¹It happened, when he finished speaking to Saul, that the being of Jonathan was bound to the being of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own being.

²Saul took him that day and did not let him return to the house of his father.

³Jonathan and David cut a covenant, because of his loving him as his own being.

⁴Jonathan stripped off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, his garments, and on to his sword, and on to his bow, and on to his belt.

⁵David went out in everything that Saul sent him on, and acted wisely. Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of Saul’s slaves.

⁶It happened, as they came in, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that the women went out from all the cities of Israel to sing and to dance, to meet Saul the king, with tambourines, with gladness, and with three-stringed lutes.

⁷The women answered, laughing and playing, and said, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

⁸Saul burned exceedingly, and this word was displeasing in his eyes. He said, “They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given the thousands; and what more is there for him but the kingdom?”

⁹Saul was eyeing David from that day and onward.

¹⁰It happened, from the next day, that an evil breath from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house, while David was playing with his hand as day by day; and the spear was in the hand of Saul.

¹¹Saul hurled the spear and said, “I will strike David into the wall.” But David turned away from his face, twice.

¹²Saul was afraid of the face of David, for Yahweh was with him, and from Saul he had turned aside.

¹³Saul removed him from his side and set him for himself as officer of a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

¹⁴David was acting wisely in all his ways, and Yahweh was with him.

¹⁵Saul saw that he was acting wisely exceedingly, and he shrank in fear from his face.

¹⁶All Israel and Judah loved David, for he was going out and coming in before them.

¹⁷Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be a son of strength to me, and fight the wars of Yahweh.” And Saul said, “Let my hand not be on him; and let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”

¹⁸David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who is my life, my father’s family in Israel, that I should become a son-in-law to the king?”

¹⁹It happened, at the time Merab, the daughter of Saul, was to be given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

²⁰Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved David; they told Saul, and the word was pleasing in his eyes.

²¹Saul said, “I will give her to him, and she will be a snare for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be on him.” And Saul said to David, “A second time you will form a marriage tie with me today.”

²²Saul commanded his slaves, “Speak to David in secret, saying, ‘Look, the king delights in you, and all his slaves love you; so now form a marriage tie with the king.’”

²³Saul’s slaves spoke these words in the ears of David, and David said, “Is it a slight thing in your eyes to form a marriage tie with the king, when I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”

²⁴Saul’s slaves told him, saying, “David spoke words like these.”

²⁵Saul said, “Thus you will say to David: ‘The king has no delight in a bride-price, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” And Saul reckoned that he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶His slaves told David these words, and the word was pleasing in the eyes of David, to form a marriage tie with the king. And the days had not been filled.

²⁷David rose and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, and they made them complete to the king, to form a marriage tie with the king. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

²⁸Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David, and Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved him.

²⁹Saul added still more to being afraid of the face of David, and Saul was an enemy to David all the days.

³⁰The chiefs of the Philistines went out; and it happened, as often as they went out, that David acted wisely more than all the slaves of Saul, and his name was esteemed exceedingly.