The friendship of Jonathan and David. The envy of Saul, and his design
upon David’s life. He marrieth him to his daughter Michol.
18:1. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul,
the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan
loved him as his own soul.
18:2. And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his
father’s house.
18:3. And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for he loved him as his
own soul.
18:4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was
clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to
his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
18:5. And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he
behaved himself prudently: and Saul set him over the soldiers, and he
was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the
eyes of Saul’s servants.
18:6. Now when David returned, after he slew the Philistine, the women
came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king
Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets.
18:7. And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his
thousands, and David his ten thousands.
18:8. And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in
his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me
they have given but a thousand, what can he have more but the kingdom?
18:9. And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and
forward.
18:10. And the day after, the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and
he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand
as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand,
Prophesied.... Acted the prophet in a mad manner.
18:11. And threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David
stept aside out of his presence twice.
18:12. And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, and was
departed from himself.
18:13. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him a captain over
a thousand men, and he went out and came in before the people.
18:14. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with
him.
18:15. And Saul saw that he was exceeding prudent, and began to beware
of him.
18:16. But all Israel and Juda loved David, for he came in and went out
before them.
18:17. And Saul said to David: Behold my elder daughter Merob, her will
I give thee to wife: only be a valiant man, and fight the battles of
the Lord. Now Saul said within himself: Let not my hand be upon him,
but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him.
18:18. And David said to Saul: Who am I, or what is my life, or my
father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law of the king?
18:19. And it came to pass at the time when Merob, the daughter of
Saul, should have been given to David, that she was given to Hadriel,
the Molathite, to wife.
18:20. But Michol, the other daughter of Saul, loved David. And it was
told Saul, and it pleased him.
18:21. And Saul said: I will give her to him, that she may be a
stumblingblock to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon
him. And Saul said to David: In two things thou shalt be my son in law
this day.
18:22. And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately,
saying: Behold, thou pleasest the king, and all his servants love thee.
Now, therefore be the king’s son in law.
18:23. And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of
David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the
king’s son in law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.
18:24. And the servants of Saul told him, saying: Such words as these
hath David spoken.
18:25. And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any
dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged
of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands
of the Philistines.
18:26. And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had
said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king’s son
in law.
18:27. And after a few days David rose up, and went with the men that
were under him, and he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and
brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he
might be his son in law. Saul therefore gave him Michol, his daughter,
to wife.
18:28. And Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David. And
Michol, the daughter of Saul, loved him.
18:29. And Saul began to fear David more: and Saul became David’s enemy
continually.
18:30. And the princes of the Philistines went forth: and from the
beginning of their going forth, David behaved himself more wisely than
all the servants of Saul, and his name became very famous.