1 Q uando ebbe finito di parlare a Saul, l'anima di Gionathan rimase legata all'anima di Davide, e Gionathan l'amò come l'anima sua.

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

2 Q uel giorno Saul lo prese con sé e non gli permise più di ritornare a casa di suo padre.

And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.

3 G ionathan fece quindi un patto con Davide, perché lo amava come la sua anima.

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

4 P oi Gionathan si tolse il mantello che indossava e lo diede a Davide, e vi aggiunse pure le sue vesti, la sua spada, il suo arco e la sua cintura.

And 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.

5 D avide andava ovunque Saul lo mandava e riusciva bene. Così Saul lo mise a capo degli uomini di guerra, ed era gradito a tutto il popolo e anche ai servi di Saul.

And David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved himself prudently, 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 slaves.

6 A l loro rientro, quando Davide tornava dall'uccisione del Filisteo, le donne uscirono da tutte le città d'Israele incontro al re Saul, cantando e danzando con tamburelli, con grida di gioia e con strumenti musicali.

¶ And 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 tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.

7 C osì le donne si rispondevano a vicenda cantando, e dicevano: «Saul ha ucciso i suoi mille, e Davide i suoi diecimila»

And the women sang as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands.

8 L a cosa irritò grandemente Saul e quelle parole gli dispiacquero, e disse: «A Davide ne hanno attribuito diecimila e a me ne hanno attribuito solo mille. Ora non gli manca altro che il regno!».

And 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?

9 C osì Saul da quel giorno in poi guardò Davide con gelosia.

And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10 I l giorno dopo un cattivo spirito, da parte di DIO, s'impossessò di Saul che si comportava come un pazzo in mezzo alla casa, mentre Davide suonava l'arpa con la sua mano come gli altri giorni, e Saul aveva in mano la lancia.

And it came to pass on the next day 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 spear in Saul’s hand.

11 C osì Saul scagliò la lancia, dicendo: «Inchioderò Davide al muro!». Ma Davide schivò il colpo per due volte.

And Saul cast the spear, saying, I will smite David to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12 S aul aveva paura di Davide perché l'Eterno era con lui, mentre si era ritirato da Saul.

¶ But Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him and had departed from Saul.

13 P erciò Saul lo allontanò da sé e lo fece capitano di mille uomini, ed egli andava e veniva alla testa del popolo.

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

14 O r Davide riusciva bene in tutte le sue imprese e l'Eterno era con lui.

And David behaved himself prudently in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

15 S aul, vedendo che egli riusciva molto bene, aveva timore di lui;

Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved himself very prudently, he was afraid of him.

16 m a tutto Israele e Giuda amavano Davide, perché andava e veniva alla loro testa.

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

17 P oi Saul disse a Davide: «Ecco Merab, la mia figlia maggiore; io te la darò in moglie; sii per me un figlio valoroso e combatti le battaglie dell'Eterno». Or Saul pensava: «Non sia la mia mano a colpirlo, ma sia la mano dei Filistei».

And Saul said to David, Behold I will give thee my elder daughter Merab to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles. For Saul said to himself, My hand shall not be against him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be against him.

18 M a Davide rispose a Saul: «Chi sono io e cosa è la vita mia e la famiglia di mio padre in Israele, perché io divenga genero del re?».

And 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?

19 O r avvenne che, quando venne il momento di dare Merab, figlia di Saul, a Davide, essa fu data in moglie ad Adriel, il Meholathita.

And 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.

20 M a Mikal, figlia di Saul, amava Davide; lo riferirono a Saul e la cosa gli piacque.

But Michal, Saul’s other daughter, loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

21 C osì Saul pensò: «Gliela darò, perché sia per lui un laccio e perché egli cada sotto la mano dei Filistei». Saul dunque disse a Davide una seconda volta: «Oggi puoi diventare mio genero».

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

22 P oi Saul ordinò ai suoi servi: «Parlate in segreto a Davide e ditegli: "Ecco, il re è soddisfatto di te e tutti i suoi servi ti amano, diventa dunque il genero del re"»

And Saul commanded his slaves, saying, Speak with David secretly and say, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his slaves love thee; now, therefore, be the king’s son-in-law.

23 I servi di Saul riportarono queste parole a Davide. Ma Davide rispose: «Vi pare piccola cosa diventare genero del re? Io sono un uomo povero e di bassa condizione».

And Saul’s slaves spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?

24 I servi riferirono a Saul: «Davide ha risposto in questo modo».

And the slaves of Saul told him, saying, David spoke these words.

25 A llora Saul disse: «Direte così a Davide: "Il re non desidera alcuna dote ma cento prepuzi dei Filistei, per fare vendetta sui nemici del re"». Or Saul complottava di far morire Davide per mezzo dei Filistei.

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The desire of the king is not in any dowry, but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. For Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26 Q uando i servi riferirono a Davide queste parole, parve bene a Davide di diventare genero del re. I giorni fissati non erano ancora trascorsi,

And when his slaves told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law, and the days were not expired.

27 q uando Davide si levò e partì con i suoi uomini e uccise duecento uomini dei Filistei. Poi Davide portò i loro prepuzi e li consegnò in numero esatto al re per diventare suo genero. Allora Saul gli diede sua figlia Mikal in moglie

Therefore 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 all to the king that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, to wife.

28 C osì Saul vide e comprese che l'Eterno era con Davide; e Mikal, figlia di Saul, lo amava.

But Saul, seeing and knowing that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him,

29 S aul ebbe ancora più paura di Davide e rimase nemico di Davide tutti i giorni che visse.

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

30 P oi i principi dei Filistei uscirono a combattere ma, ogni volta che uscivano Davide riusciva meglio di tutti i servi di Saul; così il suo nome divenne molto famoso.

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