1 Samuel 18
1 After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that, the soul of Jonathan, was knit with, the soul of David, so that Jonathan loved him, as his own soul.
2 And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.
And Saul took him, that day, —and suffered him not to return unto the house of his father.
3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
And Jonathan and David solemnised a covenant, —because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe which was upon him, and gave it to David, —and his equipments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.
And David went forth—whithersoever Saul sent him, he behaved himself prudently, so Saul set him over the men of war, —and he became a favourite in the eyes of all the people, yea even in the eyes of the servants of Saul.
6 As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.
But so it was, when they came in on the return of David from the smiting of the Philistine, that the women went forth out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king, —with timbrels, with rejoicing, and with instruments of three strings.
7 And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
And the women that made merry responded to each other in song, and said, —Saul, hath smitten, his thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands.
8 And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”
Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said, —They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands, —What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom?
9 And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward.
10 The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
And, when it came to pass, on the morrow, that a superhuman spirit of sadness came suddenly upon Saul, and he was moved to raving in the midst of the house, —and, David, began playing with his hand, as he had done day by day, that a spear being in Saul’s hand,
11 and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
Saul hurled the spear, and said to himself—I will smite David, even to the wall! But David moved round from before him, twice.
12 So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
And Saul feared because of David, —for Yahweh was with him, whereas, from Saul, he had departed.
13 Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,
So Saul removed him from him, and appointed him to be for him the captain of a thousand, —and he went out and came in before the people.
14 and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
And it came to pass that David, in all his ways, acted prudently, —and, Yahweh, was with him.
15 When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.
And, when Saul saw that, he, was acting very prudently, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.
But, all Israel and Judah, were in love with David, —for he was going out and coming in before them.
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
So then Saul said unto David—Lo! my elder daughter Merab, her, will I give thee to wife, only, approve thyself unto me as a son of valour and fight the battles of Yahweh. Saul, however, had said to himself—Let not, my own hand, be upon him, but let, the hand of the Philistines, be upon him.
18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
And David said unto Saul—Who am, I, or who are my kinsfolk, the family of my father, in Israel, —that I should become son-in-law, to the king?
19 So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
But it came to pass, within the time for giving Merab daughter of Saul to David, that, she, was given to Adriel the Meholathite, to wife.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
Then did Michal, Saul’s daughter, love David, —and it was told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.
21 “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”
And Saul said to himself—I will give her unto him, that she may prove to him a snare, and that, the hand of the Philistines, may be upon him. So then Saul said unto David, A second time, mayest thou become my son-in-law to-day.
22 Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’”
And Saul commanded his servants—Speak ye unto David quietly saying, Lo! the king delighteth in thee, and, all his servants, love thee, —now, therefore, become thou son-in-law to the king.
23 But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”
And the servants of Saul spake, in the ears of David, these words. And David said—Seemeth it a light thing, in your eyes, to become son-in-law to the king, seeing that, I, am a poor man and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants told Saul what David had said.
So the servants of Saul told him, saying, —According to these words, spake David,
25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
Then said Saul—Thus, shall ye say unto David—The king hath no delight in purchase-price, but rather in a hundred foreskins of Philistines, by avenging himself on the enemies of the king. But, Saul, thought to let David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,
So, when his servants told David these words, the thing was right in the eyes of David, to become son-in-law unto the king, —and the days had not expired.
27 David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
Wherefore David arose, and went—he and his men, and smote among the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought in their foreskins, and gave them in full tale unto the king, that he might become son-in-law unto the king, and Saul gave him Michal his daughter, to wife.
28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
And Saul saw and knew that, Yahweh, was with David, and that, all Israel, loved him.
29 he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.
So then Saul went on to fear because of David, yet more, —and it came to pass that Saul was hostile to David, all the days.
30 Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.
And, when the princes of the Philistines came forth, so it was, that, as often as they came forth, David was more circumspect than any of the servants of Saul, so that his name was, precious exceedingly.
