David and Jonathan, friends
1 Samuel 18:1-9
Jonathan, the son of King Saul, loved David as his own life. When Saul grew jealous and wanted to kill David, Jonathan defended him and warned him. Then he said goodbye in tears, with a promise of friendship before the Lord. 1 Samuel 18:1-9
The story, in plain words
After the victory over Goliath, Jonathan, the son of King Saul, loved David as his own life. 1 Samuel 18:1
Jonathan and David became close friends, because Jonathan loved David as himself. 1 Samuel 18:3
Jonathan took off the cloak he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his other clothes, his sword and his bow. 1 Samuel 18:4
When they came home from war, the women came out singing to meet King Saul. They sang that Saul had killed thousands, and David tens of thousands. 1 Samuel 18:6-7…
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See the mapWhat the Bible says
1 Samuel 18:1-9
1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for be loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 5And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he behaved himself prudently: and Saul set him over the soldiers, and he was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the eyes of Saul’s servants. 6Now when David returned, after be slew the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets. 7And the women sung as they played, and they said: I Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand; what can he have more but the kingdom? 9And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and forward.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
To talk about together
- Jonathan was the king’s son, and still he stood up for David in front of his father. What did it cost Jonathan to be David’s friend?
- Saul became jealous because of a song. Why do you think jealousy does so much harm?
- For the child: Who is your best friend? What would you do for your friend?