1 Depois de Davi ter falado com Saul, a alma de Jônatas se ligou com a de Davi numa profunda amizade. E Jônatas o amou como à sua própria alma. 2 Naquele dia, Saul reteve Davi e não permitiu que ele voltasse para a casa de seu pai. 3 Jônatas e Davi fizeram uma aliança, porque Jônatas o amava como à sua própria alma. 4 Jônatas tirou a capa que vestia e a deu a Davi. Deu também a sua armadura, inclusive a espada, o arco e o cinto. 5 Davi saía aonde quer que Saul o enviava e tinha êxito, de modo que Saul o pôs sobre tropas do seu exército. E Davi era benquisto de todo o povo e até dos próprios servos de Saul.

6 E aconteceu que, quando eles estavam voltando para casa, depois de Davi ter matado o filisteu, as mulheres de todas as cidades de Israel saíram ao encontro do rei Saul, cantando e dançando, com tamborins, com alegria e com instrumentos musicais. 7 As mulheres se alegravam e, cantando alternadamente, diziam:

Saul matou os seus milhares,

porém Davi, os seus dez milhares.

8 Saul se indignou muito, pois estas palavras lhe desagradaram em extremo. Ele disse:

— Para Davi elas deram dez milhares, mas para mim apenas milhares. Na verdade, o que lhe falta, a não ser o reino?

9 Daquele dia em diante, Saul não via Davi com bons olhos.

10 No dia seguinte, um espírito mau, vindo da parte de Deus, se apossou de Saul, que teve uma crise de raiva em sua casa. Davi, como nos outros dias, dedilhava a harpa. Saul, porém, tinha na mão uma lança, 11 que ele atirou, pensando assim:

— Encravarei Davi na parede.

Porém Davi se desviou dele por duas vezes.

12 Saul tinha medo de Davi, porque o Senhor estava com este e tinha abandonado Saul. 13 Por isso Saul o afastou de si e o pôs por chefe de mil. Davi fazia saídas e entradas militares diante do povo. 14 Davi tinha êxito em todos os seus empreendimentos, pois o Senhor estava com ele. 15 Vendo que Davi tinha êxito, Saul ficou com medo dele. 16 Porém todo o Israel e Judá amavam Davi, porque fazia saídas e entradas militares diante deles.

17 Saul disse a Davi:

— Aqui está Merabe, a minha filha mais velha. Eu a darei a você em casamento, com a condição de que você seja um filho valente e trave as batalhas do Senhor.

Porque Saul pensava assim: "Não seja contra ele a minha mão, e sim a dos filisteus." 18 Mas Davi respondeu a Saul:

— Quem sou eu, e quem são os meus parentes, a família de meu pai em Israel, para que eu seja genro do rei?

19 Mas aconteceu que, na época em que Merabe, filha de Saul, devia ser dada em casamento a Davi, foi dada por mulher a Adriel, meolatita.

20 Mas Mical, a outra filha de Saul, amava Davi. Contaram isso a Saul, e isso agradou a ele. 21 Saul pensava assim: "Eu a darei em casamento a Davi, para que ela lhe sirva de armadilha e para que a mão dos filisteus venha a ser contra ele." Por isso Saul disse a Davi:

— Com esta segunda você será hoje o meu genro.

22 Saul ordenou que os seus servos falassem confidencialmente com Davi, dizendo:

— O rei tem afeição por você, e todos os servos dele amam você. Sendo assim, concorde em ser genro do rei.

23 Os servos de Saul falaram estas palavras a Davi, o qual respondeu:

— Vocês acham que é pouca coisa ser genro do rei, sendo eu um homem pobre e sem importância?

24 Os servos de Saul lhe contaram isto, dizendo:

— Estas foram as palavras que Davi falou.

25 Então Saul ordenou que dissessem a Davi:

— O rei não deseja dote algum, mas cem prepúcios de filisteus, como vingança contra os seus inimigos.

