| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. | 1After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. |
| 2Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. | 2And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. |
| 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. | 3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. |
| 4And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. | 4And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. |
| 5So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved 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. | 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. |
| 6Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. | 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. |
| 7So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” | 7And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” |
| 8Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” | 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?” |
| 9So Saul eyed David from that day forward. | 9And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David. |
| 10And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. | 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, |
| 11And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice. | 11and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. |
| 12Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. | 12So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. |
| 13Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. | 13Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back, |
| 14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. | 14and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him. |
| 15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. | 15When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him. |
| 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. | 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back. |
| 17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” | 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.” |
| 18So David said to 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?” | 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?” |
| 19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. | 19So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. |
| 20Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. | 20Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him. |
| 21So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall be my son-in-law today.” | 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.” |
| 22And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s 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.’ ” |
| 23So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?” | 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.” |
| 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner David spoke.” | 24And the servants told Saul what David had said. |
| 25Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. | 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. |
| 26So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the days had not expired; | 26When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, |
| 27therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. | 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. |
| 28Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; | 28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, |
| 29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy continually. | 29he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy. |
| 30Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed. | 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. |
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