1 Samuel 18

David’s Success

18When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself. ^f2Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.

³Jonathan made a covenant with David ^gbecause he loved him as much as himself. ⁴Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, ^halong with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

⁵David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

⁶As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, ⁱsinging and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. ⁷As they celebrated, the women sang:

Saul has killed his thousands,

but David his tens of thousands. ^j

⁸Saul was furious and resented this song. ^k“They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” ^l9So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

Saul Attempts to Kill David

¹⁰The next day an evil spirit sent from God took control of Saul, ^mand he began to rave ⁿinside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, ^obut Saul was holding a spear, ^p11and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” ^qBut David got away from him twice.

¹²Saul was afraid of David, ^rbecause the Lord was with David ^sbut had left Saul. ^t13Therefore, Saul reassigned David and made him commander over 1,000 men. David led the troops ^u14and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him. ^v15When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David ^wbecause he was leading their troops. ¹⁷Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife, ^xif you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” ^yBut Saul was thinking, “My hand doesn’t need to be against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ^z

¹⁸Then David responded, “Who am I, ^aand what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹When it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. ^b

David’s Marriage to Michal

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal ^cloved David, and when it was reported to Saul, it pleased him. ^d21“I’ll give her to him,” Saul thought. “She’ll be a trap for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.” ^eSo Saul said to David a second time, “You can now be my son-in-law.” ^f

²²Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Therefore, you should become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

²³Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, ^gbut he replied, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor man who is common.” ^h

²⁴The servants reported back to Saul, “These are the words David spoke.”

²⁵Then Saul replied, “Say this to David: ‘The king desires no other bride-price ⁱexcept 100 Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” ^jActually, Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines. ^k

²⁶When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased ^lto become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, ^m27David and his men went out and killed 200 ⁿPhilistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as full payment to the king to become his son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David as his wife. ^o28Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David’s enemy from then on.

³⁰Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, ^pDavid was more successful than all of Saul’s officers. ^qSo his name became well known.