1 Samuel 18:1-19 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

David’s Success

18 When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship,^[a] and loved him as much as he loved himself. ² Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.

³ Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself. ⁴ Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

⁵ David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

⁶ As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. ⁷ As they danced, the women sang:

⁸ Saul was furious and resented this song.^[b] “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

Saul Attempts to Kill David

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul, and he began to rave^[c] inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear, ¹¹ and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice.

¹² Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul. ¹³ Therefore, Saul sent David away from him and made him commander over a thousand men. David led the troops ¹⁴ and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was leading their troops. ¹⁷ Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife, if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I don’t need to raise a hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸ Then David responded, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ When it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.