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Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

1 Samuel 20:4

Jonathan replied to David, "Tell me what I can do for you."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Influence;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jonathan;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nob;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Jonathan;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then said Yonatan to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
King James Version
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
Lexham English Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you wish, I will do for you."
English Standard Version
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."
New Century Version
Jonathan said to David, "I'll do anything you want me to do."
Amplified Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."
New American Standard Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said Ionathan vnto Dauid, Whatsoeuer thy soule requireth, that I wil do vnto thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul says, I will do for you."
Contemporary English Version
Then Jonathan said, "Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
Complete Jewish Bible
Y'honatan said to David, "Anything you want me to do for you, I'll do."
Darby Translation
And Jonathan said to David, What thy soul may say, I will even do it for thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jonathan said to David, "I will do anything you want me to do."
George Lamsa Translation
Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever you desire, I will do for you.
Good News Translation
Jonathan said, "I'll do anything you want."
Literal Translation
And Jonathan said to David, What your soul may say, I also will do for you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid: I wil do for the what so euer thy hert desyreth.
American Standard Version
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
Bible in Basic English
Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever your desire is, I will do it for you.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde Ionathan vnto Dauid: Whatsoeuer thy soule desireth, that I will do vnto thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said Jonathan unto David: 'What doth thy soul desire, that I should do it for thee?'
King James Version (1611)
Then said Ionathan vnto Dauid, Whatsoeuer thy soule desireth, I will euen doe it for thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jonathan said to David, What does thy soul desire, and what shall I do for thee.
English Revised Version
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you desire, I will do for you."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jonathas seide to Dauid, What euer thing thi soule schal seie to me, Y schal do to thee.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jonathan saith to David, `What doth thy soul say? -- and I do it for thee.'
Update Bible Version
Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Jonathan to David, Whatever thy soul desireth, I will even do [it] for thee.
World English Bible
Then said Jonathan to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
New King James Version
So Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you."
New Living Translation
"Tell me what I can do to help you," Jonathan exclaimed.
New Life Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, "I will do for you whatever you say."
New Revised Standard
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jonathan said unto David, - Whatsoever thy soul shall desire, I will do for thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jonathan said to David: Whatsoever thy soul shall say to me, I will do for thee.
Revised Standard Version
Then said Jonathan to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."
THE MESSAGE
Jonathan said, "Tell me what you have in mind. I'll do anything for you."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

Contextual Overview

1 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!" 2 Jonathan said to him, "By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing large or small without making me aware of it. Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won't happen!" 3 Taking an oath, David again said, "Your father is very much aware of the fact that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, ‘Don't let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.' But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!" 4 Jonathan replied to David, "Tell me what I can do for you." 5 David said to Jonathan, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now. 6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go to his city Bethlehem, for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.' 7 If he should then say, ‘That's fine,' then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. 8 You must be loyal to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the Lord 's name. If I am guilty, you yourself kill me! Why bother taking me to your father?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Whatsoever: etc. or, Say what is thy mind, and I will do, etc

desireth: Heb. speaketh, or thinketh

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then the Lord rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord .
Genesis 20:6
Then in the dream God replied to him, "Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.
Genesis 20:17
Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham's wife.
2 Samuel 4:11
Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth?"
1 Chronicles 21:17
David said to God, "Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Jonathan unto David,.... Now giving credit to what he had said, and in order to comfort and support him under the apprehensions he had of danger:

whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do [it] for thee; for the preservation of his life, by speaking to his father on his behalf, endeavouring to dissuade him from his evil intentions, or by hiding and concealing him in some obscure place, that he might not execute his evil designs upon him, or by any method he could point out to him.


 
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