1 Samuel 19:11

Easy-to-Read Version

Saul sent men to watch David's house. They stayed there all night. They were waiting to kill David in the morning, but David's wife Michal warned him. She said, "You must run away tonight and save your life. If you don't, you will be killed tomorrow."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!”

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning: and Mikhal, David's wife, told him, saying, If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be slain.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to guard him and to kill him in the morning, but Michal his wife told David, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, then tomorrow you will be killed!"

English Standard Version
Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

New Century Version
Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, saying, "Tonight you must run for your life. If you don't, you will be dead in the morning."

New English Translation
Saul sent messengers to David's house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save yourself tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!"

Amplified Bible
Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch for him, so that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, informed him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal Dauids wife told it him, saying, If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to keep watch over him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do not make an escape for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death."

Contemporary English Version
Saul sent guards to watch David's house all night and then to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you don't escape tonight, they'll kill you tomorrow!"

Complete Jewish Bible
But Sha'ul sent messengers to David's house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. Mikhal David's wife told him, "If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be dead."

Darby Translation
And Saul sent messengers to 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 put to death.

George Lamsa Translation
Saul then sent messengers to Davids house to watch him and to slay him in the morning; but Malchel, Davids wife, told him, saying, If you do not save yourself tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.

Good News Translation
That same night Saul sent some men to watch David's house and kill him the next morning. Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't get away tonight, tomorrow you will be dead."

Literal Translation
And Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. And his wife Michal told David, saying, If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Notwithstondinge Saul sent his messaungers to Dauids house, that they shulde laye wayte for him, and kyll him in the mornynge. Michol Dauids wyfe tolde him this, and sayde: Yf thou saue not thy soule this night, thou shalt dye tomorow.

American Standard Version
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.

Bible in Basic English
Then in that night Saul sent men to David's house to keep watch on him so as to put him to death in the morning: and David's wife Michal said to him, If you do not go away to a safe place tonight you will be put to death in the morning.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: And Michol Dauids wyfe tolde it him, saying: If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 shalt be slain.'

King James Version (1611)
Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal Dauids wife tolde him, saying, If thou saue not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slaine.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass in that night, that Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to slay him in the morning; and Melchol David’s wife told him, saying, Unless thou save thy life this night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain.

English Revised Version
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, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.

Berean Standard Bible
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!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Saul sente hise knyytis in the nyyt in to the hows of Dauid, that thei schulden kepe hym, and that he `schulde be slayn in the morewtide. And whanne Mychol, the wijf of Dauid, hadde teld this to Dauid, and seide, If thou sauest not thee in this nyyt, thou schalt die to morew;

Young's Literal Translation
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.'

Update Bible Version
And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be slain.

Webster's Bible Translation
Saul also sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou dost not save thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be slain.

World English Bible
Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning: and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be slain.

New King James Version
Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

New Living Translation
Then Saul sent troops to watch David's house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't escape tonight, you will be dead by morning."

New Life Bible
Then Saul sent men to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

New Revised Standard
Saul sent messengers to David's house to keep watch over him, planning to kill him in the morning. David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Saul sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to put him to death, in the morning! And Michal his wife told David, saying, If thou do not deliver thyself to-night, to-morrow, art thou to be put to death.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Saul therefore sent his guards to David’s house to watch him, that he might be killed in the morning. And when Michol, David’s wife, had told him this, saying: Unless thou save thyself this night, to morrow thou wilt die:

Revised Standard Version
That night Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

THE MESSAGE
Saul sent men to David's house to stake it out and then, first thing in the morning, to kill him. But Michal, David's wife, told him what was going on. "Quickly now—make your escape tonight. If not, you'll be dead by morning!" She let him out of a window, and he made his escape. Then Michal took a dummy god and put it in the bed, placed a wig of goat's hair on its head, and threw a quilt over it. When Saul's men arrived to get David, she said, "He's sick in bed."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death."

