New Living Translation

King James 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.

1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

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

2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

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

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

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

4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

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.

5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself 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.

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.

6And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

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

7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten 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!”

8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

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,

10And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin 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 cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12Saul was then afraid of David, for the LORD was with David and had turned away from Saul.

12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

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

13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

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

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

15When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him.

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

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.”

17And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

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!”

18And David said unto 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?

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.

19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

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

20And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing 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!”

21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

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?”

22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be 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?”

23And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

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

24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

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.

25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

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

26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not 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.

27Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him,

28And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

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

29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

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 princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

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.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.