Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself.

1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father's house.

2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

3Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself.

3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul's servants as well.

5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

6As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments.

6And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7As they danced, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.

7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

8Saul was furious and resented this song. "They credited tens of thousands to David," he complained, "but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?"

8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul, and he began to rave inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear,

10And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.

11and he threw it, thinking, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David got away from him twice.

11And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.

12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

13Therefore, Saul sent David away from him and made him commander over a thousand men. David led the troops

13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14and continued to be successful in all his activities because the LORD was with him.

14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.

15When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him.

15Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

16But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was leading their troops.

16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

17Saul told David, "Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I'll give her to you as a wife, if you will be a warrior for me and fight the LORD's battles." But Saul was thinking, "I don't need to raise a hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him."

17And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

18Then David responded, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

18And David said unto Saul, 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?

19When it was time to give Saul's daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

20Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David, and when it was reported to Saul, it pleased him.

20And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

21"I'll give her to him," Saul thought. "She'll be a trap for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him." So Saul said to David a second time, "You can now be my son-in-law."

21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

22Saul then ordered his servants, "Speak to David in private and tell him, 'Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Therefore, you should become the king's son-in-law.'"

22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.

23Saul's servants reported these words directly to David, but he replied, "Is it trivial in your sight to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor commoner."

23And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

24The servants reported back to Saul, "These are the words David spoke."

24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

25Then Saul replied, "Say this to David: 'The king desires no other bride-price except a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Actually, Saul intended to cause David's death at the hands of the Philistines.

25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,

26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.

27David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as full payment to the king to become his son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David as his wife.

27Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

28Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him,

28And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

29and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David's enemy from then on.

29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

30Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, David was more successful than all of Saul's officers. So his name became well known.

30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.