1Samuel:18

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* And it came to pass , when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul , that , the soul of Jonathan , was knit with , the soul of David , so that Jonathan loved him , as his own soul . * And Saul took him , that day , and suffered him not to return unto the house of his father . * And Jonathan and David solemnised a covenant , because he loved him as his own soul . * And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe which was upon him , and gave it to David , and his equipments , even to his sword , and to his bow , and to his girdle . * And David went forthwhithersoever Saul sent him , he behaved himself prudently , so Saul set him over the men of war , and he became a favourite in the eyes of all the people , yea even in the eyes of the servants of Saul . * But so it was , when they came in on the return of David from the smiting of the Philistine , that the women went forth out of all the cities of Israel , singing and dancing , to meet Saul the king , with timbrels , with rejoicing , and with instruments of three strings . * And the women that made merry responded to each other in song , and said , Saul , hath smitten , his thousands , but , David , his , tens of thousands . * Then was Saul exceeding angry , and this saying was offensive in his eyes , and he said , They have ascribed , to David , ten thousands , but , to me , have they ascribed thousands , What , more , then , can he have but , the kingdom ? * And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward . * And , when it came to pass , on the morrow , that a superhuman spirit of sadness came suddenly upon Saul , and he was moved to raving in the midst of the house , and , David , began playing with his hand , as he had done day by day , that a spear being in Sauls hand , * Saul hurled the spear , and said to himself I will smite David , even to the wall ! But David moved round from before him , twice . * And Saul feared because of David , for Yahweh was with him , whereas , from Saul , he had departed . * So Saul removed him from him , and appointed him to be for him the captain of a thousand , and he went out and came in before the people . * And it came to pass that David , in all his ways , acted prudently , and , Yahweh , was with him . * And , when Saul saw that , he , was acting very prudently , he was afraid of him . * But , all Israel and Judah , were in love with David , for he was going out and coming in before them . * So then Saul said unto David Lo ! my elder daughter Merab , her , will I give thee to wife , only , approve thyself unto me as a son of valour and fight the battles of Yahweh . Saul , however , had said to himself Let not , my own hand , be upon him , but let , the hand of the Philistines , be upon him . * And David said unto Saul Who am , I , or who are my kinsfolk , the family of my father , in Israel , that I should become son-in-law , to the king ? * But it came to pass , within the time for giving Merab daughter of Saul to David , that , she , was given to Adriel the Meholathite , to wife . * Then did Michal , Sauls daughter , love David , and it was told Saul , and the thing was right in his eyes . * And Saul said to himself I will give her unto him , that she may prove to him a snare , and that , the hand of the Philistines , may be upon him . So then Saul said unto David , A second time , mayest thou become my son-in-law to-day . * And Saul commanded his servants Speak ye unto David quietly saying , Lo ! the king delighteth in thee , and , all his servants , love thee , now , therefore , become thou son-in-law to the king . * And the servants of Saul spake , in the ears of David , these words . And David said Seemeth it a light thing , in your eyes , to become son-in-law to the king , seeing that , I , am a poor man and lightly esteemed ? * So the servants of Saul told him , saying , According to these words , spake David , * Then said Saul Thus , shall ye say unto David The king hath no delight in purchase-price , but rather in a hundred foreskins of Philistines , by avenging himself on the enemies of the king . But , Saul , thought to let David fall by the hand of the Philistines . * So , when his servants told David these words , the thing was right in the eyes of David , to become son-in-law unto the king , and the days had not expired . * Wherefore David arose , and wenthe and his men , and smote among the Philistines two hundred men , and David brought in their foreskins , and gave them in full tale unto the king , that he might become son-in-law unto the king , and Saul gave him Michal his daughter , to wife . * And Saul saw and knew that , Yahweh , was with David , and that , all Israel , loved him . * So then Saul went on to fear because of David , yet more , and it came to pass that Saul was hostile to David , all the days . * And , when the princes of the Philistines came forth , so it was , that , as often as they came forth , David was more circumspect than any of the servants of Saul , so that his name was , precious exceedingly .

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