1 Samuel 18:1–30

¹ After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. ² And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. ³ Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. ⁵ So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well. ⁶ As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. ⁷ And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” ⁸ And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?” ⁹ And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David. ¹⁰ The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, ¹¹ and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. ¹² So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back, ¹⁴ and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ¹⁸ And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?” ¹⁹ So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. ²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him. ²¹ “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to Da…