1Samuel 18
18When David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became a close friend to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.H3615H1696H7586H5315H3083H7194H5315H1732H3083H157H53152Saul took David that day and did not let him return to his father's house.H7586H3947H3117H5414H7725H1H10043Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as he loved himself.H3083H1732H3772H1285H160H53154Jonathan took off the robe that he had on and gave it to David, along with his coat, his sword, his bow, and his belt.H3083H6584H4598H5414H1732H4055H2719H7198H22895David went out and was successful everywhere Saul sent him, and Saul put him in charge of the troops. This pleased both all the people, as well as Saul's officials.H1732H3318H7586H7971H7919H7586H7760H582H4421H3190H5869H5971H5869H7586H56506When David returned from defeating the Philistine, as they were entering the city, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul, singing and dancing as they joyously played tambourines and lyres.H935H1732H7725H5221H6430H802H3318H5892H3478H7891H4246H7125H4428H7586H8596H8057H79917As the women sang and played, they said, "Saul has struck down his thousands but David his ten thousands."H802H6030H7832H559H7586H5221H505H1732H72338Saul was very angry and he did not like what the women sang. He said to himself, "They have attributed tens of thousands to David, but to me they have attributed thousands. What else can he have but the kingdom?"H7586H3966H2734H1697H3415H5869H559H5414H1732H7233H5414H505H44109From then on Saul kept his eye on David.H7586H5770H1732H3117H197310The next day, while David was playing the lyre as he had before, the evil spirit from the Lord attacked Saul, and he began to rave inside the house with a spear in his hand.H4283H7451H7307H430H6743H7586H5012H8432H1004H1732H5059H3027H3117H2595H7586H302711Saul hurled it, thinking, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David escaped from him twice.H7586H2904H2595H559H5221H1732H7023H1732H5437H6440H647112Now Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and had departed from Saul.H7586H3372H6440H1732H3068H5493H758613Saul removed David from his presence and made him an officer over a division of soldiers. So David led the troops in battle.H7586H5493H7760H8269H505H3318H935H6440H597114David was successful in all that he did, for the Lord was with him.H1732H7919H1870H306815When Saul saw that David was highly successful, he feared him.H7586H7200H7919H3966H7919H1481H644016But all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in battle.H3478H3063H157H1732H3318H935H644017Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I'll give her to you as a wife. Just be an excellent soldier for me and fight the Lord's battles." Now Saul said to himself, "I won't harm him myself. Instead, I'll let the Philistines harm him."H7586H559H1732H1419H1323H4764H5414H802H1121H2428H3898H3068H4421H7586H559H3027H3027H643018David said to Saul, "Who am I and what is my life or my father's family in Israel that I should be the king's son-in-law?"H1732H559H7586H2416H1H4940H3478H2860H442819And when the time came to give Saul's daughter Merab to David, she was given as a wife to Adriel of Meholah.H6256H4764H7586H1323H5414H1732H5414H5741H4259H80220Saul's daughter Michal loved David. Saul was informed of this and he liked the idea.H4324H7586H1323H157H1732H5046H7586H1697H3474H586921Saul said to himself, "I'll give her to him and she can be a snare to him and the Philistines will harm him." So Saul said to David, "For a second time you can be my son-in-law today."18H7586H559H5414H4170H3027H6430H7586H559H1732H3117H2859H814722Saul commanded his officials, "Speak with David privately and say, 'Look, the king delights in you, and all his officials love you. Now become the king's son-in-law.'"18H7586H6680H5650H1696H1732H3909H559H4428H2654H5650H157H4428H285923Saul's officials delivered this message to David, and he asked, "Is becoming the king's son-in-law an unimportant thing to you?I'm a poor and unimportant man."H7586H5650H1696H1697H241H1732H1732H559H5869H7043H4428H2859H7326H376H703424Saul's officials reported to him: "This is what David said."H5650H7586H5046H559H1697H1696H173225Saul said, "This is what you are to tell David, 'The king desires no bride price except 100 Philistine foreskins to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul thought he would cause David to die at the hand of the Philistines.H7586H559H559H1732H4428H2656H4119H3967H6190H6430H5358H4428H341H7586H2803H1732H5307H3027H643026When his officials delivered this message to David, David decided it would be a good thing to become the king's son-in-law. Before the time was up,H5650H5046H1732H1697H3474H1697H5869H1732H4428H2859H3117H439027David got up, went out with his men, and struck down 200 Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and gave them all to the king so he could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.H1732H6965H3212H582H5221H6430H3967H376H1732H935H6190H4390H4428H4428H2859H7586H5414H4324H1323H80228As Saul continued to observe, he realized that the Lord was with David and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him.H7586H7200H3045H3068H1732H4324H7586H1323H15729Then Saul was even more afraid of David, and Saul was David's enemy from that time on.H7586H3254H3372H6440H1732H7586H1732H341H311730The Philistine commanders would go out to fight and whenever they did, David was more successful than any of Saul's other leaders. His name was held in high esteem.H8269H6430H3318H1767H3318H1732H7919H5650H7586H8034H3966H3365
Columbus, OH
