When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,(A) with joyful songs and with timbrels(B) and lyres. As they danced, they sang:(C)

“Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens(D) of thousands.”

Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?(E) And from that time on Saul kept a close(F) eye on David.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:10 Or a harmful

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