1 Depois que Davi terminou de falar com Saul, formou-se de imediato um forte laço de amizade entre ele e Jônatas, filho do rei, por causa do amor que Jônatas tinha por Davi.

2 A partir daquele dia, Saul manteve Davi consigo e não o deixou voltar para a casa de seu pai. 3 Jônatas assumiu um compromisso solene com Davi, pois o amava como a si mesmo. 4 Para selar essa aliança, Jônatas tirou seu manto e o entregou a Davi, junto com sua armadura, sua espada, seu arco e seu cinturão.

5 Davi cumpria com êxito todas as missões de que Saul o encarregava. Então Saul lhe deu uma posição de comando no exército, o que agradou tanto ao povo como aos oficiais de Saul.

6 Quando o exército israelita regressou vitorioso, depois que Davi matou o gigante filisteu, mulheres de todas as cidades saíram ao encontro do rei Saul. Cantavam e dançavam de alegria, com tamborins e címbalos. 7 Esta era a canção:

"Saul matou milhares,

e Davi, dezenas de milhares!".

8 Saul ficou indignado com essas palavras. "O que é isso?", disse ele. "Atribuem a Davi dezenas de milhares, e a mim, apenas milhares? Só falta o declararem rei!" 9 Daquele momento em diante, Saul começou a olhar para Davi com suspeita.

10 No dia seguinte, um espírito maligno enviado por Deus se apoderou de Saul, e ele começou a delirar em sua casa, como se fosse louco. Davi tocava a harpa, como fazia todos os dias. Mas Saul tinha uma lança na mão 11 e, de repente, atirou-a contra Davi, com a intenção de encravá-lo na parede. Davi, porém, escapou duas vezes.

12 Saul tinha medo de Davi, pois o Senhor o havia abandonado e agora estava com Davi. 13 Por fim, Saul o afastou de sua presença e o nomeou comandante de mil soldados, e Davi conduzia as tropas vitoriosamente nas batalhas.

14 Davi continuou a ter êxito em tudo que fazia, pois o Senhor estava com ele. 15 Quando Saul viu isso, teve ainda mais medo. 16 Mas todo o Israel e todo o Judá amavam Davi, porque ele conduzia as tropas vitoriosamente nas batalhas.

17 Certo dia, Saul disse a Davi: "Estou pronto a lhe dar minha filha mais velha, Merabe, por esposa. Mas antes, sirva-me como um guerreiro valente, lutando nas batalhas do Senhor". Pois Saul pensou: "Em vez de matá-lo eu mesmo, vou enviá-lo aos filisteus, e eles o matarão".

18 Davi, porém, respondeu a Saul: "Quem sou eu, e quem é minha família em Israel para que eu me torne genro do rei?". 19 Assim, quando chegou o tempo de Saul dar sua filha Merabe em casamento a Davi, ele a deu a Adriel, um homem de Meolá.

20 Contudo, a outra filha de Saul, Mical, amava Davi, e Saul ficou contente quando soube disso. 21 "É mais uma oportunidade de os filisteus matarem Davi!", pensou ele. Para Davi, porém, ele disse: "Você tem mais uma oportunidade de se tornar meu genro".

22 Então Saul instruiu seus servos a dizerem a Davi, em particular: "O rei gosta muito de você, e nós também. Por que não aceita a oferta do rei e se torna genro dele?".

23 Quando disseram isso a Davi, ele respondeu: "Como um homem pobre e de família humilde terá condições de pagar o dote da filha de um rei?".

24 Então os homens de Saul contaram-lhe o que Davi disse, 25 e Saul respondeu: "Digam a Davi que o único dote que quero são cem prepúcios de filisteus! Desejo apenas me vingar de meus inimigos". Mas Saul planejava que Davi fosse morto na luta.

26 Quando os servos de Saul trouxeram essa notícia a Davi, ele aceitou a oferta de bom grado. Antes do prazo estipulado, 27 ele e seus homens saíram e mataram duzentos filisteus. Davi cumpriu a exigência para tornar-se genro do rei, trazendo-lhe os prepúcios. Então Saul deu sua filha Mical por esposa a Davi.

28 Quando Saul percebeu que o Senhor estava com Davi, e viu como sua filha Mical o amava, 29 temeu Davi ainda mais e continuou a ser inimigo dele pelo resto de sua vida.

30 Sempre que os comandantes dos filisteus atacavam, Davi era mais bem-sucedido contra eles que todos os outros oficiais de Saul. Assim, o nome de Davi se tornou muito famoso.

1 When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.

5 David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

6 As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7 The women sang to one another as they played, and said,

"Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his ten thousands."

8 Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?" 9 Saul watched David from that day and forward. 10 On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul threw the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" David escaped from his presence twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him. 15 When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. 17 Saul said to David, "Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh’s battles." For Saul said, "Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him."

18 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?"

19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

20 Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 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 today be my son-in-law."

22 Saul commanded his servants, "Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’"

23 Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, "Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?"

24 The servants of Saul told him, saying, "David spoke like this."

25 Saul said, "Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’" Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline, 27 David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. 28 Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. 29 Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.

30 Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.