And it was, as he finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David; and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day, and did not let him return to his father’s house.
And Jonathan and David cut a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped off the robe that was on him and gave it to David — and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his belt.
Saul Envies David
And David went out; wherever Saul sent him, he succeeded. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.
And it was, as they came in, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king, with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.
And the women who were celebrating answered one another and said, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
And Saul was very angry, and this word was evil in his eyes; and he said, “They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given the thousands — and what more is there for him but the kingship?”
And Saul was eyeing David from that day and onward.
And it was the next day that an evil spirit of God rushed on Saul, and he raved in the middle of the house; and David was playing with his hand, as day by day — and the spear was in Saul’s hand.
And Saul hurled the spear, and said, “I will strike David through into the wall.” And David turned away from before him twice.
And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul.
And Saul removed him from his presence, and set him as his commander of a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
And David was succeeding in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.
And Saul saw that he was succeeding greatly, and he dreaded him.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
David Marries Michal
And Saul said to David: “Look — my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as a wife; only be for me a son of valor, and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said, “Let my hand not be against him — let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
And 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?”
But it was, at the time for giving Merab, Saul’s daughter, to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the matter was right in his eyes.
And Saul said, “I will give her to him, and she will be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.” And Saul said to David, “By the second you shall become my son-in-law today.”
And Saul commanded his servants: “Speak to David in secret, saying, ‘Look — the king delights in you, and all his servants love you. Now then, become son-in-law to the king.’”
And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Is it a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king, when I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?”
And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke words like these.”
And Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: The king has no delight in a bride-price, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged on the king’s enemies.” For Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
And his servants told David these words, and the matter was right in the eyes of David, to become son-in-law to the king; and the days were not fulfilled.
And David rose and went, he and his men, and struck down among the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they counted them out in full to the king, that he might become son-in-law to the king. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
And Saul was still more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy all the days.
And the commanders of the Philistines went out; and it was, as often as they went out, that David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very precious.
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