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.

1 Dovydui kalbant su Sauliumi, Jehonatano siela prisirišo prie Dovydo sielos, ir Jehonatanas pamilo jį kaip savo sielą. Ir Dovydas jį pamilo visa širdimi.

2 Nuo to laiko Saulius priėmė jį ir nebeleido grįžti į tėvo namus.

3 Jehonatanas padarė sandorą su Dovydu, nes mylėjo jį kaip savo sielą.

4 Jehonatanas atidavė Dovydui savo apsiaustą, drabužius, net ir kardą, lanką bei diržą.

5 Dovydas išmintingai elgėsi visur, kur tik Saulius jį pasiųsdavo; todėl Saulius jį paskyrė karių viršininku, ir tai patiko visai tautai ir Sauliaus tarnams.

6 Dovydui nugalėjus filistiną ir visiems grįžtant į namus, moterys iš visų miestų išeidavo sutikti karalių Saulių dainuodamos, šokdamos ir grodamos būgneliais bei cimbolais.

7 Moterys dainuodamos kartojo: "Saulius nukovė tūkstančius, o Dovydas­dešimtis tūkstančių".

8 Saulius labai supyko, jam nepatiko tokios kalbos. Jis tarė: "Dovydui jos priskyrė dešimtis tūkstančių, o man tik tūkstančius; jam betrūksta tik karalystės".

9 Nuo tos dienos Saulius ėmė stebėti Dovydą.

10 Kitą dieną piktoji dvasia nuo Dievo taip apėmė Saulių, kad jis siautė savo namuose. Tuo metu Dovydas skambino arfa kaip kasdien. Saulius laikė rankoje ietį.

11 Jis sviedė ją į Dovydą, galvodamas: "Prismeigsiu jį prie sienos". Bet Dovydas išsisuko du kartus.

12 Saulius bijojo Dovydo, nes Viešpats buvo su juo, o nuo Sauliaus Jis buvo pasitraukęs.

13 Saulius pašalino Dovydą nuo savęs ir paskyrė tūkstantininku. Dovydas įeidavo ir išeidavo priešais tautą.

14 Dovydas išmintingai elgėsi visuose savo keliuose, ir Viešpats buvo su juo.

15 Saulius, matydamas, kad jis elgiasi labai išmintingai, bijojo jo.

16 Visas Izraelis ir Judas mylėjo Dovydą, nes jis įeidavo ir išeidavo priešais juos.

17 Kartą Saulius tarė: "Štai mano vyresnioji duktė Meraba! Ją duosiu tau į žmonas. Tik būk narsus ir kovok Viešpaties kovas". Saulius galvojo: "Tegul ne mano ranka būna prieš jį, bet filistinų ranka".

18 Dovydas atsakė Sauliui: "Kas aš, kas yra mano gyvenimas ir kas mano tėvo giminė Izraelyje, kad būčiau karaliaus žentu?"

19 Bet tuo metu, kai Meraba, Sauliaus duktė, turėjo būti atiduota Dovydui, ją vedė Adrielis iš Meholos.

20 Sauliaus duktė Mikalė pamilo Dovydą. Kai Saulius sužinojo, jam tai patiko.

21 Ir Saulius sakė: "Aš jam duosiu ją, kad ji būtų jam spąstai ir kad filistinų ranka būtų prieš jį". Saulius sakė Dovydui: "Šiandien tu tapsi mano žentu su antrąja".

22 Jis įsakė savo tarnams: "Kalbėkite Dovydui slaptai: ‘Karalius mėgsta tave ir visiems jo tarnams tu patinki. Todėl būk karaliaus žentu’ ".

23 Sauliaus tarnai kalbėjo Dovydui šiuos žodžius. Dovydas atsakė: "Ar jūs manote, kad lengva būti karaliaus žentu? Aš juk esu neturtingas ir menkas žmogus".

24 Tarnai pranešė Sauliui, ką girdėjo iš Dovydo.

25 Tada Saulius sakė: "Taip sakykite Dovydui: ‘Karalius nenori jokio kraičio, tik šimto filistinų odelių nuo apipjaustymo, kad būtų atkeršyta karaliaus priešams’ ". Saulius galvojo, kad Dovydas žus nuo filistinų rankos.

26 Kai jo tarnai perdavė Dovydui tuos žodžius, Dovydui patiko tapti karaliaus žentu. Dar nebuvo praėjęs paskirtas laikas,

27 kai Dovydas su savo vyrais nuėjęs nužudė du šimtus filistinų. Dovydas atnešė jų odeles ir atidavė visas karaliui, kad galėtų tapti jo žentu. Ir Saulius atidavė jam savo dukterį Mikalę į žmonas.

28 Saulius matė ir suprato, kad Viešpats buvo su Dovydu ir kad jo duktė Mikalė myli jį.

29 Ir Saulius dar labiau ėmė bijoti Dovydo; ir Saulius tapo Dovydo priešu visam gyvenimui.

30 Filistinų kunigaikščiai kariavo su izraelitais, ir nuo karo pradžios Dovydas elgėsi išmintingiau už visus Sauliaus tarnus, ir jo vardas išgarsėjo.