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18 1 The amity of Jonathan and David. 8 Saul envieth David for the praise that the women gave him. 11 Saul would have slain David. 17 He promiseth him Merab to wife, but giveth him Michal. 27 David delivereth to Saul two hundred foreskins of the Philistines. 29 Saul feareth David, seeing that the Lord is with him.
1 And when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, the [a]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 not let him return to his father’s house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant: for he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan put off the robe that was upon him, and gave it 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 [b]wisely: so that 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 ¶ When they came again, and David returned from the slaughter of the [c]Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with instruments of joy, and with rebecks.
7 And the women [d]sang by course in their play, and said, (A)Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand.
8 Therefore Saul was exceedingly wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousand, and to me they have ascribed but a thousand, and what can he have more save the kingdom?
9 Wherefore Saul [e]had an eye on David from that day forward.
10 ¶ And on the morrow, the evil spirit of God came upon Saul, and he [f]prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand like as at other times, and there was a spear in Saul’s hand.
11 And Saul took the spear, and said, I will smite David through to the wall. But David avoided twice out of his presence.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul put him from him, and made him a captain over a thousand, and he went [g]out and in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways: for the Lord was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afraid of him.
16 For all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and in before them.
17 ¶ Then Saul said to David, Behold mine eldest daughter Merab, her I will give thee to wife: only be a valiant son unto me, and [h]fight the Lord’s battles: for Saul thought, Mine hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.
18 And David answered Saul, What am I? and what is my life, or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the King?
19 Howbeit when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, [i]she was given unto Adriel a Meholathite to wife.
20 ¶ Then Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they showed Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 Therefore Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a [j]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, Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath a favor to thee, and all his servants love thee: be now therefore the King’s son-in-law.
23 And Saul’s servants spake these words in the ears of David. And David said, [k]Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of small reputation?
24 And then Saul’s servants brought him word again, saying, Such words spake David.
25 And Saul said, This wise shall ye say to David, The king desireth no dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the King’s enemies: for Saul thought to make David fall into the hands of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well, to be the [l]King’s son-in-law: and the days were not expired.
27 Afterward David arose with his men, and went and slew of the Philistines two hundred men: and David brought their foreskins, and [m]they gave them wholly to the King that he might be the King’s son-in-law: therefore Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 Then Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David, and that Michal the daughter of Saul loved him.
29 Then Saul was more and more afraid [n]of David, and Saul became always David’s enemy.
30 And when the Princes of the Philistines went forth, at their going forth [o]David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by.
19 2 Jonathan declareth to David the wicked purpose of Saul. 11 Michal his wife saveth him. 18 David cometh to Samuel. 23 The Spirit of prophecy cometh on Saul.
1 Then Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should [p]kill David: but Jonathan Saul’s son had a great favor to David.
2 And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed unto thyself unto the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.
3 And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where thou [q]art, and will commune with my father of thee, and I will see what he saith, and will tell thee.
4 ¶ And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works have been to thee very good.
5 For he [r]did (B)put his life in danger, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and thou rejoicedst: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, and slay David without a cause?
6 Then Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and Saul [s]swore, As the Lord liveth, he shall not die.
7 So Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those words, and Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.
8 ¶ Again the war began, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.
9 ¶ And the evil spirit of the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house having his spear in his hand, and David [t]played with his hand.
10 And Saul intended to smite David to the wall with the spear: but he turned aside out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear against the wall: but David fled, and escaped the same night.
11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told it him, saying, If thou save not thyself this night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.
12 So Michal [u]let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13 Then Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goat’s hair under the head of it, and covered it with a cloth.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him to me in the [v]bed, that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed with a pillow of goat’s hair under the head of it.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go, or else I will kill thee.
18 ¶ So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in [w]Naioth.
19 But one told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw a company of Prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing [x]as appointed over them, the Spirit of God fell upon the messengers of Saul, and they also [y]prophesied.
21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise: again Saul sent the third messengers, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he himself to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked, and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he [z]went thither, even to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his [aa]clothes, and he prophesied also before Samuel, and fell [ab]down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they say, (C)Is Saul also among the Prophets?
