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
1When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bonded to the soul of David, and #David’s testimony before Saul and Jonathan’s response to hearing it established a friendship, admiration and loyalty that lasted beyond Jonathan’s death (2 Sam 9:1).Jonathan loved him as himself. 2Saul took David that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4Jonathan stripped himself of the outer robe that he was wearing and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he acted wisely and prospered; and Saul appointed him over the men of war. And it pleased all the people and also Saul’s servants.
6As they were coming [home], when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, [songs of] joy, and #Lit three-stringed.musical instruments. 7The women sang as they played and danced, saying,
“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”
8Then Saul became very angry, for this saying #Lit was evil in his eyes.displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed [only] thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9Saul looked at David with suspicion [and jealously] from that day forward.
Saul Turns against David
10Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul, and he raved [madly] inside his house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and there was a spear in Saul’s hand. 11Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.
12Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. 13So Saul had David removed from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and he #Lit went out and came in before and so throughout the chapter.publicly associated with the people. 14David acted wisely and prospered in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. 15When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he publicly associated with them.
17Then Saul said to David, “Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” 19But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was [instead] given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter
20Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and when they told Saul, it pleased him. 21Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare (bad influence, source of trouble) to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David for a second time, “You shall be my son-in-law today.” 22Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Listen, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” 23So Saul’s servants spoke these words to David. But David said, “Is it a trivial thing in your sight to become a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and insignificant?” 24The servants of Saul told him what David said. 25Then Saul said, “This is what you shall say to David: ‘The king wants no dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul’s intention was to cause #Lit David to fall by.David’s death at the hand of the Philistines. 26When his servants told David these words, it pleased him to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time [for the marriage] arrived, 27David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred Philistine men, and David brought their foreskins [as proof of death] and presented #Lit in full number.every one of them to the king, so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal, his [younger] daughter, as a wife. 28When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, his daughter, loved him, 29Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s constant enemy.
30Then the Philistine commanders (princes) came out to battle, and it happened as often as they did, that David acted more wisely and had more success than all Saul’s servants. So his name was highly esteemed.
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