1 Samuel 18

Modern

Literal

Jonathan Befriends David

¹After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

¹And it came to pass, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

²And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.

²And Saul took him that day, and not anymore would he let him return to the house of his father.

³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

³And cut Jonathan and David a covenant, in his love for him as his own soul.

⁴And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

⁴And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his tunic, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

Saul Envies David

⁵So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.

⁵And David went out everywhere Saul sent him; he acted wisely, and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

⁶As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.^a

⁶And it came to pass in their coming in, that David was returning from the striking down of the Philistine, and the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king with tambourines, with joy, and with triples.

⁷And as the women danced, they sang out:

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.”

⁷And the women answered as they danced, and said, “Saul has struck his thousands, and David his myriads.”

⁸And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”

⁸And Saul was very hot, and this thing was evil in his eyes, and he said, “They have ascribed to David myriads, and to me they have ascribed the thousands. And more to him is only the kingdom.”

⁹And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

⁹And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

¹⁰The next day a spirit of distress^a sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,

¹⁰And it came to pass on the next day, that a spirit of distress from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, and David played by his hand, day by day, and a spear was in the hand of Saul.

¹¹and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

¹¹And Saul cast the spear; for he said, “I will pin David to the wall.” And David escaped from his face twice.

¹²So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.

¹²And Saul was afraid of David because YHWH was with him, and He had departed from Saul.

¹³Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,

¹³And Saul turned aside from him and made him captain of a thousand, and he went out and came in before the face of the people.

¹⁴and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.

¹⁴And David in all his ways acted wisely, and YHWH was with him.

¹⁵When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.

¹⁵And Saul saw that he acted very wisely, and he was afraid of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.

¹⁶And all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before their faces.

David Marries Michal

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁷And Saul said to David, “Behold, my older daughter Merab, I will give her to you as a wife. Only be for me a valiant man and fight the battles of YHWH.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”

¹⁸And David said to Saul, “Who am I? And what is my life—the family of my father in Israel—that I should be son-in-law to the king?”

¹⁹So when it was time^a to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

¹⁹And it came to pass at the time to give Merab daughter of Saul to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.

²⁰And Michal daughter of Saul loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.

²¹“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”

²¹And Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be to him a snare, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” And Saul said to David a second time, “You shall be son-in-law to me today.”

²²Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’”

²²And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in secrecy and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you, and now become son-in-law of the king.’”

²³But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”

²³And the servants of Saul spoke in the ears of David these words. And David said, “Does it seem light in your eyes to be a son-in-law of the king? And I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”

²⁴And the servants told Saul what David had said.

²⁴And the servants of Saul declared to him, saying, “In these words David spoke.”

²⁵Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.

²⁵And Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines to take vengeance on the enemies of the king.’” And Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,

²⁶And his servants told to David these words, and the thing was right in the eyes of David to become son-in-law of the king. And the days were not full.

²⁷David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.

²⁷And David arose and went, he and his men, and he struck among the Philistines two hundred men. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, to make himself son-in-law of the king. And Saul gave to him Michal his daughter as a wife.

²⁸When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,

²⁸And Saul saw and knew that YHWH was with David, and that Michal daughter of Saul loved him.

²⁹he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.

²⁹And Saul added to be afraid from the face of David; and still Saul was enemy of David all the days.

³⁰Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.

³⁰And the princes of the Philistines went out. And it came to pass whenever they went out, that David acted more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and His name became highly esteemed.