1 Samuel Chapter 18

1 Samuel Chapter 18
1 And when he had made an end of
speaking unto 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 put off the robe that was
upon him, and gave it David, and his
garments, even to his sword, and to his
bow, and to his girdle. 5 And David
went out whithersoever Saul sent him,
and behaved 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 again, and
David returned from the slaughter of the
Philistine, the women came out of all
cities of Israel singing and dancing to
meet king Saul, with timbrels, with
instruments of joy, and with rebecks. 7
And the women sang by course in their
play, and said, Saul hath slain his
thousand, and David his ten thousand.
8 Therefore Saul was exceeding wroth,
and the saying displeased him, and he
said, They have ascribed unto David ten
thousand, and to me they have ascribed
but a thousand, and what can he have
more save the kingdom?
9 Wherefore Saul had an eye on David
from that day forward.
10 And on the morrow, the evil spirit of
God came upon Saul, and he prophesied
in the midst of the house: and David
played with his hand like as at other
times, and there was a spear in Saul's
hand.
11 And Saul took the spear, and said, I
will smite David through to the wall.
But David avoided twice out of his
presence.
12 And Saul was afraid of David,
because the Lord was with him, and was
departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul put him from him, and
made him a captain over a thousand, and
he went out and in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely
in all his ways: for the Lord was with
him.
15 Wherefore 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
mine eldest daughter Merab, her I will
give thee to wife: only be a valiant son
unto me, and fight the Lord's battles: for
Saul thought, Mine hand shall not be
upon him, but the hand of the Philistines
shall be upon him.
18 And David answered Saul, What 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 Howbeit when Merab Saul's daughter
should have been given to David, she
was given unto Adriel a Meholathite to
wife.
20 Then Michal Saul's daughter loved
David: and they showed Saul, and the
thing pleased him.
21 Therefore Saul said, I will give him
her, that she may be a snare to him, and
that the hand of the Philistines may be
against him. Wherefore Saul said to
David, Thou shalt this day be my son in
law in the one of the twain. 22 And Saul
commanded his servants, Speak with
David secretly, and say, Behold, the king
hath a favor to thee, and all his servants
love thee: be now therefore the king's
son in law.
23 And Saul's servants spake these
words in the ears of David. And David
said, Seemeth it to you a light thing 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 again, saying, Such words spake
David.
25 And Saul said, This wise shall ye say
to David, The king desireth no dowry,
but an 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 the days were not
expired.
27 Afterward David arose with his men,
and went and slew of the Philistines two
hundred men: and David brought their
foreskins, and they gave them wholly to
the king that he might be the king's son in
law: therefore Saul gave him Michal his
daughter to 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 always
David's enemy.
30 And when the princes of the
Philistines went forth, at their going forth
David behaved himself more wisely than
all the servants of Saul, so that his name
was much set by.