| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. | 1After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. |
| 2And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. | 2From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. |
| 3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. | 3And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. |
| 4And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. | 4Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. |
| 5So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well. | 5Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike. |
| 6As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. | 6When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. |
| 7And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” | 7This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” |
| 8And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?” | 8This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” |
| 9And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David. | 9So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. |
| 10The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, | 10The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, |
| 11and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. | 11and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice. |
| 12So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. | 12Saul was then afraid of David, for the LORD was with David and had turned away from Saul. |
| 13Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back, | 13Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle. |
| 14and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him. | 14David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him. |
| 15When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him. | 15When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. |
| 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back. | 16But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle. David Marries Saul’s Daughter |
| 17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” | 17One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.” |
| 18And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?” | 18“Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” |
| 19So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. | 19So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah. |
| 20Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him. | 20In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. |
| 21“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.” | 21“Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!” |
| 22Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’ ” | 22Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?” |
| 23But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.” | 23When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?” |
| 24And the servants told Saul what David had said. | 24When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, |
| 25Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’ ” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines. | 25he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight. |
| 26When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, | 26David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, |
| 27David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage. | 27he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife. |
| 28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, | 28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, |
| 29he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy. | 29Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life. |
| 30Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed. | 30Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous. |
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