1 Samuel 18
18
1 WHEN DAVID had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life.
2 Saul took David that day and would not let him return to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own life.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, even his sword, his bow, and his girdle.
5 And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he prospered and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was satisfactory both to the people and to Saul's servants.
6 As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the Israelite towns, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with timbrels, songs of joy, and instruments of music.
7 And the women responded as they laughed and frolicked, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very angry, for the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed only thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?
9 And Saul [jealously] eyed David from that day forward.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved [madly] in his house, while David played [the lyre] with his hand, as at other times; and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin, for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. And David evaded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
13 So Saul removed David from him and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 David acted wisely in all his ways and succeeded, and the Lord was with him.
15 When Saul saw how capable and successful David was, he stood in awe of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
17 Saul said to David, My elder daughter Merab I will give you as wife; only serve me courageously and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand, but the Philistines' hand, be upon him.
18 David 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?
19 But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and it pleased him.
21 Saul thought, 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. So Saul said to David a second time, You shall now be my son-in-law.
22 And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately and say, The king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become [his] son-in-law.
23 Saul's servants told those words to David. David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him what David said.
25 Saul said, Say this to David, The king wants no dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the Philistines' hands.
26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased [him] well to become the king's son-in-law. Before the days expired,
27 David went, he and his men, and slew two hundred Philistine men, and brought their foreskins and gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.
28 When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michal [his] daughter loved him,
29 Saul was still more afraid of David; and Saul became David's constant enemy.
30 Then the Philistine princes came out to battle, and when they did so, David had more success and behaved himself more wisely than all Saul's servants, so that his name was very dear and highly esteemed.
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1 Samuel 18: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
1 Kings 18
18
1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, 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 not let him return to his father's house.
3And David and Jonathan made a covenant: for he loved him as his own soul.
4And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he behaved himself prudently. And Saul set him over the soldiers; and he was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the eyes of Saul's servants.
6Now, when David returned, after be slew the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets.
7And the women sung as they played. And they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand. What can he have more but the kingdom?
9And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and forward.
10And the day after, the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand,
11And threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David stept aside out of his presence twice.
12And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from himself.
13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him a captain over a thousand men: and he went out and came in before the people.
14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15And Saul saw that he was exceeding prudent, and began to beware of him.
16But all Israel and Juda loved David, for he came in and went out before them.
17And Saul said to David: Behold my elder daughter Merob: her will I give thee to wife. Only be a valiant man, and fight the battles of the Lord. Now Saul said within himself: Let not my hand be upon him; but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him.
18And David said to Saul: Who am I, or what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law of the king?
19And it came to pass at the time when Merob the daughter of Saul should have been given to David, that she was given to Hadriel the Molathite to wife.
20But Michol the other daughter of Saul loved David. And it was told Saul, and it pleased him.
21And Saul said: I will give her to him, that she may be a stumbling-block to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David: In two things thou shalt be my son-in-law this day.
22And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: Behold, thou pleasest the king; and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law.
23And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king's son-in-law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.
24And the servants of Saul told him, saying: Such words as these hath David spoken.
25And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.
26And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king's son-in-law.
27And after a few days David rose up, and went with the men that were under him. And he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he might be his son-in-law. Saul therefore gave him Michol his daughter to wife.
28And Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David. And Michol the daughter of Saul loved him.
29And Saul began to fear David more: and Saul became David's enemy continually.
30And the princes of the Philistines went forth: and from the beginning of their going forth David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. And his name became very famous.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.