1 Samuel 18

1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

1After David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan and David became the closest of friends; Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.

2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

2From that day on, Saul kept David with him and would not let him return home to his father’s house.

3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

3Jonathan and David made a solemn promise to be friends forever because Jonathan loved him as much as his own soul.

4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

4To seal their friendship, Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

5David was successful in every mission Saul sent him on, so Saul put him in charge of the army. This pleased all the people, including Saul’s own officers.

6And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music.

6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced with joy, playing tambourines and other musical instruments.

7And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.

7As they danced, the women sang, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David has killed his ten thousands!'

8And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

8This made Saul very angry, and he was insulted by their song. He thought, 'They give David credit for ten thousands, but me for only thousands. Next, they will want to give him the kingdom!'

9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

9So from that day on, Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

10And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand;

10The next day, a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave like a madman inside his house. David was playing the harp for him as he usually did, but Saul was holding a spear.

11and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

11Saul threw the spear at David, thinking, 'I will pin him to the wall!' But David escaped from him twice.

12And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul.

12Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.

13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

13So Saul sent David away and put him in command of a thousand soldiers, and David led them out on their campaigns.

14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him.

14David continued to be successful in everything he did because the LORD was with him.

15And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.

15When Saul saw how successful David was, he became even more afraid of him.

16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.

16But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he led them successfully in battle.

17And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah’s battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

17Saul said to David, 'I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. Just be a brave warrior for me and fight the LORD’s battles.' Saul was thinking, 'I won't have to kill him myself; I'll let the Philistines do it for me.'

18And David said unto 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?

18David replied to Saul, 'Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?'

19But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

19However, when the time came for Saul’s daughter Merab to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel from Meholah instead.

20And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

20Now Saul’s other daughter, Michal, was in love with David. When Saul heard about this, he was pleased.

21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law a second time.

21Saul thought, 'I will give her to him so that she can be a trap for him, and the Philistines will kill him.' So Saul said to David a second time, 'You can become my son-in-law today.'

22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.

22Then Saul ordered his servants to talk to David privately and say, 'Look, the king is very pleased with you, and all his officials like you. You should become his son-in-law.'

23And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

23When Saul’s servants told David this, he responded, 'Do you think it's a small thing to become the king's son-in-law? I am just a poor man from an ordinary family.'

24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

24The servants reported back to Saul what David had said.

25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

25Saul told them, 'Tell David this: The king doesn’t want any money for a bride price. All he wants is the foreskins of a hundred Philistines as revenge on his enemies.' Saul’s plan was to have David killed by the Philistines.

26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. And the days were not expired;

26When the servants told David this, he was glad to have the chance to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time limit was up,

27and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

27David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he could become his son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.

28When Saul realized that the LORD was truly with David and that his daughter Michal loved him,

29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.

29he became even more afraid of David. Saul remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

30Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, David was more successful than all of Saul’s other officers. As a result, David became very famous.