1 Samuel 18 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Jonathan and David

1 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, when he had finished ^H3615 speaking ^H1696 to Saul ^H7586, that [fn]Jonathan ^H3083 committed ^H7194 himself ^H5315 to David ^H1732, and Jonathan ^H3083 loved ^H157 him as himself ^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 made ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 with David ^H1732 because he loved ^H157 him as himself ^H5315. 4 Jonathan ^H3083 stripped ^H6584 himself of the robe ^H4598 that was on him and gave ^H5414 it to David ^H1732, with his military ^H4055 gear ^H4055, including ^H5704 his sword ^H2719, his bow ^H7198, and his belt ^H2290. 5 And David ^H1732 went ^H3318 into battle wherever ^H3605 H834 Saul ^H7586 sent ^H7971 him, and always [fn]achieved ^H7919 success ^H7919; so Saul ^H7586 put ^H7760 him in ^H5921 charge ^H5921 of ^H5921 the men ^H376 of war ^H4421. And it was pleasing ^H3190 in the sight ^H5869 of all ^H3605 the people ^H5971, and also ^H1571 in the sight ^H5869 of Saul’s ^H7586 servants ^H5650.

6 Now it happened ^H1961 as they were coming ^H935, when David ^H1732 returned ^H7725 from killing ^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 joy ^H8057 and with other [fn]musical ^H7991 instruments ^H7991. 7 The women ^H802 sang ^H6030 as they [fn]played ^H7832, and said ^H559,

“Saul ^H7586 has slain ^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 lyric ^H1697 [fn]displeased ^H7489 H5869 him; and he said ^H559, “They have given ^H5414 David ^H1732 credit for ten ^H7233 thousands ^H7233, but to me they have given ^H5414 credit for only thousands ^H505! Now what more ^H5750 can he have but the kingdom ^H4410?” 9 And Saul ^H7586 eyed ^H5770 David ^H1732 with ^H5770 suspicion ^H5770 from that day ^H3117 on.

Saul Turns against David

10 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 on the next ^H4283 day ^H4283 that an evil ^H7451 spirit ^H7307 from God ^H430 rushed ^H6743 upon ^H5921 Saul ^H7586, and he raved ^H5012 in the midst ^H8432 of the house ^H1004 while 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 Now Saul ^H7586 was ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 of David ^H1732, because ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 was with him but had left ^H5493 Saul ^H7586. 13 So Saul ^H7586 removed ^H5493 him from [fn]his presence ^H5973 and appointed ^H7760 him as his commander ^H8269 of a thousand ^H505; and he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and came ^H935 in ^H935 before ^H6440 the people ^H5971. 14 David ^H1732 was [fn]successful ^H7919 in all ^H3605 his ways ^H1870, for the LORD ^H3068 was with him. 15 When Saul ^H7586 saw ^H7200 that he was [fn]very ^H3966 successful ^H7919, he was afraid ^H1481 of him. 16 But all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 and Judah ^H3063 loved ^H157 David ^H1732, for he would go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to battle and [fn]return ^H935 [fn]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 valiant ^H2428 man ^H1121 for me and fight ^H3898 the LORD’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 who ^H4310 is my family ^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 came ^H1961 about ^H1961 at the time ^H6256 that Merab ^H4764, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, was to be given ^H5414 to David ^H1732, that she was given ^H5414 instead to Adriel ^H5741 the Meholathite ^H4259 as a wife ^H802.

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

20 Now Michal ^H4324, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, loved ^H157 David ^H1732. When they informed ^H5046 Saul ^H7586, the thing ^H1697 was ^H3474 pleasing ^H3474 [fn]to him.

21 For Saul ^H7586 thought ^H559, “I will give ^H5414 her to him so that she may become ^H1961 a trap ^H4170 for 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 become ^H2859 my son-in-law ^H2859, today ^H3117.” 22 Then Saul ^H7586 commanded ^H6680 his servants ^H5650, “Speak ^H1696 to David ^H1732 in secret ^H3909, saying ^H559, ‘Behold ^H2009, the king ^H4428 delights ^H2654 in you, and all ^H3605 his servants ^H5650 love ^H157 you; now ^H6258 then, become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859.’” 23 So Saul’s ^H7586 servants ^H5650 spoke ^H1696 these ^H428 words ^H1697 [fn]to David ^H1732. But David ^H1732 said ^H559, “Is ^H7043 it trivial ^H7043 in your sight ^H5869 to become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859, since I am ^H7326 only a poor ^H7326 man ^H376 and insignificant ^H7034?” 24 Then Saul’s ^H7586 servants ^H5650 reported ^H5046 to him, saying, “[fn]These ^H428 are the words ^H1697 David ^H1732 spoke ^H1696.” 25 Saul ^H7586 then said ^H559, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 you shall say ^H559 to David ^H1732: ‘The king ^H4428 does not desire ^H2656 any dowry ^H4119 except ^H3588 a hundred ^H3967 foreskins ^H6190 of the Philistines ^H6430, to take ^H5358 vengeance ^H5358 on the king’s ^H4428 enemies ^H340.’” But Saul ^H7586 plotted ^H2803 to have David ^H1732 fall ^H5307 by the hand ^H3027 of the Philistines ^H6430. 26 When his servants ^H5650 told ^H5046 David ^H1732 these ^H428 words ^H1697, [fn]it pleased ^H3474 H5869 David ^H1732 to become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859. So [fn]before the time ^H3117 had expired ^H4390, 27 David ^H1732 set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and went ^H1980, he and his men ^H376, and fatally ^H5221 struck ^H5221 two hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 among the Philistines ^H6430. Then David ^H1732 brought ^H935 their foreskins ^H6190, and they presented ^H4390 all ^H4390 two hundred of them to the king ^H4428, so that he might become ^H2859 the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2859. And Saul ^H7586 gave ^H5414 him his daughter ^H1323 Michal ^H4324 as a wife ^H802. 28 When Saul ^H7586 saw ^H7200 and realized ^H3045 that the LORD ^H3068 was with David ^H1732, and that Michal ^H4324, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, loved ^H157 him, 29 then Saul ^H7586 was ^H3372 even ^H5750 more ^H3254 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 to battle, and it happened ^H1961 as often ^H1767 as they went ^H3318 out ^H3318, that David ^H1732 was ^H7919 more ^H4480 [fn]successful ^H7919 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the servants ^H5650 of Saul ^H7586. So his name ^H8034 was held ^H3365 in high ^H3966 esteem ^H3365.