1 Samuel 18
18
Saul Fears David
1When David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan felt very close to David. He loved David as much as he loved himself. 2Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him go home to his father’s house. 3Jonathan made an agreement with David, because he loved David as much as himself. 4He took off his coat and gave it to David, along with his armor, including his sword, bow, and belt.
5Saul sent David to fight in different battles, and David was very successful. Then Saul put David over the soldiers, which pleased Saul’s officers and all the other people.
6After David had killed the Philistine, he and the men returned home. Women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul. They sang songs of joy, danced, and played tambourines and stringed instruments. 7As they played, they sang,
“Saul has killed thousands of his enemies,
but David has killed tens of thousands.”
8The women’s song upset Saul, and he became very angry. He thought, “The women say David has killed tens of thousands, but they say I have killed only thousands. The only thing left for him to have is the kingdom!” 9So Saul watched David closely from then on, because he was jealous.
10The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in his house. David was playing the harp as he usually did, but Saul had a spear in his hand. 11He threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from him twice.
12The Lord was with David but had left Saul. So Saul was afraid of David. 13He sent David away and made him commander of a thousand soldiers. So David led them in battle. 14He had great success in everything he did because the Lord was with him. 15When Saul saw that David was very successful, he feared David even more. 16But all the people of Israel and Judah loved David because he led them well in battle.
Saul’s Daughter Marries David
17Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will let you marry her. All I ask is that you remain brave and fight the Lord’s battles.” Saul thought, “I won’t have to kill David. The Philistines will do that.”
18But David answered Saul, saying, “Who am I? My family is not important enough for me to become the king’s son-in-law.” 19So, when the time came for Saul’s daughter Merab to marry David, Saul gave her instead to Adriel of Meholah.
20Now Saul’s other daughter, Michal, loved David. When they told Saul, he was pleased. 21He thought, “I will let her marry David. Then she will be a trap for him, and the Philistines will defeat him.” So Saul said to David a second time, “You may become my son-in-law.”
22And Saul ordered his servants to talk with David in private and say, “Look, the king likes you. His servants love you. You should be his son-in-law.”
23Saul’s servants said these words to David, but David answered, “Do you think it is easy to become the king’s son-in-law? I am poor and unimportant.”
24When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king doesn’t want money for the bride. All he wants is a hundred Philistine foreskins to get even with his enemies.’ ” Saul planned to let the Philistines kill David.
26When Saul’s servants told this to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. 27So he and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. David brought all their foreskins to Saul so he could be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his wife. 28Saul saw that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David. 29So he grew even more afraid of David, and he was David’s enemy all his life.
30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to fight the Israelites, but every time, David was more skillful than Saul’s officers. So he became famous.
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1 Samuel 18: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 18
18
Jonathan and David
1As soon as David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan’s life#18.1 Or soul; also twice more in this verse and in 18:3 became bound up with David’s life, and Jonathan loved David as much as himself.#18.1 The following verses are absent from LXXB: 18:1-5, 10-11, 17-19, 29b-30. 2From that point forward, Saul kept David in his service#18.2 MT lacks in his service. and wouldn’t allow him to return to his father’s household. 3And Jonathan and David made a covenant together because Jonathan loved David as much as himself. 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, as well as his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5David went out and was successful in every mission Saul sent him to do. So Saul placed him in charge of the soldiers, and this pleased all the troops as well as Saul’s servants.
Saul jealous of David
6After David came back from killing the Philistine, and as the troops returned home, women from all of Israel’s towns came out to meet King Saul#18.6 MT; LXX to meet David with singing and dancing, with tambourines, rejoicing, and musical instruments. 7The women sang in celebration:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
but David has killed his tens of thousands!”
8Saul burned with anger. This song annoyed him. “They’ve credited David with tens of thousands,” he said, “but only credit me with thousands. What’s next for him—the kingdom itself?” 9So Saul kept a close eye on David from that point on.
10The next day an evil spirit from God came over Saul,#18.10 Or to Saul and he acted like he was in a prophetic frenzy in his house. So David played the lyre as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand, 11and he threw it, thinking, I’ll pin David to the wall. But David escaped from him two different times.
12Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with David but no longer with Saul. 13So Saul removed David from his service, placing him in command of a unit of one thousand men. David led the men out to war and back. 14David was successful in everything he did because the LORD was with him. 15Saul saw that he was very successful, and he was afraid of him. 16Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he led them out in war and back again.
17Saul said to David, “Look, here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage on this condition: you must be my warrior and fight the LORD’s battles.” I won’t raise my hand against him, Saul thought; let the Philistines do that!
18“I’m not worthy,” David replied to Saul, “and neither is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, to become the king’s son-in-law.” 19And so when the time came for Saul’s daughter Merab to be married to David, she was given to Adriel from Meholah instead.
20Now Saul’s younger daughter Michal loved David. When this was reported to Saul, he was happy about it. 21I’ll give her to him, Saul thought; she’ll cause him problems, and the Philistines will be against him.
So Saul said to David a second time, “Become my son-in-law now.”
22Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David in private: ‘Look, the king likes you, and all his servants love you. You should become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23Saul’s servants whispered these things in David’s ear. But David said, “Do you think it’s a simple matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I don’t! I’m poor and insignificant.”
24Saul’s servants reported what David said, 25and Saul replied, “Tell David this: ‘The king doesn’t want any bridal gift, just a hundred Philistine foreskins as vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” (Saul was hoping that David would die at the hands of the Philistines.) 26When the servants reported this to David, he was happy to become the king’s son-in-law. Even before the allotted time had expired,#18.26 Heb uncertain 27David got up and went with his soldiers and killed one hundred Philistines.#18.27 LXX, cf 2 Sam 3:14; MT two hundred David brought their foreskins and counted them out for the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to him in marriage.
28When Saul knew for certain that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, 29then Saul was even more afraid of David. Saul was David’s enemy for the rest of his life.#18.29 Or Saul became David’s constant enemy. 30And whenever the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David would have more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, so his fame spread widely.
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