The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now after David's talk with Saul was ended, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and David became as dear to him as his very life.
1
Saul and David finished their conversation. After that, Saul's son Jonathan was deeply attracted to David and came to love him as much as he loved himself.
2 And that day Saul took David and would not let him go back to his father's house.
2
Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him go back home.
3 Then Jonathan and David made an agreement together, because of Jonathan's love for David.
3
Jonathan swore eternal friendship with David because of his deep affection for him.
4 And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.
4
He took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together with his armor and also his sword, bow, and belt.
5 And David went wherever Saul sent him, and did wisely: and Saul put him at the head of his men of war, and this was pleasing to all the people as well as to Saul's servants.
5
David was successful in all the missions on which Saul sent him, and so Saul made him an officer in his army. This pleased all of Saul's officers and men.
6 Now on their way, when David came back after the destruction of the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, with songs and dances, meeting David with melody and joy and instruments of music.
6
As David was returning after killing Goliath and as the soldiers were coming back home, women from every town in Israel came out to meet King Saul. They were singing joyful songs, dancing, and playing tambourines and lyres.
7 And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.
7
In their celebration the women sang, "Saul has killed thousands, but David tens of thousands."
8 And Saul was very angry and this saying was unpleasing to him; and he said, They have given David credit for tens of thousands, and to me for only thousands: what more is there for him but the kingdom?
8
Saul did not like this, and he became very angry. He said, "For David they claim tens of thousands, but only thousands for me. They will be making him king next!"
9 And from that day Saul was looking with envy on David.
9
And so he was jealous and suspicious of David from that day on.
10 Now on the day after, an evil spirit from God came on Saul with great force and he was acting like a prophet among the men of his house, while David was making music for him, as he did day by day: and Saul had his spear in his hand.
10
The next day an evil spirit from God suddenly took control of Saul, and he raved in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did every day, and Saul was holding a spear.
11 And Saul, balancing the spear in his hand, said, I will give David a blow, pinning him to the wall. And David got away from him twice.
11
"I'll pin him to the wall," Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.
12 And Saul went in fear of David, because the Lord was with David and had gone away from Saul.
12
Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with David but had abandoned him.
13 So Saul sent him away, and made him a captain over a thousand; and he went about his business before the people.
13
So Saul sent him away and put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle
14 And in all his undertakings David did wisely; and the Lord was with him.
14
and was successful in all he did, because the Lord was with him.
15 And when Saul saw how wisely he did, he was in fear of him.
15
Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him.
16 But David was loved by all Israel and Judah, for he went out and came in before them.
16
But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.
17 And Saul said to David, Here is my oldest daughter Merab, whom I will give you for your wife: only be strong for me, fighting in the Lord's wars. For Saul said, Let it not be through me that his fate comes to him, but through the Philistines.
17
Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife on condition that you serve me as a brave and loyal soldier, and fight the Lord's battles." (Saul was thinking that in this way the Philistines would kill David, and he would not have to do it himself.)
18 And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my father's family in Israel, that I am to be son-in-law to the king?
18
David answered, "Who am I and what is my family that I should become the king's son-in-law?"
19 But when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholath.
19
But when the time came for Merab to be given to David, she was given instead to a man named Adriel from Meholah.
20 And Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David: and Saul had word of it and was pleased.
20
Saul's daughter Michal, however, fell in love with David, and when Saul heard of this, he was pleased.
21 And Saul said, I will give her to him, so that she may be a cause of danger to him, and so that the hands of the Philistines may be against him. So Saul said to David, Today you are to become my son-in-law for the second time.
21
He said to himself, "I'll give Michal to David; I will use her to trap him, and he will be killed by the Philistines." So for the second time Saul said to David, "You will be my son-in-law."
22 And Saul gave his servants orders saying, Have talk with David secretly and say to him, See how the king has delight in you, and how you are loved by all his servants: then be the king's son-in-law.
22
He ordered his officials to speak privately with David and tell him, "The king is pleased with you and all his officials like you; now is a good time for you to marry his daughter."
23 And Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said, Does it seem to you a small thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, of no great name?
23
So they told this to David, and he answered, "It's a great honor to become the king's son-in-law, too great for someone poor and insignificant like me."
24 And the servants of Saul gave him an account of what David had said.
24
The officials told Saul what David had said,
25 And Saul said, Then say to David, The king has no desire for any bride-price, but only for the private parts of a hundred Philistines so that the king may get the better of his haters. But it was in Saul's mind that David might come to his end by the hands of the Philistines.
25
and Saul ordered them to tell David: "All the king wants from you as payment for the bride are the foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines, as revenge on his enemies." (This was how Saul planned to have David killed by the Philistines.)
26 And when his servants said these words to David, he was well pleased to be the son-in-law of the king. And the days were still not past.
26
Saul's officials reported to David what Saul had said, and David was delighted with the thought of becoming the king's son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding,
27 So David and his men got up and went, and put to death two hundred of the Philistines; and David took their private parts and gave the full number of them to the king, so that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his wife.
27
David and his men went and killed two hundred Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and counted them all out to him, so that he might become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal in marriage to David.
28 And it was clear to Saul that the Lord was with David; and he was loved by all Israel.
28
Saul realized clearly that the Lord was with David and also that his daughter Michal loved him.
29 And Saul's fear of David became all the greater, and he went on hating him, day by day.
29
So he became even more afraid of David and was his enemy as long as he lived.
30 Then the rulers of the Philistines went out to war: and whenever they went out, David did more wisely than all the other servants of Saul, so that his name became greatly honoured.
30
The Philistine armies would come and fight, but in every battle David was more successful than any of Saul's other officers. As a result David became very famous.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.