1 Samuel 18

¹And it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

²And Saul took him on that day and did not let him return to his father's house.

³And Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.

⁴And Jonathan stripped off the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, along with his garments, even his sword and his bow and his belt.

⁵And David went out; wherever Saul sent him, he succeeded. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was pleasing in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

⁶And it came to pass when they came in, when David returned from striking the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Israel to sing and to dance, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.

⁷And the celebrating women sang in response and said, 'Saul has struck his thousands, and David his ten thousands.'

⁸And Saul burned with anger exceedingly, and this matter was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: 'They have given David ten thousands, but to me they have given the thousands — and what more can he have but the kingship?'

⁹And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward.

¹⁰And it came to pass on the next day that a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, while David was playing with his hand, as on day after day — and the spear was in Saul's hand.

¹¹And Saul hurled the spear, for he said, 'I will pin David to the wall.' But David turned aside from before him twice.

¹²And Saul was afraid of David, for the LORD had been with him and had departed from Saul.

¹³And Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people.

¹⁴And David was prudent in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

¹⁵And when Saul saw that he was succeeding very greatly, he stood in dread of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was going out and coming in before them.

¹⁷And Saul said to David, 'Here is my eldest daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the battles of the Lord.' For Saul thought, 'Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.'

¹⁸And David said to Saul: 'Who am I, and who are my kinfolk — the clan of my father in Israel — that I should become son-in-law to the king?'

¹⁹But it came to pass at the time of giving Merab, daughter of Saul, to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

²⁰And Michal, daughter of Saul, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing was pleasing in his eyes.

²¹And Saul said: 'I will give her to him, and let her be a snare to him, and let the hand of the Philistines be against him.' And Saul said to David: 'With two opportunities you shall become son-in-law to me today.'

²²And Saul commanded his servants, 'Speak to David secretly, saying, Behold, the king has delighted in you, and all his servants love you; and now become the king's son-in-law.'

²³And Saul's servants spoke in the ears of David these words. And David said: 'Is it a trivial thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king, when I am a poor and lightly-regarded man?'

²⁴And Saul's servants told him, saying: 'According to these words David spoke.'

²⁵And Saul said: 'Thus you shall say to David: The king has no desire for bride-price, but rather for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.' Now Saul planned to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶And his servants told David these words, and the matter was pleasing in the eyes of David, to become the king's son-in-law; and the days had not yet been fulfilled.

²⁷And David arose and went — he and his men — and struck among the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought their foreskins and they presented them in full to the king, so that he might become son-in-law to the king. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.

²⁸And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and Michal daughter of Saul loved him.

²⁹And Saul continued to be afraid of David still more, and Saul became an enemy of David all the days.

³⁰And the commanders of the Philistines went out, and it came to pass that as often as they went out David acted more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and his name was highly esteemed.