| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 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. | 1When David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. |
| 2From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. | 2Saul retained David on that day and did not allow him to return to his father's house. |
| 3And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. | 3Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. |
| 4Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. | 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear, including his sword, his bow, and even his belt. |
| 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. | 5On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul's servants. |
| 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. | 6When the men arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. |
| 7This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” | 7The women who were playing the music sang, "Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!" |
| 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!” | 8This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, "They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?" |
| 9So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. | 9So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward. |
| 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, | 10The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre that day. There was a spear in Saul's hand, |
| 11and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice. | 11and Saul threw the spear, thinking, "I'll nail David to the wall!" But David escaped from him on two different occasions. |
| 12Saul was then afraid of David, for the LORD was with David and had turned away from Saul. | 12So Saul feared David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. |
| 13Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle. | 13Saul removed David from his presence and made him a commanding officer. David led the army out to battle and back. |
| 14David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him. | 14Now David achieved success in all he did, for the LORD was with him. |
| 15When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. | 15When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. |
| 16But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle. David Marries Saul’s Daughter | 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back. |
| 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.” | 17Then Saul said to David, "Here's my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the LORD." For Saul thought, "There's no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!" |
| 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!” | 18David said to Saul, "Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father in Israel that I should become the king's son-in-law?" |
| 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. | 19When the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah. |
| 20In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. | 20Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it pleased him. |
| 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!” | 21Saul said, "I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Today is the second time for you to become my 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?” | 22Then Saul instructed his servants, "Tell David secretly, 'The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king's son-in-law." |
| 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?” | 23So Saul's servants spoke these words privately to David. David replied, "Is becoming the king's son-in-law something insignificant to you? I'm just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!" |
| 24When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, | 24When Saul's servants reported what David had said, |
| 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. | 25Saul replied, "Here is what you should say to David: 'There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his enemies.'" (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.) |
| 26David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, | 26So his servants told David these things and David agreed to become the king's son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired |
| 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. | 27when David, along with his men, went out and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king's son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. |
| 28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, | 28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, |
| 29Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life. | 29Saul became even more afraid of him. Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. |
| 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. | 30Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul's servants. His name was held in high esteem. |
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