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The Blue Letter Bible

1 Samuel 18 :: New International Version (NIV)

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Saul’s Growing Fear of David

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:1

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:1 - After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:2 - From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:3

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:3 - And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:4 - Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:5

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:5 - Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:6

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:6 - When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:7 - As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:8

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:8 - Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:9

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:9 - And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:10 - The next day an evil[fn] spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:11

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:11 - and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:12

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:12 - Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:13

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:13 - So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:14 - In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:15

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:15 - When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:16

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:16 - But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:17

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:17 - Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:18

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:18 - But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:19

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:19 - So[fn] when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:20

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:20 - Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:21

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:21 - “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:22

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:22 - Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’ ”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:23

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:23 - They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:24

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:24 - When Saul’s servants told him what David had said,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:25

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:25 - Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:26

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:26 - When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:27

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:27 - David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:28

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:28 - When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:29

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:29 - Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:30

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:30 - The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
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Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
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1 Samuel Chapter 18 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras