1 Samuel 18
1 Und da er hatte ausgeredet mit Saul, verband sich das Herz Jonathans mit dem Herzen Davids; und Jonathan gewann ihn lieb wie sein eigen Herz.
After David finished talking with Saul, [he met Saul’s son, Jonathan.] Jonathan [immediately] liked David; in fact, he began to love/like him as much as he loved/liked himself.
2 Und Saul nahm ihn des Tages und ließ ihn nicht wieder zu seines Vaters Haus kommen.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 Und Jonathan und David machten einen Bund miteinander; denn er hatte ihn lieb wie sein eigen Herz.
Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
4 Und Jonathan zog aus seinen Rock, den er anhatte, und gab ihn David, dazu seinen Mantel, sein Schwert, seinen Bogen und seinen Gürtel.
Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow [and arrows], and his belt.
5 Und David zog aus, wohin ihn Saul sandte, und hielt sich klüglich. Und Saul setzte ihn über die Kriegsleute; und er gefiel wohl allem Volk, auch den Knechten Sauls.
[David went wherever Saul sent him. And] whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David to be a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army (approved of/were very pleased with) that.
6 Es begab sich aber, da er wiederkommen war von des Philisters Schlacht, daß die Weiber aus allen Städten Israels waren gegangen mit Gesang und Reigen dem Könige Saul entgegen mit Pauken, mit Freuden und mit Geigen.
But, when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from many [HYP] towns in Israel to meet/greet King Saul. They were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.
7 Und die Weiber sangen gegeneinander und spielten und sprachen: Saul hat tausend geschlagen, aber David zehntausend.
As they danced, they sang this song to each other: “Saul has killed 1,000 [enemy soldiers], But David has killed 10,000 [of them].”
8 Da ergrimmete Saul sehr, und gefiel ihm das Wort übel und sprach: Sie haben David zehntausend gegeben und mir tausend; das Königreich will noch sein werden.
[When] Saul [heard them singing that, he] did not like it. He became very angry. He said [to himself], “They are saying that David [killed] 10,000 men, but that I [have killed] only 1,000. Soon they will want to make him their king!” [RHQ]
9 Und Saul sah David sauer an von dem Tage und fortan.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
10 Des andern Tages geriet der böse Geist von Gott über Saul und weissagete daheim im Hause; David aber spielte auf den Saiten mit seiner Hand, wie er täglich pflegte. Und Saul hatte einen Spieß in der Hand
The next day, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,
11 und schoß ihn und gedachte: Ich will David an die Wand spießen. David aber wandte sich zweimal von ihm.
and he hurled it [at David], saying to himself, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside [both times].
12 Und Saul fürchtete sich vor David; denn der HERR war mit ihm und war von Saul gewichen.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
13 Da tat ihn Saul von sich und setzte ihn zum Fürsten über tausend Mann; und er zog aus und ein vor dem Volk.
So he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, [hoping that David would be killed in a battle]. But when David led his soldiers [in their battles],
14 Und David hielt sich klüglich in all seinem Tun; und der HERR war mit ihm.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Da nun Saul sah, daß er sich so klüglich hielt, scheuete er sich vor ihm.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 Aber ganz Israel und Juda hatte David lieb; denn er zog aus und ein vor ihnen her.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
17 Und Saul sprach zu David: Siehe, meine größte Tochter Merob will ich dir zum Weibe geben; sei nur freudig und führe des HERRN Kriege! Denn Saul gedachte: Meine Hand soll nicht an ihm sein, sondern die Hand der Philister.
One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh [against the Philistines]”. He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”
18 David aber antwortete Saul: Wer bin ich, und was ist mein Leben und Geschlecht meines Vaters in Israel, daß ich des Königs Eidam werden soll?
But David said to Saul, “I am not [RHQ] a very important person, and my family is not very important, and my clan is not a very important Israeli clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.” [RHQ]
19 Da aber die Zeit kam, daß Merob, die Tochter Sauls, sollte David gegeben werden, ward sie Adriel, dem Meholathiter, zum Weibe gegeben.
So, when it was time for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah [town].
20 Aber Michal, Sauls Tochter, hatte den David lieb. Da das Saul angesagt ward, sprach er: Das ist recht.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
21 Ich will sie ihm geben, daß sie ihm zum Fall gerate, und der Philister Hände über ihn kommen. Und sprach zu David: Du sollst heute mit der andern mein Eidam werden.
He thought, “I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, [“You can marry Michal],” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.
22 Und Saul gebot seinen Knechten: Redet mit David heimlich und sprechet: Siehe, der König hat Lust zu dir, und alle seine Knechte lieben dich; so sei nun des Königs Eidam!
Saul told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now [we think that] you should [marry Michal and] become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 Und die Knechte Sauls redeten solche Worte vor den Ohren Davids. David aber sprach: Dünket euch das ein Geringes sein, des Königs Eidam zu sein? Ich aber bin ein armer, geringer Mann.
So they told that to David. But David said, “It would be a great honor [RHQ] to become the king’s son-in-law. But [I do not think that I should do that, because] I am only a poor and insignificant man.”
24 Und die Knechte Sauls sagten ihm wieder und sprachen: Solche Worte hat David geredet.
When the servants told Saul what David had said,
25 Saul sprach: So saget zu David: Der König begehret keine Morgengabe ohne hundert Vorhäute von den Philistern, daß man sich räche an des Königs Feinden. Denn Saul trachtete, David zu fällen durch der Philister Hand.
Saul replied, “Go and say to David, ‘[In order for] the king [to allow you to marry Michal, he] wants [you to kill] 100 Philistines [and cut off] their foreskins [and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them]. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David [while David was trying to kill them].
26 Da sagten seine Knechte David an solche Worte und deuchte David die Sache gut sein, daß er des Königs Eidam würde. Und die Zeit war noch nicht aus.
When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law [by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that]. But before that time ended,
27 Da machte sich David auf und zog hin mit seinen Männern und schlug unter den Philistern zweihundert Mann. Und David brachte ihre Vorhaute und vergnügte dem Könige die Zahl, daß er des Königs Eidam würde. Da gab ihm Saul seine Tochter Michal zum Weibe.
David and his men went and killed, [not 100, but] 200 Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them [while Saul was watching], in order to prove that he had [done what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated] to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.
28 Und Saul sah und merkte, daß der HERR mit David war. Und Michal, Sauls Tochter, hatte ihn lieb.
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Da fürchtete sich Saul noch mehr vor David und ward sein Feind sein Leben lang.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.
30 Und da der Philister Fürsten auszogen, handelte David klüglicher denn alle Knechte Sauls, wenn sie auszogen, daß sein Name hochgepreiset ward.
The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelis, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.
