^{1 Ref} And it cometh to pass, when he finisheth to speak unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan hath been bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loveth him as his own soul.

^{2 Ref} And Saul taketh him on that day, and hath not permitted him to turn back to the house of his father.

^{3 Ref} And Jonathan maketh -- also David -- a covenant, because he loveth him as his own soul,

^{4 Ref} and Jonathan strippeth himself of the upper robe which `is' upon him, and giveth it to David, and his long robe, even unto his sword, and unto his bow, and unto his girdle.

^{5 Ref} And David goeth out whithersoever Saul doth send him; he acted wisely, and Saul setteth him over the men of war, and it is good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

^{6 Ref} And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, in David's returning from smiting the Philistine, that the women come out from all the cities of Israel to sing -- also the dancers -- to meet Saul the king, with tabrets, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments;

^{7 Ref} and the women answer -- those playing, and say, `Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.'

^{8 Ref} And it is displeasing to Saul exceedingly, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he saith, `They have given to David myriads, and to me they have given the thousands, and more to him `is' only the kingdom;'

^{9 Ref} and Saul is eyeing David from that day and thenceforth.

^{10 Ref} And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the spirit of sadness `from' God prospereth over Saul, and he prophesieth in the midst of the house, and David is playing with his hand, as day by day, and the javelin `is' in the hand of Saul,

^{11 Ref} and Saul casteth the javelin, and saith, `I smite through David, even through the wall;' and David turneth round out of his presence twice.

^{12 Ref} And Saul is afraid of the presence of David, for Jehovah hath been with him, and from Saul He hath turned aside;

^{13 Ref} and Saul turneth him aside from him, and appointeth him to himself head of a thousand, and he goeth out an cometh in, before the people.

^{14 Ref} And David is in all his ways acting wisely, and Jehovah `is' with him,

^{15 Ref} and Saul seeth that he is acting very wisely, and is afraid of him,

^{16 Ref} and all Israel and Judah love David when he is going out and coming in before them.

^{17 Ref} And Saul saith unto David, `Lo, my elder daughter Merab -- her I give to thee for a wife; only, be to me for a son of valour, and fight the battles of Jehovah;' and Saul said, `Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.'

^{18 Ref} And David saith unto Saul, `Who `am' I? and what my life -- the family of my father in Israel -- that I am son-in-law to the king?'

^{19 Ref} And it cometh to pass, at the time of the giving of Merab daughter of Saul to David, that she hath been given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.

^{20 Ref} And Michal daughter of Saul loveth David, and they declare to Saul, and the thing is right in his eyes,

^{21 Ref} and Saul saith, `I give her to him, and she is to him for a snare, and the hand of the Philistines is on him;' and Saul saith unto David, `By the second -- thou dost become my son-in-law to-day.'

^{22 Ref} And Saul commandeth his servants, `Speak unto David gently, saying, Lo, the king hath delighted in thee, and all his servants have loved thee, and now, be son-in-law to the king.'

^{23 Ref} And the servants of Saul speak in the ears of David these words, and David saith, `Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king -- and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

²⁴ And the servants of Saul declare to him, saying, `According to these words hath David spoken.'

^{25 Ref} And Saul saith, `Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines -- to be avenged on the enemies of the king;' and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.

^{26 Ref} And his servants declare to David these words, and the thing is right in the eyes of David, to be son-in-law to the king; and the days have not been full,

^{27 Ref} and David riseth and goeth, he and his men, and smiteth among the Philistines two hundred men, and David bringeth in their foreskins, and they set them before the king, to be son-in-law to the king; and Saul giveth to him Michal his daughter for a wife.

^{28 Ref} And Saul seeth and knoweth that Jehovah `is' with David, and Michal daughter of Saul hath loved him,

^{29 Ref} and Saul addeth to be afraid of the presence of David yet; and Saul is an enemy with David all the days.

^{30 Ref} And the princes of the Philistines come out, and it cometh to pass from the time of their coming out, David hath acted more wisely than any of the servants of Saul, and his name is very precious.

^{1 Ref} It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

^{2 Ref} Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

^{3 Ref} Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

^{4 Ref} Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his sash.

^{5 Ref} David went out wherever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

^{6 Ref} It happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that 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.

^{7 Ref} The women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands.

