⁸ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?^(A)” ⁹ And from that time on Saul kept a close^(B) eye on David.

¹⁰ The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(C) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(D) as he usually^(E) did. Saul had a spear^(F) in his hand ¹¹ and he hurled it, saying to himself,^(G) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded^(H) him twice.^(I)

¹² Saul was afraid^(J) of David, because the Lord^(K) was with^(L) David but had departed from^(M) Saul. ¹³ So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^(N) the troops in their campaigns.^{(O) 14} In everything he did he had great success,^(P) because the Lord was with^(Q) him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.^(R)

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter^(S) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;^(T) only serve me bravely and fight the battles^(U) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,^(V) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who am I,^(W) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?^(X)” ¹⁹ So^[b] when the time came for Merab,^(Y) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(Z)

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(AA) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^{(AB) 21} “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(AC) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²² Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³ They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(AD) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴ When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵ Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price^(AE) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge^(AF) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan^(AG) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷ David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal^(AH) in marriage.

²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(AI) loved David, ²⁹ Saul became still more afraid^(AJ) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰ Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? ³¹ As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom^(A) will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

³² “Why^(B) should he be put to death? What^(C) has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. ³³ But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended^(D) to kill David.

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶ Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated,^(A) spear in hand, under the tamarisk^(B) tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. ⁷ He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders^(C) of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ Is that why you have all conspired^(D) against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant^(E) with the son of Jesse.^(F) None of you is concerned^(G) about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

⁹ But Doeg^(H) the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub^(I) at Nob.^{(J) 10} Ahimelek inquired^(K) of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions^(L) and the sword^(M) of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. ¹² Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

¹³ Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired^(N) against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

¹⁴ Ahimelek answered the king, “Who^(O) of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? ¹⁵ Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

¹⁶ But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.^(P)”

¹⁷ Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling^(Q) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸ The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”^(R) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.^(S)

Saul Pursues David

⁷ Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,^(A) for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”^{(B) 8} And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar^(C) the priest, “Bring the ephod.^(D)” ¹⁰ David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will.”

¹² Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender^(E) me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

¹³ So David and his men,^(F) about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

¹⁴ David stayed in the wilderness^(G) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.^(H) Day after day Saul searched^(I) for him, but God did not^(J) give David into his hands.

¹⁵ While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that^[a] Saul had come out to take his life.^{(K) 16} And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength^(L) in God. ¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king^(M) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” ¹⁸ The two of them made a covenant^(N) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

¹⁹ The Ziphites^(O) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us^(P) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,^(Q) south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving^(R) him into your hands.”

²¹ Saul replied, “The Lord bless^(S) you for your concern^(T) for me. ²² Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. ²³ Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track^(U) him down among all the clans of Judah.”

David Again Spares Saul’s Life

26 The Ziphites^(A) went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding^(B) on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?^(C)”