1And it happened, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.2Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house.3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because of his love for him as his own soul.4Jonathan stripped off the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, along with his garments, his sword, his bow, and his belt.5David went out in everything Saul sent him to do, and he succeeded; so Saul set him over the men of battle, and it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.6And it happened, when they came, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with triangles.7The women who danced sang out and said, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his myriads."8Saul became very angry, and this word was evil in his eyes; he said, "They have ascribed to David myriads, but to me they have ascribed the thousands; and what more can he have but the kingdom?"9Saul was watching David with iniquity from that day onward.10And it happened the next day that an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied within the house while David played with his hand as on other days; the spear was in Saul's hand.11Saul hurled the spear and said, "I will strike David to the wall," but David turned aside from him twice.12Saul feared David because the LORD was with him and had turned aside from Saul.13Saul removed him from being with him and appointed him as commander of a thousand; David went out and came in before the people.14David was successful in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.15Saul saw that he was very successful, and he dreaded him.16All Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.17Saul said to David, "Behold, my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a son of valor for me and fight the LORD's battles." Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."18David said to Saul, "Who am I, and who are my kinsfolk or my father's family in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"19And it happened at the time for giving Merab daughter of Saul to David that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.20Now Michal daughter of Saul loved David, and they told Saul, and the matter was right in his eyes.21Saul said, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Saul therefore said to David, "You shall become my son-in-law today through the second daughter."22Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in secret, saying, 'Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now become the king's son-in-law.'"23The servants of Saul spoke these words in David's ears, and David said, "Is it a light thing in your eyes to become the king's son-in-law when I am only a poor and lightly esteemed man?"24The servants of Saul reported to him, saying, "David spoke according to these words."25Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David, 'The king has no pleasure in a bride-price except a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.26When the servants told David these words, the matter was right in David's eyes, to become the king's son-in-law; and the days were not fulfilled.27David arose and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines; David brought their foreskins in full number to the king, to become the king's son-in-law; Saul then gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.28Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal daughter of Saul loved him.29Saul continued to fear David still more, and Saul was David's enemy all the days.30The commanders of the Philistines went out, and whenever they went out David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.