1 Samuel 18
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 Saul took him in that day, and did not suffer him to return to his father’s house.
3And Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.
4And Jonathan stripped himself of his upper garment, and gave it to David, and his mantle and even his sword and his bow, and his girdle.
5And David went whithersoever Saul sent him, and did wisely, and Saul set him over all the soldiers, and he was favoured in the sight of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.
6Now when the choirs of women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet David, dancing to timbrels, and singing songs of triumph, accompanied with cymbals,
7and in responsive strains, [sang and] said,
Saul hath slain his thousands;
And David his ten thousands,
8the thing appeared evil in the eyes of Saul, because of this expression; and he said, The ten thousands they have ascribed to David; and to me they have ascribed thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom?
9And Saul eyed David from that day forward.
10And it befell after that day that an evil spirit from God fell upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David was playing on the harp with his hand, according to his daily custom. And Saul’s spear was in his hand.
11And Saul cast his spear and said, I will smite David even to the wall. But David escaped twice from his presence.
12And Saul became afraid of David,
13and removed him from about his person, and made him a captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people.
14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15And when Saul saw with what great wisdom he conducted himself, he was afraid of him;
16but all Israel and Juda loved David, because he went out and came in before the people.
17And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merob, I will give her to thee to wife, only be thou to me a mighty man and fight the wars of the Lord. And Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.
18And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is the life of my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?
19But it came to pass at the time when Saul’s daughter Merob should have been given to David, that she was given to Israel the Mothulathite to wife.
20And Melchol, the daughter of Saul, fell in love with David. When this was told Saul, it was well pleasing in his sight,
21and Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him. Now the hand of the Philistines was against Saul,
22therefore Saul gave orders to his servants, saying, Speak privately to David, and say, Behold the king is well pleased with thee; and all his servants love thee, therefore thou must be the king’s son-in-law.
23But when the servants of Saul rehearsed these words in the hearing of David, David said, Is it a light matter in your eyes to be son-in-law to a king? As for me, I am a man of humble condition, and not entitled to honour.
24And when Saul’s servants told him the words which David had spoken,
25Saul said, Thus shall you say to David, The king desireth no other dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to throw him into the hands of the Philistines.
26When Saul’s servants told David these words, the condition on which he was to be the king’s son-in-law, pleased David.
27Therefore he arose and went with his men, and smote among the Philistines a hundred men, and brought their foreskins, and contracted to be the king’s son-in-law, and he gave him his daughter Melchol to wife.
28But when Saul saw that the Lord was with David, and that all Israel loved him,
29he still continued to fear David.
30And the chief of the Philistines went forth; and it was seen from the success of their expedition that David acted wisely above all the servants of Saul; and his name was honoured exceedingly.