decided on evil.

"So deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if I am guilty of wrongdoing, kill me yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?"

"But if I say to the youth, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond you,' go, because the LORD has sent you away.

Now the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul's side; but David's place was empty.

But it came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David's place was empty again; so Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

But Jonathan replied to his father Saul and said to him, "Why must he be put to death? What has he done?"

But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.

The priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread, if only the young men have kept themselves from women."

But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"

But Gad the prophet said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah." So David left and went into the forest of Hereth.

But the king said, "You shall certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!"

And the king said to the guards who were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not inform me." But the servants of the king were unwilling to reach out with their hands to attack the priests of the LORD.

But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.

But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are fearful here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?"

But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand him over to him.

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have launched an attack against the land!"