1Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3And Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. 5And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was pleasing in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of Saul’s servants. 6And it happened as they were coming, as David was returning from killing the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of the triad. 7And the women responded as they played, and said: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very furious, and the saying made his eyes quiver; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom? 9So Saul eyed David from that day forward. 10And it happened on the next day that the evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; and there was a spear in Saul’s hand. 11And Saul threw the spear, for he thought, I will strike David to the wall! But David turned away from his presence twice. 12And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, but had departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from being with him, and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and Jehovah was with him. 15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 17And Saul said to David, Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the battles of Jehovah. For Saul thought, Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. 18And 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? 19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. 20Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing was agreeable in his eyes. 21And Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, You shall be my son-in-law today. 22And Saul commanded his servants, Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delighted in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law. 23And Saul’s servants spoke those words in David’s ears. And David said, Is it a slight thing in your eyes to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing as how I am a poor man and lightly esteemed? 24And the servants of Saul reported to him, saying, In this manner David has spoken. 25And Saul said, Thus you shall say to David: The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26And when his servants told David these words, the thing was agreeable in David’s eyes, to become the king’s son-in-law. And the day had not ended; 27therefore David rose up and went out, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. 28Thus Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; 29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually. 30And the commanders of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.