1 Samuel 18
Legacy Standard Bible
Jonathan Cuts a Covenant with David
18 Now it happened when he had finished speaking to Saul, that (A)the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and (B)Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and (C)did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then (D)Jonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. 4 (E)And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him and [a]prospered; 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 Saul’s servants.
Saul Looks at David with Suspicion
6 And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that (F)the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with gladness, and with [b]musical instruments. 7 And the women (G)sang as they [c]were merry and said,
8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying was [d]displeasing in his eyes; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now (J)what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.
10 Now it happened on the next day that (K)an evil spirit from God [e]came mightily upon Saul, and (L)he raved in the midst of the house. Now David was playing the harp with his hand, [f](M)as usual; and [g](N)a spear was in Saul’s hand. 11 (O)Then Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will [h]pin David to the wall.” But David [i]escaped from his presence twice.
12 And (P)Saul was afraid of David, (Q)for Yahweh was with him but (R)had turned away from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul turned him away from [j]his presence and appointed him as his commander of one thousand; and (S)he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David was [k]prospering in all his ways, and (T)Yahweh was with him. 15 Then Saul saw that he was [l]prospering greatly, so he dreaded him. 16 But (U)all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
17 Then Saul said to David, “(V)Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be a man of valor for me and fight (W)Yahweh’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but (X)let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 But David said to Saul, “(Y)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 So it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to (Z)Adriel (AA)the Meholathite as a wife.
Saul’s Daughter Given to David
20 And (AB)Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. So they told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes. 21 And Saul said, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and (AC)that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “(AD)For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.” 22 Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; so now, become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words in [m]David’s hearing. But David said, “Is it trivial in your eyes to become the king’s son-in-law, (AE)since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” 24 And the servants of Saul told to him [n]according to these words which David spoke. 25 Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any (AF)dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, (AG)to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now (AH)Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 Then his servants told David these words, and it was right in the eyes of David to become the king’s son-in-law. [o](AI)So before the days had expired, 27 David rose up and went, (AJ)he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then (AK)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. 28 Then Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 so Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the commanders of the Philistines (AL)went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David (AM)behaved himself more insightfully than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 18:5 Or acted wisely
- 1 Samuel 18:6 Possibly three-stringed lutes
- 1 Samuel 18:7 Or danced
- 1 Samuel 18:8 Lit evil
- 1 Samuel 18:10 Lit succeeded, rushed upon
- 1 Samuel 18:10 Lit day by day
- 1 Samuel 18:10 Lit the
- 1 Samuel 18:11 Lit strike David and the wall
- 1 Samuel 18:11 Lit turned about
- 1 Samuel 18:13 Lit with him
- 1 Samuel 18:14 Or acting wisely
- 1 Samuel 18:15 Or acting very wisely
- 1 Samuel 18:23 Lit the ears of David
- 1 Samuel 18:24 Lit by saying according
- 1 Samuel 18:26 Lit And the days had not expired
1 Samuel 18
New Living Translation
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
18 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[a] 7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10 The very next day a tormenting spirit[b] from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
12 Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. 13 Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter
17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
18 “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” 19 So[c] when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.
20 In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. 21 “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”
22 Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”
23 When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”
24 When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, 25 he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
26 David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, 27 he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, 29 Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.
30 Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
