1 Depois de Saul ter conversado com David, este encontrou-se com Jónatas, o filho do rei; imediatamente se estabeleceu entre os dois uma grande amizade, e fizeram entre os dois uma aliança. Jónatas ligou-se a David como se fosse o seu próprio irmão. Como penhor dessa grande amizade deu-lhe a sua capa, a espada, o arco e o cinto que trazia rei Saul guardou David consigo em Jerusalém e não o deixou regressar mais a casa.
5 Tornou-se oficial do exército e todas as directrizes que recebia executava-as inteligentemente. Essa nomeação foi aplaudida não só pelos que estavam ao serviço do rei como por toda a população em geral.
6 Mas aconteceu uma coisa: quando o exército israelita regressava vitorioso, depois de David ter morto Golias, muitas mulheres, vindas de todas as cidades de Israel, vieram ao encontro do rei Saul para o aclamar, cantando e com danças, acompanhadas de adufes e de instrumentos de música, e tudo no meio de grande alegria.
7 No entanto, nos seus cantares diziam assim: Saul matou os seus milhares, e David os seus dez milhares!
8 Saul indignou-se muito com isto: O quê? Então louvam David por dez milhares e a mim só por milhares. Por este andar, pouco falta para que façam dele rei!, pensou consigo.
9 Assim, a partir dessa altura, o rei Saul ficou sempre de pé atrás em relação a David.
10 Logo no dia seguinte, com efeito, o espírito atormentador veio sobre ele, da parte de Deus. David, para o acalmar, começou a tocar a harpa, como das outras vezes que tal acontecia. Mas Saul, que tinha ali ao seu alcance uma lança, lançou-a repentinamente contra David, com a intenção de o cravar contra a parede. David contudo saltou a tempo para o lado e conseguiu escapar-lhe: Isto aconteceu também noutra ocasião, porque Saul temia-o e tinha ciúmes dele por o Senhor o ter deixado a si e estar agora com David. Finalmente Saul baniu-o da sua presença e demitiu-o do cargo de oficial do exército. Mas tudo isto colocou David ainda mais em evidência aos olhos da população.
14 David continuava a ser bem sucedido em tudo o que empreendia, porque o Senhor estava com ele. Saul, perante tais factos, ia-se tornando cada vez mais receoso dele. Mas todo o Israel e Judá amava David, porque ele se conduzia como se fosse igual a eles.
17 Um dia Saul disse a David: Estou pronto a dar-te a minha filha mais velha, Merabe, por esposa. Mas primeiramente terás de provar que és um verdadeiro soldado, combatendo as guerras do Senhor. Porque Saul pensava consigo: Vale mais que o mande lutar contra os filisteus e que morra assim, do que ser eu a tirar-lhe a vida.
18 Mas quem sou eu para me tornar genro do rei?, exclamou David. A família de meu pai pouco vale!
19 Entretanto, quando chegou a altura de Merabe ser dada a David, Saul casou-a antes com a Adriel, um homem de Meolate.
20 Aconteceu no entanto que Mical, outra filha de Saul, amava muito David; Saul ficou satisfeito ao saber disso.
21 Aqui está uma oportunidade de o fazer matar pelos filisteus!, pensou Saul. Contudo ao próprio David disse assim: Tens ainda ocasião de te tornares genro do rei; posso dar-te a minha filha mais nova.
22 Saul deu instruções aos seus homens para que dissessem confidencialmente a David que o rei no fundo gostava mesmo muito dele, que todos, aliás, gostavam dele e achavam que deveria aceitar a proposta do rei de se tornar seu genro. Mas ele replicava-lhes: Como pode um pobre homem como eu, vindo de uma família sem quaisquer pergaminhos, achar um dote suficiente para poder vir a casar com a filha do rei?
24 Quando vieram contar isto a Saul, este disse-lhes: Digam a David que o único dote de que eu preciso é de uma centena de filisteus mortos! Vingança sobre os meus inimigos é tudo o que eu pretendo. No entanto, o que ele tinha em mente era que David fosse morto nesse combate.
26 David ficou muito contente com essa proposta. E assim, muito antes que o prazo fixado tivesse acabado, partiu, acompanhado dos seus próprios homens e matou duzentos filisteus, apresentando os seus prepúcios ao rei. Sendo assim, Mical foi-lhe dada por mulher.
28 Quando o rei se deu conta de quanto o Senhor estava com David, e como se ia tornando imensamente popular, ficou-lhe ainda com mais medo, aumentando o ódio que nutria contra ele, dia após dia. Sempre que as tropas dos filisteus atacavam, David era muito mais bem sucedido contra os inimigos do que o resto dos soldados de Saul. Dessa forma o nome de David se tornou famoso em toda a terra.
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.