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 timbrels 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 older 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 to have David 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 realized 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 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.
掃羅嫉妒大衛
1大衛與掃羅說完話後，約拿單與大衛情投意合，他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，與眾人歸來時，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，對這話很反感，就說：「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，所以掃羅忌憚大衛。 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，就忌憚他。 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到了與大衛成婚的日子，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臣僕把大衛這番話回報掃羅， 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，把他們的包皮全部獻給掃羅，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就更加忌憚大衛，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。
