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 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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