1 Samuel 18
1 When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And it comes to pass, when he finishes to speak to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan has been bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loves him as his own soul.
2 Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more.
And Saul takes him on that day, and has not permitted him to return to the house of his father.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan makes—David also—a covenant, because he loves him as his own soul,
4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.
and Jonathan strips himself of the upper robe which [is] on him, and gives it to David, and his long robe, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
And David goes out wherever Saul sends him; he acted wisely, and Saul sets him over the men of war, and it is good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.
6 As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, 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.
And it comes to pass, in their coming in, in David’s returning from striking the Philistine, that the women come out from all the cities of Israel to sing—also the dancers—to meet Saul the king, with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments;
7 The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
and the women answer—those playing, and say, “Saul has struck among his thousands, And David among his myriads.”
8 Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?”
And it is exceedingly displeasing to Saul, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he says, “They have given myriads to David, and they have given the thousands to me, and what more [is there] for him but the kingdom?”
9 Saul watched David from that day and forward.
And Saul is eyeing David from that day and from then on.
10 On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
And it comes to pass, on the next day, that the spirit of sadness [from] God prospers over Saul, and he prophesies in the midst of the house, and David is playing with his hand, as [he did] day by day, and the javelin [is] in the hand of Saul,
11 and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.
and Saul casts the javelin and says, “I strike through David, even through the wall”; and David turns around out of his presence twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul.
And Saul is afraid of the presence of David, for YHWH has been with him, and He has turned aside from Saul;
13 Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
and Saul turns him aside from him, and appoints him to himself [for] head of one thousand, and he goes out and comes in, before the people.
14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
And David is acting wisely in all his ways, and YHWH [is] with him,
15 When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
and Saul sees that he is acting very wisely, and is afraid of him,
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
and all Israel and Judah love David when he is going out and coming in before them.
17 Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”
And Saul says to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab—I give her to you for a wife; only, be for a son of valor to me, and fight the battles of YHWH”; and Saul said, “Do not let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on 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?”
And David says to Saul, “Who [am] I? And what [is] my life—the family of my father in Israel—that I am son-in-law of the king?”
19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
And it comes to pass, at the time of the giving of Merab daughter of Saul to David, that she has been given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
20 Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
And Michal daughter of Saul loves David, and they declare [it] to Saul, and the thing is right in his eyes,
21 Saul said, 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 a second time, “You shall today be my son-in-law.”
and Saul says, “I give her to him, and she is for a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines is on him”; and Saul says to David, “By the second—you become my son-in-law today.”
22 Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’”
And Saul commands his servants, “Speak to David gently, saying, Behold, the king has delighted in you, and all his servants have loved you, and now, be son-in-law of the king.”
23 Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”
And the servants of Saul speak these words in the ears of David, and David says, “Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law of the king—and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?”
24 The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
And the servants of Saul declare [it] to him, saying, “David has spoken according to these words.”
25 Saul said, “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 he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
And Saul says, “Thus you say to David, There is no delight for the king in dowry, but in one hundred foreskins of the Philistines—to be avenged on the enemies of the king”; and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline,
And his servants declare these words to David, and the thing is right in the eyes of David, to be son-in-law of the king; and the days have not been full,
27 David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then 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 Michal his daughter as wife.
and David rises and goes, he and his men, and strikes two hundred men among the Philistines, and David brings in their foreskins, and they set them before the king, to be son-in-law of the king; and Saul gives his daughter Michal to him for a wife.
28 Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
And Saul sees and knows that YHWH [is] with David, and Michal daughter of Saul has loved him,
29 Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.
and Saul adds to be afraid of the presence of David still; and Saul is an enemy of David [for] all the days.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
And the princes of the Philistines come out, and it comes to pass from the time of their coming out, David has acted more wisely than any of the servants of Saul, and his name is very precious.
