1 Samuel 18
18
1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7And the women sang one to another in their play, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day: and Saul had his spear in his hand. 11and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. 17And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. 18And David said unto Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? 19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. 20And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law a second time. 22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. 23And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. 25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now 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. And the days were not expired; 27and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. 28And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal Saul's daughter loved him. 29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually. 30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
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1 Samuel 18: RV1895
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
1 Samuel 18
18
1Saul and David finished their conversation. After that, Saul's son Jonathan was deeply attracted to David and came to love him as much as he loved himself. 2Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him go back home. 3Jonathan swore eternal friendship with David because of his deep affection for him. 4He took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together with his armour and also his sword, bow, and belt. 5David was successful in all the missions on which Saul sent him, and so Saul made him an officer in his army. This pleased all of Saul's officers and men.
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
6As David was returning after killing Goliath and as the soldiers were coming back home, women from every town in Israel came out to meet King Saul. They were singing joyful songs, dancing, and playing tambourines and lyres. 7#1 Sam 21.11; 29.5In their celebration the women sang, “Saul has killed thousands, but David tens of thousands.” 8Saul did not like this, and he became very angry. He said, “For David they claim tens of thousands, but only thousands for me. They will be making him king next!” 9And so he was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on.
10The next day an evil spirit from God suddenly took control of Saul, and he raved in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did every day, and Saul was holding a spear. 11“I'll pin him to the wall,” Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.
12Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with David but had abandoned him. 13So Saul sent him away and put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle 14and was successful in all he did, because the LORD was with him. 15Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him. 16But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.
David Marries Saul's Daughter
17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife on condition that you serve me as a brave and loyal soldier, and fight the LORD's battles.” (Saul was thinking that in this way the Philistines would kill David, and he would not have to do it himself.)
18David answered, “Who am I and what is my family that I should become the king's son-in-law?” 19But when the time came for Merab to be given to David, she was given instead to a man named Adriel from Meholah.
20Saul's daughter Michal, however, fell in love with David, and when Saul heard of this, he was pleased. 21He said to himself, “I'll give Michal to David; I will use her to trap him, and he will be killed by the Philistines.” So for the second time Saul said to David, “You will be my son-in-law.” 22He ordered his officials to speak privately to David and tell him, “The king is pleased with you and all his officials like you; now is a good time for you to marry his daughter.”
23So they told David this, and he answered, “It's a great honour to become the king's son-in-law, too great for someone poor and insignificant like me.”
24The officials told Saul what David had said, 25and Saul ordered them to tell David: “All the king wants from you as payment for the bride is the foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines, as revenge on his enemies.” (This was how Saul planned to have David killed by the Philistines.) 26Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said, and David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, 27David and his men went and killed 200 Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him, so that he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David.
28Saul realized clearly that the LORD was with David and also that his daughter Michal loved him. 29So he became even more afraid of David and was his enemy as long as he lived.
30The Philistine armies would come and fight, but in every battle David was more successful than any of Saul's other officers. As a result David became very famous.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.