1And it happened, when he had finished speaking to 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 not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his armor, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his belt. 5And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6And it happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that 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. 7And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what more can he have but the kingdom? 9And Saul eyed David from that day forward. 10And it happened the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; 11and Saul hurled the spear; for he said, I will pin David to the wall. And David evaded him twice. 12And Saul was afraid of David, because Yehovah was with him, and had 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 Yehovah was with him. 15And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. 17And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her I will give you as a wife: only be valiant for me, and fight Yehovah’s battles. For Saul said, Do not let my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. 18And 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? 19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. 20And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21And 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, You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time. 22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Speak 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. 23And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, In this way David spoke. 25And Saul said, Thus you shall say to David, The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now 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 had not expired; 27and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. 28And Saul saw and knew that Yehovah was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. 29And Saul was still more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually. 30Then the princes of the Philistines went out: and it happened, as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was highly esteemed.