1 Samuel 20:10

Contemporary English Version

"How will you do that?" David asked.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

Hebrew Names Version
Then said David to Yonatan, Who shall tell me if perchance your father answer you roughly?

King James Version
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

Lexham English Bible
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if what your father answers you is harsh?"

English Standard Version
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?"

New Century Version
David asked, "Who will let me know if your father answers you unkindly?"

New English Translation
David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

Amplified Bible
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

New American Standard Bible
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will inform me if your father answers you harshly?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said Dauid to Ionathan, Who shall tell me? how shall I knowe, if thy father answere thee cruelly?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Then David asked Y'honatan, "Who will tell me in the event your father gives you a harsh answer?"

Darby Translation
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

Easy-to-Read Version
David said, "Who will warn me if your father says bad things to you?"

George Lamsa Translation
Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall report to me, if your father answers you roughly?

Good News Translation
David then asked, "Who will let me know if your father answers you angrily?"

Literal Translation
Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers harshly?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid sayde: Who shal brynge me worde, yf thy father geue the an harde answere?

American Standard Version
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?

Bible in Basic English
Then David said to Jonathan, Who will give me word if your father gives you a rough answer?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayd Dauid to Ionathan: Who shall tell me? how [shall I knowe] if thy father aunswere thee cruelly?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said David to Jonathan: 'Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?'

King James Version (1611)
Then said Dauid to Ionathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answere thee roughly?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Jonathan, Who can tell me if thy father should answer roughly?

English Revised Version
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?

Berean Standard Bible
Then David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid answeride to Jonathas, Who schal telle to me, if in caas thi fadir answerith harde ony thing of me?

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Jonathan, `Who doth declare to me? or what [if] thy father doth answer thee sharply?'

Update Bible Version
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance your father answers you roughly?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what [if] thy father shall answer thee roughly?

World English Bible
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance your father answer you roughly?

New King James Version
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?"

New Living Translation
Then David asked, "How will I know whether or not your father is angry?"

New Life Bible
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father is angry when he answers you?"

New Revised Standard
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said David unto Jonathan, Who shall tell me, - if thy father answer thee aught that is, harsh?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David answered Jonathan: Who shall bring me word, if thy father should answer thee harshly concerning me?

Revised Standard Version
Then said David to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?"

THE MESSAGE
David asked, "And whom will you get to tell me if your father comes back with a harsh answer?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

Contextual Overview

⁹ "Don't worry," Jonathan said. "If I find out that my father wants to kill you, I'll certainly let you know." ¹⁰ "How will you do that?" David asked. ¹¹ "Let's go out to this field, and I'll tell you," Jonathan answered. When they got there, ¹² Jonathan said: I swear by the Lord God of Israel, that two days from now I'll know what my father is planning. Of course I'll let you know if he's friendly toward you. ¹³ But if he wants to harm you, I promise to tell you and help you escape. And I ask the Lord to punish me severely if I don't keep my promise. I pray that the Lord will bless you, just as he used to bless my father. ¹⁴Someday the Lord will wipe out all of your enemies. Then if I'm still alive, please be as kind to me as the Lord has been. But if I'm dead, be kind to my family. ¹⁶ Jonathan and David made an agreement that even David's descendants would have to keep. Then Jonathan said, "I pray that the Lord will take revenge on your descendants if they break our promise." ¹⁷ Jonathan thought as much of David as he did of himself, so he asked David to promise once more that he would be a loyal friend. ¹⁸ After this Jonathan said: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, and people will wonder where you are, because your place will be empty. ¹⁹ By the day after tomorrow, everyone will think you've been gone a long time. Then go to the place where you hid before and stay beside Going-Away Rock.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

answer thee: 1 Samuel 20:30-34, 1 Samuel 25:10, 1 Samuel 25:14, 1 Samuel 25:17, Genesis 42:7, Genesis 42:30, 1 Kings 12:13, Proverbs 18:23

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said David to Jonathan, who shall tell me?.... The disposition of Saul's mind towards him, whether he gave a kind answer to the report of Jonathan concerning him:

or what [if] thy father answer thee roughly? or hard words, as the Targum, whether he answers in a kind, loving, and smooth manner, or whether in a rough and angry one: the question is here, how he should be informed of this, since especially, if in the latter, it would not be safe for Jonathan to come himself to him, nor could he well trust the message with any other. Abarbinel thinks, that the first of these expressions is by way of question, who should declare to him his father's will and intention, whether good or bad: and the latter by way of outcry, woe unto me, if thy father should answer thee roughly; I greatly fear he will chide thee for my sake; my heart will be filled with sorrow if thou shouldest suffer reproach and rebuke on my account.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 20:10. Who shall tell me? — Who shall give me the necessary information? What means wilt thou use to convey this intelligence to me?