^{8 Ref} Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

^{9 Ref} Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

^{10 Ref} It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;

^{11 Ref} and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. David avoided out of his presence twice.

^{12 Ref} Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and was departed from Saul.

^{13 Ref} Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

^{14 Ref} David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.

^{15 Ref} When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.

^{16 Ref} But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.

^{17 Ref} Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give you as wife: only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh's battles. For Saul said, Don't let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.

^{18 Ref} 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?

^{19 Ref} But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

^{20 Ref} Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

^{21 Ref} 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, You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time.

^{22 Ref} Saul commanded his servants, [saying], Commune 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.

^{23 Ref} Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, Seems it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

²⁴ The servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spoke David.

^{25 Ref} Saul said, Thus shall you 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 to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

^{26 Ref} When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. The days were not expired;

^{27 Ref} and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.

^{28 Ref} Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.

^{29 Ref} Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually.

^{30 Ref} Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

^{1 Ref} Now after David's talk with Saul was ended, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and David became as dear to him as his very life.

^{2 Ref} And that day Saul took David and would not let him go back to his father's house.

^{3 Ref} Then Jonathan and David made an agreement together, because of Jonathan's love for David.

^{4 Ref} And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.

^{5 Ref} And David went wherever Saul sent him, and did wisely: and Saul put him at the head of his men of war, and this was pleasing to all the people as well as to Saul's servants.

^{6 Ref} Now on their way, when David came back after the destruction of the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, with songs and dances, meeting David with melody and joy and instruments of music.

^{7 Ref} And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.

^{8 Ref} And Saul was very angry and this saying was unpleasing to him; and he said, They have given David credit for tens of thousands, and to me for only thousands: what more is there for him but the kingdom?

^{9 Ref} And from that day Saul was looking with envy on David.

^{10 Ref} Now on the day after, an evil spirit from God came on Saul with great force and he was acting like a prophet among the men of his house, while David was making music for him, as he did day by day: and Saul had his spear in his hand.

^{11 Ref} And Saul, balancing the spear in his hand, said, I will give David a blow, pinning him to the wall. And David got away from him twice.

^{12 Ref} And Saul went in fear of David, because the Lord was with David and had gone away from Saul.

^{13 Ref} So Saul sent him away, and made him a captain over a thousand; and he went about his business before the people.

^{14 Ref} And in all his undertakings David did wisely; and the Lord was with him.

^{15 Ref} And when Saul saw how wisely he did, he was in fear of him.

^{16 Ref} But David was loved by all Israel and Judah, for he went out and came in before them.

^{17 Ref} And Saul said to David, Here is my oldest daughter Merab, whom I will give you for your wife: only be strong for me, fighting in the Lord's wars. For Saul said, Let it not be through me that his fate comes to him, but through the Philistines.

^{18 Ref} And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my father's family in Israel, that I am to be son-in-law to the king?

^{19 Ref} But when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholath.

^{20 Ref} And Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David: and Saul had word of it and was pleased.

^{21 Ref} And Saul said, I will give her to him, so that she may be a cause of danger to him, and so that the hands of the Philistines may be against him. So Saul said to David, Today you are to become my son-in-law for the second time.

^{22 Ref} And Saul gave his servants orders saying, Have talk with David secretly and say to him, See how the king has delight in you, and how you are loved by all his servants: then be the king's son-in-law.

^{23 Ref} And Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said, Does it seem to you a small thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, of no great name?

²⁴ And the servants of Saul gave him an account of what David had said.

^{25 Ref} And Saul said, Then say to David, The king has no desire for any bride-price, but only for the private parts of a hundred Philistines so that the king may get the better of his haters. But it was in Saul's mind that David might come to his end by the hands of the Philistines.

^{26 Ref} And when his servants said these words to David, he was well pleased to be the son-in-law of the king. And the days were still not past.

^{27 Ref} So David and his men got up and went, and put to death two hundred of the Philistines; and David took their private parts and gave the full number of them to the king, so that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his wife.

^{28 Ref} And it was clear to Saul that the Lord was with David; and he was loved by all Israel.

^{29 Ref} And Saul's fear of David became all the greater, and he went on hating him, day by day.

^{30 Ref} Then the rulers of the Philistines went out to war: and whenever they went out, David did more wisely than all the other servants of Saul, so that his name became greatly honoured.