<p class="bodytext">Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him.

<p class="bodytext">So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand.

Saul said to him, &#8220;Whose son are you, young man?&#8221; David replied, &#8220;I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When David<n id="1" /> had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship.<n id="2" /> Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought,<n id="1" /> &#8220;They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">David said to Saul, &#8220;Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father<n id="1" /> in Israel that I should become the king&#8217;s son-in-law?&#8221;

When the time came for Merab, Saul&#8217;s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.p>

So Saul&#8217;s servants spoke these words privately<n id="1" /> to David. David replied, &#8220;Is becoming the king&#8217;s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I&#8217;m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!&#8221;p>

<n id="1" /> Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul&#8217;s servants. His name was held in high esteem.p>

So Jonathan told David, &#8220;My father Saul is trying<n id="1" /> to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find<n id="2" /> a hiding place and stay in seclusion.<n id="3" />

Then an evil spirit from the <sc>Lordsc> came upon<n id="1" /> Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, &#8220;Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.&#8221;

The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him<n id="1" /> and Abner at his side.<n id="2" /> But David&#8217;s place was vacant.

However, Saul said nothing about it<n id="1" /> that day, for he thought,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.&#8221;

Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan<n id="1" /> in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced<n id="2" /> that his father had decided to kill David.

So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath.

So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him,<n id="1" /> he told Abiathar the priest, &#8220;Bring the ephod!&#8221;

Then David said, &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning<n id="1" /> to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.

Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, please inform your servant!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;He will come down.&#8221;