20 2 Jonathan comforteth David. 3 They renew their league. 33 Saul would have killed Jonathan. 38 Jonathan advertiseth David by three arrows, of his father’s fury.
1 And David [ac]fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what sin have I committed before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
2 And he said unto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing great nor small, but he will [ad]show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? he will not do it.
3 And David swore again and said, Thy father knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes: therefore he thinketh, Jonathan shall not know it, lest he be sorry: but indeed, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a [ae]step between me and death.
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul [af]requireth, that I will do unto thee.
5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the [ag]first day of the month, and I should sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the fields unto the third day at even.
6 If thy father make mention of me, then say, David asked leave of me, that he might go to Bethlehem to his own city: for there is a [ah]yearly sacrifice for all that family.
7 And if he say thus, It is well, thy servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, be sure that wickedness is concluded of him.
8 So shalt thou show mercy unto thy servant: (D)for thou hast joined thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee, and if there be in me iniquity, slay thou me? for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
9 ¶ And Jonathan answered, God keep that from thee: for if I knew that wickedness were [ai]concluded of my father to come upon thee, would not I tell it thee?
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who [aj]shall tell me? how shall I know, if thy father answer thee cruelly?
11 And Jonathan said to David, Come and let us go out into the field: and they twain went out into the field.
12 Then Jonathan said to David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have groped my father’s mind tomorrow at this time, or within this three days, and if it be well with David, and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee,
13 The Lord [ak]do so and much more unto Jonathan: but if my father have mind to do thee evil, I will show thee also, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee as he hath been with my father.
14 Likewise I require not whiles I live: for I doubt not but thou wilt show me the mercy of the Lord, [al]that I die not.
15 But I require that thou cut not off thy mercy from mine house forever: no, not when the Lord hath destroyed the enemies of David, every one from the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a bond with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord require it at the hands of David’s enemies.
17 And again Jonathan swore unto David, because he loved him (for he loved him as his own soul,)
18 Then said Jonathan to him, Tomorrow is the first day of the month: and thou shalt be [am]looked for, for thy place shall be empty.
19 Therefore thou shalt hide thyself three days, then thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself, when this matter was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone [an]Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And after I will send a boy, saying, Go, seek the arrows. If I say unto the boy, See, the arrows are on this side thee, bring them, and come thou: for it is [ao]well with thee, and no hurt, as the Lord liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, go thy way: for the [ap]Lord hath sent thee away.
23 As touching the thing which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me forever.
24 ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the first day of the month came, the king sat to eat meat.
25 And the king sat, as at other times upon his seat, even upon his seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26 And Saul said nothing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, though he were [aq]clean, or else because he was not purified.
27 But on the morrow which was the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not [ar]the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor today?
28 And Jonathan answered unto Saul, David required of me, that he might go to Bethlehem.
29 For he said, Let me go, I pray thee: for our family offereth [as]a sacrifice in the city, and my brother hath sent for me: therefore now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me go, I pray thee, and see my [at]brethren: this is the cause that he cometh not unto the king’s table.
30 Then was Saul angry with Jonathan, and said unto him, Thou [au]son of the wicked rebellious woman, do not I know, that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thy confusion, and to the confusion and shame of thy mother?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom: wherefore now send and fet him unto me, for he [av]shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he [aw]die? what hath he done?
33 And Saul cast a spear at him to hit him, whereby Jonathan knew, that it was determined of his father to slay David.
34 ¶ So Jonathan arose from the table in a great anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was sorry for David, and because his father had reviled him.
35 On the next morning therefore Jonathan went out into the field, [ax]at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
36 And he said unto his boy, Run now, seek the arrows which I shoot, and as the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the boy was come to the place where the arrow was that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
38 And Jonathan cried after the boy, [ay]Make speed, haste and stand not still: and Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master,
39 But the boy knew nothing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Then Jonathan gave his [az]bow and arrows unto the boy that was with him, and said unto him, Go, carry them into the city.
41 ¶ As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of a place that was toward the [ba]South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept both twain, till David exceeded.
42 Therefore Jonathan said to David, Go in peace: that which we have [bb]sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and between thy seed, let it stand forever.
43 And he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.