1 Samuel 18 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Jonathan Cuts a Covenant with David

1 Now it happened ^H1961 when he had finished ^H3615 speaking ^H1696 to Saul ^H7586, that the soul ^H5315 of Jonathan ^H3083 was knit ^H7194 to the soul ^H5315 of David ^H1732, and Jonathan ^H3083 loved ^H157 him as his own soul ^H5315.

2 And Saul ^H7586 took ^H3947 him that day ^H3117 and did not let ^H5414 him return ^H7725 to his father’s ^H1 house ^H1004. 3 Then Jonathan ^H3083 cut ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 with David ^H1732 because he loved ^H157 him as his own soul ^H5315. 4 And Jonathan ^H3083 stripped ^H6584 himself of the robe ^H4598 that was on him and gave ^H5414 it to David ^H1732, with his armor ^H4055, even ^H5704 his sword ^H2719 and his bow ^H7198 and his belt ^H2290. 5 So David ^H1732 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 wherever ^H3605 H834 Saul ^H7586 sent ^H7971 him and [fn]prospered ^H7919; and Saul ^H7586 set ^H7760 him over ^H5921 the men ^H376 of war ^H4421. And it was pleasing ^H3190 in the eyes ^H5869 of all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 and also ^H1571 in the eyes ^H5869 of Saul’s ^H7586 servants ^H5650.

Saul Looks at David with Suspicion

6 And it happened ^H1961 as they were coming ^H935, when David ^H1732 returned ^H7725 from striking ^H5221 down ^H5221 the Philistine ^H6430, that the women ^H802 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 of all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 of Israel ^H3478, singing ^H7891 and dancing ^H4246, to meet ^H7122 King ^H4428 Saul ^H7586, with tambourines ^H8596, with gladness ^H8057, and with [fn]musical ^H7991 instruments ^H7991.

7 And the women ^H802 sang ^H6030 as they [fn]were merry ^H7832 and said ^H559,

“Saul ^H7586 has struck ^H5221 his thousands ^H505,

And David ^H1732 his ten ^H7233 thousands ^H7233.”

8 Then Saul ^H7586 became ^H2734 very ^H3966 angry ^H2734, for this ^H2088 saying ^H1697 was [fn]displeasing ^H7489 in his eyes ^H5869; and he said ^H559, “They have ascribed ^H5414 to David ^H1732 ten ^H7233 thousands ^H7233, but to me they have ascribed ^H5414 thousands ^H505. Now what more ^H5750 can he have but the kingdom ^H4410?” 9 So Saul ^H7586 looked ^H5770 at David ^H1732 with ^H5770 suspicion ^H5770 from that day ^H3117 on.

10 Now it happened ^H1961 on the next ^H4283 day ^H4283 that an evil ^H7451 spirit ^H7307 from God ^H430 [fn]came ^H6743 mightily ^H6743 upon Saul ^H7586, and he raved ^H5012 in the midst ^H8432 of the house ^H1004. Now David ^H1732 was playing ^H5059 the harp with his hand ^H3027, [fn]as usual ^H3117; and [fn]a spear ^H2595 was in Saul’s ^H7586 hand ^H3027. 11 Then Saul ^H7586 hurled ^H2904 the spear ^H2595 for he thought ^H559, “I will [fn]pin ^H5221 David ^H1732 to the wall ^H7023.” But David ^H1732 [fn]escaped ^H5437 from his presence ^H6440 twice ^H6471.

12 And Saul ^H7586 was ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 of David ^H1732, for Yahweh ^H3068 was with him but had turned ^H5493 away ^H5493 from Saul ^H7586. 13 Therefore Saul ^H7586 turned ^H5493 him away ^H5493 from [fn]his presence ^H5973 and appointed ^H7760 him as his commander ^H8269 of one thousand ^H505; and he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and came ^H935 in ^H935 before ^H6440 the people ^H5971. 14 And David ^H1732 was [fn]prospering ^H7919 in all ^H3605 his ways ^H1870, and Yahweh ^H3068 was with him. 15 Then Saul ^H7586 saw ^H7200 that he was [fn]prospering ^H7919 greatly ^H3966, so he dreaded ^H1481 him. 16 But all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 and Judah ^H3063 loved ^H157 David ^H1732, for he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and came ^H935 in ^H935 before ^H6440 them.

