1 Samuel 20:1

Contemporary English Version

David escaped from Prophets Village. Then he ran to see Jonathan and asked, "Why does your father Saul want to kill me? What have I done wrong?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?”

Hebrew Names Version
David fled from Nayot in Ramah, and came and said before Yonatan, What have I done? what is my iniquity? and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

King James Version
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Lexham English Bible
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt and what is my sin before your father that he is trying to kill me?

English Standard Version
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"

New Century Version
Then David ran away from Naioth in Ramah. He went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How did I sin against your father? Why is he trying to kill me?"

New English Translation
David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my offense? How have I sinned before your father? For he is seeking my life!"

Amplified Bible
David fled from Naioth in Ramah and he came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? What is my sin before (against) your father, that he is seeking my life?"

New American Standard Bible
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and he came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and sayd before Ionathan, What haue I done? what is mine iniquitie? and what sinne haue I committed before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?"

Complete Jewish Bible
David fled from the prophets' dormitory in Ramah, returned to Y'honatan and said, "What have I done? Where have I gone wrong? What sin have I committed that makes your father want to take my life?"

Darby Translation
And David fled from Naioth by Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity, and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life?

Easy-to-Read Version
David ran away from the camps at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked him, "What have I done wrong? What is my crime? Why is your father trying to kill me?"

George Lamsa Translation
AND David fled from Jonath, which is in Ramtha, and came and said to Jonathan, What have I done? And what is my offence? And what is my crime before your father that he seeks my life?

Good News Translation
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and went to Jonathan. "What have I done?" he asked. "What crime have I committed? What wrong have I done to your father to make him want to kill me?"

Literal Translation
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid fled fro Naioth in Ramath, and came, & spake before Ionathas: What haue I done? What trespace haue I made? What haue I synned in ye sighte of thy father, yt he seketh to kyll me?

American Standard Version
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Bible in Basic English
And David went in flight from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and said, What have I done? What is my crime and my sin against your father that he is attempting to take my life?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid fled from Naioth whiche is in Rama, and came, and said before Ionathan, What haue I done? wherin am I faultie? what is the sinne that I haue committed before thy father, that he seketh my lyfe?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan: 'What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?'

King James Version (1611)
And Dauid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Ionathan, What haue I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sinne before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David fled from Navath in Rama, and comes into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, What have I done, and what is my fault, and wherein have I sinned before thy father, that he seeks my life?

English Revised Version
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Berean Standard Bible
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Dauid fledde fro Naioth, which is in Ramatha, and cam and spak bifor Jonathas, What haue Y do? what is my wickidnesse, and what is my synne ayens thi fadir, for he sekith my lijf?

Young's Literal Translation
And David fleeth from Naioth in Ramah, and cometh, and saith before Jonathan, `What have I done? what [is] mine iniquity? and what my sin before thy father, that he is seeking my life?'

Update Bible Version
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is my iniquity? and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

Webster's Bible Translation
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what [is] my iniquity? and what [is] my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

World English Bible
David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is my iniquity? and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

New King James Version
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"

New Living Translation
David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. "What have I done?" he exclaimed. "What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?"

New Life Bible
Then David ran from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my sin? What have I done wrong to your father, that he wants to kill me?"

New Revised Standard
David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came before Jonathan and said, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin against your father that he is trying to take my life?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David fled from Naioth, in Ramah, - and came in, and said before Jonathan - What have I done? What is my transgression, and what my sin, before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But David fled from Najoth, which is in Ramatha, and came and said to Jonathan: What have I done? what is my iniquity, and what is my sin against thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Revised Standard Version
Then David fled from Nai'oth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"

THE MESSAGE
David got out of Naioth in Ramah alive and went to Jonathan. "What do I do now? What wrong have I inflicted on your father that makes him so determined to kill me?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?"

