New King James Version

New Living Translation

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 talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.

2Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.

2From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home.

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

3And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved 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.

4Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and 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.

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.

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.

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.

7So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.”

7This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten 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?”

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!”

9So Saul eyed David from that day forward.

9So from that time on 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 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 Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

11and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.

12Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, 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 removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

13Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.

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

14David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him.

15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, 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 went out and came in before them.

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 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.”

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.”

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?”

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!”

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

20In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it.

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“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!”

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 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?”

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?”

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 of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner David spoke.”

24When Saul’s men reported this back to the king,

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.

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.

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;

26David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired,

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.

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.

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 how much his daughter Michal loved him,

29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy continually.

29Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

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 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.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.