New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
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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.
2 Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house.
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And that day Saul took David and would not let him go back to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.
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Then Jonathan and David made an agreement together, because of Jonathan's love for David.
4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
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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.
5 David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.
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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.
6 As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.
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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.
7 And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
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And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.
8 Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?"
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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?
9 So Saul eyed David from that day on.
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And from that day Saul was looking with envy on David.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
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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.
11 and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
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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.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
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And Saul went in fear of David, because the Lord was with David and had gone away from Saul.
13 So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army.
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So Saul sent him away, and made him a captain over a thousand; and he went about his business before the people.
14 David had success in all his undertakings; for the Lord was with him.
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And in all his undertakings David did wisely; and the Lord was with him.
15 When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him.
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And when Saul saw how wisely he did, he was in fear of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.
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But David was loved by all Israel and Judah, for he went out and came in before them.
17 Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder 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, "I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him."
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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.
18 David said to Saul, "Who am I and who are my kinsfolk, my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"
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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?
19 But at the time when Saul's daughter Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
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But when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholath.
20 Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him.
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And Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David: and Saul had word of it and was pleased.
21 Saul thought, "Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time, "You shall now be my son-in-law."
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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.
22 Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in private and say, "See, the king is delighted with you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king's son-in-law.' "
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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.
23 So Saul's servants reported these words to David in private. And David said, "Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?"
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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?
24 The servants of Saul told him, "This is what David said."
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And the servants of Saul gave him an account of what David had said.
25 Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, "The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king's enemies.' " Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
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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.
26 When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired,
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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.
27 David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.
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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.
28 But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him,
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And it was clear to Saul that the Lord was with David; and he was loved by all Israel.
29 Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward.
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And Saul's fear of David became all the greater, and he went on hating him, day by day.
30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle; and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great.
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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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.