1 Samuel 18
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Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, a the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, b and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
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Saul took him that day, c and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore.
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Then Jonathan and David made a d covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
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And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
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So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
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Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that e the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
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So the women f sang as they danced, and said:
g "Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands."
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Then Saul was very angry, and the saying h displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but i the kingdom?"
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So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
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And it happened on the next day that j the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, k and he prophesied inside the house. So David l played music with his hand, as at other times; m but there was a spear in Saul's hand.
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And Saul n cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice.
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Now Saul was o afraid of David, because p the LORD was with him, but had q departed from Saul.
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Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and r he went out and came in before the people.
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And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and s the LORD was with him.
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Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
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But t all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
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Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab; u I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight v the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, w "Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."
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So David said to Saul, x "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?"
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But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to y Adriel the z Meholathite as a wife.
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a Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
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So Saul said, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that b the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, c "You shall be my son-in-law today."
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And Saul commanded his servants, "Communicate with David secretly, and say, 'Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king's son-in-law.' "
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So Saul's servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, "Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?"
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And the servants of Saul told him, saying, "In this manner David spoke."
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Then Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David: 'The king does not desire any d dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take e vengeance on the king's enemies.' " But Saul f thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
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So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law. Now g the days had not expired;
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therefore David arose and went, he and h his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And i David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
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Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him;
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and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually.
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Then the princes of the Philistines j went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David k behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 17:12
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.
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Cross References
Genesis 44:30
Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life.
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Deuteronomy 13:6
If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers.
1 Samuel 20:17
Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
2 Samuel 1:26
I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 17:15
But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 20:8 - 17
"Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?"
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Cross References
Exodus 15:20
Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Exodus 15:21
And Miriam answered them: "Sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!
Judges 11:34
When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
Psalms 68:25
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
Psalms 149:3
Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
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Cross References
Exodus 15:21
And Miriam answered them: "Sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!
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Cross References
1 Samuel 21:11
And the servants of Achish said to him, " Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?
1 Samuel 29:5
" Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 4:4
Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
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1 Samuel 15:28
So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.
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1 Samuel 19:24
And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, " Is Saul also among the prophets?
1 Kings 18:29
And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
Acts 16:16
Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 16:23
And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 19:9
Now the distressing spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand.
1 Samuel 19:10
Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 19:10
Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.
1 Samuel 20:33
Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:15
Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
1 Samuel 18:29
And Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
1 Samuel 16:18
Then one of the servants answered and said, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1 Samuel 28:15
Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.
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Cross References
Numbers 27:17
"who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd."
1 Samuel 18:16
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
1 Samuel 29:6
Then Achish called David and said to him, "Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you.
2 Samuel 5:2
"Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.'"
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Cross References
Genesis 39:2
The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
Genesis 39:3
And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.
Genesis 39:23
The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.
Joshua 6:27
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.
1 Samuel 16:18
Then one of the servants answered and said, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.
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Cross References
Numbers 27:16
Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation.
Numbers 27:17
"who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd."
1 Samuel 18:5
So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
2 Samuel 5:2
"Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.'"
1 Kings 3:7
Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:49
The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
1 Samuel 17:25
So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel.
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Cross References
Numbers 32:20
Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war.
Numbers 32:27
"but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says."
Numbers 32:29
And Moses said to them: "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession.
1 Samuel 25:28
Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil is not found in you throughout your days.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:21
So Saul said, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, "You shall be my son-in-law today.
1 Samuel 18:25
Then Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David: 'The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.' " But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
2 Samuel 12:9
Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 9:21
And Saul answered and said, " Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?
1 Samuel 18:23
So Saul's servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, "Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?
2 Samuel 7:18
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
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Cross References
2 Samuel 21:8
So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
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Cross References
Judges 7:22
When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
2 Samuel 21:8
So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
1 Kings 19:16
Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:28
Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:26
So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law. Now the days had not expired.
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Cross References
Genesis 34:12
"Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife."
Exodus 22:17
If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:24
And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:21
So Saul said, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, "You shall be my son-in-law today.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:13
Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 3:14
So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
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2 Samuel 11:1
It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.