Contextual Overview

¹ David escaped from Prophets Village. Then he ran to see Jonathan and asked, "Why does your father Saul want to kill me? What have I done wrong?" ² "My father can't be trying to kill you! He never does anything without telling me about it. Why would he hide this from me? It can't be true!" ³ "Jonathan, I swear it's true! But your father knows how much you like me, and he didn't want to break your heart. That's why he didn't tell you. I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I'm only one step ahead of death." ⁴ Then Jonathan said, "Tell me what to do, and I'll do it." ⁵ David answered: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, and I'm supposed to eat dinner with your father. But instead, I'll hide in a field until the evening of the next day. ⁶ If Saul wonders where I am, tell him, "David asked me to let him go to his hometown of Bethlehem, so he could take part in a sacrifice his family makes there every year." ⁷ If your father says it's all right, then I'm safe. But if he gets angry, you'll know he wants to harm me. ⁸ Be kind to me. After all, it was your idea to promise the Lord that we would always be loyal friends. If I've done anything wrong, kill me yourself, but don't hand me over to your father.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fled: 1 Samuel 19:19-24, 1 Samuel 23:26-28, Psalms 124:6-8, 2 Peter 2:9

What have: 1 Samuel 12:3, 1 Samuel 24:11, 1 Samuel 24:17, Psalms 7:3-5, Psalms 18:20-24, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 John 3:21

Reciprocal: Numbers 35:20 - by laying 2 Samuel 4:8 - sought Psalms 7:4 - without Hebrews 11:34 - escaped

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.

Genesis 14:7
They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.

Genesis 16:1
Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar,

Genesis 16:7
Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the Lord came to her

Genesis 16:14
That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."

Genesis 18:1
One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the Lord appeared to him.

Genesis 20:13
When God made us leave my father's home and start wandering, I told her, "If you really love me, you will tell everyone that I am your brother."

Genesis 20:14
Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves. He sent Sarah back

Genesis 24:62
At that time Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan near a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."

Genesis 26:1
Once during Abraham's lifetime, the fields had not produced enough grain, and now the same thing happened. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines in the land of Gerar,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah,.... While Saul was prophesying, or lay in a trance there:

and came; to Gibeah, where Saul dwelt, and had his palace, and kept his court:

and said before Jonathan; whom he found there, and for whose sake he thither fled to have his advice, and to use his interest with his father, and be his friend at court:

what have I done? what [is] mine iniquity? and what [is] my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? surely, as if he should say, I must have been guilty of some very great crime, and yet I am not sensible of it; canst thou tell me what it is that has so provoked thy father, that nothing will satisfy him but the taking away of my life, which he seeks to do?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

While Saul was under the constraining influence of the spirit of prophecy, David escaped from Naioth, and, probably by Samuel’s advice, returned to Saul’s court to commune with Jonathan. Nothing could be a better evidence of his innocence than thus putting himself in Jonathan’s power. Perhaps something passed between Samuel and Saul on the subject, since it appears from 1Sa 20:5, 1 Samuel 20:25, 1 Samuel 20:27, that Saul expected David at the feast of the new moon.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XX

David complains to Jonathan of Saul's enmity against him;

Jonathan comforts him, 1-10.

They walk out into the field, and renew their covenant, 11-17.

David asks Jonathan's leave to absent himself from Saul's

court; and Jonathan informs him how he shall ascertain the

disposition of his father towards him, 18-23.

David hides himself; is missed by Saul; Jonathan is questioned

concerning his absence; makes an excuse for David; Saul is

enraged, and endeavours to kill Jonathan, 24-33.

Jonathan goes out to the field; gives David the sign which they

had agreed on, and by which he was to know that the king had

determined to take away his life, 34-39.

He sends his servant back into the city; and then he and David

meet, renew their covenant, and have a very affectionate

parting, 40-42.

NOTES ON CHAP. XX

Verse 1 Samuel 20:1. David fled frown Naioth — On hearing that Saul had come to that place, knowing that he was no longer in safety, he fled for his life.