Contextual Overview

¹¹ Saul sent men to watch David's house. They stayed there all night. They were waiting to kill David in the morning, but David's wife Michal warned him. She said, "You must run away tonight and save your life. If you don't, you will be killed tomorrow." ¹² Then Michal let David down out of a window, and he escaped and ran away. ¹³ Michal took the household god, put clothes on it, and put goats' hair on its head. Then she put the statue in the bed. ¹⁴ Saul sent messengers to take David prisoner. But Michal said, "David is sick." ¹⁵ The men went and told Saul, but he sent the messengers back to see David. Saul told these men, "Bring David to me. Bring him lying on his bed if you must, even if it kills him." ¹⁶ The messengers went to David's house. They went inside to get him, but they saw it was only a statue and that its hair was only goats' hair. ¹⁷ Saul said to Michal, "Why did you trick me like this? You let my enemy escape, and now he is gone." Michal answered Saul, "David told me he would kill me if I didn't help him escape."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sent messengers: Psalms 59:1, *title Psalms 59:3, Psalms 59:4, Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:15, Psalms 59:16

to watch him: Judges 16:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:17 - Escape 1 Samuel 18:21 - the hand 1 Samuel 19:6 - he shall not 1 Samuel 19:20 - sent messengers 1 Samuel 20:31 - send 1 Samuel 20:32 - what hath 2 Samuel 3:13 - Michal 2 Samuel 22:19 - prevented 1 Chronicles 15:29 - Michal Psalms 4:1 - thou Psalms 11:1 - how Psalms 36:4 - deviseth Psalms 55:10 - Day Psalms 71:10 - lay wait for Proverbs 16:29 - General Jeremiah 5:26 - lay wait Hosea 7:6 - they Matthew 27:1 - the morning Acts 9:25 - let

Cross-References

Genesis 19:28
Abraham looked down into the valley toward the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He saw clouds of smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

Genesis 19:29
God destroyed the cities in the valley, but he remembered what Abraham had said. So God sent Lot away from those cities before destroying them.

2 Kings 6:18
These horses and chariots of fire came down to Elisha. He prayed to the Lord and said, "I pray that you will cause these people to become blind." So God did what Elisha asked. He caused the Aramean army to become blind.

Ecclesiastes 10:15
Fools aren't smart enough to find their way home, so they must work hard all their lives.

Isaiah 57:10
All of them made you tired, but you never gave up. You found new strength, because you enjoyed them.

Jeremiah 2:36
You go from one place to another looking for help, always changing your mind. But Egypt will also disappoint you, just as Assyria did.

Acts 13:11
Now the Lord will touch you and you will be blind. For a time you will not be able to see anything—not even the light from the sun." Then everything became dark for Elymas. He walked around lost. He was trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul sent messengers unto David's house,.... Supposing that he was gone thither; where this was is not said, very likely in Gibeah, where Saul lived:

to watch him; that he might not get out from thence in the night:

and to slay him in the morning; the reason why he did not order them to break into the house, and slay him at once, but wait till morning, seems to be, lest should he be alarmed by their breaking in, he might take the advantage of the night, and easily escape, or another person through mistake might be slain for him; and therefore, that they might be sure of him, they were to watch till it was broad daylight, when they could not well miss him. Josephus d says, the orders to watch him until morning were, that he might be taken and brought to a court of judicature, and be condemned and put to death, which was usually held in a morning; but Saul's orders to the messengers were to put him to death themselves, and he had no notion of dealing with him according to a formal process of judgment:

and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, if thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain; meaning, if he did not take the benefit and advantage of the night to make his escape, he would not be able to do it in the morning; the house being so beset, as she perceived, by persons whom she might suspect were sent by Saul to destroy him, knowing the ill will her father bore to him, or a messenger at the same time might be dispatched to her, either from her brother Jonathan, or from one of her friends at court, acquainting her with the design against David, and the danger he was in. Upon this occasion David penned the fifty ninth psalm, see Psalms 59:1.

d Antiqu. l. 6. c. 11. sect. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Saul’s plan was to surround the house at night, and to have David killed as soon as he came abroad unsuspectingly in the morning.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 19:11. To slay him in the morning — When they might be able to distinguish between him and Michal his wife; for, had they attempted his life in the night season, there would have been some danger to Michal's life. Besides, Saul wished to represent him as a traitor; and consequently an attack upon him was justifiable at any time, even in the fullest daylight.