⁵ And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always ^[a]achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

⁶ Now it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that ^(A)the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with other ^[b]musical instruments. ⁷ The women ^(B)sang as they ^[c]played, and said,

⁸ Then Saul became very angry, for this lyric ^[d]displeased him; and he said, “They have given David credit for ten thousands, but to me they have given credit for only thousands! Now what more can he have but the ^(E)kingdom?” ⁹ And Saul eyed David with suspicion from that day on.

¹² Now ^(A)Saul was afraid of David, ^(B)because the Lord was with him but ^(C)had left Saul. ¹³ So Saul removed him from ^[a]his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and ^(D)he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ David was ^[b]successful in all his ways, for ^(E)the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he was ^[c]very successful, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But ^(F)all Israel and Judah loved David, for he would go out to battle and ^[d]return ^[e]before them.

²⁸ When Saul saw and realized that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, ²⁹ then Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines ^(A)went to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David ^(B)was more ^[a]successful than all the servants of Saul. So his name was held in high esteem.

⁷ Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as ^(A)before.

⁸ When there was war again, David went out and fought the Philistines and ^[a]defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled from him. ⁹ Now there was ^(B)an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house ^(C)with his spear in his hand, ^(D)and David was playing the harp with his hand. ^10 (E)And Saul tried to ^[b]pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

¹¹ Then ^(F)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!” ^12 (G)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled, and escaped.

¹¹ But the ^(A)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? ^(B)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,