¶ And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan¹ was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him² as his own soul.

And Saul took him³ that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant⁴, because he loved him as his own soul.

And Jonathan stripped himself⁵ of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved⁶ himself wisely⁷: and Saul set him over the men of war⁸, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

¶ And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine⁹, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

And the women answered¹¹ one another as they played, and said, Saul¹² hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying¹³ displeased him;¹⁴ and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what¹⁵ can he have more but the kingdom?

And Saul eyed David¹⁶ from that day and forward.

¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit¹⁷ from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied¹⁸ in the midst of the house: and David played¹⁹ with his hand, as at other times: and there was²⁰ a javelin in Saul's hand.

And Saul cast the javelin²¹; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David²² avoided out of his presence twice.

¶ And Saul was afraid²³ of David, because the LORD²⁴ was with him, and was departed²⁵ from Saul.

Therefore Saul removed²⁶ him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out²⁷ and came in before the people.

And David behaved²⁸ himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD²⁹ was with him.

Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely³⁰, he was afraid of him.

But all Israel³¹ and Judah loved David, because he went³² out and came in before them.

And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give³³ thee to wife: only be thou valiant³⁴ for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine³⁵ hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

And David said unto Saul, Who am I?³⁶ and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?

But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel³⁷ the Meholathite³⁸ to wife.

¶ And Michal Saul's daughter loved David³⁹: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.

And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.

Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

¶ Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.