1 Samuel 18:1–16

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

18After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan^p became one in spirit with David, and he loved^q him as himself.^{r 2}From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³And Jonathan made a covenant^s with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴Jonathan took off the robe^t he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.^u

⁵Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful^v that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.^w This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,^x with joyful songs and with timbrels^y and lyres. ⁷As they danced, they sang:^z

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens^a of thousands.”

⁸Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?^b” ⁹And from that time on Saul kept a close^c eye on David.

¹⁰The next day an evil^a spirit^d from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^e as he usually^f did. Saul had a spear^g in his hand ¹¹and he hurled it, saying to himself,^h “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eludedⁱ him twice.^j

¹²Saul was afraid^k of David, because the Lord^l was with^m David but had departed fromⁿ Saul. ¹³So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^o the troops in their campaigns.^{p 14}In everything he did he had great success,^q because the Lord was with^r him. ¹⁵When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.^s