1 Samuel 18
It happened, when Dawud had finished speaking to Talut, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of Dawud, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2Talut took Dawud that day, and would let him go no more to his father's house. 3Then Jonathan and Dawud made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing, and gave it to Dawud, and his armour, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5Dawud went wherever Talut sent him, and behaved wisely: and Talut set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Talut's servants. 6It happened as they came, when Dawud returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Talut, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7The women sang one to another as they played, and said, Talut has slain his thousands, Dawud his tens of thousands. 8Talut was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to Dawud tens of thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9Talut eyed Dawud from that day forward. 10It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Talut, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and Dawud played music with his hand, as he did day by day. Talut had his spear in his hand; 11and Talut hurled the spear; for he said, I will pin Dawud to the wall. Dawud escaped his presence twice. 12Talut was afraid of Dawud, because Allah was with him, and had departed from Talut. 13Therefore Talut removed him from his presence, and made him captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14Dawud behaved wisely in all his ways; and Allah was with him. 15When Talut saw that he behaved very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved Dawud; for he went out and came in before them. 17Talut said to Dawud, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as wife: only be valiant for me, and fight Allah's battles. For Talut said, Do not let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him. 18Dawud said to Talut, 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? 19But it happened at the time when Merab, Talut's daughter, should have been given to Dawud, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife. 20Michal, Talut's daughter, loved Dawud: and they told Talut, and the thing pleased him. 21Talut 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 Talut said to Dawud, You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time. 22Talut commanded his servants, saying, Commune with Dawud secretly, and say, Listen, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king's son-in-law. 23Talut's servants spoke those words in the ears of Dawud. Dawud said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly regarded? 24The servants of Talut told him, saying, This is how Dawud spoke. 25Talut said, Tell Dawud, The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Talut thought to make Dawud fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26When his servants told Dawud these words, it pleased Dawud well to be the king's son-in-law. The allotted days had not yet expired; 27and Dawud arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred Philistine men; and Dawud brought their foreskins, and they gave the full number to the king, that Dawud might become the king's son-in-law. Talut gave him Michal his daughter as wife. 28Talut saw and knew that Allah was with Dawud; and Michal, Talut's daughter, loved him. 29Talut was now even more afraid of Dawud; and Talut was Dawud's enemy continually. 30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth to battle: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that Dawud behaved more wisely than all the servants of Talut; so that his name became highly regarded.