1After David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became great friends with David. He loved David as he loved himself.

2From that time on Jonathan had David work for him and would not let him go back home.

3Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David because he loved him as he loved himself.

4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. ⁶¹

5David was successful in doing everything Saul asked him to do, so Saul made him an officer in the army. This pleased everyone, including Saul's other officers.

6When the soldiers returned home after David had killed the Philistine, the women of all the towns of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul, happily celebrating with tambourines and musical instruments.

7As they danced the women sang, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

8What they were singing made Saul very angry as he didn't think it was right. He said to himself, “They've given David credit for killing tens of thousands, but only thousands to me. All that's left is to give him the kingdom!”

9From that time on Saul viewed David with suspicion.

10The following day an evil spirit from God came on Saul with power, and he was ranting ⁶²inside the house while David played the harp as he regularly did. Saul happened to be holding a spear,

11and he threw it at David, saying to himself, “I'll pin David to the wall.” But David managed to escape him twice.

12Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David, but he had given up on Saul.

13So Saul sent David away and made him a commander of a thousand soldiers, leading them out and back as part of the army.

14David was very successful in everything he did, because the Lord was with him.

15When Saul saw how successful David was, he was even more afraid of him.

16But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David, because of his leadership in the army.

17One day Saul told David, “Here's my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage, but only if you prove to me you're a brave warrior and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul was thinking, “I don't need to be the one to kill him—let the Philistines do it!”

18“But who am I, and what status does my family have in Israel, for me to become the son-in-law of the king?” David replied. ⁶³

19However, when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah instead.

20Meanwhile Saul's daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and when Saul was told, he was happy about it.

21“I'll give her to David,” Saul thought. “She can be the bait so the Philistines can trap him.” So Saul said to David, “This is the second time you can become my son-in-law.”

22Saul gave these instructions to his servants, “Talk with David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is very happy with you, and all of us love you. Why not become the king's son-in-law?’”

23Saul's servants spoke privately to David, but he replied, “Do you think it's nothing to become the king's son-in-law? I'm a poor man, and I'm not important.”

24When Saul's servants explained to him what David had said,

25Saul told them, “Tell David, ‘The only dowry the king wants for the bride is one hundred foreskins of dead Philistines as a way of taking revenge on his enemies.’” Saul's plan was to have David be killed by the Philistines.

26When the servants reported what the king had said back to David, he was happy to become the king's son-in-law. While there was still time,

27David set off with his men and killed two hundred Philistines, and brought back their foreskins. They counted them all out before the king so that David could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal was in love with David,

29and so he became even more afraid of David, and was David's enemy for the rest of his life.

30Whenever the Philistine commanders attacked, David was more successful in battle than all of Saul's officers, so that his reputation grew rapidly.