1 Samuel 18
1 And when he had made an ende of speaking vnto Saul, the soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of Dauid, and Ionathan loued him, as his owne soule.
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 Saul tooke him that day, and woulde not let him returne to his fathers house.
And Saul took him, that day, —and suffered him not to return unto the house of his father.
3 Then Ionathan and Dauid made a couenant: for he loued him as his owne soule.
And Jonathan and David solemnised a covenant, —because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Ionathan put off the robe that was vpon him, and gaue it Dauid, and his garments, euen to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
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 And Dauid went out whithersoeuer Saul sent him, and behaued himselfe wisely: so that Saul set him ouer the men of warre, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Sauls seruants.
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 When they came againe, and Dauid returned from the slaughter of the Philistim, the women came out of all cities of Israel singing and dauncing to meete king Saul, with timbrels, with instruments of ioy, and with rebeckes.
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 the women sang by course in their play, and sayd, Saul hath slayne his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand.
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 Therefore Saul was exceeding wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he sayde, They haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousand, and to me they haue ascribed but a thousand, and what can he haue more saue the kingdome?
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 Wherefore Saul had an eye on Dauid from that day forward.
And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward.
10 And on the morowe, the euill spirite of God came vpon Saul, and he prophecied in the middes of the house: and Dauid played with his hand like as at other times, and there was a speare in Sauls hand.
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 Saul tooke the speare, and sayd, I will smite Dauid through to the wall. But Dauid auoyded twise out of his presence.
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 And Saul was afrayd of Dauid, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.
And Saul feared because of David, —for Yahweh was with him, whereas, from Saul, he had departed.
13 Therefore Saul put him from him, and made him a captaine ouer a thousand, and he went out and in before the people.
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 Dauid behaued himselfe wisely in all his wayes: for the Lord was with him.
And it came to pass that David, in all his ways, acted prudently, —and, Yahweh, was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afrayde of him.
And, when Saul saw that, he, was acting very prudently, he was afraid of him.
16 For all Israel and Iudah loued Dauid, because he went out and in before them.
But, all Israel and Judah, were in love with David, —for he was going out and coming in before them.
17 Then Saul sayd to Dauid, Beholde mine eldest daughter Merab, her I will giue thee to wife: onely be a valiant sonne vnto me, and fight the Lordes battels: for Saul thought, Mine hand shall not be vpon him, but the hand of the Philistims shalbe vpon 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 Dauid answered Saul, What am I? and what is my life, or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be sonne in law to 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 Howbeit when Merab Sauls daughter should haue bene giuen to Dauid, she was giuen vnto Adriel a Meholathite to wife.
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 Then Michal Sauls daughter loued Dauid: and they shewed Saul, and the thing pleased him.
Then did Michal, Saul’s daughter, love David, —and it was told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.
21 Therefore Saul said, I wil giue him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistims may bee against him. Wherefore Saul sayde to Dauid, Thou shalt this day be my sonne in law in the one of the twayne.
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 And Saul commanded his seruants, Speake with Dauid secretly, and say, Behold, ye King hath a fauour to thee, and all his seruants loue thee: be now therefore the Kings sonne 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 And Sauls seruantes spake these wordes in the eares of Dauid. And Dauid sayd, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a Kings sonne in lawe, seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation?
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 then Sauls seruats brought him word againe, saying, Such wordes spake Dauid.
So the servants of Saul told him, saying, —According to these words, spake David,
25 And Saul sayd, This wise shall ye say to Dauid, The King desireth no dowrie, but an hundred foreskinnes of the Philistims, to bee auenged of the Kings enemies: for Saul thought to make Dauid fall into the handes of the Philistims.
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 And when his seruantes tolde Dauid these wordes, it pleased Dauid well, to be the Kings sonne in law: and the dayes were not expired.
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 Afterwarde Dauid arose with his men, and went and slewe of the Philistims two hundreth men: and Dauid brought their foreskinnes, and they gaue them wholly to the King that hee might be the Kings sonne in lawe: therefore Saul gaue him Michal his daughter to wife.
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 Then Saul sawe, and vnderstoode that the Lord was with Dauid, and that Michal the daughter of Saul loued him.
And Saul saw and knew that, Yahweh, was with David, and that, all Israel, loved him.
29 Then Saul was more and more afrayde of Dauid, and Saul became alway Dauids enemie.
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 And when the Princes of the Philistims went forth, at their going forth Dauid behaued himselfe more wisely then all the seruants of Saul, so that his name was much set by.
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.
