1 Samuel 18

Revised Geneva Translation

18 And 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.

² And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.

³ Then Jonathan and David made a covenant; for he loved him as his own soul.

⁴ And Jonathan took off the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, and his garments, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

⁵ And David went out wherever Saul sent him, conducting himself wisely, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

⁶ When they came back, and David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.

⁷ And the women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has killed his thousand, and David his ten thousand!”

⁸ Therefore, Saul was exceedingly angry; and the saying displeased him. And he said, “They have ascribed ten thousand to David. And they have ascribed a thousand to me. And what more can he have except the kingdom?”

⁹ Therefore, Saul had an eye on David from that day forward.

¹⁰ And the next day, the spirit of misery from God came upon Saul. And he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, just as at other times. And there was a spear in Saul’s hand.

¹¹ And Saul took the spear, and said, “I will strike David through, to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.

¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him and had departed from Saul.

¹³ Therefore, Saul removed him from his presence and made him a captain over a thousand. And he went out and in before the people.

¹⁴ And David conducted himself wisely in all his ways, for the LORD was with him.

¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶ For all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and in before them.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Behold, my eldest daughter, Merab, I will give her to you as a wife. Only, be a valiant son to me and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.”

¹⁸ And David answered Saul, “Who am I? And what is my life, or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”

¹⁹ But it happened at that time, when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel, a Meholathite, as a wife.

²⁰ Then Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul; and the thing pleased him.

²¹ Therefore, Saul said, “I will give her to him, so that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore, Saul said to David, “You shall, this day, be my son-in-law for a second time.”

²² And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king favors you; and all his servants love you. Be now, therefore, the king’s son-in-law.’”

²³ And Saul’s servants spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem a light thing to you to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of small reputation?”

²⁴ And then Saul’s servants brought him word back, saying, “David spoke such words.”

²⁵ And Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king desires no dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” For Saul thought to make David fall into the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. And before the days had expired,

²⁷ David arose with his men and went and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins; and they gave them wholly to the king, so that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Therefore, Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, as a wife.

²⁸ Then Saul saw and understood that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved him.

²⁹ Then Saul was more and more afraid of David. And Saul became David’s continual enemy.

³⁰ And when the princes of the Philistines went forth, at their going forth David conducted himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.