1 Samuel 17:55–18:5

⁵⁵Now when Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is ^athis young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.”

⁵⁶And the king said, “You inquire whose son the youth is.”

⁵⁷So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and ^abrought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand.

⁵⁸And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “^aI am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

CHAPTER 18

Jonathan Cuts a Covenant with David

¹Now it happened when he had finished speaking to Saul, that ^athe soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and ^bJonathan loved him as his own soul.

²And Saul took him that day and ^adid not let him return to his father’s house.

³Then ^aJonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul.

^4aAnd Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even his sword and his bow and his belt.

⁵So David went out wherever Saul sent him and ¹prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of Saul’s servants.