1 Samuel 16:15

Good News Translation

His servants said to him, "We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

King James Version
And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

Lexham English Bible
So the servants of Saul said to him, "Look please, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

English Standard Version
And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.

New Century Version
Saul's servants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

New English Translation
Then Saul's servants said to him, "Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!"

Amplified Bible
Saul's servants said to him, "Behold, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

New American Standard Bible
Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Sauls seruants said vnto him, Beholde nowe, the euill spirite of God vexeth thee.

Legacy Standard Bible
Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

Contemporary English Version
"It's an evil spirit from God that's frightening you," Saul's officials told him.

Complete Jewish Bible
Sha'ul's servants said to him, "Do you notice that there's an evil spirit from God that suddenly comes over you?

Darby Translation
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.

Easy-to-Read Version
Saul's servants said to him, "An evil spirit from God is bothering you.

George Lamsa Translation
And Sauls servants said to him, Behold, your servants are before you;

Literal Translation
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold, now an evil spirit from God is terrifying you.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Sauls seruauntes vnto him: Beholde, an euell sprete from God vexeth the.

American Standard Version
And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

Bible in Basic English
And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Sauls seruauntes said vnto him: Beholde, an euill spirite [sent] of God vexeth thee.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul's servants said unto him: 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

King James Version (1611)
And Sauls seruants said vnto him, Behold now, an euill spirit from God troubleth thee.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Saul’s servants said to him, Behold now, and evil spirit from the Lord torments thee.

English Revised Version
And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

Berean Standard Bible
Saul's servants said to him, "Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the seruauntis of Saul seiden to hym, Lo! an yuel spirit of the Lord traueilith thee;

Young's Literal Translation
and the servants of Saul say unto him, `Lo, we pray thee, a spirit of sadness [from] God is terrifying thee;

Update Bible Version
And Saul's slaves said to him, Look now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

World English Bible
Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

New King James Version
And Saul's servants said to him, "Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.

New Living Translation
Some of Saul's servants said to him, "A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you.

New Life Bible
Saul's servants said to him, "See, a bad spirit from God is bringing you trouble.

New Revised Standard
And Saul's servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the servants of Saul unto him, - Lo! we pray thee, a sad superhuman spirit, doth terrify thee:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

Revised Standard Version
And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

THE MESSAGE
Saul's advisors said, "This awful tormenting depression from God is making your life miserable. O Master, let us help. Let us look for someone who can play the harp. When the black mood from God moves in, he'll play his music and you'll feel better."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ The Lord 's spirit left Saul, and an evil spirit sent by the Lord tormented him. ¹⁵ His servants said to him, "We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ So give us the order, sir, and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the evil spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again." ¹⁷ Saul ordered them, "Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me." ¹⁸ One of his attendants said, "Jesse of the town of Bethlehem has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. The Lord is with him." ¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, "Send me your son David, the one who takes care of the sheep." ²⁰ Jesse sent David to Saul with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a leather bag full of wine. ²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons. ²² Then Saul sent a message to Jesse: "I like David. Let him stay here in my service." ²³ From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 16:1 - seeing 1 Samuel 18:10 - the evil spirit

Cross-References

Genesis 16:9
He said, "Go back to her and be her slave."

Genesis 16:11
You are going to have a son, and you will name him Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your cry of distress.

Genesis 17:18
He asked God, "Why not let Ishmael be my heir?"

Genesis 17:20
I have heard your request about Ishmael, so I will bless him and give him many children and many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation of his descendants.

Genesis 25:9
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in Machpelah Cave, in the field east of Mamre that had belonged to Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

Genesis 25:12
Ishmael, whom Hagar, the Egyptian slave of Sarah, bore to Abraham,

Genesis 28:9
So he went to Ishmael son of Abraham and married his daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth.

Genesis 37:27
Let's sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we won't have to hurt him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed,

1 Chronicles 1:28
Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul's servants said unto him,.... His courtiers, who observing him to act in a frantic manner, to be dull and melancholy, timorous, and irresolute, unsteady, divided, and distressed; or his physicians, who were called in to assist him, and remove his disorder from him:

behold, now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee: the disorder was not from any natural cause, or any bodily disease, and therefore out of the reach of physicians to do any service, but was from an evil spirit suffered of God to harass and disturb him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The “evil” or “melancholy” spirit here spoken of was “the Spirit of God,” or “of Jehovah,” as being God’s messenger and minister, sent by Him to execute His righteous purpose upon Saul (see 1 Kings 22:19-22 note).