¹⁰ The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(A) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(B) as he usually^(C) did. Saul had a spear^(D) in his hand ¹¹ and he hurled it, saying to himself,^(E) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded^(F) him twice.^(G)

¹² Saul was afraid^(H) of David, because the Lord^(I) was with^(J) David but had departed from^(K) Saul. ¹³ So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^(L) the troops in their campaigns.^{(M) 14} In everything he did he had great success,^(N) because the Lord was with^(O) him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.^(P)

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(A) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^{(B) 21} “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(C) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²² Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³ They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(D) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴ When Saul’s servants told him what David had said,

²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(A) loved David, ²⁹ Saul became still more afraid^(B) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰ The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success^(C) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

⁸ Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

⁹ But an evil^[a] spirit^(A) from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,^{(B) 10} Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded^(C) him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

¹¹ Saul sent men to David’s house to watch^(D) it and to kill him in the morning.^(E) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” ¹² So Michal let David down through a window,^(F) and he fled and escaped.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound^(A) out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? ¹³ But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely,^(B) if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with^(C) you as he has been with my father. ¹⁴ But show me unfailing kindness^(D) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, ¹⁵ and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family^(E)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan^(F) made a covenant^(G) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.^(H)” ¹⁷ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath^(I) out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.