1 Samuel 18

Efter Davids Samtale med Saul blev Jonatans Sjæl bundet til Davids Sjæl, og han elskede ham som sin egen Sjæl;

og Saul tog ham samme dag til sig og tillod ham ikke at vende tilbage til sin Faders Hus.

Og Jonatan sluttede Pagt med David, fordi han elskede ham som sin egen Sjæl.

Og Jonatan afførte sig sin Kappe og gav David den tillige med sin Våbenkjortel, ja endog sit Sværd, sin Bue og sit Bælte.

Og David drog ud; hvor som helst Saul sendte ham hen, havde han Lykken med sig; derfor satte Saul ham over Krigerne, og han vandt Yndest hos alt Folket, endog hos Sauls Folk.

Men da de kom hjem, da David vendte tilbage efter at have fældet Filisteren, gik Kvinderne fra alle Israels Byer Saul i Møde med Sang og Dans, med Håndpauker, Jubel og Cymbler,

Og fra den Dag af så Saul skævt til David.

Næste Dag overvældede en ond Ånd fra Gud Saul, så han rasede i Huset, medens David som sædvanligt legede på Strenge; Saul havde sit Spyd i Hånden

Da kom Saul til at frygte David, fordi HERREN var med ham, medens han var veget fra Saul.

Derfor fjernede Saul ham fra sig og gjorde ham til Tusindfører; og han drog ud til Kamp og hjem igen i Spidsen for Krigerne;

og Lykken fulgte David i alt, hvad han foretog sig; thi HERREN var med ham.

Da Saul så, i hvor høj Grad Lykken fulgte ham, gruede han for ham;

men hele Israel og Juda elskede David, fordi han drog ud til Kamp og hjem i Spidsen for dem.

Men da Tiden kom, at Sauls Datter Merab skulde gives David til Ægte, blev hun givet til Adriel fra Mehol

Sauls Datter Mikal fattede Kærlighed til David. Det kom Saul for Øre, og han syntes godt derom;

Da hans Folk fortalte David dette, samtykkede han i at blive Kongens Svigersøn.

Derpå brød David op og drog ud med sine Mænd og dræbte 200 Filistere, og David kom med deres Forhuder og leverede Kongen dem fuldtallige for at blive hans Svigersøn. Så gav Saul ham sin Datter Mikal til Ægte.

Men da Saul så og skønnede, at HERREN var med David, og at hele Israel elskede ham,

frygtede han David endnu mere, og Saul blev for stedse David fjendsk.

Filisternes Høvdinger rykkede i Marken; og hver Gang de rykkede ud, havde David mere Held med sig end alle Sauls Folk, og han vandt stort Ry.

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.

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

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

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.

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. {behaved...: or, prospered}

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. {Philistine: or, Philistines} {instruments...: Heb. three stringed instruments}

And the women answered {one another} as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

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? {displeased him: Heb. was evil in his eyes}

And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

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.

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.

And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

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

And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD {was} with him. {behaved...: or, prospered}

Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

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. {valiant: Heb. a son of valour}

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?

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.

And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. {pleased him: Heb. was right in his eyes}

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.

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.

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?

And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. {On...: Heb. According to these words}

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.

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. {expired: Heb. fulfilled}

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.

And Saul saw and knew that the LORD {was} with David, and {that} Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

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. {set by: Heb. precious}