1 Samuel 18
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Saúl siente envidia de David
18 En cuanto David terminó de hablar con Saúl, Jonatán empezó a entablar una buena amistad con David.[a] Lo quería como a sí mismo. 2 Desde ese día, Saúl mantuvo a David con él, sin dejarlo volver a casa de su papá. 3 Jonatán y David hicieron un pacto porque Jonatán lo quería como a sí mismo. 4 Jonatán se quitó el manto que llevaba y se lo dio a David. También le dio todo su uniforme, hasta su espada, su arco y su cinturón.
5 Saúl envió a David a pelear en muchas batallas, y en todas tenía éxito. También lo puso a cargo de los soldados, lo cual fue del agrado de todos, hasta de los oficiales.
6 Cuando David regresó de matar al filisteo, las mujeres de los pueblos de Israel salieron cantando y danzando a recibir al rey Saúl. Gritando tocaban panderetas y liras, 7 y exclamaban:
«¡Saúl mató a miles,
pero David mató a diez miles!»
8 Eso no le gustó nada a Saúl y se enojó muchísimo. Pensaba: «Las mujeres le dan crédito a David por unos cuantos miles, sólo les falta que le den el reino mismo». 9 A partir de aquel momento Saúl lo miraba con recelo.
10 Al día siguiente, un espíritu maligno de parte de Dios se apoderó de Saúl, haciéndolo actuar en su casa como loco. David tocó el arpa como de costumbre. 11 Pero Saúl tenía una lanza en la mano y pensó: «Lo clavaré en la pared». Saúl lo intentó dos veces, pero en ambas ocasiones David saltó y esquivó la lanza.
12 Saúl tenía miedo de David porque el SEÑOR ya no estaba con él, sino con David. 13 Saúl mandó a David lejos como comandante de 1000 soldados. David los dirigía en las batallas. 14 David tenía éxito porque el SEÑOR estaba con él. 15 Al ver su éxito, Saúl cada vez temía más a David. 16 Pero todos en Israel y Judá apreciaban a David porque los dirigía en las batallas.
17 Saúl quería matar a David y se le ocurrió ponerle una trampa, diciéndole:
—Aquí tienes a Merab, mi hija mayor. Cásate con ella y así te convertirás en un soldado poderoso. Serás como un hijo para mí. Luego irás y pelearás las batallas del SEÑOR.
En realidad, Saúl pensaba: «Así no tendré que matar a David yo mismo, sino que lo matarán los filisteos». 18 Pero David dijo:
—Yo no me puedo casar con la hija del rey. No vengo de una familia importante ni tampoco soy importante.
19 Así que cuando llegó la hora de que David se casara con Merab, Saúl se la entregó a Adriel de Mejolá. 20 Mical, la otra hija de Saúl estaba enamorada de David. Cuando Saúl lo supo, le agradó la noticia, 21 y pensó: «Atraparé a David por medio de Mical. Se la daré en matrimonio y luego dejaré que los filisteos lo maten». Así que Saúl habló con David de nuevo:
—Puedes casarte con mi hija hoy mismo.
22 Saúl les ordenó a sus oficiales que hablaran con David en privado y que le dijeran: «Mira, el rey te aprecia y sus oficiales también, deberías casarte con su hija». 23 Los oficiales hablaron con David, pero él contestó:
—¿Creen que es muy fácil ser yerno del rey? Yo no soy más que un hombre común y corriente.
24 Los oficiales le dijeron a Saúl lo que David había dicho. 25 Saúl les dijo:
—Díganle a David que el rey no quiere que pague dinero por su hija.[b] Saúl sólo quiere vengarse de sus enemigos, así que pide 100 prepucios de filisteos para darte su hija en casamiento.
Saúl pensaba en secreto que los filisteos matarían a David. 26 Los oficiales hablaron de nuevo con David, quien se puso contento por la oportunidad de ser yerno del rey, así que enseguida se puso en acción. 27 David y sus soldados salieron a pelear contra los filisteos. Mataron a 200[c] y le llevó los prepucios a Saúl para convertirse en yerno del rey. Saúl le entregó a su hija Mical en casamiento. 28 Entonces Saúl se dio cuenta de que el SEÑOR estaba con David y de que su hija Mical amaba a David. 29 Por eso empezó a temer más a David, y siempre se ponía en su contra.
30 Además, los comandantes filisteos continuaron saliendo a pelear contra los israelitas, pero David siempre los derrotaba, y aumentó su fama de ser el mejor oficial.
1 Samuel 18
Good News Translation
18 Saul and David finished their conversation. After that, Saul's son Jonathan was deeply attracted to David and came to love him as much as he loved himself. 2 Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him go back home. 3 Jonathan swore eternal friendship with David because of his deep affection for him. 4 He took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together with his armor and also his sword, bow, and belt. 5 David was successful in all the missions on which Saul sent him, and so Saul made him an officer in his army. This pleased all of Saul's officers and men.
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
6 As David was returning after killing Goliath and as the soldiers were coming back home, women from every town in Israel came out to meet King Saul. They were singing joyful songs, dancing, and playing tambourines and lyres. 7 (A)In their celebration the women sang, “Saul has killed thousands, but David tens of thousands.” 8 Saul did not like this, and he became very angry. He said, “For David they claim tens of thousands, but only thousands for me. They will be making him king next!” 9 And so he was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God suddenly took control of Saul, and he raved in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did every day, and Saul was holding a spear. 11 “I'll pin him to the wall,” Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.
12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with David but had abandoned him. 13 So Saul sent him away and put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle 14 and was successful in all he did, because the Lord was with him. 15 Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him. 16 But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.
David Marries Saul's Daughter
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife on condition that you serve me as a brave and loyal soldier, and fight the Lord's battles.” (Saul was thinking that in this way the Philistines would kill David, and he would not have to do it himself.)
18 David answered, “Who am I and what is my family that I should become the king's son-in-law?” 19 But when the time came for Merab to be given to David, she was given instead to a man named Adriel from Meholah.
20 Saul's daughter Michal, however, fell in love with David, and when Saul heard of this, he was pleased. 21 He said to himself, “I'll give Michal to David; I will use her to trap him, and he will be killed by the Philistines.” So for the second time Saul said to David, “You will be my son-in-law.” 22 He ordered his officials to speak privately with David and tell him, “The king is pleased with you and all his officials like you; now is a good time for you to marry his daughter.”
23 So they told this to David, and he answered, “It's a great honor to become the king's son-in-law, too great for someone poor and insignificant like me.”
24 The officials told Saul what David had said, 25 and Saul ordered them to tell David: “All the king wants from you as payment for the bride are the foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines, as revenge on his enemies.” (This was how Saul planned to have David killed by the Philistines.) 26 Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said, and David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, 27 David and his men went and killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him, so that he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David.
28 Saul realized clearly that the Lord was with David and also that his daughter Michal loved him. 29 So he became even more afraid of David and was his enemy as long as he lived.
30 The Philistine armies would come and fight, but in every battle David was more successful than any of Saul's other officers. As a result David became very famous.
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
