1 Samuel 18 NKJV NIV Parallel

◄ 1 Samuel 18 ►

NKJV Parallel NIV [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]

New King James Version

New International Version

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, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

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

2From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family.

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

3And 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.

4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even 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.

5Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and 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.

6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.

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

7As they danced, they sang: "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?”

8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?"

9So Saul eyed David from that day forward.

9And from that time on Saul kept a close 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 an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. 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 hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll 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.

12Saul 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.

13So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.

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

14In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.

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

15When Saul saw how successful he was, 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 led them in their campaigns.

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 said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD." For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!"

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?”

18But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my 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.

19So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given 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 was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

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 him," he thought, "so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second opportunity 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 ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, 'Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now 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?”

23They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known."

24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner David spoke.”

24When Saul's servants told him 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 wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Saul's plan was to have David fall by 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 attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,

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 took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal 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.

29Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

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.

30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.

New International Version (NIV)

Bible Hub