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1 Samuel 18
New International Version
1 Samuel 18
New International Version
Saul’s Growing Fear of David
18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan(A) became one in spirit with David, and he loved(B) him as himself.(C) 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant(D) with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe(E) he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.(F)
5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful(G) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.(H) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.
6 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,(I) with joyful songs and with timbrels(J) and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:(K)
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens(L) of thousands.”
8 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?(M)” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close(N) eye on David.
10 The next day an evil[a] spirit(O) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,(P) as he usually(Q) did. Saul had a spear(R) in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself,(S) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded(T) him twice.(U)
12 Saul was afraid(V) of David, because the Lord(W) was with(X) David but had departed from(Y) Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led(Z) the troops in their campaigns.(AA) 14 In everything he did he had great success,(AB) because the Lord was with(AC) 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.(AD)
17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter(AE) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;(AF) only serve me bravely and fight the battles(AG) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,(AH) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”
18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I,(AI) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?(AJ)” 19 So[b] when the time came for Merab,(AK) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.(AL)
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal(AM) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.(AN) 21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare(AO) 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?(AP) I’m only a poor man and little known.”
24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price(AQ) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge(AR) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan(AS) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal(AT) in marriage.
28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal(AU) loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid(AV) 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(AW) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 18:10 Or a harmful
- 1 Samuel 18:19 Or However,
1 Samuel 18
King James Version
1 Samuel 18
King James Version
18 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.
23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 Samuelsboken 18
Svenska Folkbibeln
1 Samuelsboken 18
Svenska Folkbibeln
Sauls avund och vrede
18 Sedan David hade talat med Saul, fäste sig Jonatan så vid David att Jonatan hade honom lika kär som sitt eget liv. 2 Saul tog David till sig på den dagen och lät honom inte mer vända tillbaka till sin fars hus. 3 Jonatan slöt ett förbund med David, eftersom han hade honom lika kär som sitt eget liv. 4 Jonatan tog av sig manteln som han hade på sig och gav den åt David, och även sina övriga kläder, till och med sitt svärd, sin båge och sitt bälte. 5 Och när David drog ut hade han framgång överallt dit Saul sände honom. Därför satte Saul honom över krigsfolket, och allt folket uppskattade honom, också de som var Sauls tjänare.
6 När de kom hem, då David vände tillbaka efter att ha dödat filisteen, gick kvinnorna ut från alla Israels städer under sång och dans för att möta kung Saul med jubel, med pukor och trianglar. 7 Kvinnorna sjöng och dansade och sade:
"Saul har slagit sina tusen,
David sina tiotusen."
8 Då blev Saul mycket vred. Dessa ord berörde honom mycket illa. Han sade: "Åt David har de gett tiotusen, åt mig har de gett tusen. Nu är det bara kungadömet som fattas honom." 9 Från och med den dagen hade Saul ett ont öga till David.
10 Dagen därpå kom en ond ande från Gud över Saul. Han bar sig åt som en galen inne i sitt hus medan David spelade, som han dagligen brukade göra. Saul hade sitt spjut i handen, 11 och han kastade det och tänkte: "Jag skall spetsa fast David vid väggen." Men två gånger vek David undan för honom. 12 Saul var rädd för David, eftersom Herren var med David men hade vikit ifrån Saul. 13 Därför skickade Saul bort honom och gav honom befälet över tusen man. Och han drog ut och kom tillbaka framför sin trupp. 14 David lyckades väl i allt han gjorde och Herren var med honom. 15 När Saul såg att han lyckades så väl blev han rädd för honom. 16 Men hela Israel och Juda älskade David, eftersom han var deras ledare och anförare.
Mikal blir Davids hustru
17 Saul sade till David: "Se, min äldsta dotter Merab vill jag ge dig till hustru. Visa mig bara att du är tapper och utför Herrens krig." Ty Saul tänkte: "Min hand skall inte drabba honom, det må filisteernas hand göra." 18 Men David svarade Saul: "Vem är jag, vad är mitt liv och vad är min fars släkt i Israel, eftersom jag skulle bli konungens svärson?" 19 Men när tiden kom att Sauls dotter Merab skulle ha givits åt David, fick i stället meholatiten Adriel henne till hustru.
20 Men Sauls dotter Mikal älskade David. När man talade om det för Saul, gladde det honom. 21 Saul tänkte nämligen: "Jag skall ge henne åt honom och så blir hon en snara för honom, så att filisteernas hand kan drabba honom." Han sade till David: "För andra gången kan du nu bli min svärson." 22 Saul befallde sina tjänare att de i hemlighet skulle säga till David: "Kungen tycker om dig och alla hans tjänare älskar dig. Bli nu kungens svärson!" 23 När Sauls tjänare sade detta till David svarade han: "Tycker ni det är så obetydligt att bli kungens svärson? Jag är ju en fattig och obetydlig man."
24 När Sauls tjänare berättade för honom vad David sagt, 25 bad Saul dem att säga så här: "Kungen begär ingen annan brudgåva än förhudarna av etthundra filisteer som hämnd på kungens fiender." Saul hoppades nämligen att David skulle falla för filisteernas hand. 26 När Sauls tjänare talade om för David vad han hade sagt, ville David gärna på det villkoret bli kungens svärson. Innan tiden ännu hade gått ut, 27 stod David upp och drog i väg med sina män och slog tvåhundra man av filisteerna. Han tog deras förhudar med sig och överlämnade hela antalet åt kungen, för att han skulle bli kungens svärson. Då gav Saul honom sin dotter Mikal till hustru. 28 Men Saul såg och förstod att Herren var med David och att Sauls dotter Mikal älskade honom. 29 Då blev Saul ännu mer rädd för David, och Saul blev Davids fiende för alltid.
30 Men filisteernas furstar drog ut i fält. Och så ofta de gjorde det, hade David större framgång än någon annan av Sauls tjänare, så att hans namn blev mycket aktat.
New International Version (NIV) 
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