1 Samuel 18 :: American Standard Version (ASV)

Jonathan and David

1Sa 18:1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

1Sa 18:2

1Sa 18:2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

1Sa 18:3

1Sa 18:3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

1Sa 18:4

1Sa 18:4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1Sa 18:5

1Sa 18:5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

1Sa 18:6

1Sa 18:6And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music.

1Sa 18:7

1Sa 18:7And the women sang one to another as they played, and said,

Saul hath slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands.

1Sa 18:8

1Sa 18:8And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

1Sa 18:9

1Sa 18:9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

Saul Turns against David

1Sa 18:10

1Sa 18:10And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand;

1Sa 18:11

1Sa 18:11and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

1Sa 18:12

1Sa 18:12And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul.

1Sa 18:13

1Sa 18:13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

1Sa 18:14

1Sa 18:14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him.

1Sa 18:15

1Sa 18:15And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.

1Sa 18:16

1Sa 18:16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.

1Sa 18:17

1Sa 18:17And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah’s battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

1Sa 18:18

1Sa 18:18And David said unto Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

1Sa 18:19

1Sa 18:19But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

David Marries Saul's Daughter

1Sa 18:20

1Sa 18:20And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

1Sa 18:21

1Sa 18:21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law a second time.

1Sa 18:22

1Sa 18:22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.

1Sa 18:23

1Sa 18:23And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

1Sa 18:24

1Sa 18:24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

1Sa 18:25

1Sa 18:25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

1Sa 18:26

1Sa 18:26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. And the days were not expired;

1Sa 18:27

1Sa 18:27and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines 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. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

1Sa 18:28

1Sa 18:28And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.

1Sa 18:29

1Sa 18:29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.

1Sa 18:30

1Sa 18:30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

Pericope

1 Samuel Chapter 18 — Additional Translations: