1 Samuel 18–23

¹And it cometh to pass, when he finisheth to speak unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan hath been bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loveth him as his own soul. ²And Saul taketh him on that day, and hath not permitted him to turn back to the house of his father. ³And Jonathan maketh—also David—a covenant, because he loveth him as his own soul, ⁴and Jonathan strippeth himself of the upper robe which is upon him, and giveth it to David, and his long robe, even unto his sword, and unto his bow, and unto his girdle. ⁵And David goeth out whithersoever Saul doth send him; he acted wisely, and Saul setteth him over the men of war, and it is good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

⁶And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, in David’s returning from smiting the Philistine, that the women come out from all the cities of Israel to sing—also the dancers—to meet Saul the king, with tabrets, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments; ⁷and the women answer—those playing, and say, ‘Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.’ ⁸And it is displeasing to Saul exceedingly, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he saith, ‘They have given to David myriads, and to me they have given the thousands, and more to him is only the kingdom;’ ⁹and Saul is eyeing David from that day and thenceforth. ¹⁰And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the spirit of sadness from God prospereth over Saul, and he prophesieth in the midst of the house, and David is playing with his hand, as day by day, and the javelin is in the hand of Saul, ¹¹and Saul casteth the javelin, and saith, ‘I smite through David, even through the wall;’ and David turneth round out of his presence twice.

¹²And Saul is afraid of the presence of David, for Jehovah hath been with him, and from Saul He hath turned aside; ¹³and Saul turneth him aside from him, and appointeth him to himself head of a thousand, and he goeth out and cometh in, before the people. ¹⁴And David is in all his ways acting wisely, and Jehovah is with him, ¹⁵and Saul seeth that he is acting very wisely, and is afraid of him, ¹⁶and all Israel and Judah love David when he is going out and coming in before them. ¹⁷And Saul saith unto David, ‘Lo, my elder daughter Merab—her I give to thee for a wife; only, be to me for a son of valour, and fight the battles of Jehovah;’ and Saul said, ‘Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.’ ¹⁸And David saith unto Saul, ‘Who am I? and what my life—the family of my father in Israel—that I am son-in-law to the king?’ ¹⁹And it cometh to pass, at the time of the giving of Merab daughter of Saul to David, that she hath been given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. ²⁰And Michal daughter of Saul loveth David, and they declare to Saul, and the thing is right in his eyes, ²¹and Saul saith, ‘I give her to him, and she is to him for a snare, and the hand of the Philistines is on him;’ and Saul saith unto David, ‘By the second—thou dost become my son-in-law to-day.’ ²²And Saul commandeth his servants, ‘Speak unto David gently, saying, Lo, the king hath delighted in thee, and all his servants have loved thee, and now, be son-in-law to the king.’ ²³And the servants of Saul speak in the ears of David these words, and David saith, ‘Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king—and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?’ ²⁴And the servants of Saul declare to him, saying, ‘According to these words hath David spoken.’ ²⁵And Saul saith, ‘Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines—to be avenged on the enemies of the king;’ and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶And his servants declare to David these words, and the thing is right in the eyes of David, to be son-in-law to the king; and the days have not been full, ²⁷and David riseth and goeth, he and his men, and smiteth among the Philistines two hundred men, and David bringeth in their foreskins, and they set them before the king, to be son-in-law to the king; and Saul giveth to him Michal his daughter for a wife. ²⁸And Saul seeth and knoweth that Jehovah is with David, and Michal daughter of Saul hath loved him, ²⁹and Saul addeth to be afraid of the presence of David yet; and Saul is an enemy with David all the days. ³⁰And the princes of the Philistines come out, and it cometh to pass from the time of their coming out, David hath acted more wisely than any of the servants of Saul, and his name is very precious.

Chapter 19

¹And Saul speaketh unto Jonathan his son, and unto all his servants, to put David to death, ²and Jonathan son of Saul delighted exceedingly in David, and Jonathan declareth to David, saying, ‘Saul my father is seeking to put thee to death, and, now, take heed, I pray thee, in the morning, and thou hast abode in a secret place, and been hidden, ³and I—I go out, and have stood by the side of my father in the field where thou art, and I speak of thee unto my father, and have seen what is coming, and have declared to thee.’ ⁴And Jonathan speaketh good of David unto Saul his father, and saith unto him, ‘Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works for thee are very good; ⁵yea, he putteth his life in his hand, and smiteth the Philistine, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation for all Israel; thou hast seen, and dost rejoice, and why dost thou sin against innocent blood, to put David to death for nought?’ ⁶And Saul hearkeneth to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul sweareth, ‘Jehovah liveth—he doth not die.’ ⁷And Jonathan calleth for David, and Jonathan declareth to him all these words, and Jonathan bringeth in David unto Saul, and he is before him as heretofore.

