1 Samuel 18

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.

Saul Looks at David with Suspicion

⁶And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that ^athe women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with gladness, and with ¹musical instruments.

⁷And the women ^asang as they ¹were merry and said,

“^bSaul has struck his thousands,

^cAnd David his ten thousands.”

⁸Then Saul became very angry, for this saying was ¹displeasing in his eyes; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now ^awhat more can he have but the kingdom?”

⁹So Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

¹⁰Now it happened on the next day that ^aan evil spirit from God ¹came mightily upon Saul, and ^bhe raved in the midst of the house. Now David was playing the harp with his hand, ^2cas usual; and ^3da spear was in Saul’s hand.

^11aThen Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will ¹pin David to the wall.” But David ²escaped from his presence twice.

¹²And ^aSaul was afraid of David, ^bfor Yahweh was with him but ^chad turned away from Saul.

¹³Therefore Saul turned him away from ¹his presence and appointed him as his commander of one thousand; and ^ahe went out and came in before the people.

¹⁴And David was ¹prospering in all his ways, and ^aYahweh was with him.

¹⁵Then Saul saw that he was ¹prospering greatly, so he dreaded him.

¹⁶But ^aall Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “^aHere is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be a man of valor for me and fight ^bYahweh’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but ^clet the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸But David said to Saul, “^aWho am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”

¹⁹So it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to ^aAdriel ^bthe Meholathite as a wife.

Saul’s Daughter Given to David

²⁰And ^aMichal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. So they told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.

²¹And Saul said, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and ^athat the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “^bFor a second time you may be my son-in-law today.”

²²Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; so now, become the king’s son-in-law.’”

²³So Saul’s servants spoke these words in ¹David’s hearing. But David said, “Is it trivial in your eyes to become the king’s son-in-law, ^asince I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”

²⁴And the servants of Saul told to him ¹according to these words which David spoke.

²⁵Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any ^adowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ^bto take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now ^cSaul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶Then his servants told David these words, and it was right in the eyes of David to become the king’s son-in-law. ^1aSo before the days had expired,

²⁷David rose up and went, ^ahe and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then ^bDavid brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

²⁸Then Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,

²⁹so Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

³⁰Then the commanders of the Philistines ^awent out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David ^bbehaved himself more insightfully than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.