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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1 Samuel 18: GNBDC
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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.
1 Samuel 18
18
1When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.
5David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7The women sang to one another as they played, and said,
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
8Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” 9Saul watched David from that day and forward. 10On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. 12Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him. 15When 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. 17Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”
18David said to 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 at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall today be my son-in-law.”
22Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’”
23Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”
24The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
25Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline, 27David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. 28Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. 29Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
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