1 Samuel 17:55–18:5

⁵⁵Now when Saul saw David going out against 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.”

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

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

⁵⁸Saul 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 and David

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

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

³Then ^aJonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

^4aJonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including 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 sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.