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
David and Jonathan’s Friendship
1As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan #ch. 20:17; Deut. 13:6; [ch. 19:2; 2 Sam. 1:26]loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day #[ch. 17:15]and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because #[See ver. 1 above]he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5And David went out #ver. 14, 15, 30and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
Saul’s Jealousy of David
6As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, #Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.#18:6 Or triangles, or three-stringed instruments 7And the women #[Ex. 15:21] sang to one another as they celebrated,
# ch. 21:11; 29:5 “Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
8And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but #ch. 15:28the kingdom?” 9And Saul eyed David from that day on.
10The next day #ch. 16:14; [Judg. 9:23] a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and #ch. 19:23, 24; [1 Kgs. 18:29; Acts 16:16] he raved within his house while David was #See ch. 16:16 playing the lyre, as he did day by day. #ch. 19:9Saul had his spear in his hand. 11And Saul #ch. 19:10; 20:33hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.
12 # ver. 15, 29 Saul was afraid of David because #ver. 28; ch. 16:18 the Lord was with him #ch. 16:14; 28:15but had departed from Saul. 13So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. #ver. 16; [Num. 27:17; 2 Sam. 5:2]And he went out and came in before the people. 14And David #ver. 5 had success in all his undertakings, #[See ver. 12 above]for the Lord was with him. 15And when Saul saw that #[See ver. 14 above]he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16#[ver. 5]But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
David Marries Michal
17Then Saul said to David, “Here is #ch. 14:49 my elder daughter Merab. #ch. 17:25 I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me #ch. 25:28 and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, #ver. 21, 25but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18And David said to Saul, #ver. 23; 2 Sam. 7:18“Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to #[2 Sam. 21:8] Adriel the #Judg. 7:22Meholathite for a wife.
20Now #[See ver. 17 above] Saul’s daughter Michal #ver. 28loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may #Ex. 10:7 be a snare for him #ver. 17 and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,#18:21 Hebrew by two #[ver. 26]“You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, #[Num. 16:9]“Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” 24And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no #Gen. 34:12; Ex. 22:17 bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, #ch. 14:24 that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” #ver. 17, 21Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. #[ver. 21]Before the time had expired, 27David arose and went, #ver. 13 along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. #2 Sam. 3:14And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28But when Saul saw and knew that #ver. 12 the Lord was with David, #ver. 20and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 # ch. 19:8; [2 Sam. 11:1] Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out #ver. 5David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
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