1 Samuel
18
- After David had finished talking with Saul,
Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
- From that day Saul kept David with him and
did not let him return to his father's house.
- And Jonathan made a covenant with David
because he loved him as himself.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- As they danced, they sang: "Saul has
slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."
- 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 ?"
- And from that time on Saul kept a jealous
eye on David.
- 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
- and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll
pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
- Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD
was with David but had left Saul.
- So he sent David away from him and gave
him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.
- In everything he did he had great success,
because the LORD was with him.
- When Saul saw how successful he was, he
was afraid of him.
- But all Israel and Judah loved David, because
he led them in their campaigns.
- 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 !"
- 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 ?"
- So when the time came for Merab, Saul's
daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
- Now Saul's daughter Michal was in love with
David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.
- "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."
- 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.'"
- 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."
- When Saul's servants told him what David
had said,
- 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.
- When the attendants told David these things,
he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time
elapsed,
- 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.
- When Saul realized that the LORD was with
David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
- Saul became still more afraid of him, and
he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
- 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.
Back |
Home |
Next