The First Book of Samuel

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- Kapitel 18 -

After David finished talking with Saul, he met Saul’s son, Jonathan. Jonathan immediately liked David; in fact, he began to love him.

From that day, Saul kept David with him to serve him; he did not let him return home.

Because he loved David so much, Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David. They promised each other that they would always be friends.

Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow and arrows, and his belt.

Saul Envies David

David went wherever Saul sent him. And whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David as a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army approved of that.

But when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, Israelite women came out from many cities and towns. They greeted King Saul while they were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.

As they danced, they sang this song: “Saul has killed a thousand enemy soldiers, But David has killed ten thousand of them.”

When Saul heard them singing that, he did not like it. He became very angry. He said to himself, “They are saying that David killed ten thousand men, but that I have killed only one thousand. Soon they will want to make him their king!”

From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious that David would try to become king.

The next day, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,

and he hurled it at David, thinking, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside both times.

Because it became evident that Yahweh had abandoned Saul and that he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.

So he appointed David as a commander of a thousand soldiers and sent David away from him, hoping that David would be killed in a battle. But when David led his soldiers in their battles,

he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.

When Saul heard that David and his soldiers were very successful, he became more afraid of David.

But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully in the battles.

David Marries Michal

One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh against the Philistines.” He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”

But David said to Saul, “I am not a very important person, and my family is not very important. Also my clan is not a very important Israelite clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.”

So, when it was time for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah.

However, Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.

He thought, “I will give Michal to him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, “You can marry Michal,” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his son-in-law.

Saul told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now we think that you should marry Michal and become the king’s son-in-law.’”

So they said that to David, but David the king’s son-in-law said, “But I do not think that I should do that, because I am only a poor and insignificant man.”

Saul’s servant told him what David had said.

Saul replied, “Go and say to David, ‘In order for the king to allow you to marry Michal, he wants you to kill one hundred Philistines and to cut off their foreskins and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul really wanted was that the Philistines would kill David while he was trying to kill them.

When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that.

But before that time ended, David and his men went and killed, not one hundred, but two hundred Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them while Saul was watching, in order to prove that he had fulfilled what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.

But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,

he became more afraid of David. So as long as Saul lived, he was David’s enemy.

The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelites, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.

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.

Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.

Saul Envies David

David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.

The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?”

Saul watched David from that day and forward.

On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;

and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.

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

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

David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.

When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.

But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”

David said to Saul, “Who 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 at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

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

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

Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’”

Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”

The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”

Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline,

David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.

Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.

Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.

Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.