17 Then Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Here ^H2009 is my older ^H1419 daughter ^H1323 Merab ^H4764; I will give ^H5414 her to you as a wife ^H802; only ^H389 be a man ^H1121 of valor ^H2428 for me and fight ^H3898 Yahweh’s ^H3068 battles ^H4421.” For Saul ^H7586 thought ^H559, “My hand ^H3027 shall not be against him, but let the hand ^H3027 of the Philistines ^H6430 be against him.” 18 But David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Saul ^H7586, “Who ^H4310 am I, and what ^H4310 is my life ^H2416 or my father’s ^H1 family ^H4940 in Israel ^H3478, that I should be the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2860?” 19 So it happened ^H1961 at the time ^H6256 when Merab ^H4764, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, should have been given ^H5414 to David ^H1732, that she was given ^H5414 to Adriel ^H5741 the Meholathite ^H4259 as a wife ^H802.

Saul’s Daughter Given to David

20 And Michal ^H4324, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, loved ^H157 David ^H1732. So they told ^H5046 Saul ^H7586, and the thing ^H1697 was ^H3474 right ^H3474 in his eyes ^H5869.

21 And Saul ^H7586 said ^H559, “I will give ^H5414 her to him that she may become ^H1961 a snare ^H4170 to him, and that the hand ^H3027 of the Philistines ^H6430 may be against him.” Therefore Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “For a second ^H8147 time ^H8147 you may be my son-in-law ^H2859 today ^H3117.” 22 Then Saul ^H7586 commanded ^H6680 his servants ^H5650, “Speak ^H1696 to David ^H1732 secretly ^H3909, saying ^H559, ‘Behold ^H2009, the king ^H4428 delights ^H2654 in you, and all ^H3605 his servants ^H5650 love ^H157 you; so now ^H6258, become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859.’” 23 So Saul’s ^H7586 servants ^H5650 spoke ^H1696 these ^H428 words ^H1697 in [fn]David’s ^H1732 hearing ^H241. But David ^H1732 said ^H559, “Is ^H7043 it trivial ^H7043 in your eyes ^H5869 to become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859, since I am ^H7326 a poor ^H7326 man ^H376 and lightly ^H7034 esteemed ^H7034?” 24 And the servants ^H5650 of Saul ^H7586 told ^H5046 to him [fn]according to these ^H428 words ^H1697 which David ^H1732 spoke ^H1696. 25 Saul ^H7586 then said ^H559, “Thus ^H3541 you shall say ^H559 to David ^H1732, ‘The king ^H4428 does not desire ^H2656 any dowry ^H4119 except ^H3588 one hundred ^H3967 foreskins ^H6190 of the Philistines ^H6430, to take ^H5358 vengeance ^H5358 on the king’s ^H4428 enemies ^H340.’” Now Saul ^H7586 planned ^H2803 to make David ^H1732 fall ^H5307 by the hand ^H3027 of the Philistines ^H6430. 26 Then his servants ^H5650 told ^H5046 David ^H1732 these ^H428 words ^H1697, and it was ^H3474 right ^H3474 in the eyes ^H5869 of David ^H1732 to become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859. [fn]So before the days ^H3117 had expired ^H4390, 27 David ^H1732 rose ^H6965 up ^H6965 and went ^H1980, he and his men ^H376, and struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 two hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 among the Philistines ^H6430. Then David ^H1732 brought ^H935 their foreskins ^H6190, and they gave ^H4390 them in full ^H4390 number to the king ^H4428, that he might become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859. So Saul ^H7586 gave ^H5414 him Michal ^H4324 his daughter ^H1323 as a wife ^H802. 28 Then Saul ^H7586 saw ^H7200 and knew ^H3045 that Yahweh ^H3068 was with David ^H1732, and that Michal ^H4324, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, loved ^H157 him, 29 so Saul ^H7586 was ^H3372 even ^H3254 more ^H3254 H5750 afraid ^H3372 of David ^H1732. So Saul ^H7586 was David’s ^H1732 enemy ^H340 continually ^H3605 H3117.

30 Then the commanders ^H8269 of the Philistines ^H6430 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to battle, and it happened ^H1961 as often ^H1767 as they went ^H3318 out ^H3318, that David ^H1732 behaved ^H7919 himself more ^H4480 insightfully ^H7919 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the servants ^H5650 of Saul ^H7586. So his name ^H8034 was highly ^H3966 esteemed ^H3365.