David Plays the Lyre for Saul

¹⁴ Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.^{(A) 15} And Saul’s servants said to him, “See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command the servants who attend you to look for someone who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better.”^{(B) 17} So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.” ¹⁸ One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”^{(C) 19} So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by his son David to Saul.^{(D) 21} And David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul^[a] loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.^{(E) 22} Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” ²³ And whenever the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, and the evil spirit would depart from him.^(F)

Jonathan’s Covenant with David

18 When David^[a] had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.^{(A) 2} Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.^{(B) 3} Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt. ⁵ David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.

⁶ As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.^{[b](C) 7} And the women sang to one another as they made merry,

⁸ Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?”^{(E) 9} So Saul eyed David from that day on.

Saul Tries to Kill David

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand,^{(F) 11} and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.^(G)