1And 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, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5¶ And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.18.5 behaved…: or, prospered
6And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.18.6 Philistine: or, Philistines18.6 instruments…: Heb. three stringed instruments 7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?18.8 displeased him: Heb. was evil in his eyes 9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. 11And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12¶ And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.18.14 behaved…: or, prospered 15Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17¶ And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.18.17 valiant: Heb. a son of valour 18And David said unto 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? 19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. 20And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.18.20 pleased him: Heb. was right in his eyes 21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
22¶ And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law. 23And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.18.24 On…: Heb. According to these words 25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.18.26 expired: Heb. fulfilled 27Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28¶ And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him. 29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually. 30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.18.30 set by: Heb. precious
掃羅嫉妒大衛
1大衛與掃羅說完話後，又見了約拿單，二人一見如故，約拿單像愛自己一樣愛大衛。 2從那天起，掃羅把大衛留在身邊，不讓他再回父親那裡。 3約拿單像愛自己一樣愛大衛，他與大衛立了盟約， 4並把身上的外袍、戰衣、刀、弓和腰帶都送給大衛。 5無論掃羅派大衛辦什麼事，他都表現出色。掃羅派他做軍隊的將領，民眾和掃羅的臣僕都非常滿意。
6大衛殺死了非利士人歌利亞，以色列人凱旋歸來，婦女們擊鼓彈琴、載歌載舞地從以色列各城出來迎接掃羅王。 7她們跳舞歌唱：「掃羅殺死千千，大衛殺死萬萬。」 8掃羅聽了非常憤怒，說：「她們將萬萬歸功給大衛，將千千歸功給我，只剩我的王位沒有給他了！」 9掃羅從此對大衛起了嫉妒之心。
10第二天，從上帝那裡來的邪靈突然降在掃羅身上，他就在屋子裡叫鬧不停，大衛照常為他彈琴。掃羅當時手上拿著矛， 11他突然把矛投向大衛，心想：「我要把他刺透，釘在牆上。」他投了兩次，大衛都躲過了。
12耶和華離開了掃羅與大衛同在，因而掃羅懼怕大衛。 13他把大衛調離自己身邊，立為千夫長，讓他領兵作戰。 14耶和華與大衛同在，因此他事事成功。 15掃羅看見大衛做事精明，就懼怕他。 16以色列人和猶大人都愛戴他，因為他帶領他們作戰。
17掃羅對大衛說：「我要把大女兒米拉嫁給你，但你要英勇作戰，效忠於我，為耶和華爭戰。」掃羅心裡想：「我不要親自動手，我要藉非利士人的手殺他。」 18大衛說：「我算什麼？我的家族在以色列那麼卑微，我怎麼配做王的女婿呢？」 19到了婚禮的日子，掃羅卻把米拉嫁給了米何拉人亞得列。 20掃羅的次女米甲愛上了大衛，掃羅知道了非常高興。 21他心裡想：「我把這個女兒給大衛，讓他中圈套，好藉非利士人的手殺掉他。」於是，他對大衛說：「你現在還有一次機會做我的女婿。」 22他又吩咐臣僕，說：「你們私底下告訴大衛，說王很欣賞他，群臣都愛戴他，勸他做王的女婿。」 23掃羅的臣僕把這話告訴了大衛，大衛卻說：「做王的女婿豈是一件小事呢？我不過是個貧窮卑微的人。」 24臣僕把這番話回報掃羅， 25掃羅說：「你們去告訴大衛，就說王只需要一百個非利士人的包皮作聘禮，好向他的敵人報仇。」掃羅想讓大衛死在非利士人的手上。 26臣僕把這番話告訴了大衛，大衛欣然答應做王的女婿。期限到來之前， 27大衛和部下出去殺了二百個非利士人，把他們的包皮獻給掃羅，好做王的女婿。掃羅便把女兒米甲嫁給了大衛。 28掃羅知道耶和華與大衛同在，自己的女兒米甲也愛他， 29就更加懼怕大衛，終生與大衛為敵。
30非利士人的將領常來進犯，大衛每次作戰總比掃羅的其他臣僕出色，因而倍受尊重。
