1 Samuel 18

1And 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.

2And Saul tooke him that day, and woulde not let him returne to his fathers house.

3Then Ionathan and Dauid made a couenant: for he loued him as his owne soule.

4And 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.

5And 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.

6When 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.

7And the women sang by course in their play, and sayd, Saul hath slayne his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand.

8Therefore 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?

9Wherefore Saul had an eye on Dauid from that day forward.

10And 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.

11And Saul tooke the speare, and sayd, I will smite Dauid through to the wall. But Dauid auoyded twise out of his presence.

12And Saul was afrayd of Dauid, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.

13Therefore Saul put him from him, and made him a captaine ouer a thousand, and he went out and in before the people.

14And Dauid behaued himselfe wisely in all his wayes: for the Lord was with him.

15Wherefore when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afrayde of him.

16For all Israel and Iudah loued Dauid, because he went out and in before them.

17Then 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.

18And 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?

19Howbeit when Merab Sauls daughter should haue bene giuen to Dauid, she was giuen vnto Adriel a Meholathite to wife.

20Then Michal Sauls daughter loued Dauid: and they shewed Saul, and the thing pleased him.

21Therefore 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.

22And 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.

23And 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?

24And then Sauls seruats brought him word againe, saying, Such wordes spake Dauid.

25And 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.

26And when his seruantes tolde Dauid these wordes, it pleased Dauid well, to be the Kings sonne in law: and the dayes were not expired.

27Afterwarde 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.

28Then Saul sawe, and vnderstoode that the Lord was with Dauid, and that Michal the daughter of Saul loued him.

29Then Saul was more and more afrayde of Dauid, and Saul became alway Dauids enemie.

30And 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.