1 Samuel 17:55–18:5

⁵⁵As Saul watched David^m going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner,ⁿ whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

⁵⁸“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.

David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse^o of Bethlehem.”

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.