THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 18 ©
Jonathan loves David most dearly, and enters into covenant with him, v. 1, etc. Giving him presents, 4. Saul makes him commander over his soldiery and army, 5. The women extol David in their songs of praise above Saul, 6. About this Saul is incensed, 8. He assayed to thrust David through with a spear, 10. But David escaped, 11. Saul fears David, 12, 14. David is prosperous in all his ways, 14. He is beloved of the people, 16. Saul deceitfully promises David his daughter Merab, 17. But she is given to Adriel, 19. Afterward Saul promises to David his daughter Michal, 20. But to be a snare, 21. The servants of Saul counsel David to take the king’s daughter to wife, 22. David accepts thereof, 23. Saul demands a hundred fore-skins of the Philistines for a dowry, 25. David promises to deliver the same, 26. And delivers them in double number or quantity: then Saul gave him Michal, 27. She loves David, 28. Saul fears David, and becomes his enemy, 29. David prospers, and is honored, and becomes famous, 30.
AND it came to pass, when 1he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, 2that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him 3as his own soul.
And 4Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe 5that was upon him, and gave it to David, and 6his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
¶And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was 7accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
And it came to pass as 8they came, when David was returned from the slaughter 9of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, 10with joy, and with 11instruments of musick.
And thea women answered one another as they played, and said, Saulb hath slain 12his thousands, and David 13his ten thousands.
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
And Saul 14eyed David from that day and forward.
¶And it came to pass on the morrow, that the 15evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he 16prophesied in the midst of the house: and David 17played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
And Saul cast the javelin; for he 18said, 19I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoidedc out of his presence twice.
¶And Saul 20was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.
Therefore Saul removed him from him, and 21made him his captain over a thousand; and he 22went out and came in before the people.
And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he 23was afraid of him.
But 24all Israel and 25Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
¶And Saul said to David, Behold 26my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou 27valiant for me, and fight 28the LORD’S battles. For Saul 29said, 30Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
And David said unto Saul, 31Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto 32Adriel 33the Meholathite to wife.
And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
And Saul said, I will give him her, 34that 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 35this day be my son in law in the one of the 36twain.
¶And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David 37secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, 38seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
And the servants of Saul told him, saying, 39On this manner spake David.
And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. 40But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and 41the days were not expired.
Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and Davidd brought their foreskins, and they gave them 42in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
¶And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy 43continually.
Then the princes of the Philistines 44went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.