| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard 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. | 1When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself. |
| 2Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. | 2Saul kept David with him from that day on 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. | 3Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 5David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul's servants 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 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. |
| 7So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” | 7As they celebrated, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but 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?” | 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?" |
| 9So Saul eyed David from that day forward. | 9So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward. |
| 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 an evil spirit sent from God took control of Saul, and he began to rave inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but 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 threw it, thinking, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David got away from him twice. |
| 12Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. | 12Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left 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 reassigned David and made him commander over 1,000 men. David led the troops |
| 14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. | 14and continued to be successful in all his activities because the LORD was with him. |
| 15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. | 15When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded 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 their troops. |
| 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.” | 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, "My hand doesn't need to be 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?” | 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?" |
| 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. | 19When it was time to give Saul's daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. |
| 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 it 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'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." |
| 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.’ ” | 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.'" |
| 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?” | 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 man who is common." |
| 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner David spoke.” | 24The servants reported back to Saul, "These are the words David spoke." |
| 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. | 25Then Saul replied, "Say this to David: 'The king desires no other bride-price except 100 Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Actually, 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 200 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. |
| 28Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; | 28Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, |
| 29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy continually. | 29and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David's enemy from then on. |
| 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 to fight, David was more successful than all of Saul's officers. So his name became well known. |
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