1 Samuel 18
1 It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And it happened that, when he had completed speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan adhered to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him like his own soul.
2 Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
And Saul took him that day, and would not permit him to return to his father’s house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
Then David and Jonathan formed a pact. For he loved him like his own soul.
4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
And Jonathan took off the coat that he was wearing, and he gave it to David, with the rest of his garments, even to his sword and bow, and even his belt.
5 Then Saul set him over the men of war, and David went out, succeeding wherever Saul sent him. And it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
Also, David went out to do everything whatsoever that Saul sent him to do, and he conducted himself prudently. And Saul set him over men of war. And he was acceptable in the eyes of the entire people, and most of all in the sight of the servants of Saul.
6 It happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.
Now when David returned, after he had struck down the Philistine, the women went out, from all the cities of Israel, leading the singing and dancing, rejoicing with timbrels and bells, so as to meet king Saul.
7 The women sang one to another as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands."
And the women sang, as they played, saying, “Saul has struck down a thousand, and David ten thousand.”
8 Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?"
Then Saul became exceedingly angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes. And he said: “They have given David ten thousand, and to me they gave only one thousand. What is left for him, except the kingdom itself?”
9 Saul viewed David with suspicion from that day and forward.
Therefore, Saul did not regard David with a good eye, from that day and thereafter.
10 It happened on the next day, that a harmful spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
Then, on the next day, the evil spirit from God assailed Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand, just as at every other time. And Saul held a lance in his hand.
11 and Saul threw the spear; for he said, "I will pin David even to the wall." David escaped from his presence twice.
And he threw it, thinking that he would be able to fix David to the wall. And David stepped aside twice, from before his face.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because YHWH was with him, and had departed from Saul.
And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, but he had withdrawn from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
Therefore, Saul sent him away from himself, and he made him tribune over one thousand men. And he entered and departed in the sight of the people.
14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and YHWH was with him.
Also, David acted prudently in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15 When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
And so, Saul saw that he was exceedingly prudent, and he began to be wary of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
But all of Israel and Judah loved David. For he entered and departed before them.
17 Saul said to David, "Look, my elder daughter Merob, I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight YHWH's battles." For Saul said, "Do not let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him."
And Saul said to David: “Behold, my elder daughter, Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be a valiant man, and fight the wars of the Lord.” Now Saul was considering within himself, saying, “Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him.”
18 David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"
Then David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life, and what is my father’s kinship within Israel, that I should be the son-in-law of the king?”
19 But it happened at the time when Merob, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
Then it happened that, at the time when Merab, the daughter of Saul, was to be given to David, she was given to Adriel, the Meholathite, as wife.
20 Mikal, Saul's daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
Now Michal, the other daughter of Saul, loved David. And this was reported to Saul, and it pleased him.
21 And Saul thought, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time."
And Saul said, “I will give her to him, so that she may be a stumbling block to him, and so that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him.” And Saul said to David, “In two things, you shall be my son-in-law today.”
22 Then Saul commanded his servants, "Talk with David secretly, and say, 'Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. So now therefore be the king's son-in-law.'"
And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: “Behold, you are pleasing to the king, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, be the son-in-law of the king.”
23 Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, "Does it seems to you a little thing to be the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man, and insignificant?"
And the servants of Saul spoke all these words to the ears of David. And David said: “Does it seem a small matter to you, to be the son-in-law of the king? I am but a poor and unimportant man.”
24 The servants of Saul told him, saying, "David spoke like this."
And the servants reported to Saul, saying, “David has spoken words in this manner.”
25 Saul said, "You shall tell David, 'The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies.'" Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
Then Saul said, “Speak in this way to David: The king does not have need of any dowry, but only one hundred foreskins from the Philistine men, so that he may be vindicated from the enemies of the king.” So did Saul think to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.
26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. The days were not expired;
And when his servants had repeated to David the words that Saul had spoken, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David, so that he would become son-in-law of the king.
27 and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines one hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Mikal his daughter as wife.
And after a few days, David, rising up, went with the men who were under him, and he struck down two hundred men of the Philistines. And he brought their foreskins, and he counted them out for the king, so that he might be his son-in-law. And so, Saul gave to him his daughter Michal as wife.
28 When Saul saw and knew that YHWH was with David, and that all Israel loved him,
And Saul saw and understood that the Lord was with David. And Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved him.
29 then he was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.
And Saul began to fear David all the more. And Saul became the enemy of David, every day.
30 Then the leaders of the Philistines went forth: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was highly esteemed.
And the leaders of the Philistines departed. And from the beginning of their departure, David conducted himself more prudently than all the servants of Saul, and his name became exceedingly celebrated.
