Saul’s growing fear of David
1After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
5Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.
6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lyres. 7As they danced, they sang:
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.’
8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?’ 9And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.
10The next day an evil18:10 Or a harmful spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, ‘I’ll pin David to the wall.’ But David eluded him twice.
12Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
17Saul said to David, ‘Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.’ For Saul said to himself, ‘I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!’
18But David said to Saul, ‘Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?’ 19So18:19 Or However, when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
20Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21‘I will give her to him,’ he thought, ‘so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.’
22Then Saul ordered his attendants: ‘Speak to David privately and say, “Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.” ’
23They repeated these words to David. But David said, ‘Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.’
24When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25Saul replied, ‘Say to David, “The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.” ’ Saul’s plan was for David to fall by the hands of the Philistines.
26When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28When Saul realised that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy for the rest of his days.
30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
A Inveja de Saul
1Depois dessa conversa de Davi com Saul, surgiu tão grande amizade entre Jônatas e Davi que Jônatas tornou-se o seu melhor amigo. 2Daquele dia em diante, Saul manteve Davi consigo e não o deixou voltar à casa de seu pai. 3E Jônatas fez um acordo de amizade com Davi, pois se tornara o seu melhor amigo. 4Jônatas tirou o manto que estava vestindo e o deu a Davi, com sua túnica, e até sua espada, seu arco e seu cinturão.
5Tudo o que Saul lhe ordenava fazer, Davi fazia com tanta habilidade18.5 Ou sabedoria; também nos versículos 15 e 30. que Saul lhe deu um posto elevado no exército. Isso agradou a todo o povo, bem como aos conselheiros de Saul.
6Quando os soldados voltavam para casa, depois que Davi matou o filisteu, as mulheres saíram de todas as cidades de Israel ao encontro do rei Saul com cânticos e danças, com tamborins, com músicas alegres e instrumentos de três cordas. 7As mulheres dançavam e cantavam:
“Saul matou milhares;
Davi, dezenas de milhares”.
8Saul ficou muito irritado com esse refrão e, aborrecido, disse: “Atribuíram a Davi dezenas de milhares, mas a mim apenas milhares. O que mais lhe falta senão o reino?” 9Daí em diante Saul olhava com inveja para Davi.
10No dia seguinte, um espírito maligno18.10 Ou arruinador mandado por Deus apoderou-se de Saul, e ele entrou em transe18.10 Ou e ele profetizou; também em 19.20,21 e 23. Veja 10.6. em sua casa, enquanto Davi tocava harpa, como costumava fazer. Saul estava com uma lança na mão 11e a atirou, dizendo: “Encravarei Davi na parede”. Mas Davi desviou-se duas vezes.
12Saul tinha medo de Davi porque o Senhor o havia abandonado e agora estava com Davi. 13Então afastou Davi de sua presença e deu-lhe o comando de uma tropa de mil soldados, que Davi conduzia em suas campanhas. 14Ele tinha êxito18.14 Ou Ele era muito sábio em tudo o que fazia, pois o Senhor estava com ele. 15Vendo isso, Saul teve muito medo dele. 16Todo o Israel e todo o Judá, porém, gostavam de Davi, pois ele os conduzia em suas batalhas.
17Saul disse a Davi: “Aqui está a minha filha mais velha, Merabe. Eu a darei em casamento a você; apenas sirva-me com bravura e lute as batalhas do Senhor”. Pois Saul pensou: “Não o matarei. Deixo isso para os filisteus!”
18Mas Davi disse a Saul: “Quem sou eu, e o que é minha família ou o clã de meu pai em Israel, para que eu me torne genro do rei?” 19Por isso,18.19 Ou Todavia, quando chegou a época de Merabe, a filha de Saul, ser dada em casamento a Davi, ela foi dada a Adriel, de Meolá.
20Mical, a outra filha de Saul, gostava de Davi. Quando disseram isso a Saul, ele ficou contente e pensou: 21“Eu a darei a ele, para que lhe sirva de armadilha, fazendo-o cair nas mãos dos filisteus”. Então Saul disse a Davi: “Hoje você tem uma segunda oportunidade de tornar-se meu genro”.
22Então Saul ordenou aos seus conselheiros que falassem em particular com Davi, dizendo: “O rei está satisfeito com você, e todos os seus conselheiros o estimam. Torne-se, agora, seu genro”.
23Quando falaram com Davi, ele disse: “Vocês acham que tornar-se genro do rei é fácil? Sou homem pobre e sem recursos”.
24Quando os conselheiros de Saul lhe contaram o que Davi tinha dito, 25Saul ordenou que dissessem a Davi: “O rei não quer outro preço pela noiva além de cem prepúcios de filisteus, para vingar-se de seus inimigos”. O plano de Saul era que Davi fosse morto pelos filisteus.
26Quando os conselheiros falaram novamente com Davi, ele gostou da ideia de tornar-se genro do rei. Por isso, antes de terminar o prazo estipulado, 27Davi e seus soldados saíram e mataram duzentos filisteus. Ele trouxe os prepúcios e apresentou-os ao rei para que se tornasse seu genro. Então Saul lhe deu em casamento sua filha Mical.
28Quando Saul viu claramente que o Senhor estava com Davi e que sua filha Mical o amava, 29temeu-o ainda mais e continuou seu inimigo pelo resto da vida.
30Os comandantes filisteus continuaram saindo para a batalha, e, todas as vezes que o faziam, Davi tinha mais habilidade do que os outros oficiais de Saul e assim tornou-se ainda mais famoso.
