Dual Panel1That same day, when Saul had finished talking with David, he kept him and would not let him return any more to his father's house, for he saw that Jonathan had given his heart to David and had grown to love him as himself.
2(18:1)
3Jonathan and David made a solemn compact because each loved the other as dearly as himself.
4Jonathan stripped off the cloak and tunic he was wearing, and gave them to David, together with his sword, his bow, and his belt.
5David succeeded so well in every venture on which Saul sent him that he was given command of the fighting forces, and his promotion pleased all ranks, even the officials round Saul.
6At the homecoming of the army and the return of David from slaying the Philistine, the women from all the cities and towns of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul, rejoicing with tambourines and three-stringed instruments.
7The women as they made merry sang to one another: “Saul struck down thousands, but David tens of thousands.”
8Saul was furious, and the words rankled. He said, “They have ascribed to David tens of thousands and to me only thousands. What more can they do but make him king?”
9From that time forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10Next day an evil spirit from God seized on Saul. He fell into a frenzy in the house, and David played the lyre to him as he had done before. Saul had a spear in his hand,
11and he hurled it at David, meaning to pin him to the wall; but twice David dodged aside.
12After this Saul was afraid of David, because he saw that the LORD had forsaken him and was with David.
13He therefore removed David from his household and appointed him to the command of a thousand men. David led his men into action,
14and succeeded in everything that he undertook, because the LORD was with him.
15When Saul saw how successful he was, he was more afraid of him than ever.
16But all Israel and Judah loved David because he took the field at their head.
17Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I shall give her to you in marriage, but in return you must serve me valiantly and fight the LORD's battles.” For Saul meant David to meet his end not at his hands but at the hands of the Philistines.
18David answered Saul, “Who am I and what are my father's people, my kinsfolk, in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?”
19However, when the time came for Saul's daughter Merab to be married to David, she had already been given to Adriel of Meholah.
20But Michal, Saul's other daughter, fell in love with David, and when Saul was told of this, he saw that it suited his plans.
21He said to himself, “I will give her to him; let her be the bait that lures him to his death at the hands of the Philistines.” So Saul proposed a second time to make David his son-in-law,
22and ordered his courtiers to say to David privately, “The king is well disposed to you and you are dear to us all; now is the time for you to marry into the king's family.”
23When they spoke in this way to David, he said to them, “Do you think that marrying the king's daughter is a matter of so little consequence that a poor man of no account, like myself, can do it?”
24The courtiers reported what David had said,
25and Saul replied, “Tell David this: all the king wants as the bride-price is the foreskins of a hundred Philistines, by way of vengeance on his enemies.” Saul was counting on David's death at the hands of the Philistines.
26The courtiers told David what Saul had said, and marriage with the king's daughter on these terms pleased him well. Before the appointed time,
27David went out with his men and slew two hundred Philistines; he brought their foreskins and counted them out to the king in order to be accepted as his son-in-law. Saul then married his daughter Michal to David.
28He saw clearly that the LORD was with David, and knew that Michal his daughter had fallen in love with him;
29and he grew more and more afraid of David and was his enemy for the rest of his life.
30The Philistine commanders continued to make forays, but whenever they took the field David had more success against them than all the rest of Saul's men, and he won a great name for himself.