Jonathan Befriends David 1 ULT And it happened, when he finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his soul. BSB BSB: After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
2 ULT And Saul took him on that day, and he did not allow him to return{ to} the house of his father. BSB BSB: And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.
3 ULT And Jonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. BSB BSB: Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
4 ULT And Jonathan stripped himself{ of} the robe that{ was} on him, and he gave it to David, and his garments, and even his sword and even his bow and even his belt. BSB BSB: And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
Saul Envies David 5 ULT And David went out. In all that Saul sent him, he succeeded. And Saul set him over the men of war. And he was good in the eyes of all of the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul. BSB BSB: So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.
6 ULT And it happened, when they came, when David returned from striking the Philistine, that the women came out from all of the cities of Israel to sing and the dances to meet Saul the king with tambourines, with joy, and with triples. BSB BSB: As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.
7 ULT And the women celebrating sang and said,“Saul has struck his thousands, and David his myriads.” BSB BSB: And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
8 ULT And it burned greatly to Saul, and this thing was bad in his eyes. And he said,“They have given myriads to David, but to me they have given thousands. And only the kingship is yet for him!” BSB BSB: And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”
9 ULT And it happened that Saul was eyeing David from that day and beyond. BSB BSB: And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10 ULT And it happened on the next day that a bad spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David was playing by his hand, as day by day. And a spear{ was} in the hand of Saul. BSB BSB: The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
11 ULT And Saul hurled the spear, and he said,“I will strike David, and into the wall!” But David turned from his face two times. BSB BSB: and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 ULT And Saul was afraid from the face of David. For Yahweh was with him, but he had turned from with Saul. BSB BSB: So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
13 ULT So Saul removed him from with him and made him a commander of a thousand for himself. And he went out and came in to the face of the people. BSB BSB: Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,
14 ULT And David was succeeding in all of his ways, for Yahweh{ was} with him. BSB BSB: and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
15 ULT And Saul saw that he was succeeding greatly. And he dreaded from his face. BSB BSB: When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.
16 ULT But all of Israel and Judah were loving David, for he was going out and coming in to their face. BSB BSB: But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.
David Marries Michal 17 ULT And Saul said to David,“Behold my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be for me a son of valor and fight the battles of Yahweh.” And Saul said,“Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” BSB BSB: Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18 ULT But David said to Saul,“Who{ am} I, and what{ is} my family, the clan of my father in Israel, that I should be son- in- law to the king?” BSB BSB: And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
19 ULT And it happened, at the time to give Merab, the daughter of Saul to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. BSB BSB: So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
20 ULT But Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved David. And they declared to Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes. BSB BSB: Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
21 ULT And Saul said,“I will give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David for a second{ time},“You may make yourself a son- in- law of mine today.” BSB BSB: “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”
22 ULT And Saul commanded his servants,“Speak to David in secrecy, saying,‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all of his servants love you. And now, make yourself a son- in- law of the king.’” BSB BSB: Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’”
23 ULT And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said,“Does it seem light in your eyes to make oneself a son- in- law of the king? And I{ am} a poor man, and I am lightly esteemed.” BSB BSB: But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”
24 ULT And the servants of Saul declared to him, saying,“Like these words David spoke.” BSB BSB: And the servants told Saul what David had said.
25 ULT And Saul said,“Thus you shall say to David,‘{ There is} no desire to the king for a bride- price except for a hundred foreskins of Philistines, to be avenged against the enemies of the king.’”(Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.) BSB BSB: Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
26 ULT And his servants declared these words to David, and the thing was right in the eyes of David, to make himself son- in- law of the king. And the days were not full, BSB BSB: When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,
27 ULT and David arose and went, he and his men, and he struck two hundred men among the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they filled them to the king, to make himself son- in- law of the king. And Saul gave Michal, his daughter, to him for a wife. BSB BSB: David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
28 ULT And Saul saw and knew that Yahweh{ was} with David and{ that} Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved him, BSB BSB: When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
29 ULT and Saul added to be more afraid from the face of David. And Saul was opposing David all of the days. BSB BSB: he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.
30 ULT And the commanders of the Philistines came out, and it happened that, whenever they came out, David was more successful than all of the servants of Saul, and his name became greatly precious. BSB BSB: Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.
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