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.

1 En nadat hy sy gesprek met Saul beëindig het, het die siel van Jonatan verkleef geraak aan die siel van Dawid, en Jonatan het hom liefgekry soos sy eie siel.

2 En Saul het hom die dag geneem en hom nie na sy familie laat teruggaan nie.

3 Toe sluit Jonatan met Dawid 'n verbond, omdat hy hom liefgehad het soos sy eie siel.

4 Daarby trek Jonatan sy mantel uit wat hy aangehad het, en gee dit aan Dawid; ook sy klere, ja, selfs sy swaard en sy boog en sy gordel.

5 En Dawid het uitgetrek. Oral waar Saul hom gestuur het, was hy voorspoedig, sodat Saul hom oor die krygsmanne aangestel het; en dit was goed in die oë van die hele volk en ook in die oë van die dienaars van Saul.

6 En toe hulle tuis kom, en ook Dawid terug was nadat hy die Filistyn verslaan het, het die vroue uitgegaan uit al die stede van Israel met sang en koordanse, met tamboeryne, met vreugdegeroep en met triangels koning Saul tegemoet.

7 En die vroue wat vrolik was, het gesing en gesê: Saul het sy duisende verslaan, maar Dawid sy tien duisende!

8 En Saul het baie kwaad geword, want hierdie woord was verkeerd in sy oë. En hy sê: Hulle het Dawid die tien duisende gegee, maar my die duisende gegee; hy moet nou nog net die koningskap kry!

9 En van die dag af en verder het Saul die oog op Dawid gehad.

10 Die volgende dag het die bose gees van God oor Saul vaardig geword, sodat hy rasend was binne-in die huis terwyl Dawid soos elke dag met sy hand speel, en Saul 'n spies in sy hand hou.

11 Toe gooi Saul die spies en sê: Ek wil Dawid teen die muur vassteek! Maar Dawid het twee maal vir hom padgegee.

12 En Saul was bevrees vir Dawid, omdat die HERE met hom was en van Saul gewyk het.

13 Daarom het Saul hom uit sy teenwoordigheid verwyder en hom aangestel as sy owerste oor duisend, sodat hy voor die manskappe uit-- en ingegaan het.

14 En Dawid was voorspoedig in al sy weë, want die HERE was met hom.

15 Toe Saul sien dat hy baie voorspoedig was, het hy vir hom bang geword.

16 Maar die hele Israel en Juda het Dawid liefgehad, want hy het voor hulle uit-- en ingegaan.

17 Verder het Saul vir Dawid gesê: Hier is my oudste dogter Merab, haar sal ek aan jou as vrou gee; wees net vir my 'n dapper man en voer die oorloë van die HERE. Want Saul het gedink: Laat my hand nie teen hom wees nie, maar laat die hand van die Filistyne teen hom wees.

18 Maar Dawid het vir Saul gesê: Wie is ek, en wat is my familie, die geslag van my vader in Israel, dat ek 'n skoonseun van die koning sou word?

19 Maar teen die tyd dat Merab, die dogter van Saul, aan Dawid moes gegee word, is sy aan Adriël, die Meholatiet, as vrou gegee.

20 Maar Migal, die dogter van Saul, het Dawid liefgekry; en toe hulle dit aan Saul meedeel, was die saak in sy oë reg.

21 Want Saul het gedink: Ek sal haar aan hom gee, dat sy vir hom 'n strik kan wees en dat die hand van die Filistyne teen hom kan wees. Daarom het Saul vir Dawid gesê: Vir die tweede keer kan jy vandag my skoonseun word!

22 En Saul het sy dienaars bevel gegee: Spreek met Dawid in die geheim en sê: Kyk, die koning hou van jou, en al sy dienaars het jou lief: word nou maar die koning se skoonseun.

23 Die dienaars van Saul het toe hierdie woorde voor die ore van Dawid gespreek; maar Dawid het gevra: Is dit 'n kleinigheid in julle oë om die skoonseun van die koning te word, terwyl ek 'n arm en geringe man is?

24 En die dienaars van Saul het hom dit meegedeel: Sulke woorde het Dawid gespreek.

25 Toe sê Saul: So moet julle aan Dawid sê: Die koning het behae in geen ander bruidsprys as honderd voorhuide van Filistyne nie, as wraakneming op die vyande van die koning. Saul het naamlik daarop gereken om Dawid te laat val deur die hand van die Filistyne.

26 Toe sy dienaars hierdie woorde aan Dawid meedeel, was die saak reg in die oë van Dawid om skoonseun van die koning te word. En voordat die dae verstreke was,

27 het Dawid hom klaargemaak en met sy manne uitgetrek, en hulle het twee honderd man onder die Filistyne doodgeslaan; en Dawid het hulle voorhuide gebring en dit is voltallig aan die koning afgegee, sodat hy die koning se skoonseun kon word. Daarop het Saul aan hom sy dogter Migal as vrou gegee.

28 Toe Saul sien en merk dat die HERE met Dawid was, en dat Migal, die dogter van Saul, hom liefhet,

29 het Saul nog meer bevrees geword vir Dawid, en Saul het Dawid se vyand geword al die dae.

30 En die vorste van die Filistyne het uitgetrek; en so dikwels as hulle uittrek, het Dawid meer voorspoed gehad as al die dienaars van Saul, sodat sy naam hooggeëerd was.