Jonathan loves David as himself and makes a covenant with him. Saul, jealous of David's success, throws spears at him and gives him his daughter Michal as a snare. David continues to win battles.
1 And 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 .
2 And Saul took him that day , and would let him go no more home to his father's house .
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant , because he loved him as his own soul .
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David , and his garments , even to his sword , and to his bow , and to his girdle .
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely : and Saul set him over the men of war , and he was accepted in the sight of all the people , and also in the sight of Saul's servants .
6 And it came to pass as they came , when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine , that the women came out of all cities of Israel , singing and dancing , to meet king Saul , with tabrets , with joy , and with instruments of musick .
7 And the women answered one another as they played , and said , Saul hath slain his thousands , and David his ten thousands .
8 And Saul was very wroth , and the 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 ?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward .
10 And it came to pass on the morrow , that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul , and he prophesied in the midst of the house : and David played with his hand , as at other times : and there was a javelin in Saul's hand .
11 And Saul cast the javelin ; for he said , I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice .
12 And Saul was afraid of David , because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul .
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand ; and he went out and came in before the people .
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways ; and the LORD was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely , he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David , because he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David , Behold my elder daughter Merab , her will I give thee to wife : only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles . For Saul said , Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And 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 ?
19 But 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 .
20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David : and they told Saul , and the thing pleased him.
21 And 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 in the one of the twain .
22 And 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 .
23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David . And David said , Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law , seeing that I am a poor man , and lightly esteemed ?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying , On this manner spake David .
25 And Saul said , Thus shall ye say to David , The king desireth not any dowry , but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines , to be avenged of the king's enemies . But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines .
26 And 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 .
27 Wherefore 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 tale to the king , that he might be the king's son in law . And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife .
28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David , and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David ; and Saul became David's enemy continually .
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth : and it came to pass, after they went forth , that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul ; so that his name was much set by .