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¹ It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Sha'ul, that the soul of Yonatan was knit with the soul of David, and Yonatan loved him as his own soul. ² Sha'ul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. ³ Then Yonatan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ Yonatan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his sash. ⁵ David went out wherever Sha'ul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely: and Sha'ul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Sha'ul's servants.

⁶ It happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Pelishti, that the women came out of all the cities of Yisra'el, singing and dancing, to meet king Sha'ul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music. ⁷ The women sang one to another as they played, and said, Sha'ul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands. ⁸ Sha'ul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ⁹ Sha'ul eyed David from that day and forward. ¹⁰ It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Sha'ul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Sha'ul had his spear in his hand; ¹¹ and Sha'ul cast the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. David avoided out of his presence twice.

¹² Sha'ul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Sha'ul. ¹³ Therefore Sha'ul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. ¹⁵ When Sha'ul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶ But all Yisra'el and Yehudah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. ¹⁷ Sha'ul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merav, her will I give you as wife: only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles. For Sha'ul said, Don't let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Pelishtim be on him. ¹⁸ David said to Sha'ul, Who am I, and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Yisra'el, that I should be son-in-law to the king? ¹⁹ But it happened at the time when Merav, Sha'ul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to `Adri'el the Mecholati as wife. ²⁰ Mikhal, Sha'ul's daughter, loved David: and they told Sha'ul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹ Sha'ul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Pelishtim may be against him. Therefore Sha'ul said to David, You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time. ²² Sha'ul commanded his servants, [saying], Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king's son-in-law. ²³ Sha'ul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, Seems it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? ²⁴ The servants of Sha'ul told him, saying, On this manner spoke David. ²⁵ Sha'ul said, Thus shall you tell David, The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Pelishtim, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Sha'ul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Pelishtim. ²⁶ When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. The days were not expired; ²⁷ and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Pelishtim two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. Sha'ul gave him Mikhal his daughter as wife. ²⁸ Sha'ul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Mikhal, Sha'ul's daughter, loved him. ²⁹ Sha'ul was yet the more afraid of David; and Sha'ul was David's enemy continually. ³⁰ Then the princes of the Pelishtim went forth: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Sha'ul; so that his name was much set by.