1 Samuel 18

1AfterH1961 David had finishedH3615 speakingH1696 withH413 SaulH7586, the soulsH5315 of JonathanH3083 and DavidH1732 were knit togetherH7194H5315, and JonathanH3083 loved himH157 as himselfH5315. 2And from thatH1931 dayH3117 SaulH7586 kept David with himH3947 and did notH3808 let himH5414 returnH7725 to his father’sH1 houseH1004.

3Then JonathanH3083 madeH3772 a covenantH1285 with DavidH1732 because he lovedH160 himH853 as himselfH5315. 4And JonathanH3083 removedH6584 the robeH4598 he was wearingH5921 and gaveH5414 it to DavidH1732, along with his tunicH4055H5704, his swordH2719H5704, his bowH7198H5704, and his beltH2290.

Saul Envies David

5So DavidH1732 marched outH3318 and prosperedH7919 in everythingH3605 SaulH7586 sent him to doH7971, and SaulH7586 set himH7760 overH5921 the menH582 of warH4421. And this was pleasingH3190 in the sightH5869 of allH3605 the peopleH5971, and of Saul’sH7586 officersH5650 as wellH1571H5869.

6As the troopsH1961 were returning homeH935H7725 after DavidH1732 had killedH5221 the PhilistineH6430, the womenH802 came outH3318 of allH3605 the citiesH5892 of IsraelH3478 to meetH7122 KingH4428 SaulH7586 with singingH7891 and dancingH4246, with joyful songsH8057, and with tambourinesH8596 and other instrumentsH7991.1 7And as the women dancedH7832H802, they sang outH559H6030:

8And SaulH7586 was furiousH2734H3966 and resentedH7489H5869 thisH2088 songH1697. “They have ascribedH5414 tens of thousandsH7233 to DavidH1732,” he saidH559, “but onlyH5414 thousandsH505 to me. What moreH5750 can he have butH389 the kingdomH4410?” 9AndH1961 from thatH1931 dayH3117 forwardH1973 SaulH7586 kept a jealous eyeH5771 on DavidH1732.

10

The next dayH4283 a spiritH7307 of distressH74512 sent from GodH430 cameH6743 uponH413 SaulH7586, and he prophesiedH5012 inside theH8432 houseH1004 while DavidH1732 playedH5059 the harp as usualH3117. Now SaulH7586 was holdingH3027 a spearH2595H3027, 11and heH7586 hurled itH2904H2595, thinkingH559, “I will pinH5221 DavidH1732 to the wallH7023.” But DavidH1732 eludedH5437 himH6440 twiceH6471.

12So SaulH7586 was afraidH3372 ofH6440 DavidH1732, becauseH3588 the LORDH3068 wasH1961 with DavidH5973 butH5973 had departedH5493 from SaulH7586. 13Therefore SaulH7586H5973 sent David awayH5493 and gaveH7760 him commandH8269 of a thousand menH505. David ledH3318 the troops out to battleH5971 and backH935H6440, 14and he continuedH1961H1732 to prosperH7919 in allH3605 his waysH1870, because the LORDH3068 was with himH5973.

15When SaulH7586 sawH7200 thatH834 DavidH1931 was veryH3966 successfulH7919, he was afraidH1481 of himH6440. 16But allH3605 IsraelH3478 and JudahH3063 lovedH157 DavidH1732, becauseH3588 heH1931 was leading them out to battleH3318 and backH935.

David Marries Michal

17Then SaulH7586 saidH559 toH413 DavidH1732, “HereH2009 is my olderH1419 daughterH1323 MerabH4764. I will give herH5414 to you in marriageH802. OnlyH389 beH1961 valiantH2428 for me and fightH3898 the LORD’sH3068 battlesH4421.” But SaulH7586 was thinkingH559, “I need not raiseH408H1961 my handH3027 against him; let the handH3027 of the PhilistinesH6430 beH1961 against him.”

18And DavidH1732 saidH559 toH413 SaulH7586, “WhoH4310 am IH595, and whatH4310 is my familyH2416 or my father’sH1 clanH4940 in IsraelH3478, thatH3588 I should becomeH1961 the son-in-lawH2860 of the kingH4428?” 19So when it wasH1961 timeH62563 to giveH5414 Saul’sH7586 daughterH1323 MerabH4764 to DavidH1732, sheH1931 was givenH5414 in marriageH802 to AdrielH5741 of MeholahH4259.

20Now Saul’sH7586 daughterH1323 MichalH4324 lovedH157 DavidH1732, and when this was reportedH5046 to SaulH7586, itH1697 pleasedH3474 himH5869. 21“I will give herH5414 to David,” SaulH7586 thoughtH559, “so that she may beH1961 a snareH4170 to him, and the handH3027 of the PhilistinesH6430 may beH1961 against him.” So SaulH7586 saidH559 toH413 DavidH1732, “For a secondH8147 time nowH3117 you can be my son-in-lawH2859.”

22Then SaulH7586 orderedH6680 his servantsH5650, “SpeakH1696 toH413 DavidH1732 privatelyH3909 and tell himH559, ‘BeholdH2009, the kingH4428 is pleasedH2654 with you, and allH3605 his servantsH5650 love youH157. Now thereforeH6258, become hisH4428 son-in-lawH2859.’”

23But when Saul’sH7586 servantsH5650 relayedH1696H241 theseH428 wordsH1697 to DavidH1732, heH1732 repliedH559, “Does it seem trivialH7043 in your sightH5869 to be the son-in-lawH2859 of the kingH4428? IH595 am a poorH7326 manH376 and lightly esteemedH7034.”

24And the servantsH5650 toldH5046 SaulH7586 whatH428H1697 DavidH1732 had saidH1696.

25SaulH7586 repliedH559, “SayH559 to DavidH1732, ‘The kingH4428 desiresH2656 noH369 other dowryH4119 butH3588 a hundredH3967 PhilistineH6430 foreskinsH6190 as revengeH5358 on hisH4428 enemiesH341.’” But SaulH7586 intendedH2803 to cause David’sH1732 deathH5307 at the handsH3027 of the PhilistinesH6430.

26When the servantsH5650 reportedH5046 theseH428 termsH1697 to DavidH1732, he was pleasedH3474H1697H5869 to become the king’sH4428 son-in-lawH2859. Before the wedding day arrivedH4390H3117, 27DavidH1732 and his menH582 went outH1980H1931 and killedH5221 two hundredH3967H376 PhilistinesH6430. HeH1732 broughtH935 their foreskinsH6190 and presented them as payment in fullH4390 to becomeH4428 the king’sH4428 son-in-lawH2859. Then SaulH7586 gaveH5414 his daughterH1323 MichalH4324 to David in marriageH802.

28When SaulH7586H3045 realizedH7200 thatH3588 the LORDH3068 was withH5973 DavidH1732 and that hisH7586 daughterH1323 MichalH4324 lovedH157 David, 29heH7586 grew even moreH3254H5750 afraidH3372 ofH6440 DavidH1732. So from then onH3605H3117 SaulH7586 wasH1961 David’sH1732 enemyH341.

30Every timeH1767H3318 the PhilistineH6430H1961 commandersH8269 came outH3318 for battle, DavidH1732 was more successfulH7919 than allH3605 of Saul’sH7586 officersH5650, so that his nameH8034 was highlyH3966 esteemedH3365.