1 Un, kad viņš bija beidzis runāt ar Saulu, tad Jonatāna sirds saistījās ar Dāvida sirdi un tie viens otru iemīlēja; un Jonatānam viņš bija tikpat kā viņa paša dzīvība. 2 Un Sauls tanī pašā dienā ņēma Dāvidu pie sevis un neļāva tam atgriezties viņa tēva namā. 3 Un Jonatāns noslēdza ar Dāvidu derību, tādēļ ka tie viens otru mīlēja kā savu paša sirdi. 4 Un Jonatāns noņēma savu apmetni, kas viņam bija, un viņš to deva Dāvidam, kā arī savas bruņas, savu zobenu, savu loku un savu jostu. 5 Un Dāvids gāja visur, kur vien Sauls viņu sūtīja. Viņš arī visu sapratīgi izpildīja, un Sauls viņu iecēla par virsnieku karavīriem. Viņš jo labi patika visai tautai un tāpat arī Saula galma ļaudīm. 6 Tad nu, Saulam un karaspēkam atgriežoties un arī Dāvidam mājup ejot no filistiešu sakāves, notika, ka sievas bija iznākušas no visām Israēla pilsētām dziedādamas un dejodamas, lai sagaidītu ķēniņu Saulu ar bungām, prieka saucieniem un dejas solī. 7 Un šīs sievas, dejas solī iedamas, dziedāja: "Sauls ir nositis tūkstošus, bet Dāvids desmitiem tūkstošu." 8 Tad Sauls ļoti sadusmojās, jo viņam šis teiciens nepatika, un viņš sacīja: "Viņi Dāvidam piedēvējuši desmitiem tūkstošu, bet man tie devuši tikai tūkstošus; nu vēl tikai tam trūkst ķēniņa varas!" 9 Un, sākot ar šo dienu, Sauls apskauda Dāvidu - un tā arī joprojām. 10 Un notika, ka nākamajā dienā Saulu pārņēma ļauns gars no Dieva un viņš nonāca savā namā neprāta stāvoklī; bet Dāvids ar savu roku spēlēja cītaru kā ik dienas, un Saulam bija rokā šķēps. 11 Un Sauls meta šķēpu un domāja: es pieduršu Dāvidu pie sienas. Bet Dāvids izlocījās no viņa divas reizes. 12 Tad Sauls baidījās Dāvida, tādēļ ka Tas Kungs bija ar viņu, bet Saulu Viņš bija atstājis. 13 Tādēļ Sauls viņu atbrīvoja no kalpošanas sev, attālināja viņu no sevis un iecēla par virsnieku pār tūkstoš vīriem. Viņš izgāja kara gājienos un atgriezās no tiem sava karapulka priekšgalā. 14 Un Dāvids bija gudrs visos savos ceļos, un Tas Kungs bija ar viņu. 15 Kad Sauls redzēja, ka viņš bija ļoti sapratīgs, tad tas no viņa bijās. 16 Bet viss Israēls un Jūda mīlēja Dāvidu, jo tas izgāja un atgriezās viņu karapulka priekšgalā. 17 Un Sauls sacīja Dāvidam: "Redzi, es tev došu savu vecāko meitu Merabu par sievu, bet esi tikai man allaž varonīgs karotājs un izcīni tu manā labā Tā Kunga karus." Pie tam Sauls domāja: mana roka nebūs tieši pret viņu, bet lai filistieši ceļ savu roku pret viņu. 18 Bet Dāvids atbildēja Saulam: "Kas es esmu, un kas ir mana ģimene, mana tēva dzimta Israēlā, lai es kļūtu ķēniņa znots?" 19 Bet, kad pienāca laiks, kad Saula meitu Merabu vajadzēja izprecināt Dāvidam, tad tā tika dota par sievu Adriēlam no Meholas. 20 Bet Saula meita Mihala iemīlēja Dāvidu, un, kad tas tika pateikts Saulam, tad tas viņam patika. 21 Un Sauls nodomāja: to es viņam došu par sievu, lai tā kļūst viņam par slazda valgu un lai viņš krīt filistiešu rokā. Tāpēc Sauls sacīja Dāvidam: "Ar šo otru tu man šodien kļūsi par znotu." 22 Un Sauls pavēlēja saviem kalpiem: "Runājiet slepeni ar Dāvidu, sacīdami: redzi, tu patīc ķēniņam, un visi viņa kalpotāji tevi mīl; tad nu kļūsti tagad ķēniņam par znotu!" 23 Saula kalpi tad arī atkārtoja šos vārdus, Dāvidam pašam tos dzirdot, bet Dāvids sacīja: "Vai tā ir maza lieta jūsu acīs - kļūt par ķēniņa znotu? Un es taču esmu nabags un maznozīmīgs vīrs." 24 Kad Saula kalpi viņam paziņoja šos vārdus, sacīdami: "Šādus vārdus Dāvids ir runājis," - 25 tad Sauls sacīja: "Sakiet Dāvidam tā: ķēniņš neprasa nekādas līgavas izpirkšanas maksas kā tikai vienu simtu filistiešu priekšādu, lai tā būtu atriebība ķēniņa ienaidniekiem." Jo Saula nodoms bija likt Dāvidam krist cīņā ar filistiešiem. 26 Kad šos viņa vārdus paziņoja Dāvidam, tad Dāvids bija ar mieru kļūt par ķēniņa znotu. Un, iekāms laiks bija piepildījies, 27 Dāvids jau cēlās, un viņa karavīri līdz ar viņu, devās ceļā un nokāva no filistiešiem divi simti vīru. Un Dāvids atnesa viņu priekšādas, un tās pilnā skaitā tika nodotas ķēniņam, lai viņš kļūtu par ķēniņa znotu. Tad Sauls viņam deva savu meitu Mihalu par sievu. 28 Un Sauls redzēja un atzina, ka Tas Kungs bija ar Dāvidu un ka Mihala, Saula meita, viņu mīlēja. 29 Tad Sauls vēl daudz vairāk bijās Dāvida, un Sauls bija Dāvidam ienaidnieks visu laiku, kamēr viņš dzīvoja. 30 Un, kad filistiešu lielkungi izgāja karot, tad, lai arī cik reizes tie būtu devušies uzbrukumā, Dāvids aizvien bija gudrāks nekā visi citi Saula vadoņi; un tā viņa vārds kļuva augsti cienīts.