Porque Saul tentava fazer com que Davi fosse morto pelos filisteus. 26 Quando os servos de Saul relataram estas palavras a Davi, este gostou da ideia de vir a ser genro do rei. Antes de vencido o prazo, 27 Davi se levantou e partiu com os seus homens, e mataram duzentos filisteus. Trouxe os seus prepúcios e os entregou todos ao rei, para que assim se tornasse seu genro. Então Saul lhe deu a sua filha Mical em casamento. 28 Saul viu e reconheceu que o Senhor estava com Davi; e Mical, filha de Saul, o amava. 29 Então Saul ficou com mais medo ainda de Davi e continuamente foi seu inimigo.

30 Cada vez que os chefes dos filisteus saíam à batalha, Davi obtinha mais êxito do que todos os servos de Saul. E assim o nome de Davi se tornou muito estimado.

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, so that Jonathan loved him, as his own soul.

2 And Saul took him, that day,and suffered him not to return unto the house of his father.

3 And Jonathan and David solemnised a covenant,because he loved him as his own soul.

4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe which was upon him, and gave it to David,and his equipments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5 And David went forthwhithersoever Saul sent him, he behaved himself prudently, so Saul set him over the men of war,and he became a favourite in the eyes of all the people, yea even in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

6 But so it was, when they came in on the return of David from the smiting of the Philistine, that the women went forth out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king,with timbrels, with rejoicing, and with instruments of three strings.

7 And the women that made merry responded to each other in song, and said,Saul, hath smitten, his thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands.

8 Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said,They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands,What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom?

9 And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward.

10 And, when it came to pass, on the morrow, that a superhuman spirit of sadness came suddenly upon Saul, and he was moved to raving in the midst of the house,and, David, began playing with his hand, as he had done day by day, that a spear being in Sauls hand,

11 Saul hurled the spear, and said to himselfI will smite David, even to the wall! But David moved round from before him, twice.

12 And Saul feared because of David,for Yahweh was with him, whereas, from Saul, he had departed.

13 So Saul removed him from him, and appointed him to be for him the captain of a thousand,and he went out and came in before the people.

14 And it came to pass that David, in all his ways, acted prudently,and, Yahweh, was with him.

15 And, when Saul saw that, he, was acting very prudently, he was afraid of him.

16 But, all Israel and Judah, were in love with David,for he was going out and coming in before them.

17 So then Saul said unto DavidLo! my elder daughter Merab, her, will I give thee to wife, only, approve thyself unto me as a son of valour and fight the battles of Yahweh. Saul, however, had said to himselfLet not, my own hand, be upon him, but let, the hand of the Philistines, be upon him.

18 And David said unto SaulWho am, I, or who are my kinsfolk, the family of my father, in Israel,that I should become son-in-law, to the king?

19 But it came to pass, within the time for giving Merab daughter of Saul to David, that, she, was given to Adriel the Meholathite, to wife.

20 Then did Michal, Sauls daughter, love David,and it was told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.

21 And Saul said to himselfI will give her unto him, that she may prove to him a snare, and that, the hand of the Philistines, may be upon him. So then Saul said unto David, A second time, mayest thou become my son-in-law to-day.

22 And Saul commanded his servantsSpeak ye unto David quietly saying, Lo! the king delighteth in thee, and, all his servants, love thee,now, therefore, become thou son-in-law to the king.

23 And the servants of Saul spake, in the ears of David, these words. And David saidSeemeth it a light thing, in your eyes, to become son-in-law to the king, seeing that, I, am a poor man and lightly esteemed?

24 So the servants of Saul told him, saying,According to these words, spake David,

25 Then said SaulThus, shall ye say unto DavidThe king hath no delight in purchase-price, but rather in a hundred foreskins of Philistines, by avenging himself on the enemies of the king. But, Saul, thought to let David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26 So, when his servants told David these words, the thing was right in the eyes of David, to become son-in-law unto the king,and the days had not expired.

27 Wherefore David arose, and wenthe and his men, and smote among the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought in their foreskins, and gave them in full tale unto the king, that he might become son-in-law unto the king, and Saul gave him Michal his daughter, to wife.

28 And Saul saw and knew that, Yahweh, was with David, and that, all Israel, loved him.

29 So then Saul went on to fear because of David, yet more,and it came to pass that Saul was hostile to David, all the days.

30 And, when the princes of the Philistines came forth, so it was, that, as often as they came forth, David was more circumspect than any of the servants of Saul, so that his name was, precious exceedingly.