1 Samuel 17:55–18:5

⁵⁵As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, ^ythe commander of the army, “Abner, ^zwhose son is this youth?” And Abner said, ^a“As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” ⁵⁶And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” ⁵⁷And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul ^bwith the head of the Philistine in his hand. ⁵⁸And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, ^c“I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

David and Jonathan’s Friendship

18As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan ^dloved him as his own soul. ²And Saul took him that day ^eand would not let him return to his father’s house. ³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because ^dhe loved him as his own soul. ⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. ⁵And David went out ^fand was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.