1 Saul and David finished their conversation. After that, Saul's son Jonathan was deeply attracted to David and came to love him as much as he loved himself. 2 Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him go back home. 3 Jonathan swore eternal friendship with David because of his deep affection for him. 4 He took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together with his armor and also his sword, bow, and belt. 5 David was successful in all the missions on which Saul sent him, and so Saul made him an officer in his army. This pleased all of Saul's officers and men.
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
6 As David was returning after killing Goliath and as the soldiers were coming back home, women from every town in Israel came out to meet King Saul. They were singing joyful songs, dancing, and playing tambourines and lyres. 7 In their celebration the women sang, “Saul has killed thousands, but David tens of thousands.” 8 Saul did not like this, and he became very angry. He said, “For David they claim tens of thousands, but only thousands for me. They will be making him king next!” 9 And so he was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God suddenly took control of Saul, and he raved in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did every day, and Saul was holding a spear. 11 “I'll pin him to the wall,” Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.
12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with David but had abandoned him. 13 So Saul sent him away and put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle 14 and was successful in all he did, because the Lord was with him. 15 Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him. 16 But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.
David Marries Saul's Daughter
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife on condition that you serve me as a brave and loyal soldier, and fight the Lord's battles.” (Saul was thinking that in this way the Philistines would kill David, and he would not have to do it himself.)
18 David answered, “Who am I and what is my family that I should become the king's son-in-law?” 19 But when the time came for Merab to be given to David, she was given instead to a man named Adriel from Meholah.
20 Saul's daughter Michal, however, fell in love with David, and when Saul heard of this, he was pleased. 21 He said to himself, “I'll give Michal to David; I will use her to trap him, and he will be killed by the Philistines.” So for the second time Saul said to David, “You will be my son-in-law.” 22 He ordered his officials to speak privately with David and tell him, “The king is pleased with you and all his officials like you; now is a good time for you to marry his daughter.”
23 So they told this to David, and he answered, “It's a great honor to become the king's son-in-law, too great for someone poor and insignificant like me.”
24 The officials told Saul what David had said, 25 and Saul ordered them to tell David: “All the king wants from you as payment for the bride are the foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines, as revenge on his enemies.” (This was how Saul planned to have David killed by the Philistines.) 26 Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said, and David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding, 27 David and his men went and killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him, so that he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David.
28 Saul realized clearly that the Lord was with David and also that his daughter Michal loved him. 29 So he became even more afraid of David and was his enemy as long as he lived.
30 The Philistine armies would come and fight, but in every battle David was more successful than any of Saul's other officers. As a result David became very famous.
