1 Samuel

And 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.

1David finished talking with Saul. Jonathan was Saul's son. Right away Jonathan felt very close to David. He loved David as much as he loved himself.

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

2That day Saul kept David with him. He would not let David go back home to his father's house.

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

3Jonathan made a promise with David to always be his friend. He did this because he loved David as much as himself.

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.

4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David. He gave David his coat too, and his sword, his bow, and his belt.

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.

5Saul sent David out to do many jobs, and David did well at all of them. So Saul put him in charge of the soldiers. This pleased all the people, and Saul's helpers too.

NoteThe old wording says David "behaved himself wisely." It does not mean he was polite. It means he did well and succeeded at what he was sent to do.

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.

6David had killed the Philistine giant. As the soldiers came home, women came out of every town in Israel. They came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced with happy songs. They played small drums and other instruments.

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

7The women sang back and forth to each other. They sang, "Saul has killed thousands, and David has killed tens of thousands."

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?

8Saul was very angry. The song upset him. He said, "They say David killed tens of thousands. They only say I killed thousands. The next thing they will give him is my kingdom!"

9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

9From that day on, Saul watched David closely. He did not trust him anymore.

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.

10The next day a bad spirit from God came over Saul. He raved and shouted inside the house. David played the harp for him, the way he always did. Saul had a spear in his hand.

Note"Prophesied" here does not mean David heard a message from God. It means Saul raved and acted wildly. The old word "javelin" means a spear made for throwing.

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.

11Saul threw the spear. He thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David got out of the way. This happened two times.

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

12Saul was afraid of David. The LORD was with David, and the LORD had left Saul.

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

13So Saul sent David away from him. He put David in charge of a thousand soldiers. David led those men out to battle and back home again.

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

14David did well in everything he did, because the LORD was with him.

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

15Saul saw how well David did everything. That made Saul even more afraid of him.

16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

16But all the people of Israel and Judah loved David. He led them out to battle and brought them home again.

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.

17Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter, Merab. I will let you marry her. Just be brave for me and fight the LORD's battles." But Saul was thinking something else. He thought, "I will not hurt David myself. I will let the Philistines do it."

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?

18David said to Saul, "Who am I? My family is not an important one in Israel. How could I marry the king's daughter?"

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.

19The time came for Merab to be given to David. But Saul gave her to a different man instead. That man was Adriel from a town called Meholah.

20And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

20Saul's other daughter, Michal, loved David. People told Saul about it, and it made him glad.

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.

21Saul thought, "I will give Michal to David. She will be a trap for him. Then the Philistines can kill him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second chance to become my 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.

22Saul told his helpers what to do. He said, "Talk to David quietly. Tell him the king is pleased with him. Tell him all the king's helpers love him. Then tell him to marry the king's daughter."

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?

23Saul's helpers said those words to David. David said, "Do you think it is a small thing to marry a king's daughter? I am a poor man, and people do not think much of me."

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

24The helpers went back to Saul. They told him exactly what David had said.

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.

25Saul said, "Tell David this. The king does not want money for his daughter. He wants a hundred foreskins from dead Philistine men. That will pay back the king's enemies." But Saul was really hoping the Philistines would kill David.

NoteA "dowry" was a gift given to a bride's father before a wedding. Saul asked for foreskins instead. A foreskin is a small fold of skin on a man's private parts. Israelite men had theirs cut off as a sign of belonging to God, and Philistine men did not. So a foreskin proved the dead man was a Philistine.

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.

26The helpers told David what the king wanted. David was glad to become the king's son-in-law. The wedding day had not come yet.

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.

27So David went out with his men. They killed two hundred Philistines. David brought back the foreskins. He counted out every one of them for the king. That way he could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul let David marry his daughter Michal.

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

28Saul saw clearly that the LORD was with David. He also saw that his daughter Michal loved David.

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

29So Saul was even more afraid of David. From then on, Saul was David's enemy.

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.

30The Philistine leaders kept coming out to fight. Every time, David did better than all of Saul's other officers. So people spoke of David with great respect.