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 ORA, come egli ebbe finito di parlare a Saulle, l’anima di Gionatan fu legata all’anima di esso, sì che Gionatan l’amò come l’anima sua.
2 Ed in quel giorno, Saulle lo prese appresso di sè, e non gli permise più di ritornare a casa di suo padre.
3 E Gionatan fece lega con Davide; perciocchè egli l’amava come l’anima sua.
4 E Gionatan si spogliò l’ammanto ch’egli avea indosso, e lo diede a Davide, co’ suoi vestimenti, fino alla sua spada, ed al suo arco, ed alla sua cintura.
5 E Davide usciva fuori; dovunque Saulle lo mandava, egli prosperava; laonde Saulle lo costituì sopra un certo numero di gente di guerra; ed egli fu grazioso a tutto il popolo, ed anche a’ servitori di Saulle
6 Or avvenne che, come essi venivano, ritornando Davide da pecuotere il Filisteo, le donne uscirono fuori di tutte le città d’Israele, cantando, e menando danze incontro al re Saulle con tamburi, con allegrezza, e con canti di trionfo.
7 E le donne che giocavano, cantavano a vicenda, e dicevano: Saulle ne ha percossi i suoi mille, E Davide i suoi diecimila.
8 Laonde Saulle si adirò gravemente, e questa cosa gli dispiacque, e disse: Esse ne hanno dati a Davide diecimila, e a me ne hanno sol dati mille; certo non gli manca altro che il reame.
9 E da quel dì innanzi Saulle riguardava Davide di mal occhio.
10 Ora il giorno seguente avvenne che lo spirito malvagio mandato da Dio si avventò sopra Saulle, onde egli facea atti da uomo forsennato in mezzo la casa; e Davide sonava con le sue mani come per addietro, e Saulle avea una lancia in mano.
11 E Saulle lanciò la lancia, e disse: Io conficcherò Davide nella parete. Ma Davide si stornò d’innanzi a lui due volte
12 E Saulle temette per cagion di Davide; perciocchè il Signore era con lui, e si era partito da Saulle.
13 Laonde Saulle lo rimosse d’appresso a sè, e lo costituì capitano di mille uomini; ed egli andava e veniva davanti al popolo.
14 Or Davide prosperava in tutte le sue imprese, e il Signore era con lui.
15 E Saulle, veggendo ch’egli prosperava grandemente, ebbe paura di lui.
16 Ma tutto Israele e Giuda amava Davide; perciocchè egli andava e veniva davanti a loro.
17 E SAULLE disse a Davide: Ecco Merab, mia figliuola maggiore; io te la darò per moglie; siimi pur valoroso, e conduci le guerre del Signore. Or Saulle diceva: Non sia la mia mano sopra lui: ma sia la mano de’ Filistei sopra lui.
18 E Davide disse a Saulle: Chi son io, e quale è la mia vita, e quale è la nazione di mio padre in Israele, che io sia genero del re?
19 Or avvenne che al tempo che Merab, figliuola di Saulle, si dovea dare a Davide, fu data per moglie ad Adriel Meholatita.
20 Ma Mical, figliuola di Saulle, amava Davide; il che fu rapportato a Saulle, e la cosa gli piacque.
21 E Saulle disse: Io gliela darò, acciocchè gli sia per laccio, e che la mano de’ Filistei sia sopra lui. Saulle adunque disse a Davide: Tu sarai oggi mio genero per amendue.
22 E Saulle comandò a’ suoi servitori di parlare in segreto a Davide, e dirgli: Ecco, il re ti gradisce, e tutti i suoi servitori ti amano; ora adunque sii genero del re.
23 I servitori di Saulle adunque ridissero queste parole a Davide. Ma Davide disse: Parvi egli cosa leggiera d’esser genero del re, essendo io uomo povero e vile?
24 Ed i servitori di Saulle gliel rapportarono, dicendo: Davide ha dette tali cose.
25 E Saulle disse: Dite così a Davide: Il re non vuol dote, ma cento prepuzii de’ Filistei, acciocchè sia fatta vendetta de’ suoi nemici. Or Saulle pensava di far cader Davide nelle mani de’ Filistei.
26 I suoi servitori adunque rapportarono queste parole a Davide; e la cosa piacque a Davide, per esser genero del re. Ora, avanti che i giorni fossero compiuti,
27 Davide si levò, ed andò con la sua gente, e percosse dugent’uomini de’ Filistei e portò i lor prepuzii, onde il numero compiuto fu consegnato al re, acciocchè egli potesse esser genero del re. E Saulle gli diede Mical, sua figliuola, per moglie.
28 E Saulle vide e conobbe che il Signore era con Davide; e Mical, figliuola di esso, l’amava.
29 Laonde Saulle continuò di temere di Davide vie maggiormente; e fu sempre suo nemico.
30 Or i capitani de’ Filistei uscirono fuori in guerra; e dacchè furono usciti, Davide prosperò più che tutti gli altri servitori di Saulle; onde il suo nome fu in grande stima