| |
New International Version |   | |
 |
| |
| | 1Sa 18:1 | After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:2 | From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:3 | And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:4 | Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:5 | Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:6 | When 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, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:7 | As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."
| |
| | 1Sa 18:8 | Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?"
| |
| | 1Sa 18:9 | And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:10 | The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand
| |
| | 1Sa 18:11 | and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:12 | Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:13 | So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:14 | In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:15 | When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:16 | But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:17 | Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD." For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!"
| |
| | 1Sa 18:18 | But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"
| |
| | 1Sa 18:19 | So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:20 | Now Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:21 | "I will give her to him," he thought, "so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law."
| |
| | 1Sa 18:22 | Then Saul ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, `Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.'"
| |
| | 1Sa 18:23 | They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known."
| |
| | 1Sa 18:24 | When Saul's servants told him what David had said,
| |
| | 1Sa 18:25 | Saul replied, "Say to David, `The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:26 | When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,
| |
| | 1Sa 18:27 | David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:28 | When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
| |
| | 1Sa 18:29 | Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
| |
| | 1Sa 18:30 | The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.
| |
