1 Samuel 18

1And 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.

2And Saul takes him on that day, and has not permitted him to return to the house of his father.

3And Jonathan makes—David also—a covenant, because he loves him as his own soul,

4and 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.

5And 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.

6And 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;

7and the women answer—those playing, and say, “Saul has struck among his thousands, || And David among his myriads.”

8And 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?”

9And Saul is eyeing David from that day and from then on.

10And 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,

11and Saul casts the javelin and says, “I strike through David, even through the wall”; and David turns around out of his presence twice.

12And Saul is afraid of the presence of David, for YHWH has been with him, and He has turned aside from Saul;

13and 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.

14And David is acting wisely in all his ways, and YHWH [is] with him,

15and Saul sees that he is acting very wisely, and is afraid of him,

16and all Israel and Judah love David when he is going out and coming in before them.

17And 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.”

18And 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?”

19And 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.

20And Michal daughter of Saul loves David, and they declare [it] to Saul, and the thing is right in his eyes,

21and 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.”

22And 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.”

23And 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?”

24And the servants of Saul declare [it] to him, saying, “David has spoken according to these words.”

25And 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.

26And 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,

27and 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.

28And Saul sees and knows that YHWH [is] with David, and Michal daughter of Saul has loved him,

29and Saul adds to be afraid of the presence of David still; and Saul is an enemy of David [for] all the days.

30And 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.