1 SamuelChapter 18

Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.

¹David finished talking with Saul. Then the hearts of Jonathan and David became joined together as one. Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. ²From that day on, Saul kept David with him. He did not let him go back to his father's house. ³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. ⁴Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. ⁵So David went out and did well in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in charge of the soldiers. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers too. ⁶David had killed the Philistine, and the troops were coming back home. Then the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul. They sang and danced. They sang happy songs and played tambourines and other instruments. ⁷As the women danced, they sang,
"Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands." ⁸Saul was very angry. He hated this song. "They have given David credit for tens of thousands," he said. "But they have given me only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" ⁹From that day on, Saul kept a jealous eye on David. ¹⁰The next day a troubling spirit from God came on Saul. He began to rave like a prophet inside his house. David was playing the harp as he usually did. Saul was holding a spear.a ¹¹Saul threw it. He thought, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David got away from him two times. ¹²So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul. ¹³So Saul sent David away from him. He made him commander over a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back again. ¹⁴David kept on doing well in everything he did, because the LORD was with him. ¹⁵Saul saw that David was doing very well. So he was afraid of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was the one leading them out to battle and back. ¹⁷Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I'll give her to you as your wife. Just be brave for me and fight the LORD's battles." But Saul was thinking, "I don't need to raise my own hand against him. Let the Philistines do it." ¹⁸But David said to Saul, "Who am I? What is my family, or my father's clan in Israel? Why should I become the king's son-in-law?" ¹⁹So when the time came for Saul's daughter Merab to be given to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholah as his wife instead. ²⁰Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. When Saul was told about it, he was pleased. ²¹Saul thought, "I'll give her to David. She can be a trap for him. Then the Philistines can get him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second chance to be my son-in-law." ²²Then Saul gave his servants an order. "Speak to David in private," he said. "Tell him, 'Look, the king is pleased with you. All his servants love you. So now, become his son-in-law.'" ²³Saul's servants told these words to David. But he said, "Do you think it's a small thing to become the king's son-in-law? I'm a poor man. People don't think much of me." ²⁴The servants told Saul what David had said. ²⁵Saul answered, "Tell David this: 'The king doesn't want any other bride price. He only wants a hundred Philistine foreskins. It will be his revenge on his enemies.'" But Saul planned for David to be killed by the Philistines. ²⁶The servants told David these terms. He was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. Before the wedding day came, ²⁷David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and gave the full number to the king. He did this to become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David as his wife. ²⁸Saul saw clearly that the LORD was with David. He saw that his daughter Michal loved David. ²⁹So he became even more afraid of David. From then on, Saul was David's enemy. ³⁰The Philistine commanders kept coming out to fight. Every time they did, David did better than all of Saul's officers. So his name became very famous.