⁸And there addeth to be war, and David goeth out and fighteth against the Philistines, and smiteth among them—a great smiting, and they flee from his face. ⁹And a spirit of sadness from Jehovah is unto Saul, and he is sitting in his house, and his javelin in his hand, and David is playing with the hand, ¹⁰and Saul seeketh to smite with the javelin through David, and through the wall, and he freeth himself from the presence of Saul, and he smiteth the javelin through the wall; and David hath fled and escapeth during that night.

¹¹And Saul sendeth messengers unto the house of David to watch him, and to put him to death in the morning; and Michal his wife declareth to David, saying, ‘If thou art not delivering thy life to-night—tomorrow thou art put to death.’ ¹²And Michal causeth David to go down through the window, and he goeth on, and fleeth, and escapeth; ¹³and Michal taketh the teraphim, and layeth on the bed, and the mattress of goats’ hair she hath put for his pillows, and covereth with a garment. ¹⁴And Saul sendeth messengers to take David, and she saith, ‘He is sick.’ ¹⁵And Saul sendeth the messengers to see David, saying, ‘Bring him up in the bed unto me,’—to put him to death. ¹⁶And the messengers come in, and lo, the teraphim are on the bed, and the mattress of goats’ hair, for his pillows. ¹⁷And Saul saith unto Michal, ‘Why thus hast thou deceived me—that thou dost send away mine enemy, and he is escaped?’ and Michal saith unto Saul, ‘He said unto me, Send me away: why do I put thee to death?’

¹⁸And David hath fled, and is escaped, and cometh in unto Samuel to Ramath, and declareth to him all that Saul hath done to him, and he goeth, he and Samuel, and they dwell in Naioth. ¹⁹And it is declared to Saul, saying, ‘Lo, David is in Naioth in Ramah.’ ²⁰And Saul sendeth messengers to take David, and they see the assembly of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing, set over them, and the Spirit of God is on Saul’s messengers, and they prophesy—they also. ²¹And they declare it to Saul, and he sendeth other messengers, and they prophesy—they also; and Saul addeth and sendeth messengers a third time, and they prophesy—they also. ²²And he goeth—he also—to Ramath, and cometh in unto the great well which is in Sechu, and asketh, and saith, ‘Where are Samuel and David?’ and one saith, ‘Lo, in Naioth in Ramah.’ ²³And he goeth thither—unto Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God is upon him—him also; and he goeth, going on, and he prophesieth till his coming in to Naioth in Ramah, ²⁴and he strippeth off—he also—his garments, and prophesieth—he also—before Samuel, and falleth down naked all that day and all the night; therefore they say, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’

Chapter 20

¹And David fleeth from Naioth in Ramah, and cometh, and saith before Jonathan, ‘What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what my sin before thy father, that he is seeking my life?’ ²And he saith to him, ‘Far be it! thou dost not die; lo, my father doth not do anything great or small and doth not uncover mine ear; and wherefore doth my father hide from me this thing? this thing is not.’ ³And David sweareth again, and saith, ‘Thy father hath certainly known that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; and yet, Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, but—as a step between me and death.’ ⁴And Jonathan saith to David, ‘What doth thy soul say?—and I do it for thee.’ ⁵And David saith unto Jonathan, ‘Lo, the new moon is to-morrow; and I do certainly sit with the king to eat; and thou hast sent me away, and I have been hidden in a field till the third evening; ⁶if thy father at all look after me, and thou hast said, David asked earnestly of me to run to Beth-Lehem his city, for a sacrifice of the days is there for all the family. ⁷If thus he say: Good; peace is for thy servant; and if it be very displeasing to him—know that the evil hath been determined by him; ⁸and thou hast done kindness, to thy servant, for into a covenant of Jehovah thou hast brought thy servant with thee;—and if there is in me iniquity, put thou me to death; and unto thy father, why is this—…