1 Samuel 18
18
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
1After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
5Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
6When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.#18:6 The type of instrument represented by the word cymbals is uncertain. 7This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
8This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10The very next day a tormenting spirit#18:10 Or an evil spirit. from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
12Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. 13Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
14David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 15When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter
17One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
18“Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” 19So#18:19 Or But. when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.
20In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. 21“Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”
22Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”
23When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”
24When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, 25he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
26David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, 27he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
28When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, 29Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.
30Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.
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1 Samuel 18: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Shmuel Alef 18
18
1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Sha'ul, that the nefesh Yonatan was kashur (tied together) with the nefesh Dovid, and Yonatan loved him as his own nefesh.
2And Sha'ul drafted him that day, and would let him return no more to the bais aviv.
3Then Yonatan and Dovid made a brit (covenant), because he loved him as his own nefesh.
4And Yonatan stripped himself of the me'il (robe) that was upon him, and gave it to Dovid, and his middah (war garments), even to his cherev, and to his keshet, and to his khagor (belt).
5And Dovid went out whithersoever Sha'ul sent him, and prospered; and Sha'ul set him over the anshei hamilchamah, and he was accepted in the sight of kol HaAm, and also in the sight of the avdei Sha'ul.
6And it came to pass as they came, when Dovid was returned from the slaughter of the Pelishti, that the nashim came out of all towns of Yisroel, singing and dancing, to meet Sha'ul HaMelech, with tambourines, with simchah, and with cymbals.
7And the nashim answered one another as they played, and said, Sha'ul hath slain his alafim, and Dovid his revavot (myriads).
8And Sha'ul was very angry, and the saying was displeasing in his eyes and he said, They have ascribed unto Dovid revavot, and to me they have ascribed but alafim; and what can he have more but the maluchah (kingship)?
9And there was jealous suspicion in the way Sha'ul eyed Dovid from that day forward.
10And it came to pass on the next day, that the ruach Elohim ra'ah came upon Sha'ul, and he prophesied inside the bais; and Dovid made#18:10 kinnor music with his yad, as at other times; and there was a khanit in the yad Sha'ul.
11And Sha'ul hurled the khanit; for he said, I will pin Dovid even to the wall with it. And Dovid escaped his presence twice.
12And Sha'ul was afraid of Dovid, because Hashem was with him, and was departed from Sha'ul.
13Therefore Sha'ul removed him from him, and made him his sar elef; and he went out and came in before HaAm.
14And Dovid was maskil (successful) in kol drakhim of him; and Hashem was with him.
15Wherefore when Sha'ul saw that he was maskil me'od, he was afraid of him.
16But kol Yisroel and Yehudah loved Dovid, because he went out and came in before them.
17And Sha'ul said to Dovid, Hinei bitti hagedolah Merav, her will I give thee as isha; only be thou ben chayil (valiant) for me, and fight Hashemʼs milchamot. For Sha'ul said, Let not mine yad be upon him, but let the yad Pelishtim be upon him.
18And Dovid said unto Sha'ul, Who am I? And what is my life, or the mishpakhat avi in Yisroel, that I should be Choson to HaMelech?
19But it came to pass at the time when Merav Bat Sha'ul should have been given to Dovid, that she was given as isha unto Adriel the Mecholati.
20And Michal Bat Sha'ul loved Dovid; and they told Sha'ul, and the thing was yashar in#18:20 Sha'ulʼs eyes.
21And Sha'ul said, I will give him her, that she may be a mokesh to him, and that the yad Pelishtim may be against him. Wherefore Sha'ul said to Dovid, Thou shalt this day become Choson to me by one of my two.
22And Sha'ul commanded his avadim, saying, Commune with Dovid privately, and say, Hinei, HaMelech hath chafetz (delight) in thee, and all his avadim love thee; now therefore be Choson to HaMelech.
23And the avadim of Sha'ul spoke those devarim in the ears of Dovid. And Dovid said, Seemeth it a light thing in your eyes to become Choson to HaMelech, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24And the avadim of Sha'ul told him, saying, According to these words spoke Dovid.
25And Sha'ul said, Thus shall ye say to Dovid, HaMelech has chafetz (desire) for not any mohar (dowry, bride price) but a hundred arelot (foreskins) of the Pelishtim, to be avenged of the oyevei HaMelech. But Sha'ul schemed to make Dovid fall by the yad Pelishtim.
26And when his avadim told Dovid these devarim, it pleased Dovid well to be Choson of HaMelech; and the yamim#18:26 leading up to the due-date of the arelot were not expired.
27Wherefore Dovid arose and went, he and his anashim, and slaughtered of the Pelishtim (Philistines) two hundred ish; and Dovid brought their arelot, and they gave them in full count to HaMelech, that he might be the Choson of HaMelech. And Sha'ul gave him Michal bitto as isha.
28And Sha'ul saw and knew that Hashem was with Dovid, and that Michal Bat Sha'ul loved him.
29And Sha'ul was yet the more afraid of Dovid; and Sha'ul became oyev to Dovid kol hayamim.
30Then the sarim of the Pelishtim went forth [to fight]; and it came to pass, after they went forth, that Dovid prospered#18:30 in military success more than all the avadim (officers) of Sha'ul; so that shmo became esteemed as of good reputation. And Sha'ul spoke to Yonatan#18:30 Yehonaton bno, and to all his avadim, that they should kill Dovid.
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