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The Blue Letter Bible

1 Samuel 18 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

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Saul Becomes Jealous of David

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:1

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:1 - After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:2 - From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:3

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

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:4 - Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:5

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:5 - Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:6

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:6 - When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:7 - This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:8

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:8 - This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:9

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

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:10 - The very next day a tormenting spirit[fn] from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:11

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:11 - and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:12

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:12 - Saul was then afraid of David, for the LORD was with David and had turned away from Saul.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:13

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:13 - Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:14 - David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:15

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:15 - When Saul recognized this, he became even more 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 was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:17

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:17 - One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:18

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:18 - “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:19

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:19 - So[fn] when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:20

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:20 - In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:21

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:21 - “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:22

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:22 - Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:23

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:23 - When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:24

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:24 - When Saul’s men reported this back to the king,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:25

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:25 - he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:26

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:26 - David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:27

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:27 - he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.

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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 how much his daughter Michal loved him,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:29

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:29 - Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 18:30

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 18:30 - Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.
See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NLT Footnotes
The type of instrument represented by the word cymbals is uncertain.
Or an evil spirit.
Or But.
NLT

Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Full copyright information is provided here. Visit the New Living Translation website.

For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

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1 Samuel Chapter 18 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New International Version 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