55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, ^ythe commander of the army, “Abner, ^zwhose son is this youth?” And Abner said, ^a“As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul ^bwith the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, ^c“I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

David and Jonathan’s Friendship

1 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan ^dloved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day ^eand would not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because ^dhe loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 And David went out ^fand was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

Saul’s Jealousy of David

6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, ^gthe women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.¹ 7 And the women ^hsang to one another as they celebrated,

8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but ^jthe kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on.

10 The next day ^ka harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and ^lhe raved within his house while David was ^mplaying the lyre, as he did day by day. ⁿSaul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul ^ohurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.

12 ^pSaul was afraid of David because ^qthe Lord was with him ^rbut had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. ^sAnd he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David ^thad success in all his undertakings, ^qfor the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that ^the had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 ^uBut all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is ^vmy elder daughter Merab. ^wI will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me ^xand fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, ^ybut let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 And David said to Saul, ^z“Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to ^aAdriel the ^bMeholathite for a wife.

20 Now ^vSaul’s daughter Michal ^cloved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may ^dbe a snare for him ^eand that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,^{2 f}“You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, ^g“Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” 24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no ^hbride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ⁱthat he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” ^jNow Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. ^kBefore the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, ^lalong with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. ^mAnd David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28 But when Saul saw and knew that ⁿthe Lord was with David, ^oand that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

30 ^pThen the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out ^qDavid had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

Saul Tries to Kill David

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. ^rBut Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king ^ssin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For ^the took his life in his hand ^uand he struck down the Philistine, ^vand the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against ^winnocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, ^x“As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence ^yas before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 ^zThen a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. ^aAnd David was playing the lyre. 10 ^bAnd Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 ^cSaul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”

Deliver Me from My Enemies

To the choirmaster: according to ^xDo Not Destroy. A ^yMiktam¹ of David, ^zwhen Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

12 ^dSo Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took ^ean image¹ and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, ^ethe image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. ^fWhy should I kill you?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at ^gRamah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, ^hthe Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, ⁱand they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, ⁱand they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, ⁱand they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in ^gRamah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. ^jAnd the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 ^kAnd he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, ^l“Is Saul also among the prophets?”