Dual PanelDavid and Jonathan Become Friends
1Saul decided to take David with him. He would not let David go back home to his father. After David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan developed a strong friendship with David.
2(18:1)
3Jonathan loved David as much as himself, so they made a special agreement.
4Jonathan took off the coat he was wearing and gave it to David. In fact, Jonathan gave David his whole uniform—including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
Saul Notices David’s Success
5David went to fight wherever Saul sent him. He was very successful, so Saul put him in charge of the soldiers. This pleased everyone, even Saul’s officers.
6David would go out to fight against the Philistines. On the way home after the battles, women in every town in Israel would come out to meet him. They sang and danced for joy as they played their tambourines and lyres. They did this right in front of Saul!
7The women sang, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands.”
8This song upset Saul and he became very angry. Saul thought, “The women give David credit for killing tens of thousands of the enemy, and they give me credit for only thousands. A little more of this and they will give him the kingdom itself!”
9So from that time on, Saul watched David very closely.
Saul Is Afraid of David
10The next day, an evil spirit from God took control of Saul and he went wild in his house. David played the harp to calm him as he usually did,
11but Saul had a spear in his hand. He thought, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” Saul threw the spear twice, but David jumped out of the way both times.
12The LORD had left Saul and was now with David, so Saul was afraid of David.
13Saul sent David away and made him a commander over 1000 soldiers. This put David out among the men even more as they went into battle and returned.
14The LORD was with David, so he was successful in everything.
15Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him.
16But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.
Saul Wants His Daughter to Marry David
17One day, Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter, Merab. I will let you marry her. Then you will be like a son to me and you will be a real soldier. Then you will go and fight the LORD'S battles.” Saul was really thinking, “Now I won’t have to kill David. I will let the Philistines kill him for me.”
18But David said, “I am not an important man from an important family. I can’t marry the king’s daughter.”
19So when the time came for David to marry Saul’s daughter, Saul let her marry Adriel from Meholah.
20People told Saul that his daughter Michal loved David. This made Saul happy.
21He thought, “I will use Michal to trap David. I will let Michal marry David, and then I will let the Philistines kill him.” So Saul said to David a second time, “You can marry my daughter today.”
22Saul commanded his officers to speak to David in private. He told them to say, “Look, the king likes you. His officers like you. You should marry his daughter.”
23Saul’s officers said these things to David, but David answered, “Do you think it is easy to become the king’s son-in-law? I am just a poor, ordinary man.”
24Saul’s officers told Saul what David said.
25Saul told them, “Say this to David, ‘David, the king doesn’t want you to pay money for his daughter. He wants to get even with his enemy, so the price for marrying his daughter is 100 Philistine foreskins.’” That was Saul’s secret plan. He thought the Philistines would kill David.
26Saul’s officers told this to David. David was happy that he had a chance to become the king’s son-in-law, so immediately
27he and his men went out to fight the Philistines. They killed 200 Philistines. David took these Philistine foreskins and gave them to Saul. He did this because he wanted to become the king’s son-in-law. Saul let David marry his daughter Michal.
28He saw that the LORD was with David and he also saw that his daughter, Michal, loved David.
29So Saul became even more afraid of David and was against him all that time.
30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to fight the Israelites, but David defeated them every time. He became famous as Saul’s best officer.